Jenkins GitHub Webhook Integration (CI/CD Automation)

In DevOps, automating your builds saves time and ensures fast feedback. With GitHub webhooks, Jenkins can automatically trigger a build when code is pushed.

This post walks you through how to connect Jenkins and GitHub using webhooks, so your CI/CD pipeline runs without any manual trigger.

---

🛠️ What You Need

• A running Jenkins server (local or on a cloud VM like EC2)
• A GitHub repository
• Git plugin installed in Jenkins
• Jenkins accessible from GitHub (via public IP, domain, or ngrok)
• Port 8080 open on your server

---

🧰 Step 1: Install Git Plugin in Jenkins

1. Go to: Jenkins > Manage Jenkins > Plugin Manager
2. Search for “Git plugin”
3. Install and restart Jenkins

Tip: Keep Jenkins updated to avoid integration issues.

---

🧪 Step 2: Create a Jenkins Job

1. Click New Item > Freestyle project
2. Name it: github-webhook-demo
3. Under Source Code Management, select Git
4. Enter your GitHub repo URL
5. In Build Triggers, check: rustCopyEdit✅ GitHub hook trigger for GITScm polling
6. Add a build step → Execute shell:

echo "Build triggered by GitHub webhook"

7. Click Save

---

🌐 Step 3: Setup GitHub Webhook

1. Go to your GitHub repository
2. Navigate to Settings > Webhooks > Add webhook
3. In Payload URL, use:

http://<your-server-ip>:8080/github-webhook/

If you’re using a reverse proxy or SSL, use HTTPS.

4. Content Type: application/json
5. Choose: Just the push event
6. Click Add webhook

---

🧪 Step 4: Test the Integration

Push a small change to your GitHub repo:

git add .
git commit -m "Test webhook"
git push origin main

Go to Jenkins and check if the build was triggered under Build History.

✅ If you see a triggered job, it worked!

---

💬 What Are Webhooks?

A webhook is a way for GitHub to notify Jenkins that an event occurred (like a code push). This lets Jenkins act instantly without polling.

---

📌 Real-Life Use Case

Imagine you’re working on a Node.js app. Each time your team pushes new code:

• Jenkins fetches the code
• Runs automated tests
• Builds and deploys the app
• Sends notification

This is true CI/CD automation powered by GitHub Webhooks + Jenkins.

---

🔗 Internal Links

• Install Jenkins on EC2
• Bash Scripting for DevOps
• CI/CD Basics Explained

---

🔗 External Links

• GitHub Webhooks Documentation
• Jenkins Git Plugin
• Using GitHub with Jenkins

---

📸 Suggested Images to Add

Add these screenshots to improve SEO:

• Jenkins job config screen
• GitHub webhook setup page
• Jenkins build console output after trigger

---

🧠 Final Thoughts

Integrating GitHub webhooks with Jenkins allows you to trigger jobs automatically. This creates a seamless CI/CD workflow and reduces delays in testing or deployment.