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Deployment Buttons

Trigger deployments directly from Versioner's UI or Slack notifications with one-click deployment buttons.

Overview

Deployment buttons provide quick access to your deployment tools by generating pre-configured URLs that link to your existing deployment infrastructure (Rundeck, Jenkins, custom tools, etc.).

Key principle: Deployment buttons construct and open URLs in your browser. They don't execute deployments directly—they provide a convenient shortcut to your deployment tools with the correct parameters already filled in.

Why Use Deployment Buttons?

Without Deployment Buttons

1. Receive Slack notification: "Build v1.2.3 ready"
2. Open Rundeck in browser
3. Navigate to correct project
4. Find the deployment job
5. Manually enter version: 1.2.3
6. Select environment
7. Click run

With Deployment Buttons

1. Receive Slack notification: "Build v1.2.3 ready"
2. Click "Deploy" button
3. Rundeck opens with version 1.2.3 pre-filled
4. Click run

Result: Faster deployments, fewer errors, better team efficiency.

Use Cases

Rundeck Deployments

Navigate directly to a Rundeck job with the version pre-filled:

https://rundeck.mycompany.com/project/DevDeployments/job/show/de5587ec?opt.git_ref=1.2.3

Jenkins Deployments

Open a Jenkins job with build parameters ready:

https://jenkins.mycompany.com/job/deploy-api/buildWithParameters?VERSION=1.2.3&ENV=production

Custom Deployment Tools

Link to any web-based deployment system:

https://deploy.mycompany.com/products/my-api/deploy?version=1.2.3&target=staging

Slack-Driven Workflows

  1. CI/CD builds version 1.2.3
  2. Versioner sends Slack notification with "Deploy" button
  3. Team member clicks button
  4. Deployment tool opens with correct parameters
  5. Review and execute deployment

How It Works

Deployment buttons use three components:

  1. Variables - Configuration values (URLs, IDs, etc.)
  2. Templates - URL patterns with variable placeholders
  3. Environments - Where the deployment buttons appear

1. Variables

Variables store reusable configuration values. See the Variables guide for full details.

Example variables:

Organization level:
  rundeck_base_url = "https://rundeck.mycompany.com"

Product level (user-service):
  rundeck_project = "DevDeployments"
  rundeck_job_id = "de5587ec-3a68-435f-be33-2d6fe99587c1"

2. Templates

Templates are URL patterns that reference variables using {variable_name} syntax.

Example template:

{rundeck_base_url}/project/{rundeck_project}/job/show/{rundeck_job_id}?opt.git_ref={vi_version}

Rendered URL (for version 1.2.3):

https://rundeck.mycompany.com/project/DevDeployments/job/show/de5587ec?opt.git_ref=1.2.3

Notice how: - {rundeck_base_url} → organization variable - {rundeck_project} → product variable - {rundeck_job_id} → product variable - {vi_version} → system variable (automatically provided)

3. Environment Association

Each template is associated with one or more environments (dev, staging, production, etc.). This determines where the deployment button appears.

Example: - Template: "Deploy to Rundeck" - Associated environments: development, staging, production - Result: Deploy button appears for all three environments

Setting Up Deployment Buttons

Step 1: Define Variables

Start by defining the variables you'll need in your templates.

Organization variables (Settings → Organization → Variables):

rundeck_base_url = "https://rundeck.mycompany.com"
jenkins_base_url = "https://jenkins.mycompany.com"

Product variables (Manage → Products → [Product] → Variables):

rundeck_project = "DevDeployments"
rundeck_job_id = "de5587ec-3a68-435f-be33-2d6fe99587c1"
rundeck_option_name = "git_ref"

Start Simple

Begin with just the variables you need. You can always add more later.

Step 2: Create a Template

Navigate to Manage → Products → [Product] → Deployment Templates.

  1. Click New Template
  2. Enter a name: Deploy to Rundeck
  3. Enter the URL template: 
    {rundeck_base_url}/project/{rundeck_project}/job/show/{rundeck_job_id}?opt.{rundeck_option_name}={vi_version}
  4. Select environments: development, staging, production
  5. Preview the template to verify it renders correctly
  6. Save

Step 3: Test the Button

  1. Go to Manage → Versions
  2. Find a version
  3. Click the Deploy button
  4. Select an environment
  5. Verify the deployment tool opens with correct parameters

Using Deployment Buttons

In the UI

Deployment buttons appear in multiple locations:

Dashboard: 

Recent Versions
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ user-service  │ 1.2.3  │ [Deploy ▼]        │
│                                              │
│ Deploy to:                                   │
│   • development                              │
│   • staging                                  │
│   • production                               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Versions Page: 

Versions
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Version │ SHA     │ Created │ Actions       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 1.2.3   │ abc123  │ 2h ago  │ [Deploy ▼]    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Releases Page: 

Release: Q4 Sprint 3
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Product      │ Version │ Status │ Actions   │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ user-service │ 1.2.3   │ ✓ Dev  │ [Deploy ▼]│
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Button behavior: - Single environment: Direct button (no dropdown) - Multiple environments: Dropdown menu - Click: Opens deployment tool in new browser tab

In Slack

When Versioner sends Slack notifications, deployment buttons are automatically included:

🚀 New build ready: user-service v1.2.3

Build: #42
SHA: abc123def
Environment: development

[Deploy]

Clicking the button opens your deployment tool with the correct parameters.

Notification Setup Required

Deployment buttons in Slack require notification preferences to be configured.

Template Examples

Rundeck

Basic deployment: 

{rundeck_base_url}/project/{rundeck_project}/job/show/{rundeck_job_id}?opt.version={vi_version}

With environment parameter: 

{rundeck_base_url}/project/{rundeck_project}/job/show/{rundeck_job_id}?opt.version={vi_version}&opt.environment={vi_environment_name}

Jenkins

Build with parameters: 

{jenkins_base_url}/job/{jenkins_job_name}/buildWithParameters?VERSION={vi_version}&ENV={vi_environment_name}

Parameterized build with SHA: 

{jenkins_base_url}/job/{jenkins_job_name}/buildWithParameters?GIT_SHA={vi_sha}&TARGET={vi_environment_name}

Custom Tools

REST API trigger: 

{deploy_tool_url}/api/deploy?product={vi_product_name}&version={vi_version}&env={vi_environment_name}

Dashboard link: 

{deploy_dashboard_url}/deployments/new?product_id={vi_product_id}&version={vi_version}

Advanced Configuration

Multiple Templates per Product

You can create multiple templates for different deployment scenarios:

Template 1: "Deploy to Rundeck" - Environments: development, staging - URL: {rundeck_base_url}/job/{rundeck_job_id_nonprod}?version={vi_version}

Template 2: "Deploy to Production" - Environments: production - URL: {rundeck_base_url}/job/{rundeck_job_id_prod}?version={vi_version}

Environment-Specific Variables

Use different variables for different environments:

Product variables:
  rundeck_job_id_dev = "abc-123"
  rundeck_job_id_staging = "def-456"
  rundeck_job_id_prod = "ghi-789"

Template:
  {rundeck_base_url}/job/{rundeck_job_id_{vi_environment_name}}?version={vi_version}

Complex Templates

While Versioner supports complex templates, simpler templates are easier to maintain. Consider creating separate templates for different environments instead of complex variable substitution.

Conditional Parameters

Add optional parameters using URL query strings:

{jenkins_base_url}/job/{jenkins_job_name}/buildWithParameters?VERSION={vi_version}&SHA={vi_sha}&BUILD={vi_build_number}

Best Practices

1. Test Templates Before Saving

Always use the preview feature to verify your template renders correctly:

  1. Enter template URL
  2. Select an environment
  3. Click Preview
  4. Verify the rendered URL
  5. Click Test URL to open it in a new tab

2. Start with Organization Variables

Define common values at the organization level:

Organization:
  rundeck_base_url = "https://rundeck.mycompany.com"
  jenkins_base_url = "https://jenkins.mycompany.com"

This avoids repetition across products.

3. Use Descriptive Template Names

Choose names that clearly indicate what the template does:

✅ Good: - "Deploy to Rundeck" - "Trigger Jenkins Production Pipeline" - "Open Deployment Dashboard"

❌ Avoid: - "Template 1" - "Deploy" - "Button"

4. Keep Templates Simple

Simpler templates are easier to maintain and debug:

✅ Good: 

{rundeck_base_url}/job/{rundeck_job_id}?version={vi_version}

❌ Overly complex: 

{base_url}/api/v{api_version}/projects/{project_id}/environments/{env_id}/deployments/create?version={vi_version}&sha={vi_sha}&build={vi_build_number}&user={user_id}&timestamp={timestamp}

5. Document Your Variables

Keep track of what each variable represents, especially for IDs and UUIDs:

rundeck_job_id = "de5587ec-3a68-435f-be33-2d6fe99587c1"
# This is the "Deploy User Service to Dev" job in Rundeck

Troubleshooting

Button Not Appearing

Problem: Deployment button doesn't show up in UI or Slack.

Solution: 1. Verify template is enabled 2. Check that template is associated with the environment 3. Ensure all variables in template exist 4. Check for rendering errors in template preview

Wrong URL Generated

Problem: Clicking button opens incorrect URL.

Solution: 1. Preview the template to see rendered URL 2. Verify variable values are correct 3. Check for typos in variable names 4. Ensure product-level variables aren't unintentionally overriding organization variables

Missing Variable Error

Problem: Template preview shows "Missing variable: variable_name"

Solution: 1. Create the missing variable at organization or product level 2. Check for typos in variable name (case-sensitive) 3. Verify you're using correct variable scope

Button Opens Wrong Tool

Problem: Button opens wrong deployment tool or environment.

Solution: 1. Check which template is associated with that environment 2. Verify template URL points to correct tool 3. Review variable values for that product

Multiple Buttons for Same Environment

Problem: Multiple deployment buttons appear for the same environment.

Solution: - Each environment can only be associated with one template per product - If you see multiple buttons, check for templates from different products or misconfiguration

Security Considerations

URL Parameters

Deployment buttons construct URLs that may be visible in: - Browser history - Server logs - Network traffic

Recommendations: - Avoid including sensitive data in templates - Use POST-based deployment tools when possible - Ensure deployment tools have proper authentication

Access Control

Deployment buttons provide navigation, not authorization: - Users still need proper permissions in the deployment tool - Buttons simply construct URLs—they don't bypass security - Ensure your deployment tools have appropriate access controls

  • Variables - Configuration system powering deployment buttons
  • Notifications - Slack notifications include deployment buttons
  • Deployments - Track deployments triggered via buttons
  • Environments - Deployment buttons are scoped to environments

Next Steps

  • Set up Variables for your deployment tools
  • Configure Notifications to receive deployment buttons in Slack
  • Learn about Products to understand product-level configuration
  • Explore the API Documentation for programmatic template management