Jk

Jenkins CLI (jk)

jk is a GitHub CLI–style interface for Jenkins controllers. It provides modern, scriptable workflows for developers and operators.

Dependency Check

Before executing any jk command, verify the CLI is installed:

jk --version

For jk job create, jk job config, jk job configure, and jk job scan, use jk 0.0.29 or newer.

If the command fails or jk is not found, install it using one of these methods:

Only proceed with jk commands after confirming installation succeeds.

Authentication

# Login with credentials
jk auth login https://jenkins.example.com --username alice --token <API_TOKEN>

# Login to a Jenkins controller that uses Google/OIDC/SSO in the browser
jk auth login https://jenkins.example.com --username <jenkins-user-id> --token <JENKINS_API_TOKEN>

# Login with custom context name
jk auth login https://jenkins.example.com --name prod --username alice --token <TOKEN>

# Login with TLS options
jk auth login https://jenkins.example.com --username alice --token <TOKEN> --insecure
jk auth login https://jenkins.example.com --username alice --token <TOKEN> --ca-file /path/to/ca.pem

# Check auth status (active context)
jk auth status

# Logout from a context
jk auth logout              # Logout from active context
jk auth logout prod         # Logout from specific context

Options for auth login:

• --name — Context name (defaults to hostname)
• --username — Jenkins user ID (SSO users: use browser /whoAmI/api/json if unsure)
• --token — Jenkins API token
• --insecure — Skip TLS verification
• --proxy — Proxy URL
• --ca-file — Custom CA bundle
• --set-active — Set as active context (default: true)
• --allow-insecure-store — Allow encrypted file fallback

For Google OAuth, OpenID Connect, Okta, Azure AD, or other browser SSO security realms, first sign in to Jenkins in the browser and create a Jenkins API token from /me/configure. Use that Jenkins API token with --token; do not use a Google/OIDC access token. If the username/email is rejected, open <jenkins-url>/whoAmI/api/json in the signed-in browser and use the returned name value as --username.

Contexts

Contexts store controller URLs and credentials for easy switching:

# List contexts (* = active)
jk context ls

# Switch active context
jk context use prod-jenkins

# Remove a context
jk context rm staging

Environment: JK_CONTEXT overrides active context.

Quick Command Reference

Job Discovery

# Search across folders
jk search --job-glob '*deploy*' --limit 10

# Search in specific folder
jk search --folder team/services --job-glob '*api*'

# Filter by run results
jk search --job-glob '*' --filter result=FAILURE --since 7d

# With parameter filters
jk search --job-glob '*/deploy-*' --filter param.ENV=production

Job Operations

# List jobs in root
jk job ls

# List jobs in folder (positional or flag)
jk job ls team/app
jk job ls --folder team/app

# View job details
jk job view team/app/pipeline

# Create a Bitbucket-backed Multibranch Pipeline job
jk job create auth-relay \
  --folder platform/services \
  --repo-owner playg \
  --repository taboola-sales-skills \
  --script-path services/auth-relay/Jenkinsfile \
  --credentials bitbucket-ro \
  --branch-strategy all

# Fetch raw config.xml for a job
jk job config platform/services/auth-relay

# Replace config.xml from a file or stdin
jk job configure platform/services/auth-relay --file auth-relay.config.xml
cat auth-relay.config.xml | jk job configure platform/services/auth-relay --stdin

# Patch only the Jenkinsfile path in a multibranch config
jk job configure platform/services/auth-relay --script-path services/auth-relay/Jenkinsfile

# Trigger a multibranch rescan
jk job scan platform/services/auth-relay

Run Management

Listing Runs

# List recent runs
jk run ls team/app/pipeline

# Limit results
jk run ls team/app/pipeline --limit 50

# Filter runs
jk run ls team/app/pipeline --filter result=SUCCESS
jk run ls team/app/pipeline --filter result=FAILURE --since 7d

# Filter by parameters
jk run ls team/app/pipeline --filter param.ENV=staging

# Include queued builds
jk run ls team/app/pipeline --include-queued

# Group by parameter
jk run ls team/app/pipeline --group-by param.ENV --agg last

# With metadata for agents
jk run ls team/app/pipeline --json --with-meta

# Pagination
jk run ls team/app/pipeline --cursor <cursor-from-previous>

Starting Runs

# Start a run
jk run start team/app/pipeline

# Start with parameters
jk run start team/app/pipeline -p BRANCH=main -p ENV=staging

# Start and follow logs
jk run start team/app/pipeline --follow

# Start, wait for completion (no log streaming)
jk run start team/app/pipeline --wait --timeout 10m

# Get only the result
jk run start team/app/pipeline --follow --result

# Fuzzy job matching
jk run start deploy --fuzzy

Viewing Runs

# View run details
jk run view team/app/pipeline 128

# Get only result status
jk run view team/app/pipeline 128 --result

# Exit with build result code
jk run view team/app/pipeline 128 --exit-status

# Wait for completion
jk run view team/app/pipeline 128 --wait --timeout 5m

# Show summary
jk run view team/app/pipeline 128 --summary

Other Run Commands

# View run parameters
jk run params team/app/pipeline

# Cancel a run
jk run cancel team/app/pipeline 128
jk run cancel team/app/pipeline 128 --mode term
jk run cancel team/app/pipeline 128 --mode kill

# Rerun a build (with same parameters)
jk run rerun team/app/pipeline 128
jk run rerun team/app/pipeline 128 --follow

Logs

# View console log (snapshot)
jk log team/app/pipeline 128

# Stream live logs
jk log team/app/pipeline 128 --follow

# Custom poll interval
jk log team/app/pipeline 128 --follow --interval 2s

# Plain output (no decorations)
jk log team/app/pipeline 128 --plain

Artifacts

# List artifacts
jk artifact ls team/app/pipeline 128

# Download all artifacts
jk artifact download team/app/pipeline 128

# Download with pattern filter
jk artifact download team/app/pipeline 128 --pattern "**/*.jar"
jk artifact download team/app/pipeline 128 -p "reports/**/*.xml"

# Output directory
jk artifact download team/app/pipeline 128 -o ./artifacts/

# Allow empty result (no error if no matches)
jk artifact download team/app/pipeline 128 -p "*.log" --allow-empty

Test Results

# View test report
jk test report team/app/pipeline 128

# JSON output
jk test report team/app/pipeline 128 --json

Credentials

# List credentials (system scope)
jk cred ls

# List folder-scoped credentials
jk cred ls --scope folder --folder team/app

# Create secret text
jk cred create-secret --id my-secret --secret "value"
jk cred create-secret --id my-secret --secret "value" --description "API key"

# Create from stdin
echo "secret-value" | jk cred create-secret --id my-secret --from-stdin

# Folder-scoped credential
jk cred create-secret --id my-secret --secret "value" --scope folder --folder team/app

# Delete credential (system scope only)
jk cred rm my-secret

Node Management

# List nodes
jk node ls

# Cordon node (mark temporarily offline)
jk node cordon agent-01
jk node cordon agent-01 --message "Maintenance"

# Uncordon node (bring back online)
jk node uncordon agent-01

# Remove node
jk node rm agent-01

Queue Management

# List queued items
jk queue ls

# Cancel queued item
jk queue cancel <item-id>

Plugin Management

# List installed plugins
jk plugin ls

# Install plugin (prompts for confirmation)
jk plugin install docker-workflow

# Install without confirmation
jk plugin install docker-workflow --yes

# Install specific version
jk plugin install docker-workflow@1.26

# Enable/disable plugin
jk plugin enable docker-workflow
jk plugin disable docker-workflow

Output Modes

All commands support structured output:

# JSON output
jk run ls team/app --json

# YAML output
jk run ls team/app --yaml

# Filter with jq expression
jk run ls team/app --json --jq '.items[0].number'

# Go template
jk run ls team/app --json --template '{{range .items}}{{.number}}{{end}}'

# Quiet mode (minimal output)
jk run start team/app --quiet

Global Options

• -c, --context <name> — Use specific context
• --json — JSON output
• --yaml — YAML output
• --format json|yaml — Output format
• --jq <expr> — Filter JSON with jq expression
• -t, --template <tmpl> — Format with Go template
• -q, --quiet — Suppress non-essential output

Environment Variables

• JK_CONTEXT — Override active context
• JK_QUIET — Equivalent to --quiet (any value enables)

Exit Codes

With --follow or --wait, build results use additional codes:

References

• Full command reference: See references/commands.md

• artifact — Work with run artifacts
• auth — Authenticate with Jenkins instances
• context — Manage Jenkins contexts
• cred — Manage Jenkins credentials
• job — Manage Jenkins jobs and pipelines
• node — Inspect and manage Jenkins nodes
• plugin — Inspect and manage Jenkins plugins
• queue — Inspect the build queue
• run — Interact with job runs
• test — Inspect test results
• other — log, search, version