Create a project in CircleCI
This guide gets you started with creating a new project in CircleCI.
Prerequisites
-
A CircleCI account connected to your code. You can sign up for free.
-
A code repository you want to build on CircleCI.
Build a new project on CircleCI
The authorization method used to set up your CircleCI account determines the definition of "project" in CircleCI, as well as the permissions management processes available to you:
-
If you authenticated using GitHub OAuth app, or Bitbucket, a "project" in CircleCI maps directly to a "repository" in GitHub. Follow steps to Set up a project below.
-
If you authenticated through GitLab or the CircleCI GitHub App, a "project" within CircleCI is a standalone entity that you create and then associate with a code repository. Follow steps to Create a project below.
Set up a project
If you authenticated CircleCI with either the GitHub OAuth app, or Bitbucket, the steps in this section apply to you. |
Starting June 14, 2023, you may see a simplified experience when setting up a project on CircleCI. See our community forum for more details. |
Follow these steps to set up a new project in CircleCI:
-
In the CircleCI web app, click Projects in the sidebar.
-
Find your project in the list and click the blue Set Up Project button next to it.
If you cannot see your project, check you have selected the correct organization in the top left-hand corner of CircleCI.
Once you have set up your project, you will be prompted to provide a
config.yml
file. -
From the pop-up window, select your preferred option. You can either:
-
Include a
config.yml
in the.circleci
directory of your repository. -
Commit a starter CI pipeline to a new branch of your repository.
-
Use an editable
config.yml
template.If you choose the starter CI pipeline, a sample
config.yml
file is created and committed to acircleci-project-setup
branch in your repository.For guidance on creating a
config.yml
file, see Configuration Introduction.
-
-
Click the blue Set Up Project button.
CircleCI uses the specified .circleci/config.yml
file to run your pipeline. You can see the output in the CircleCI dashboard.
To make changes to your pipeline, either edit the .circleci/config.yml
file in your repository, or click the ellipsis next your project in the Dashboard and choose Configuration File. This opens the CircleCI configuration editor, from where you can edit and commit your config.yml
file.

Create a project
If you authenticated CircleCI with either GitLab, or the GitHub App, the steps in this section apply to you. |
Follow these steps to create a new project in CircleCI:
-
In the CircleCI web app, click Projects in the sidebar.
-
Click Create Project at the top of the page.
-
In the Create New Project window, use the options to:
-
Tell CircleCI where your code is stored
-
Choose an option for managing your
.circleci/config.yml
file. You can either choose to let CircleCI pick a configuration file for you, and commit this to a new branch in you repository, or you can edit a starter config file in the CircleCI web app and commit that to your repository yourself. -
If you authenticated through the GitHub App, also follow the instructions to setup SSH access.
-
For guidance on creating a
config.yml
file, see the following pages:
-
-
The Project Name field is automatically populated with the name of your repository, but you can change this if required.
-
Click Create Project at the bottom of the window.
CircleCI uses the specified .circleci/config.yml
file to run your pipeline. You can see the output in the CircleCI dashboard.
To make changes to your pipeline, edit the .circleci/config.yml
file in your repository.
Help make this document better
This guide, as well as the rest of our docs, are open source and available on GitHub. We welcome your contributions.
- Suggest an edit to this page (please read the contributing guide first).
- To report a problem in the documentation, or to submit feedback and comments, please open an issue on GitHub.
- CircleCI is always seeking ways to improve your experience with our platform. If you would like to share feedback, please join our research community.
Need support?
Our support engineers are available to help with service issues, billing, or account related questions, and can help troubleshoot build configurations. Contact our support engineers by opening a ticket.
You can also visit our support site to find support articles, community forums, and training resources.
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