# Build Reliable GitLab CI/CD Pipelines

Complex GitLab pipelines are difficult to structure, cache, and secure. This skill provides reusable patterns for testing, containers, Terraform, Kubernetes, and deployment.

## Install

```bash
npx skillstore add sickn33/gitlab-ci-patterns
```

## Metadata

- Status: approved
- Slug: sickn33-gitlab-ci-patterns
- Skillstore revision: r2
- Version status: missing
- Tree hash: ceb1ce7206a9c25f1212bc3d1d2b2c66d906f7ae5eed20778b068cf4860d3fb8
- Author: sickn33
- GitHub username: sickn33
- License: MIT
- Repository: https://github.com/sickn33/antigravity-awesome-skills/tree/main/skills/gitlab-ci-patterns
- Ref: 88a8e9a07f4c54ab105c1c41b6267c287146b07b
- Supported tools: Claude, Codex, Claude Code
- Audit status: complete
- Agent install advisory: confirmation\_required
- Manual install advisory: allowed
- Artifact signature: available
- Audit attestation: unavailable
- Human verification: not\_verified
- Risk factors: external\_commands, network
- Quality score: 38
- Quality tier: warning
- Public page: https://skillstore.pages.dev/skills/sickn33-gitlab-ci-patterns
- Manifest: https://skillstore.pages.dev/api/skills/sickn33-gitlab-ci-patterns/manifest

## Capabilities

- Draft staged GitLab pipelines for build, test, and deployment jobs.
- Configure Node.js dependency caches, build artifacts, coverage reports, and test commands.
- Create Docker image build and registry push jobs using GitLab variables.
- Model staging and production Kubernetes deployments with manual production gates.
- Structure Terraform validation, plan, artifact, and apply workflows.
- Add GitLab security templates, Trivy scanning, and generated child pipelines.

## Use Cases

- Standardize Application Pipelines: Create consistent build, test, cache, artifact, and deployment stages for a GitLab-hosted application.
- Design Infrastructure Delivery: Combine Terraform planning with controlled Kubernetes deployments across staging and production environments.
- Strengthen Pipeline Security: Add GitLab security templates and container scanning while reviewing secrets, image pins, and failure policies.

## Prompt Templates

### Create a Basic Pipeline

```
Create a GitLab CI pipeline for my Node.js project. Include build, lint, test, cache, coverage, and artifact jobs.
```

### Add Container Publishing

```
Extend my pipeline to build and publish Docker images. Pin tools, use password-stdin, and tag commits without overwriting trusted releases.
```

### Deploy Across Environments

```
Design staging and production Kubernetes jobs. Require verified TLS, protected credentials, environment tracking, and a manual production approval.
```

### Design an Advanced Delivery Workflow

```
Create a GitLab workflow with Terraform plans, blocking security scans, immutable images, and generated child pipelines. Explain trust boundaries and approval gates.
```

## Limitations

- The patterns require adaptation for each repository, runner, registry, cluster, and Terraform backend.
- The package includes only SKILL.md, so its referenced templates and playbook are unavailable.
- It cannot verify credentials, runner permissions, network access, or deployed infrastructure.
- Several examples require security hardening before use, including TLS verification and blocking scan failures.

## Best Practices

- Pin external images and tools to reviewed versions or immutable digests.
- Store secrets in protected, masked variables and avoid command-line password arguments.
- Require blocking validation and manual approval before production changes.

## Anti Patterns

- Do not disable TLS certificate verification for Kubernetes API connections.
- Do not treat mutable latest tags as reproducible production dependencies.
- Do not allow critical security scans to fail without an explicit compensating gate.

## Security Audit

- Audited at: 2026-07-24T00:12:40.373\+00:00
- Summary: All 22 static alerts are false positives caused by Markdown backticks, YAML fences, and reserved example.com deployment metadata. Semantic review found four genuine risks in the supplied pipeline patterns: disabled TLS verification, exposed password arguments, mutable images, and security scans that do not block failures.

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