How to Use Input in Jenkins Pipeline for User Interaction

In Jenkins Pipeline, use the input step to pause the pipeline and wait for user interaction or approval. This step can prompt for confirmation or collect parameters before continuing the build process.

Syntax

The input step syntax allows you to pause the pipeline and ask for user input. You can specify a message, parameters, and a timeout.

Key parts:

• message: Text shown to the user explaining what input is needed.
• parameters: Optional list of inputs like strings, booleans, or choices.
• submitter: Optional user or group allowed to approve.
• timeout: Optional time limit to wait for input (in minutes).

groovy

input message: 'Approve deployment?', parameters: [string(name: 'VERSION', defaultValue: '1.0', description: 'Version to deploy')], submitter: 'admin', timeout: 10

Example

This example shows a simple Jenkins Declarative Pipeline that pauses to ask the user to approve deployment and enter a version number. The pipeline waits up to 5 minutes for input.

groovy

pipeline {
  agent any
  stages {
    stage('Build') {
      steps {
        echo 'Building...'
      }
    }
    stage('Approval') {
      steps {
        script {
          def userInput = input(
            message: 'Approve deployment?',
            parameters: [string(name: 'VERSION', defaultValue: '1.0', description: 'Version to deploy')],
            timeout: 5
          )
          echo "User approved version: ${userInput}"
        }
      }
    }
    stage('Deploy') {
      steps {
        echo 'Deploying version...'
      }
    }
  }
}

Output

Building...
[Input requested: Approve deployment?]
User approved version: 1.0
Deploying version...

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when using input in Jenkins Pipeline include:

• Not wrapping input inside a script block in Declarative Pipelines, causing syntax errors.
• Forgetting to handle timeouts, which can cause the pipeline to hang indefinitely.
• Not specifying submitter, which may allow unintended users to approve.
• Using input in parallel stages without care, which can cause unexpected behavior.

groovy

pipeline {
  agent any
  stages {
    stage('Approval') {
      steps {
        // WRONG: input outside script block in Declarative pipeline
        input message: 'Approve?'
      }
    }
  }
}

// Correct way:
pipeline {
  agent any
  stages {
    stage('Approval') {
      steps {
        script {
          input message: 'Approve?'
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Quick Reference

Tips for using input in Jenkins Pipeline:

• Always use input inside a script block in Declarative Pipelines.
• Use parameters to collect user data.
• Set timeout to avoid hanging builds.
• Use submitter to restrict who can approve.
• Handle exceptions to manage user aborts gracefully.

Key Takeaways

Use the input step to pause Jenkins Pipeline and get user approval or data.

Wrap input inside a script block in Declarative Pipelines to avoid syntax errors.

Set timeout to prevent the pipeline from waiting forever.

Use parameters to collect specific input values from users.

Restrict approval permissions with the submitter option.