10.3.2.4 GAR Build Integration

GAR build integration refers to Artifact Registry's tight connection with Google Cloud Build, allowing a built container image to be automatically pushed to Artifact Registry as part of a defined build pipeline, without requiring a separately scripted push step.

Defining a Build That Pushes to Artifact Registry

A Cloud Build configuration can include the image build and its subsequent push as connected steps within a single defined pipeline.

steps:
  - name: gcr.io/cloud-builders/docker
    args: ["build", "-t", "us-central1-docker.pkg.dev/my-project/myapp-repo/myapp:$SHORT_SHA", "."]
images:
  - "us-central1-docker.pkg.dev/my-project/myapp-repo/myapp:$SHORT_SHA"

The images field tells Cloud Build to automatically push the built image to Artifact Registry once the build step completes successfully.

Why This Integration Simplifies the Build-to-Registry Pipeline

Without this integration, a build pipeline would need explicit, separately scripted authentication and push steps — Cloud Build's native Artifact Registry integration handles both automatically, using the build's already-established Google Cloud identity.

gcloud builds submit --config=cloudbuild.yaml

This single command triggers a build that, thanks to the images field, also handles pushing the result to Artifact Registry without any additional manual steps.

Tagging Pushed Images Based on Build Metadata

Using build-specific metadata, like a commit SHA, as part of the image's tag provides clear traceability between a deployed image and the exact source commit it was built from.

images:
  - "us-central1-docker.pkg.dev/my-project/myapp-repo/myapp:$SHORT_SHA"

Why This Integration Reduces Pipeline Complexity

Native integration between the build and registry steps within the same cloud ecosystem reduces the amount of custom scripting a pipeline needs to handle what would otherwise be a separate authentication and push process.

gcloud builds list

Why GAR Build Integration Matters

This tight build-to-registry integration simplifies CI/CD pipelines for teams already using Google Cloud Build, reducing the custom scripting otherwise needed to handle authentication and pushing as separate, manually coordinated steps.