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CI Lint API

doc/api/lint.md

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{{< details >}}

  • Tier: Free, Premium, Ultimate
  • Offering: GitLab.com, GitLab Self-Managed, GitLab Dedicated

{{< /details >}}

Use this API to validate your GitLab CI/CD configuration.

These endpoints use JSON-encoded YAML content. In some cases, it can be helpful to use third-party tools like jq to properly format your YAML content before making a request. This can be helpful if you want to maintain the format of your CI/CD configuration.

For example, the following command uses JQ to properly escape a given YAML file, encode it as JSON, and make a request to the API.

shell
jq --null-input --arg yaml "$(<example-gitlab-ci.yml)" '.content=$yaml' \
| curl --url "https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/:id/ci/lint?include_merged_yaml=true" \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data @-

  1. Create a YAML file named example-gitlab-ci.yml:

    yaml
    .api_test:
  rules:
    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE=="merge_request_event"
      changes:
        - src/api/*
deploy:
  extends:
    - .api_test
  rules:
    - when: manual
      allow_failure: true
  script:
    - echo "hello world"

  2. To escape and encode an input YAML file (example-gitlab-ci.yml), then POST it to the GitLab API, create a one-line command that combines curl and jq:

    shell
    jq --null-input --arg yaml "$(<example-gitlab-ci.yml)" '.content=$yaml' \
| curl --url "https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/:id/ci/lint?include_merged_yaml=true" \
    --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    --data @-

Parse responses from this API

To reformat responses from the CI Lint API, either:

  • Pipe the CI Lint response directly to jq.

  • Store the API response as a text file, and provide it to jq as an argument, like this:

    shell
    jq --raw-output '.merged_yaml | fromjson' <your_input_here>

For example, this JSON array:

json
{"valid":"true","errors":[],"merged_yaml":"---\n.api_test:\n  rules:\n  - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE==\"merge_request_event\"\n    changes:\n    - src/api/*\ndeploy:\n  rules:\n  - when: manual\n    allow_failure: true\n  extends:\n  - \".api_test\"\n  script:\n  - echo \"hello world\"\n"}

When parsed and reformatted, the resulting YAML file contains:

yaml
.api_test:
  rules:
  - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE=="merge_request_event"
    changes:
    - src/api/*
deploy:
  rules:
  - when: manual
    allow_failure: true
  extends:
  - ".api_test"
  script:
  - echo "hello world"

Validate CI/CD configuration

Validates .gitlab-ci.yml configuration for a specified project. This endpoint validates the CI/CD configuration in the context of the project, including:

  • Using the project's CI/CD variables.
  • Searching the project's files for include:local entries.
plaintext
POST /projects/:id/ci/lint
AttributeTypeRequiredDescription
contentstringYesThe CI/CD configuration content.
dry_runbooleanNoRun pipeline creation simulation, or only do static check. Default: false.
include_jobsbooleanNoIf the list of jobs that would exist in a static check or pipeline simulation should be included in the response. Default: false.
refstringNoWhen dry_run is true, sets the branch or tag context to use to validate the CI/CD YAML configuration. Defaults to the project's default branch when not set.

Example request:

shell
curl --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/:id/ci/lint" \
  --data @- <<'EOF'
{
  "content": "{
    \"image\": \"ruby:2.6\",
    \"services\": [\"postgres\"],
    \"before_script\": [
      \"bundle install\",
      \"bundle exec rake db:create\"
    ],
    \"variables\": {
      \"DB_NAME\": \"postgres\"
    },
    \"stages\": [\"test\", \"deploy\", \"notify\"],
    \"rspec\": {
      \"script\": \"rake spec\",
      \"tags\": [\"ruby\", \"postgres\"],
      \"only\": [\"branches\"]
    }
  }"
}
EOF

Example responses:

  • Valid configuration:

    json
    {
  "valid": true,
  "merged_yaml": "---\ntest_job:\n  script: echo 1\n",
  "errors": [],
  "warnings": [],
  "includes": []
}

  • Invalid configuration:

    json
    {
  "valid": false,
  "errors": [
    "jobs config should contain at least one visible job"
  ],
  "warnings": [],
  "merged_yaml": "---\n\".job\":\n  script:\n  - echo \"A hidden job\"\n",
  "includes": []
}

Validate existing CI/CD configuration

{{< history >}}

  • sha attribute introduced in GitLab 16.5.
  • sha and ref renamed to content_ref and dry_run_ref in GitLab 16.10.

{{< /history >}}

Validates the existing .gitlab-ci.yml configuration for a specified project. This endpoint validates the CI/CD configuration in the context of the project, including:

  • Using the project's CI/CD variables.
  • Searching the project's files for include:local entries.
plaintext
GET /projects/:id/ci/lint
AttributeTypeRequiredDescription
content_refstringNoThe CI/CD configuration content is taken from this commit SHA, branch or tag. Defaults to the SHA of the head of the project's default branch when not set.
dry_runbooleanNoRun pipeline creation simulation, or only do static check.
dry_run_refstringNoOf dry_run is true, sets the branch or tag context to use to validate the CI/CD YAML configuration. Defaults to the project's default branch when not set.
include_jobsbooleanNoIf the list of jobs that would exist in a static check or pipeline simulation should be included in the response. Default: false.
refstringNo(Deprecated) When dry_run is true, sets the branch or tag context to use to validate the CI/CD YAML configuration. Defaults to the project's default branch when not set. Use dry_run_ref instead.
shastringNo(Deprecated) The CI/CD configuration content is taken from this commit SHA, branch or tag. Defaults to the SHA of the head of the project's default branch when not set. Use content_ref instead.

Example request:

shell
curl --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/:id/ci/lint"

Example responses:

  • Valid configuration, with include.yml as an included file and include_jobs set to true:

    json
    {
  "valid": true,
  "errors": [],
  "warnings": [],
  "merged_yaml": "---\ninclude-job:\n  script:\n  - echo \"An included job\"\njob:\n  rules:\n  - if: \"$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH\"\n  script:\n  - echo \"A test job\"\n",
  "includes": [
    {
      "type": "local",
      "location": "include.yml",
      "blob": "https://gitlab.example.com/test-group/test-project/-/blob/ef5014c045873c5c4ffeb7a2f5be021a1d3ed703/include.yml",
      "raw": "https://gitlab.example.com/test-group/test-project/-/raw/ef5014c045873c5c4ffeb7a2f5be021a1d3ed703/include.yml",
      "extra": {},
      "context_project": "test-group/test-project",
      "context_sha": "ef5014c045873c5c4ffeb7a2f5be021a1d3ed703"
    }
  ],
  "jobs": [
    {
      "name": "include-job",
      "stage": "test",
      "before_script": [],
      "script": [
        "echo \"An included job\""
      ],
      "after_script": [],
      "tag_list": [],
      "only": {
        "refs": [
          "branches",
          "tags"
        ]
      },
      "except": null,
      "environment": null,
      "when": "on_success",
      "allow_failure": false,
      "needs": null
    },
    {
      "name": "job",
      "stage": "test",
      "before_script": [],
      "script": [
        "echo \"A test job\""
      ],
      "after_script": [],
      "tag_list": [],
      "only": null,
      "except": null,
      "environment": null,
      "when": "on_success",
      "allow_failure": false,
      "needs": null
    }
  ]
}

  • Invalid configuration:

    json
    {
  "valid": false,
  "errors": [
    "jobs config should contain at least one visible job"
  ],
  "warnings": [],
  "merged_yaml": "---\n\".job\":\n  script:\n  - echo \"A hidden job\"\n",
  "includes": []
}