Why Archiving artifacts in Jenkins? - Purpose & Use Cases

The Big Idea

What if you could never lose a build file again and always find the right version instantly?

The Scenario

Imagine you run a software project where every time you build your code, you get important files like logs, reports, or compiled programs. You save these files manually on your computer or shared drives after each build.

The Problem

Manually saving these files is slow and easy to forget. Sometimes files get lost or overwritten. It's hard to find the right version later, and sharing with teammates becomes a mess.

The Solution

Archiving artifacts in Jenkins automatically saves these important files after each build. Jenkins keeps them safe and organized, so you can easily find and share the exact files you need anytime.

Before vs After

✗ Before

Copy files to shared folder after build

✓ After

archiveArtifacts 'build/output/*.jar'

What It Enables

It makes tracking, sharing, and reusing build files simple and reliable, boosting team productivity and confidence.

Real Life Example

A team builds a mobile app daily. Archiving artifacts lets them quickly download the latest app version or logs without searching through emails or folders.

Key Takeaways

Manual saving of build files is slow and risky.

Archiving artifacts automates file storage after builds.

This ensures easy access and sharing of important build outputs.