I am looking to implement a full CI/CD pipeline and need my Jenkins job to start building the moment a developer pushes new code to the GitHub repository. I’ve heard about Webhooks and Polling SCM, but I’m not sure which one is more efficient for a high-frequency development environment. What are the specific steps to link GitHub to my Jenkins server to ensure seamless automation without manual intervention?
3 answers
The industry standard for this is using GitHub Webhooks. It is much more efficient than Polling SCM because GitHub "pushes" a notification to Jenkins instantly, rather than Jenkins constantly "asking" GitHub for changes. To set this up, go to your GitHub Repository Settings > Webhooks, and add your Jenkins URL followed by /github-webhook/. In Jenkins, ensure the GitHub Integration Plugin is installed and check the box "GitHub hook trigger for GITScm polling" in your job configuration. This setup reduces server overhead and ensures your build starts the second the code hits the main branch.
Does your Jenkins server have a public IP address or a static URL that GitHub can reach, or are you running it on a local network behind a firewall or a private VPN?
If you can't use Webhooks, just use "Poll SCM" in the Build Triggers section. Set the schedule to H/5 * * * * to check for changes every five minutes.
I agree with Joshua. For beginners or local setups where setting up a public payload URL is too complex, Polling SCM is the most reliable "set it and forget it" method to get automation working.
That is a crucial point, Christopher. My Jenkins instance is actually running on my local machine for testing. If GitHub cannot reach my local IP directly, would I need to use a tool like ngrok to create a public tunnel, or is that where Polling SCM becomes a better option despite the slight delay in triggering the build? I want to avoid exposing my local network if possible.