GitLab CI/CD uses .gitlab-ci.yml for pipeline configuration. Pipelines consist of stages that run sequentially. Jobs within the same stage run in parallel. The image key sets the Docker image for each job. variables define global or job-level environment settings. cache persists files between pipeline runs. artifacts pass files between jobs. rules (replacing only/except) control when jobs run with flexible conditions. needs creates a directed acyclic graph (DAG) for non-linear pipelines. environments track deployments. include imports templates for reusable configurations. services attach sidecar containers like databases.