Creating your first Pipeline

What is a Jenkins Pipeline?

Jenkins Pipeline (or simply "Pipeline") is a suite of plugins which supports implementing and integrating continuous delivery pipelines into Jenkins.

A continuous delivery pipeline is an automated expression of your process for getting software from version control right through to your users and customers.

Jenkins Pipeline provides an extensible set of tools for modeling simple-to-complex delivery pipelines "as code". The definition of a Jenkins Pipeline is typically written into a text file (called a Jenkinsfile) which in turn is checked into a project’s source control repository. [1]

For more information about Pipeline and what a Jenkinsfile is, refer to the respective Pipeline and Using a Jenkinsfile sections of the User Handbook.

To get started quickly with Pipeline:

  1. Install the Docker Pipeline plugin through the Manage Jenkins > Plugins page

  2. After installing the plugin, restart Jenkins so that the plugin is ready to use

  3. Copy one of the examples below into your repository and name it Jenkinsfile

  4. Click the New Item menu within Jenkins Classic UI left column

  5. Provide a name for your new item (e.g. My-Pipeline) and select Multibranch Pipeline

  6. Click the Add Source button, choose the type of repository you want to use and fill in the details

  7. Click the Save button and watch your first Pipeline run

You may need to modify one of the example Jenkinsfile's to make it run with your project. Try modifying the sh command to run the same command you would run on your local machine.

After you have setup your Pipeline, Jenkins will automatically detect any new Branches or Pull Requests that are created in your repository and start running Pipelines for them.

Continue to "Run multiple steps"

Quick Start Examples

Below are some easily copied and pasted examples of a simple Pipeline with various languages.

Java

Jenkinsfile (Declarative Pipeline)
/* Requires the Docker Pipeline plugin */
pipeline {
    agent { docker { image 'maven:3.9.9-eclipse-temurin-21-alpine' } }
    stages {
        stage('build') {
            steps {
                sh 'mvn --version'
            }
        }
    }
}
Toggle Scripted Pipeline (Advanced)

Node.js / JavaScript

Jenkinsfile (Declarative Pipeline)
/* Requires the Docker Pipeline plugin */
pipeline {
    agent { docker { image 'node:22.12.0-alpine3.21' } }
    stages {
        stage('build') {
            steps {
                sh 'node --version'
            }
        }
    }
}
Toggle Scripted Pipeline (Advanced)

Ruby

Jenkinsfile (Declarative Pipeline)
/* Requires the Docker Pipeline plugin */
pipeline {
    agent { docker { image 'ruby:3.3.6-alpine3.21' } }
    stages {
        stage('build') {
            steps {
                sh 'ruby --version'
            }
        }
    }
}
Toggle Scripted Pipeline (Advanced)

Python

Jenkinsfile (Declarative Pipeline)
/* Requires the Docker Pipeline plugin */
pipeline {
    agent { docker { image 'python:3.13.1-alpine3.21' } }
    stages {
        stage('build') {
            steps {
                sh 'python --version'
            }
        }
    }
}
Toggle Scripted Pipeline (Advanced)

PHP

Jenkinsfile (Declarative Pipeline)
/* Requires the Docker Pipeline plugin */
pipeline {
    agent { docker { image 'php:8.4.2-alpine3.21' } }
    stages {
        stage('build') {
            steps {
                sh 'php --version'
            }
        }
    }
}
Toggle Scripted Pipeline (Advanced)

Go

Jenkinsfile (Declarative Pipeline)
/* Requires the Docker Pipeline plugin */
pipeline {
    agent { docker { image 'golang:1.23.4-alpine3.21' } }
    stages {
        stage('build') {
            steps {
                sh 'go version'
            }
        }
    }
}
Toggle Scripted Pipeline (Advanced)

Continue to "Running multiple steps"

Additional Resources

How to Write a Pipeline Script in Jenkins

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