Jenkins CLI - Terminal Control for Jenkins

Why jenkins-cli

Everything Jenkins, one command away

A powerful CLI that brings the full Jenkins workflow to your terminal with an intuitive, consistent interface.

Jobs

List, trigger, enable, disable, and delete jobs. Supports parameterized builds and folder navigation.

jenkins-cli jobs build my-pipeline -p BRANCH=main

Builds

Stream logs in real-time, watch builds with desktop notifications, download artifacts, and force kill stuck builds.

jenkins-cli builds watch my-pipeline last

Nodes

Manage build agents — list nodes, view details, take agents offline for maintenance, and bring them back online.

jenkins-cli nodes offline my-agent -m "Maintenance"

Plugins

List installed plugins, check for available updates, and keep your Jenkins instance up to date.

jenkins-cli plugins list -u

System Admin

View server info, check your identity, perform safe restarts, and manage quiet mode from the terminal.

jenkins-cli system restart --safe

Multi-Auth

Basic auth with API tokens, OAuth2 browser login with PKCE, or bearer tokens for SSO and CI/CD pipelines.

jenkins-cli auth login

Multi-Server

Named profiles to manage multiple Jenkins servers with separate credentials. Switch with a flag or set a default.

jenkins-cli -p images jobs list

Pipelines

Replay pipeline builds with modified Jenkinsfiles, view stage status, and fetch per-stage logs.

jenkins-cli pipeline stages my-pipeline

Credentials

List, inspect, create, and delete credentials. Supports username-password, secret text, SSH keys, and certificates.

jenkins-cli credentials list

Views

Create and manage views to organize your Jenkins dashboard. Add or remove jobs from views.

jenkins-cli view create my-view

MCP Server

Built-in MCP server lets AI assistants manage Jenkins directly. Zero-install via npx with auto-configuration.

npx @philipkram/jenkins-cli-mcp

Installation

Get started in seconds

Multiple installation methods to fit your workflow. Pick whichever suits you best.

Homebrew (macOS & Linux)

terminal

brew install PhilipKram/tap/jenkins-cli

Go Install

terminal

# Requires Go 1.22+
go install github.com/PhilipKram/jenkins-cli@latest

Binary Download

Download pre-built binaries for Linux, macOS, and Windows from the releases page.

Available for amd64 and arm64.

Build from Source

terminal

git clone https://github.com/PhilipKram/Jenkins-CLI.git
cd Jenkins-CLI
go build -o jenkins-cli .
                        

Authentication

Three flexible auth methods. Basic auth is the default — run jenkins-cli configure to get started.

Basic Auth (Default)

Configure your Jenkins URL, username, and API token. Generate a token from Jenkins → Your Name → Configure → API Token.

Interactive setup wizard
API token authentication
Config stored with 0600 permissions
Override via environment variables

                                terminal
                                
                            

# Interactive setup (prompts for URL, user, token)
jenkins-cli configure

# OAuth2 login (opens browser with PKCE)
jenkins-cli auth login \
  --client-id YOUR_CLIENT_ID \
  --auth-url https://your-idp.com/authorize \
  --token-url https://your-idp.com/token

# Set a bearer token for SSO/CI
jenkins-cli auth token eyJhbGciOi...

# Check auth status
jenkins-cli auth status
                        

Basic Auth

Username + API token. The simplest setup for most Jenkins servers. Run jenkins-cli configure.

OAuth2

Browser-based login with PKCE for Jenkins instances using GitHub, GitLab, or OpenID Connect OAuth2 plugins.

Bearer Token

For SSO providers, CI/CD pipelines, or manual token management. Set interactively or pass directly.

Command Reference

Every command at your fingertips

Comprehensive coverage of Jenkins features organized into intuitive command groups.

Jobs

jenkins-cli jobs listList all jobs

jenkins-cli jobs list <folder>List jobs in a folder

jenkins-cli jobs info <name>Show job details

jenkins-cli jobs build <name>Trigger a build

jenkins-cli jobs build -p K=VParameterized build

jenkins-cli jobs enable <name>Enable a job

jenkins-cli jobs disable <name>Disable a job

jenkins-cli jobs delete <name>Delete a job

Authentication

jenkins-cli configureInteractive setup wizard

jenkins-cli auth loginOAuth2 login (opens browser)

jenkins-cli auth tokenSet a bearer token

jenkins-cli auth statusView auth status

jenkins-cli auth refreshRefresh OAuth token

jenkins-cli auth logoutClear all credentials

Profiles

jenkins-cli configure --profile <name>Create/update a profile

jenkins-cli profile listList all profiles

jenkins-cli profile use <name>Set active profile

jenkins-cli profile show <name>Show profile details

jenkins-cli profile delete <name>Delete a profile

jenkins-cli -p <name> jobs listUse profile for one command

Builds

jenkins-cli builds list <job>List recent builds

jenkins-cli builds list -n 20List with custom count

jenkins-cli builds info <job> <id>Show build details

jenkins-cli builds last <job>Show last build

jenkins-cli builds log <job> <id>View console output

jenkins-cli builds log <job> <id> -fStream logs in real time

jenkins-cli builds stop <job> <id>Stop a running build

jenkins-cli builds kill <job> <id>Force kill a build

jenkins-cli builds watch <job> <id>Watch until completion

jenkins-cli builds artifacts <job> <id>List build artifacts

jenkins-cli builds artifacts --downloadDownload artifacts

Nodes

jenkins-cli nodes listList all nodes/agents

jenkins-cli nodes info <name>Show node details

jenkins-cli nodes offline <name>Take node offline

jenkins-cli nodes online <name>Bring node online

Build Queue

jenkins-cli queue listList queued builds

jenkins-cli queue cancel <id>Cancel a queued item

Pipeline

jenkins-cli pipeline replay <job> <id>Replay a pipeline build

jenkins-cli pipeline replay -s FILEReplay with modified Jenkinsfile

jenkins-cli pipeline replay -fReplay and stream logs

jenkins-cli pipeline stages <job>Show pipeline stages

jenkins-cli pipeline stages --logs STAGEGet logs for a stage

Credentials

jenkins-cli credentials listList all credentials

jenkins-cli credentials list <domain>List by domain

jenkins-cli credentials info <id>Show credential details

jenkins-cli credentials create --typeCreate a credential

jenkins-cli credentials delete <id>Delete a credential

Views

jenkins-cli view listList all views

jenkins-cli view info <name>Show view details

jenkins-cli view create <name>Create a view

jenkins-cli view delete <name>Delete a view

jenkins-cli view add-job <view> <job>Add job to view

jenkins-cli view remove-job <view> <job>Remove job from view

System

jenkins-cli system infoShow server info & version

jenkins-cli system whoamiShow current user

jenkins-cli system restart --safeSafe restart

jenkins-cli system quiet-downEnter quiet mode

jenkins-cli system quiet-down --cancelCancel quiet mode

Plugins

jenkins-cli plugins listList installed plugins

jenkins-cli plugins list -uShow plugins with updates

Utilities

jenkins-cli openOpen Jenkins dashboard

jenkins-cli open <job>Open a specific job

jenkins-cli configure testTest connection & auth

jenkins-cli upgradeSelf-upgrade to latest version

jenkins-cli completion bashGenerate shell completions

Global Flags: -p, --profile Configuration profile · --json JSON output · --timeout Request timeout (default: 30s) · --retries Max retries (default: 3)

Examples

Real-world workflows

Common patterns for day-to-day Jenkins usage, straight from the terminal.

Complete Job Workflow

Trigger builds, monitor progress, and view logs — all without opening the Jenkins web UI.

Trigger parameterized builds
Wait for completion with notifications
Stream console output in real time
JSON output for scripting

                                terminal
                                
                            

# List all jobs
jenkins-cli jobs list

# Trigger a parameterized build
jenkins-cli jobs build my-pipeline \
  -p BRANCH=main -p ENV=staging

# Trigger and wait for completion (with desktop notification)
jenkins-cli jobs build my-pipeline --wait --follow

# Watch a build until completion
jenkins-cli builds watch my-pipeline last

# Stream console output in real time
jenkins-cli builds log my-pipeline 42 -f

# Get build data as JSON
jenkins-cli builds list my-pipeline --json | jq '.[0]'
                        

Build Monitoring

Monitor builds across jobs, check the queue, and manage running builds without the web UI.

Watch builds with notifications
Download build artifacts
Force kill stuck builds
View pipeline stages

terminal

# Watch a build until completion (with desktop notification)
jenkins-cli builds watch my-pipeline last --timeout 30m

# View pipeline stages
jenkins-cli pipeline stages my-pipeline last

# Get logs for a specific stage
jenkins-cli pipeline stages my-pipeline 42 --logs "Build"

# Force kill a stuck build
jenkins-cli builds kill my-pipeline 42 -y

# Download build artifacts
jenkins-cli builds artifacts my-pipeline last --download

# Download only JAR files
jenkins-cli builds artifacts my-pipeline 42 --download --filter "*.jar"
                        

System Administration

Manage nodes, check system health, perform safe restarts, and handle plugin updates.

Node management
Credential management
Safe restart with quiet mode
Self-upgrade

terminal

# Check server info
jenkins-cli system info
jenkins-cli system whoami

# Manage credentials
jenkins-cli credentials list
jenkins-cli credentials create --type username-password

# Take a node offline for maintenance
jenkins-cli nodes offline build-agent-01 -m "Disk cleanup"

# Enter quiet mode, then safe restart
jenkins-cli system quiet-down
jenkins-cli system restart --safe

# Self-upgrade to latest version
jenkins-cli upgrade
                        

Configuration

Fully customizable

Configuration stored in ~/.jenkins-cli/config.json with 0600 permissions.

Environment Variables

Variable	Description
JENKINS_URL	Jenkins server URL
JENKINS_USER	Username for basic auth
JENKINS_TOKEN	API token for basic auth
JENKINS_BEARER_TOKEN	Bearer token (overrides auth type to bearer)
JENKINS_INSECURE	Skip TLS certificate verification
JENKINS_PROFILE	Select a named configuration profile

Auth Methods

Method	Setup
basic	jenkins-cli configure
oauth2	jenkins-cli auth login
bearer	jenkins-cli auth token

Shell Completion

Shell	Command
bash	jenkins-cli completion bash
zsh	jenkins-cli completion zsh
fish	jenkins-cli completion fish

                        setup
                        
                    

# Quick setup with basic auth
jenkins-cli configure

# Manage multiple Jenkins servers with profiles
jenkins-cli configure --profile images --url https://jenkins.example.com/images
jenkins-cli configure --profile helm --url https://jenkins.example.com/helm
jenkins-cli profile use images
jenkins-cli -p helm jobs list

# Or use environment variables (basic auth)
export JENKINS_URL="https://jenkins.example.com"
export JENKINS_USER="your-username"
export JENKINS_TOKEN="your-api-token"
export JENKINS_PROFILE="images"

# Generate shell completions
jenkins-cli completion zsh > "${fpath[1]}/_jenkins-cli"
                

AI Integration

MCP Server for AI Assistants

Built-in Model Context Protocol server lets AI assistants like Claude manage your Jenkins servers directly. Zero-install via npx.

                        Quick Start (npx)
                        
                    

// Add to your MCP client configuration (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, etc.)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jenkins-cli": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@philipkram/jenkins-cli-mcp"]
    }
  }
}
                

                        Multiple Jenkins Servers
                        
                    

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jenkins-images": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@philipkram/jenkins-cli-mcp"],
      "env": { "JENKINS_PROFILE": "images" }
    },
    "jenkins-helm": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@philipkram/jenkins-cli-mcp"],
      "env": { "JENKINS_PROFILE": "helm" }
    }
  }
}
                

Available MCP Tools

Category	Tools
Jobs	job_list, job_view, job_build, job_enable, job_disable
Builds	build_list, build_view, build_log, build_last, build_stop, build_artifacts
Pipeline	pipeline_validate, pipeline_stages, pipeline_stage_log
Nodes	node_list, node_view
Queue	queue_list, queue_cancel
Credentials	credential_list, credential_view
Views	view_list
System	system_info
Multibranch	multibranch_branches, multibranch_scan, multibranch_scan_log
Config	config_status, config_set, profile_list, profile_switch, profile_delete

MCP Resources

Resource	URI Pattern
Build Log	jenkins:///{job}/{number}/log
Job Config	jenkins:///{job}/config.xml
System Log	jenkins:///system/log

MCP Prompts

Prompt	Description
diagnose_build_failure	Analyze build logs for failure causes
review_job_config	Review config against best practices
summarize_build_history	Analyze build trends and health
validate_jenkinsfile	Validate syntax and best practices

                        Install from Binary
                        
# Register with Claude Code
jenkins-cli mcp install

# Register with Claude Desktop
jenkins-cli mcp install --client claude-desktop

# Register per profile
jenkins-cli mcp install --profile images --name jenkins-images
jenkins-cli mcp install --profile helm --name jenkins-helm

Jenkins from Your Terminal

Everything Jenkins, one command away

Jobs

Builds

Nodes

Plugins

System Admin

Multi-Auth

Multi-Server

Pipelines

Credentials

Views

MCP Server

Get started in seconds

Homebrew (macOS & Linux)

Go Install

Binary Download

Build from Source

Authentication

Basic Auth (Default)

Basic Auth

OAuth2

Bearer Token

Every command at your fingertips

Real-world workflows

Complete Job Workflow

Build Monitoring

System Administration

Fully customizable

Environment Variables

Auth Methods

Shell Completion

MCP Server for AI Assistants

Available MCP Tools

MCP Resources

MCP Prompts

Jenkins from
Your Terminal