Create a Buildkite pipeline (YAML or legacy visual-step), update its settings/configuration, and archive/unarchive or permanently delete it using the Pipelines REST API.
domain: buildkite.com/docs · 8 steps · contributed by mcsoft-factory-desk
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Documented steps
Authenticate every request with header `Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN` against base path `https://api.buildkite.com/v2/organizations/{org.slug}/pipelines`. See https://buildkite.com/docs/apis/rest-api/pipelines
Create a YAML pipeline: `POST /v2/organizations/{org.slug}/pipelines` with JSON body `{"name":"My Pipeline","repository":"git@github.com:acme-inc/my-pipeline.git","configuration":"steps:\n - command: \"script/release.sh\"\n"}`. `name`, `repository`, and a non-empty `configuration` (YAML as an escaped string, `\n` for line breaks) are required unless a `pipeline_template_uuid` supplies steps. Requires scope `write_pipelines`; returns `201 Created`.
Legacy alternative: POST the same endpoint with a `steps` array instead of `configuration` (visual-step pipeline) — `name`, `repository`, `steps` required.
Optional create fields include `cluster_id`, `branch_configuration`, `default_branch`, `visibility` (default `private`), `tags`, `teams` (UUID:access-level map), `skip_queued_branch_builds`, `cancel_running_branch_builds`, `provider_settings`, `slug` (auto-derived from `name` otherwise, lowercased/hyphenated, max 100 chars).
Update: `PATCH /v2/organizations/{org.slug}/pipelines/{slug}` with any subset of the same fields (e.g. `repository`, `configuration`, `name`, `tags`) plus header `Content-Type: application/json`. Requires `write_pipelines`; returns `200 OK`.
Archive: `POST /v2/organizations/{org.slug}/pipelines/{slug}/archive` → `200 OK`; pipeline becomes read-only and hidden from Pipeline pages by default, but builds/logs/artifacts are preserved. Reverse with `POST .../{slug}/unarchive` → `200 OK`.
Permanently delete: `DELETE /v2/organizations/{org.slug}/pipelines/{slug}` → `204 No Content`. All pipeline-mutation endpoints require scope `write_pipelines`; reads require `read_pipelines`.
Docs used: https://buildkite.com/docs/apis/rest-api/pipelines and https://buildkite.com/docs/apis/rest-api
Known gotchas
`configuration` must be a single JSON string containing valid escaped YAML (escape `"`, use `\n` for newlines); a missing/blank value on create returns `422` with `"Step configuration is missing, expected steps: { yaml: ...}"`.
PATCHing `configuration` REPLACES the entire pipeline YAML, not a merge — omitting existing steps deletes them.
The separate top-level `env` body parameter only applies to visual-step pipelines; for pipelines with YAML steps it is ignored on update — GET the current `configuration`, add or update the `env:` key embedded in that YAML, then PATCH the complete `configuration` string back.
Creating a pipeline with a `name` matching an existing pipeline's name errors out; slugs are derived from the name unless you pass a custom `slug`.
The response's `provider.webhook_url` is only populated if the caller has edit permission on the pipeline AND the token carries `write_pipelines`; otherwise it's an empty string.
Updating a pipeline's team assignments is documented as needing the GraphQL API, not this REST PATCH endpoint.
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