Jenkins Credential Types Explained Simply | Generated by AI
Yes, that’s correct! Jenkins credentials support multiple authentication types:
Username and Password
- Username with password - Traditional credentials where you provide both a username and password
- Stored securely in Jenkins’ credential store
- Common for basic authentication scenarios
Token/Secret Text
- Secret text - For storing single secret values like API tokens, OAuth tokens, or access keys
- Secret file - For storing credential files like SSH keys or certificates
Other Authentication Types
Jenkins also supports:
- SSH Username with private key - For SSH-based authentication
- Certificate - For certificate-based authentication
- Username with password (can also be used for username + personal access token in many cases)
Using Tokens as Passwords
Many modern systems (like GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) now prefer personal access tokens over passwords. You can typically use these in two ways:
- Username with password credential - Use your username and put the token in the password field
- Secret text credential - Store just the token if the system only needs the token
For example, with GitHub:
- Username: your-github-username
- Password: ghp_yourPersonalAccessToken
The choice depends on what the system you’re authenticating with requires. Would you like help setting up a specific type of credential in Jenkins?