Customize Git checkout behavior directly in pipeline YAML

You can now configure how the Buildkite agent checks out your source code using a new checkout block in your pipeline YAML. Skip checkout entirely, perform shallow clones, set custom Git flags, and more - all from within your pipeline definition. For example:

checkout:
  submodules: false

steps:
  - label: "Fast build"
    command: "make build"
    checkout:
      depth: 50
      sparse:
        paths:
          - src/
          - .buildkite/

  - label: "Full integration tests"
    command: "make integration"
    checkout:
      submodules: true

The checkout block can be set at both the pipeline level (as a default for all steps) and the step level (to override per step). Previously, customizing checkout behavior required using plugins like Sparse Checkout, Custom Checkout, or Skip Checkout, or setting BUILDKITE_GIT_* environment variables. The native checkout block replaces most of these patterns with a cleaner configuration surface built into the agent.

This feature requires Buildkite Agent v3.136.0 or newer. For the full list of available options, see the Git checkout documentation.