Build Triggering
Trigger new Buildkite builds with appropriate safety checks.
When to use
- "Trigger a build"
- "Run CI"
- "Start a build for X"
- "Rebuild this"
- "Deploy to staging"
- "Kick off the pipeline"
- /buildkite:trigger
Available MCP Tools
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
get_pipeline | Verify pipeline exists and get details |
list_pipelines | List all pipelines in the organization |
create_build | Trigger a new build |
list_builds | Check recent builds (optional) |
Input Parsing
Parse from $ARGUMENTS or user's message:
| Input Format | Example |
|---|---|
| Pipeline name | my-pipeline |
| Pipeline + branch | my-pipeline on main |
| Description | "the deploy pipeline" |
| Rebuild request | "rebuild build 123" |
Approach
-
Identify the pipeline
- Parse from input
- Use
buildkite_get_pipelineto verify - If unclear, ask the user
-
Determine parameters
- Branch: From input, current git branch, or ask
- Commit: Usually HEAD/latest
- Message: Optional custom message
- Environment: Any custom env vars
-
Confirm before triggering
- Show exactly what will be triggered
- Require explicit confirmation
- Be extra careful with deploy/production pipelines
-
Create the build with
buildkite_create_build -
Report result
- Provide build URL
- Show initial status
Safety Requirements
Always Confirm
I'll trigger a build for **my-org/my-pipeline**:
- Branch: `main`
- Commit: `abc123` (latest)
Proceed? (yes/no)
Extra Caution for Sensitive Pipelines
If pipeline name contains: deploy, prod, production, release
⚠️ This appears to be a deployment pipeline.
I'll trigger **my-org/deploy-production**:
- Branch: `main`
- Commit: `abc123`
This may deploy to production. Please confirm by typing "deploy" to proceed.
Environment Variables
If setting env vars, show them clearly:
Build will include these environment variables:
- DEPLOY_ENV=staging
- SKIP_TESTS=true
Proceed?
Build Parameters
| Parameter | Source | Default |
|---|---|---|
| branch | User input, git context | Ask user |
| commit | Usually "HEAD" | Latest on branch |
| message | Optional | Auto-generated |
| env | User-specified | None |
Response Format
After triggering:
✅ Build triggered successfully!
**Build #457**: https://buildkite.com/my-org/my-pipeline/builds/457
- Branch: main
- Commit: abc123
- Status: scheduled
The build is now queued and will start when an agent is available.
Example Interaction
User: Run CI on my branch
1. Identify pipeline (from context or ask)
2. Get current git branch
3. Confirm: "Trigger my-pipeline on feature-branch?"
4. On confirmation, create build
5. Return build URL and status