What is CI/CD? - Definition & Meaning
CI/CD automates building, testing, and deploying code so development teams can ship to production reliably, multiple times per day instead of monthly.
CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (or Continuous Deployment). It is a set of practices where code changes are automatically built, tested, and prepared (or rolled out) to production environments, enabling faster and more reliable software delivery.
What is CI/CD?
CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (or Continuous Deployment). It is a set of practices where code changes are automatically built, tested, and prepared (or rolled out) to production environments, enabling faster and more reliable software delivery.
How does CI/CD work technically?
Continuous Integration (CI) means developers merge code into a shared repository multiple times per day, after which automated builds and tests run to detect integration errors early. Continuous Delivery (CD) automates the release process so that every successful build can potentially be deployed to production with a single click. Continuous Deployment goes one step further: every passing build is automatically deployed to production without manual intervention. A CI/CD pipeline typically includes steps like code checkout, dependency installation, linting, unit tests, integration tests, security scanning (SAST/DAST), Docker image building, and deployment to staging and production. Popular tools include GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, CircleCI, and Azure DevOps.
How does MG Software apply CI/CD in practice?
MG Software implements CI/CD pipelines for all our projects using GitHub Actions. Every code change automatically goes through linting, tests, security scans, and staging deployment. After approval, code is automatically rolled out to production, enabling us to release safely multiple times per day.
Why does CI/CD matter?
CI/CD eliminates manual deployment steps and reduces the risk of human error during releases. Teams using CI/CD can respond faster to customer feedback and deliver new features to production more reliably, directly increasing business value.
What are some examples of CI/CD?
- A development team using GitHub Actions to run unit tests, linting, and security scans automatically on every pull request before code can be merged into the main branch.
- A SaaS company automatically rolling out new features to thousands of users within minutes of approval through a Continuous Deployment pipeline, eliminating manual deployment steps.
- A company automatically building Docker images via a CI/CD pipeline, pushing them to a container registry, and deploying them to a Kubernetes cluster in the cloud.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
We work with this daily
The same expertise you're reading about, we put to work for clients.
Discover what we can doRelated articles
What is DevOps? - Definition & Meaning
DevOps unifies development and operations teams through automation, shared ownership, and CI/CD pipelines, enabling reliable and frequent software releases.
What is Continuous Deployment? - Explanation & Meaning
Continuous deployment automatically rolls every passing build to production: no manual approval is needed, and automated tests act as the safety net.
What is an API? - Definition & Meaning
APIs power every modern software integration, enabling applications to exchange data seamlessly through standardized protocols and endpoints.
Software Development in Amsterdam
Amsterdam's thriving tech scene demands software that keeps pace. MG Software builds scalable web applications, SaaS platforms, and API integrations for the capital's most ambitious businesses.