Getting Started with CI/CD Pipelines

What Is CI/CD?

Continuous Integration means merging code frequently and running automated tests on every change. Continuous Deployment extends this by automatically shipping passing changes to production. Together, they create a fast, reliable feedback loop.

Setting Up Your First Pipeline

Start simple. A basic pipeline that runs tests and type-checks on pull requests already provides enormous value. You can add deployment stages, security scanning, and performance testing incrementally.

GitHub Actions Example

name: CI
on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: 20
          cache: yarn
      - run: yarn install --frozen-lockfile
      - run: yarn type-check
      - run: yarn test
      - run: yarn build

Best Practices

• Keep pipelines fast — aim for under 10 minutes total
• Make builds deterministic and reproducible
• Use caching aggressively for dependencies
• Monitor pipeline health and fix flaky tests immediately
• Use branch protection rules to enforce CI passing before merge