How do I use the pages section in a pipeline as code?

The pages section in a pipeline as code allows you to publish static web content as GitLab Pages. GitLab Pages is a feature that enables you to host your static websites directly from your GitLab repository. With the pages section, you can configure and deploy your static website as part of your pipeline workflow.

To use the pages section in your pipeline as code, follow these steps:

Define a job in your pipeline that generates the static website content. This could be a build process, compilation, or any other task that produces the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files for your website.

Add the pages section to the job configuration, specifying the location of the generated static content using the path keyword. For example:

pages:
  stage: deploy
  script:
    - generate_static_content
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - public

In the above example, the pages job generates the static content and stores it in the public directory.

Configure the pages section to publish the static content to GitLab Pages. You'll need to provide additional information such as the domain name, subdomain, and any optional settings. Here's an example:

pages:
  stage: deploy
  script:
    - generate_static_content
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - public
  only:
    - master
  pages:
    domain: mydomain.com
    dir: public
    subdomain: mysubdomain
    secure: true

In this example, the static content from the public directory is published to the mysubdomain.mydomain.com domain. The secure option is set to true, which enables HTTPS for the published website.

Make sure to restrict the deployment of the Pages job using the only keyword if desired. In the example above, the job is configured to run only on the master branch. Adjust this condition to match your specific requirements.

By using the pages section in your pipeline as code, you can automate the deployment of your static website to GitLab Pages. This ensures that your website is always up to date with the latest changes in your repository and simplifies the process of publishing and managing your web content.

Note that the availability and behavior of the pages section may depend on the version of GitLab you are using. Make sure to refer to the GitLab documentation or release notes for the specific version you are working with to ensure compatibility and understand any limitations or special considerations.

Using the pages section in your pipeline as code is a convenient way to leverage GitLab Pages for hosting your static websites. It streamlines the deployment process and provides a seamless integration with your CI/CD workflows, allowing you to publish your web content efficiently and effortlessly.