What Is an Instance Variable?

An instance variable is a pipeline variable configured at the top, instance-wide level so that all groups and projects on the instance inherit it. It is the broadest scope for shared configuration, typically managed by administrators. More specific group or project variables can override it.

Why it matters

Some settings, like an organization-wide proxy or a shared internal endpoint, apply to every pipeline on the instance. An instance variable defines them once for the entire platform. Because the blast radius is total, these are usually restricted to administrators and used sparingly.

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