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GitLab CI/CD Template Guide

Optimizing Pipeline Implementation Using GitLab CI Templates

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Overview

Learn how to optimize your GitLab CI implementation using templates. Templates help reduce code duplication and maintain consistent pipeline configurations across projects.

Using GitLab CI Templates

Built-in Templates

# Reference GitLab's built-in templates
include:
  - template: Terraform/Base.gitlab-ci.yml
  - template: Jobs/SAST-IaC.gitlab-ci.yml

Project Templates

If the template is defined in your gitlab’s project, you can write it as follows.

# Reference templates from your project
include:
  - project: 'somaz94/server'
    ref: master
    file: '/template/my_template_file.yml'


🔧 Creating Custom Templates

Build Template Example

Using Build Template

And it can be used as below.

build_manual_image:
  <<: *common_job_config
  stage: build
  image:
    name: gcr.io/kaniko-project/executor:v1.22.0-debug
  before_script: *common_build_before_script
  script: *common_build_script
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - build_status.txt
      - service_status.txt
  rules:
    - if: '($CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "web")'
  tags:
    - build-image

And it can be used for other jobs.

.change_files_game: &change_files_game
  changes:
    - apps/game/src/**/*

build_auto_image_game:
  <<: *common_job_config
  stage: build
  image: 
    name: gcr.io/kaniko-project/executor:v1.22.0-debug
  before_script: *common_build_before_script
  script: *common_build_script
  variables:
    SERVICE: $GAME_SERVICE
    IMAGE_URL: $IMAGE_URL_GAME
    IMAGE_URL_LATEST: $IMAGE_URL_LATEST_GAME
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - build_status.txt
      - service_status.txt
  rules:
    - if: '$CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "push"'
      <<: *change_files_game
  tags:
    - build-image

Slack Notification Template

The template for sending a message to SLACK can also be written as follows. You can receive the result as an artifact for each job and send a message.

  .common_update_after_script: &common_update_after_script
    - >
      if [ "$CI_JOB_STATUS" = "success" ]; then
        echo "✅ success" > /builds/somaz94/server/update_status.txt
      elif [ "$CI_JOB_STATUS" = "failed" ]; then
        echo "❌ failed" > /builds/somaz94/server/update_status.txt
      elif [ "$CI_JOB_STATUS" = "canceled" ]; then
        echo "⚠️ canceled" > /builds/somaz94/server/update_status.txt
      else
        echo "🔍 unknown" > /builds/somaz94/server/update_status.txt
 ...
 
 update_manual_image:
  stage: update
  image: alpine:latest
  interruptible: true
  retry:
    max: 2  # Maximum of 2 retries
    when:
      - runner_system_failure
      - unknown_failure
  before_script: *common_update_before_script
  script: *common_update_script 
  after_script: *common_update_after_script
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - update_status.txt
  rules:
    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "web"
  tags:
    - deploy-image
  dependencies:
    - build_manual_image

I used the SLACK webhook, and I used the workflow builder to write so that I could only get the result value. HTTPS

Notification Script Template

Create a Slack notify template.

Using Notification Template

And write the yml file as below.

notify_slack:
  stage: notify
  image: curlimages/curl:latest
  script: *common_notify_slack_script
  rules:
    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "web"
    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "trigger"
  tags:
    - deploy-image
  when: always

...
notify_slack_auto_game:
  stage: notify
  image: curlimages/curl:latest
  script: *common_notify_slack_script
  rules:
    - if: '$CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "push"'
      <<: *change_files_game
  tags:
    - deploy-image
  when: always
  dependencies:
    - build_auto_image_game
    - update_auto_image_game

If used in this way, a template can be created and applied to various jobs as follows. HTTPS


Reference