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

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 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 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 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 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, CONTRIBUTING.md, and the docs/ directory) alongside Java source. Javadoc in files like 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:

# 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:

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:

# 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:

# 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 – Entry point linking to official user and developer documentation on jenkins.io.
• CONTRIBUTING.md – Development environment setup, testing procedures, and patch submission guidelines.
• docs/MAINTAINERS.adoc – Core maintainer policies, release processes, and governance standards.
• LICENSE.txt – MIT license under which Jenkins is released.
• 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, 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 file.
• API documentation is generated from Javadoc comments in Java source files like 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 and various plugin repositories, not in the core jenkinsci/jenkins repository. The core repository only contains links to these resources in its 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 and docs/MAINTAINERS.adoc?

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.

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