# Where Is the Jenkins Documentation Source? A Complete Guide to Repository and Website Docs

> Find Jenkins documentation source easily. Explore jenkins.io for guides and the jenkinsci/jenkins GitHub repo for contributor policies and workflows. Your complete guide.

- Repository: [Jenkins/jenkins](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-08-01

---

**Jenkins documentation is distributed between the jenkins.io website for user and developer guides and the `jenkinsci/jenkins` GitHub repository under the `docs/` directory and root files like [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) for maintainer policies and contribution workflows.**

The Jenkins documentation source follows a hybrid architecture that separates polished user content from internal project governance. While the [Jenkins website](https://www.jenkins.io/doc/) hosts searchable user manuals and API references, the core repository contains essential maintainer policies, contribution workflows, and Javadoc comments that generate the API documentation.

## Documentation Locations by Audience

Jenkins organizes its documentation across three distinct locations depending on whether you are an end user, plugin developer, or core maintainer.

### User and Developer Guides (External Website)

The primary **Jenkins documentation source** for end users lives on the project website at `https://www.jenkins.io/doc/`. This includes tutorials, plugin indexes, and release notes. Developer-specific resources reside at `https://www.jenkins.io/doc/developer/` and cover architecture overviews, extension-point guidelines, and instructions for building Jenkins from source.

According to the `jenkinsci/jenkins` source code, the repository's [`README.md`](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/blob/main/README.md) serves as the canonical entry point, linking to these external resources rather than duplicating them.

### Maintainer Policies and Governance (In-Repository)

Core maintainer responsibilities, governance policies, and release processes are stored directly in the repository under the `docs/` directory. The file `docs/MAINTAINERS.adoc` contains the definitive policies for core maintainers, including voting procedures and stewardship duties. These documents remain in version control to ensure they evolve alongside the codebase they govern.

### Contribution Guidelines (Repository Root)

For developers building Jenkins locally, the [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) file in the repository root provides step-by-step instructions for environment setup, test execution, and patch submission. This file functions as the primary onboarding documentation for new contributors to the core project.

## The Three-Tier Documentation Architecture

The Jenkins documentation source mirrors the project's modular design across three distinct layers:

1. **Core repository** – Stores minimal documentation ([`README.md`](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/blob/main/README.md), [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md), and the `docs/` directory) alongside Java source. Javadoc in files like [`core/src/main/java/hudson/model/UpdateCenter.java`](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/blob/main/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/UpdateCenter.java) feeds into the generated API documentation.

2. **Website generator** – The Jenkins website pulls Markdown and Asciidoc files from this repository and hundreds of plugin repositories, rendering them into static HTML using Jenkins-specific site generation tooling.

3. **Plugin documentation** – Individual plugins ship help files as `.jelly` resources (typically in `src/main/resources/`) that render directly in the Jenkins UI. These runtime help files are not stored in the core repository but compile into the overall documentation view when plugins are installed.

## Accessing Documentation Locally and Programmatically

You can retrieve Jenkins documentation directly from installations and cloned repositories using these practical methods.

### View CLI Command Help Locally

Download the Jenkins CLI jar from a running instance to access built-in command documentation:

```bash

# Download the Jenkins CLI jar (replace <JENKINS_URL> with your server URL)

curl -O https://<JENKINS_URL>/jnlpJars/jenkins-cli.jar

# Show help for the `build` command, which includes a short usage reference

java -jar jenkins-cli.jar help build

```

### Reference External Documentation in Pipelines

Embed links to the official documentation within your Jenkins Pipeline scripts:

```groovy
pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Show Docs Link') {
            steps {
                echo "Read the Jenkins User Manual at: https://www.jenkins.io/doc/"
            }
        }
    }
}

```

### Browse Local Governance Documentation

When working with a cloned repository, inspect maintainer and contribution guidelines using standard Unix tools:

```bash

# View contribution instructions from the repository root

less CONTRIBUTING.md

# Read maintainer policies stored in the docs directory

less docs/MAINTAINERS.adoc

```

### Search Documentation Sources for Specific Topics

Locate specific concepts within the repository's Asciidoc files using git grep:

```bash

# Find all Asciidoc files that mention "pipeline"

git grep -i "pipeline" -- "*.adoc"

```

## Key Documentation Files in the Source Repository

These specific files in the `jenkinsci/jenkins` repository form the backbone of internal project documentation:

- **[`README.md`](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/blob/main/README.md)** – Entry point linking to official user and developer documentation on jenkins.io.
- **[`CONTRIBUTING.md`](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md)** – Development environment setup, testing procedures, and patch submission guidelines.
- **`docs/MAINTAINERS.adoc`** – Core maintainer policies, release processes, and governance standards.
- **[`LICENSE.txt`](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/blob/main/LICENSE.txt)** – MIT license under which Jenkins is released.
- **[`core/src/main/java/hudson/model/UpdateCenter.java`](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/blob/main/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/UpdateCenter.java)** – Example core class containing Javadoc comments that feed into generated API documentation.

## Summary

- **User-facing documentation** resides on [jenkins.io](https://www.jenkins.io/doc/), generated from Markdown and Asciidoc sources across multiple repositories.
- **Maintainer and governance docs** live in the `docs/` directory of the `jenkinsci/jenkins` repository, specifically in `MAINTAINERS.adoc`.
- **Contribution workflows** are documented in the root-level [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) file.
- **API documentation** is generated from Javadoc comments in Java source files like [`core/src/main/java/hudson/model/UpdateCenter.java`](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/blob/main/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/UpdateCenter.java).
- **Plugin help files** use the `.jelly` format and reside in individual plugin repositories under `src/main/resources/`, not in the core repository.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Where is the Jenkins user manual source code stored?

The Jenkins user manual source is stored in the [jenkins.io website repository](https://github.com/jenkins-infra/jenkins.io) and various plugin repositories, not in the core `jenkinsci/jenkins` repository. The core repository only contains links to these resources in its [`README.md`](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/blob/main/README.md), following the project's separation of concerns between code and comprehensive documentation.

### Can I find Jenkins documentation inside the downloaded WAR file?

The WAR file contains minimal documentation. While plugin help files (stored as `.jelly` resources in individual plugins' `src/main/resources/` directories) are bundled with their respective plugins, the comprehensive user guides and developer manuals remain external web resources accessed via the Jenkins UI or browser.

### How do I update the Jenkins maintainer documentation?

To update maintainer policies, edit the `docs/MAINTAINERS.adoc` file in the `jenkinsci/jenkins` repository and submit a pull request. Changes to this file follow the same review process as code changes, ensuring governance documentation stays synchronized with project evolution.

### What is the difference between [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) and `docs/MAINTAINERS.adoc`?

[`CONTRIBUTING.md`](https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) targets new contributors, covering development environment setup and pull request procedures. `docs/MAINTAINERS.adoc` targets core maintainers, detailing release management, governance votes, and long-term project stewardship responsibilities. Both files are stored in the core repository to ensure version control over project processes.