Claude Code CI/CD Integration

Overview

Claude Code integrates with CI/CD platforms to enable AI-powered automation within development workflows. By mentioning @claude in pull requests, merge requests, or issues, you can leverage Claude to analyze code, create PRs/MRs, implement features, and fix bugs while adhering to project standards.

GitHub Actions

Key Capabilities

Core Features:

• Instant PR creation with complete code changes from descriptions
• Automated issue-to-code implementation
• Adherence to project guidelines via CLAUDE.md files
• Secure execution on GitHub runners

Setup Methods

Quick Installation: Run /install-github-app in Claude Code for guided setup and secret configuration. This approach is limited to direct Claude API users.

Manual Setup Requirements:

1. Install the Claude GitHub app with read/write permissions for Contents, Issues, and Pull Requests
2. Add ANTHROPIC_API_KEY to repository secrets
3. Copy the workflow file from official examples into .github/workflows/

Configuration

Example Workflow:

- uses: anthropics/claude-code-action@v1
  with:
    prompt: "Your instructions"
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
    claude_args: "--max-turns 5"

Version Migration (v1.0):

• Replace mode configuration (now auto-detected)
• Change direct_prompt to prompt
• Move CLI options into claude_args parameter

Common Use Cases

In comments:

@claude implement this feature
@claude fix the TypeError in the dashboard
@claude how should I handle authentication?

Best Practices

Project Guidelines: Create a CLAUDE.md file defining coding standards and review criteria that Claude will follow.

Security: Always use GitHub Secrets rather than hardcoding credentials. Store API keys as ANTHROPIC_API_KEY.

Cost Management: Configure --max-turns limits and use specific commands to minimize unnecessary API calls.

Enterprise Deployment

AWS Bedrock and Google Vertex AI integration requires:

• OIDC configuration for authentication
• Service account setup with appropriate permissions
• Repository secrets for credentials

Both approaches eliminate need for static credentials through temporary token rotation.

Troubleshooting

No Response: Verify GitHub app installation, workflow enablement, and use of @claude (not /claude).

CI Not Running: Confirm app usage instead of default Actions user and verify webhook trigger configuration.

Authentication Issues: Validate API key permissions and confirm secret naming in workflows.

GitLab CI/CD

Overview

Claude Code integrates with GitLab CI/CD to enable AI-powered development workflows. The integration is currently in beta and maintained by GitLab.

Key Capabilities

• Automated MR Creation: Describe what you need, and Claude proposes a complete MR with changes and explanation
• Issue-to-Code: Transform issue descriptions into working implementations
• Code Review & Iteration: Respond to follow-up comments to refine proposed changes
• Bug Fixes: Identify and resolve issues identified through tests or comments

Quick Setup

1. Add CI/CD Variable: Store ANTHROPIC_API_KEY as a masked variable in Settings → CI/CD → Variables

2. Configure .gitlab-ci.yml: Add a Claude job stage that:

• Uses Node.js Alpine image
• Installs Claude Code CLI via npm
• Executes Claude with appropriate prompts
• Allows tools: Bash, Read, Edit, Write, and mcp__gitlab

3. Trigger Methods:

• Manual pipeline runs
• Merge request events
• Web/API triggers when comments mention @claude

Provider Options

Claude API (SaaS): Use ANTHROPIC_API_KEY

AWS Bedrock: Configure OIDC authentication with:

• AWS_ROLE_TO_ASSUME variable
• AWS_REGION variable
• IAM role with Bedrock permissions

Google Vertex AI: Set up Workload Identity Federation with:

• GCP_WORKLOAD_IDENTITY_PROVIDER
• GCP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT
• CLOUD_ML_REGION

Best Practices

• CLAUDE.md: Define project conventions and coding standards for Claude to follow
• Security: Never commit credentials; use masked CI/CD variables and OIDC where possible
• Performance: Keep guidelines concise; provide clear issue descriptions to minimize iterations
• Governance: All changes flow through MRs for review; branch protection rules apply

Cost Considerations

• GitLab runner compute minutes consumed by Claude jobs
• Anthropic API token usage (varies by task complexity and codebase size)
• Optimize by using specific commands and setting appropriate timeouts

Use Case Examples

Convert Issues to MRs: Comment @claude implement this feature based on the issue description

Get Implementation Help: In MR discussions: @claude suggest a concrete approach to [task]

Fix Bugs: @claude fix the [error type] in [component]

General CI/CD Best Practices

1. Define clear guidelines in CLAUDE.md for consistent behavior
2. Use secrets management for all credentials
3. Set cost controls with turn limits and specific prompts
4. Review all changes - Claude creates PRs/MRs for human approval
5. Monitor usage to track API consumption and optimize workflows
6. Test in non-production environments first