> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://developer.harness.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://developer.harness.io/continuous-integration/3.0/new-to-harness-ci/onboarding-guide.md).

# Get Started with Harness CI

Get started with Harness CI by setting up and running your first build pipeline.

Welcome to the Harness CI onboarding guide. Discover how Harness accelerates software builds, enhances developer productivity, and streamlines CI processes with [intelligence features](/continuous-integration/3.0/use-harness-ci/use-harness-ci/harness-ci-intelligence.md), AI-driven insights, and hyper-optimized build infrastructure.

Run a repository-free smoke test to confirm that you can create and execute a CI 3.0 pipeline. You configure one Run step that prints a known message, then inspect its logs. This smoke test does not require a source repository, Git connector, or container registry connector.

After this first execution, connect a codebase and add build, test, and publish steps for your application.

## What you will learn from this topic

* **Pipeline creation:** Create an inline pipeline with a Build stage.
* **First execution:** Run a command on Harness Cloud without a repository or connector.
* **Results:** Confirm success from the step logs.

## Before you begin

Before you get started, ensure you have the following:

* **Harness access**: Access to a Harness account and project with permission to create and execute pipelines.
* **Build runtime**: Access to Harness Cloud for this example. For more information on self-managed runtime, see [Set up build infrastructure](/continuous-integration/3.0/use-harness-ci/use-harness-ci/set-up-build-infrastructure.md).
* **CI concepts**: For more information on pipelines, stages, and steps, see [CI overview](/continuous-integration/3.0/new-to-harness-ci/overview.md) and [Key concepts](/continuous-integration/3.0/new-to-harness-ci/key-concepts.md).

## Create your first Harness CI pipeline

Follow the walkthrough to run a command and verify its output.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Interactive Guide" %}
{% embed url="<https://app.tango.us/app/embed/e56c08cc-4d5c-40b0-a6f7-f8cf27a06a89?skipCover=false&defaultListView=false&skipBranding=false&makeViewOnly=false&hideAuthorAndDetails=true>" %}
Create your first CI Pipeline
{% endembed %}
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Step-by-step" %}

### Create a pipeline

1. In your Harness account, click **More** below **Home**, and select **Builds**.
2. Click **Pipelines**, then **+ Create pipeline**.

A modal to configure your pipeline appears. In the **Create pipeline** panel:

3. Enter a name for your pipeline, or keep the name Harness generates for you.
4. Leave **Select Pipeline Template** empty for this example. This is optional; configure it only if you want to start from an existing template.
5. Retain **Storage** as **Inline** for this example. External Git storage is optional and requires repository configuration. Go to [Connectors](https://developer.harness.io/harness-platform/3.0/in-harness-3.0/connectors) to configure external access.
6. Click **Create**.

A new modal to **Add stage** to this pipeline appears.

### Add a Build stage

1. In the **Add Stage** panel, choose the type of stage you want to create as **Blank canvas**.
2. Enter a name for the stage, or keep the name Harness generates for you.
3. Click **Add stage**.

Every stage requires at least one step. To create a step, click **Add +** in the visual tab. A new modal to **Add step** to this pipeline appears.

### Add a step

1. Click **All**, and choose **Run** step.
2. Enter a name for the run step, and provide the **Shell** value for it.

Paste the following in the **Script** field:

```sh
echo "CI 3.0 smoke test passed"
```

3. Click **Add step**, and ensure there are no errors in your pipeline. If you find errors, see [Check for errors and run](#check-for-errors-and-run) section.
4. Click **Save changes** and **Run pipeline**.

In the YAML editor, confirm that the equivalent configuration has the following structure:

```yaml
pipeline:
  stages:
    - name: stage_02cd
      id: stage_02cd
      steps:
        - run:
            script: 
              echo "CI 3.0 smoke test passed"
```

Keep your own pipeline and stage identifiers if the editor generated different values. The command, disabled clone, and runtime are the important settings for this example.

### Check for errors and run

1. Look at the top of **Pipeline Studio**. If a **Resolve errors** button is shown instead of **Run**, this means the pipeline cannot run since there are some issues in the configuration. Click it. Harness takes you straight to the field that needs attention (for example, an unnamed pipeline or a missing required field on a step).
2. Once the error count at the bottom of the canvas reads **0** and the **Run** button is enabled, click **Run**.

### View the pipeline execution

Once the pipeline starts, Harness opens the execution console, which describes the status, duration, trigger, run duration, and more.

The console shows information on each stage, logs, input, output, conditions, delegate, and task logs.

Open the Run step's logs and confirm that they contain:

```
CI 3.0 smoke test passed
```

Confirm that the step, stage, and pipeline finish successfully. This verifies pipeline execution; it does not yet build or test application code.

If execution fails, inspect the failed step's logs and stage initialization details. A repository error indicates that cloning is still enabled; disable the implicit clone for this example. For more information on diagnosing other failures, see [Troubleshoot Harness CI](/continuous-integration/3.0/troubleshooting-and-resources/troubleshoot-harness-ci.md).
{% endtab %}
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***

## Next steps

* [Configure codebases](/continuous-integration/3.0/use-harness-ci/use-harness-ci/codebase-configuration.md): Connect your application's repository.
* [Platform connectors guide](https://developer.harness.io/harness-platform/3.0/in-harness-3.0/connectors): Provider-specific connector setup.

Continue with the relevant CI task guide:

* [Build images, push images, and upload artifacts](/continuous-integration/3.0/use-harness-ci/use-harness-ci/build-and-upload-artifacts/build-and-upload-an-artifact.md): Publish build outputs.
* [Use CI Run steps](/continuous-integration/3.0/use-harness-ci/use-harness-ci/run-step-settings.md): Add build commands.
* [Run tests](/continuous-integration/3.0/use-harness-ci/use-harness-ci/run-tests.md): Configure your tests.
* [Which build infrastructure is right for me](/continuous-integration/3.0/use-harness-ci/use-harness-ci/set-up-build-infrastructure/which-build-infrastructure-is-right-for-me.md): Compare runtime options.