CLI reference

Global flags

Persistent flags accepted by every command.

jenkins-cli auth

Log in, check identity and log out

jenkins-cli auth

jenkins-cli auth guide

Show offline credential acquisition guidance for this service

jenkins-cli auth guide

jenkins-cli auth login

Store credentials for the active context (interactive)

jenkins-cli auth login

Prompts for your Jenkins username and API token (or password), verifies them against the server, and stores the secret in the OS keychain. Requires an interactive terminal; in CI / agent sandboxes set JENKINS_USER + JENKINS_TOKEN (or JENKINS_PASSWORD) instead.

jenkins-cli auth logout

Remove the stored credential for the active context

jenkins-cli auth logout

jenkins-cli auth reuse

Reuse an existing login in the selected context without signing in again

jenkins-cli auth reuse [flags]

Match stored contexts by complete service URL, authentication scheme and service scope. Verify a matching stored credential before filling a missing personal identity in the selected context. Never copy secrets, replace an existing identity, activate a context, or read credentials from environment variables. Dry-run performs read-only verification and reports the same proposed association. An unchanged or unavailable result is not proof of authentication; use auth status to check.

Options

jenkins-cli auth status

Show the active identity and verify connectivity

jenkins-cli auth status

jenkins-cli build

Inspect builds: status, logs, stages, tests, changes

jenkins-cli build

A build is one run of a job. List a job's history, then drill into a build's result, console log, pipeline stages, test failures or SCM changes. A build reference is a number or a permalink keyword: last, lastSuccessful, lastFailed, lastCompleted, lastStable (default: last).

jenkins-cli build artifacts

List a build's archived artifacts

jenkins-cli build artifacts <path> [ref]

Returns the build's archived artifacts with a direct download URL for each.

jenkins-cli build changes

Show the SCM commits in a build

jenkins-cli build changes <path> [ref]

Returns the source-control changes a build picked up: commit id, author, message and affected paths. Works for both freestyle and pipeline jobs.

jenkins-cli build get

Get one build: result, timing, trigger cause, commit

jenkins-cli build get <path> [ref]

Returns a build's result and status, when it started (absolute and relative) and how long it ran, which node it ran on, what triggered it, any build parameters, and the Git commit the job built (revision). ref defaults to the latest build.

jenkins-cli build list

List a job's recent builds (newest first)

jenkins-cli build list <path> [flags]

Returns a job's build history: number, status, start time (and how long ago), duration and what triggered each build. Use --limit to control how many builds come back.

Options

jenkins-cli build log

Print a build's console output

jenkins-cli build log <path> [ref] [flags]

Prints the build's console log as plain text to stdout. Use --start to resume from a byte offset, or --follow to stream new output until the build finishes (Ctrl-C to stop). ref defaults to the latest build. Resolve a permalink with build get and reuse its number before resuming or following: offsets belong to one build. --timeout limits each request, not the overall follow loop. Agents should set a host-side deadline.

Options

Examples

  jenkins-cli build get my-app lastFailed
  # If build get returned number 128:
  jenkins-cli build log my-app 128
  jenkins-cli build log my-app 128 --start 1024 --follow

jenkins-cli build stages

Show a Pipeline build's stage-by-stage status

jenkins-cli build stages <path> [ref]

Returns each Pipeline stage with its status and duration, so you can see exactly which stage failed. Applies to Pipeline / multibranch jobs only.

jenkins-cli build stop

Abort a running build (write)

jenkins-cli build stop <path> <ref> [flags]

Aborts the build at <path> #<ref>. With --dry-run, print the request that would be sent and exit. This is a write: it is blocked in read-only mode unless --allow-writes is given.

Options

jenkins-cli build tests

Show a build's test results

jenkins-cli build tests <path> [ref] [flags]

Returns the build's test totals plus the individual cases. Use --failed-only to keep just the failing cases (with their error details) — the high-signal view when triaging a red build.

Options

jenkins-cli config

Set up and inspect configuration and contexts

jenkins-cli config

jenkins-cli config delete-context

Delete a context and its stored credential

jenkins-cli config delete-context <name>

Delete a context from the config file, together with its stored credential. The credential is kept when another context on the same server and authentication scheme still uses it. When the deleted context was current, the first remaining context becomes current. The only context cannot be deleted.

Examples

  jenkins-cli config delete-context staging

jenkins-cli config get-contexts

List configured contexts and which one is current

jenkins-cli config get-contexts

Examples

  jenkins-cli config get-contexts
  jenkins-cli config get-contexts --format table

jenkins-cli config init

Interactively configure a context and store credentials

jenkins-cli config init [flags]

Collects a server URL, username and API token (or password), verifies them, then writes a named context plus the secret. With --pretty it runs an interactive TUI (requires a terminal); without it, a plain line-by-line wizard that also works over a pipe. When a configuration already exists, it first asks whether to edit a context, add a new one, or replace it all (skip the question with --context <name>). For fully headless setup, set JENKINS_URL / JENKINS_USER / JENKINS_TOKEN (or JENKINS_PASSWORD) instead.

Options

Examples

  jenkins-cli config init --pretty   # interactive TUI (recommended)
  jenkins-cli config init             # plain line-by-line wizard (scripts, non-TTY)
  jenkins-cli config init --context prod   # add/update a named context directly

jenkins-cli config set-context

Configure service presets without credentials or network access

jenkins-cli config set-context <name> [flags]

Write service fields from flags, environment or .env over the named target context. Personal environment fields and secrets are ignored. Existing conflicting fields require --overwrite; unrelated contexts and user identities are preserved.

Options

Examples

  jenkins-cli config set-context team --base-url https://service.example.com --dry-run
  jenkins-cli config set-context team --base-url https://service.example.com --activate

jenkins-cli config show

Show the resolved configuration with field provenance

jenkins-cli config show

jenkins-cli config use-context

Set the current context

jenkins-cli config use-context <name>

jenkins-cli doctor

Check configuration, credentials and connectivity

jenkins-cli doctor [flags]

Runs a quick health check: is a server configured, are credentials present, and can the server be reached and authenticated. Each check reports ok/failed so an agent can self-diagnose environment problems. It also reports whether a newer jenkins-cli release is available.

Options

Examples

  jenkins-cli doctor
  jenkins-cli doctor --no-update-check

jenkins-cli job

Discover jobs and trigger builds

jenkins-cli job

Jobs are the projects, folders and multibranch pipelines on the instance. `job list` is the discovery map; `job get` shows one job's detail (parameters, health, branch jobs, last-build pointers); `job build` triggers a build. Job paths are folder/job[/branch] — list to find the exact name before querying.

jenkins-cli job build

Trigger a build of a job (write)

jenkins-cli job build <path> [flags]

Starts a build of the job at <path>. Pass --param KEY=VALUE (repeatable) for a parameterized job. With --dry-run, print the request that would be sent and exit without triggering. This is a write: it is blocked in read-only mode unless --allow-writes is given.

Options

Examples

  jenkins-cli job build my-folder/my-app
  jenkins-cli job build my-app --param BRANCH=main --param CLEAN=true
  jenkins-cli job build my-app --param BRANCH=main --dry-run

jenkins-cli job get

Get one job, including parameters and last-build pointers

jenkins-cli job get <path>

Returns a single job by path (folder/job[/branch]): its description, build parameters, health, last / lastSuccessful / lastFailed build pointers, and — for folders and multibranch projects — the child jobs (branches and PRs).

jenkins-cli job list

List jobs (the discovery map)

jenkins-cli job list [flags]

Lists jobs with their type, status and last-build snapshot. Pass --folder to list inside a folder — or a multibranch project, which lists its branch / PR jobs — and --depth to recurse nested containers. Each job's last_build carries its result, start time and duration, so one call shows every branch's build situation. Status is derived from Jenkins' color field (success / failure / unstable / building / disabled / not_built).

Options

jenkins-cli queue

Inspect and manage the build queue

jenkins-cli queue

The queue holds builds waiting to start. List it to see what is pending or blocked and why, inspect one item, or cancel a queued build before it runs.

jenkins-cli queue cancel

Cancel a queued build before it starts (write)

jenkins-cli queue cancel <id> [flags]

Removes a still-queued build by its queue id. With --dry-run, print the request that would be sent and exit. This is a write: it is blocked in read-only mode unless --allow-writes is given.

Options

jenkins-cli queue get

Get one queue item

jenkins-cli queue get <id>

Returns a queue item's waiting reason, cancellation state, and assigned build under executable (number and URL) once it starts. Use that number with build get or build log; do not substitute the job's latest build. A missing executable means no build assignment is available yet; a 404 does not prove that the item started or was cancelled.

jenkins-cli queue list

List builds waiting in the queue

jenkins-cli queue list

jenkins-cli skill

Install the companion Skill for coding agents

jenkins-cli skill

jenkins-cli skill install

Deploy the embedded Skill into a coding agent's skills directory

jenkins-cli skill install [flags]

Write the companion `jenkins` Skill — bundled inside this binary — into a coding agent's skills directory. With no flags it probes for installed agents (claude-code, codex, cursor, agents, gemini, github-copilot, opencode, continue, windsurf, grok, pi, kilo, roo) and installs into each one found. Re-run it after upgrading the CLI to refresh the Skill to the matching version, then reload the agent context.

Options

jenkins-cli skill path

Print Skill paths, installation state and version alignment

jenkins-cli skill path [flags]

Options

jenkins-cli skill show

Print the embedded SKILL.md to stdout

jenkins-cli skill show

jenkins-cli skill status

Report loaded, installed and embedded Skill versions

jenkins-cli skill status [flags]

Options

jenkins-cli skill uninstall

Remove the companion Skill from a coding agent's skills directory

jenkins-cli skill uninstall [flags]

Delete a previously installed `jenkins` Skill. With no flags it probes for installed agents (claude-code, codex, cursor, agents, gemini, github-copilot, opencode, continue, windsurf, grok, pi, kilo, roo) and removes the Skill from each one found.

Options

jenkins-cli version

Print version information

jenkins-cli version