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When working with GitLab CI/CD, every push by default starts a new pipeline run. However, for non-functional changes—like updating documentation or fixing typos—you can prevent an unnecessary pipeline execution by appending a skip directive to your commit message.

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Why Skip CI/CD Pipelines?

Skipping pipelines saves valuable runner minutes and reduces clutter in your pipeline dashboard. Typical use cases include:
  • Documentation updates (README.md, CHANGELOG.md)
  • Configuration tweaks that don’t affect build/test logic
  • Minor formatting or comment changes

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Example .gitlab-ci.yml Configuration

Below is a sample CI configuration. Even pure documentation changes will trigger this pipeline unless skipped explicitly: 
workflow:
  name: Exploring GitLab CI Concepts
  rules:
    - if: '$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"'

variables:
  DEPLOY_VARIABLE: "PRODUCTION"

deploy-job:
  resource_group: production
  parallel:
    matrix:
      RUNNER_MACHINES:
        - saas-linux-small-amd64
        - saas-linux-medium-amd64
      NODE_TAGS:
        - '20-alpine3.18'
        - '18-alpine3.18'
        - '21-alpine3.18'
  tags:
    - $RUNNER_MACHINES
  image: node:$NODE_TAGS
  script:
    - echo "Deploying to production environment"

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Skip Directives Overview

You can use either [ci skip] or [skip ci] in your commit message:
Skip DirectiveEffect
[ci skip]Prevents the pipeline from running
[skip ci]Alias for [ci skip]
Both directives are recognized by GitLab. Choose the one you prefer—case-insensitive.

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Committing with a Skip Directive

To skip the pipeline for a documentation-only change: 
git add README.md
git commit -m "docs: improve installation steps [ci skip]"
git push origin main
The image shows a GitLab documentation page about skipping and deleting pipelines, with navigation options on the left and related topics on the right.
Once pushed, GitLab marks the pipeline as Skipped immediately—no jobs are queued or executed.
The image shows a GitLab CI/CD pipeline dashboard with a list of pipeline statuses, including "Skipped," "Passed," and "Failed." It displays details such as pipeline IDs, branches, and timestamps.

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Verifying the Skipped Pipeline

Navigate to CI/CD > Pipelines in your project’s sidebar. You will see the latest push marked as Skipped:
  • No jobs are run.
  • Pipeline minutes are preserved.
  • Dashboard remains uncluttered.
Do not use skip directives for commits that modify build scripts, tests, or production code. Skipping critical changes can lead to undetected failures.

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Additional Resources

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