Detail templates

Template references

You can save reusable parts of your pipeline to separate files. These files are called templates.

Azure Pipelines supports four types of templates:

• Stage
• Job
• Step
• Variable

You can also use templates to control what's allowed in a pipeline and define how to use parameters.

• Parameter

Templates can include other templates. Azure Pipelines supports up to 50 template files in a single pipeline.

Stage templates

You can define stages in one file and reuse them in other files.

In this example, a stage is repeated twice for two testing regimes. The stage itself is specified only once.

# File: stages/test.yml

parameters:
  name: ''
  testFile: ''

stages:

- stage: Test_${{ parameters.name }}
  jobs:

  - job: ${{ parameters.name }}_Windows
    pool:
      vmImage: windows-latest
    steps:

    - script: npm install
    - script: npm test -- --file=${{ parameters.testFile }}

  - job: ${{ parameters.name }}_Mac
    pool:
      vmImage: macOS-latest
    steps:

    - script: npm install
    - script: npm test -- --file=${{ parameters.testFile }}

Templated pipeline

# File: azure-pipelines.yml

stages:

- template: stages/test.yml  # Template reference
  parameters:
    name: Mini
    testFile: tests/miniSuite.js


- template: stages/test.yml  # Template reference
  parameters:
    name: Full
    testFile: tests/fullSuite.js

Job templates

You can define jobs in one file and reuse them in other files.

In this example, a single job is repeated on three platforms. The job itself is specified only once.

# File: jobs/build.yml

parameters:
  name: ''
  pool: ''
  sign: false

jobs:

- job: ${{ parameters.name }}
  pool: ${{ parameters.pool }}
  steps:

  - script: npm install
  - script: npm test

  - ${{ if eq(parameters.sign, 'true') }}:
    - script: sign

# File: azure-pipelines.yml

jobs:

- template: jobs/build.yml  # Template reference
  parameters:
    name: macOS
    pool:
      vmImage: 'macOS-latest'


- template: jobs/build.yml  # Template reference
  parameters:
    name: Linux
    pool:
      vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'


- template: jobs/build.yml  # Template reference
  parameters:
    name: Windows
    pool:
      vmImage: 'windows-latest'
    sign: true  # Extra step on Windows only

Step templates

You can define steps in one file and reuse them in other files.

# File: steps/build.yml

steps:

- script: npm install
- script: npm test

# File: azure-pipelines.yml

jobs:

- job: macOS
  pool:
    vmImage: 'macOS-latest'
  steps:

  - template: steps/build.yml # Template reference


- job: Linux
  pool:
    vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'
  steps:

  - template: steps/build.yml # Template reference


- job: Windows
  pool:
    vmImage: 'windows-latest'
  steps:

  - template: steps/build.yml # Template reference
  - script: sign              # Extra step on Windows only

Variable templates

You can define variables in one file and reuse them in other files.

In this example, variables are shared across different pipelines. You define the variables only once.

# File: variables/build.yml
variables:

- name: vmImage
  value: windows-latest

- name: arch
  value: x64

- name: config
  value: debug

# File: component-x-pipeline.yml
variables:

- template: variables/build.yml  # Template reference
pool:
  vmImage: ${{ variables.vmImage }}
steps:

- script: build x ${{ variables.arch }} ${{ variables.config }}

# File: component-y-pipeline.yml
variables:

- template: variables/build.yml  # Template reference
pool:
  vmImage: ${{ variables.vmImage }}
steps:

- script: build y ${{ variables.arch }} ${{ variables.config }}