Email notifications in pipelines in Jenkins - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Email notifications in pipelines

Pipeline starts

↓

Run build steps

↓

Check build result

↓

Send success email

↓

Pipeline ends

The pipeline runs build steps, then checks the result. Based on success or failure, it sends the appropriate email notification before ending.

Execution Sample

Jenkins

pipeline {
  agent any
  stages {
    stage('Build') {
      steps { echo 'Building...' }
    }
  }
  post {
    success { mail to: '[e-mail]', subject: 'Build Success', body: 'The build succeeded.' }
    failure { mail to: '[e-mail]', subject: 'Build Failed', body: 'The build failed.' }
  }
}

This Jenkins pipeline sends an email after the build stage, notifying success or failure.

Process Table

Step	Action	Build Result	Email Sent	Email Subject
1	Start pipeline	N/A	No	N/A
2	Run build stage	Success	No	N/A
3	Check build result	Success	No	N/A
4	Send success email	Success	Yes	Build Success
5	End pipeline	Success	No	N/A

💡 Pipeline ends after sending success email because build result is success.

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	Final
buildResult	N/A	Success	Success	Success	Success
emailSent	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
emailSubject	N/A	N/A	N/A	Build Success	Build Success

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why is no email sent immediately after the build stage?

Because the pipeline waits until the build result is known (Step 3) before deciding which email to send, as shown in the execution_table rows 2 and 3.

What happens if the build fails instead of succeeding?

The pipeline sends a failure email instead of a success email, changing the emailSubject and emailSent variables accordingly, similar to Step 4 but for failure.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, at which step is the email actually sent?

A Step 2

B Step 3

C Step 4

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Check the 'Email Sent' column in the execution_table to see when it changes to 'Yes'.

According to the variable tracker, what is the value of 'buildResult' after Step 3?

A N/A

B Success

C Failure

D Unknown

💡 Hint

Look at the 'buildResult' row under 'After Step 3' in variable_tracker.

If the build had failed, which email subject would appear in the execution table at Step 4?

A Build Failed

B Build Success

C Build Started

D No Email

💡 Hint

Refer to the key_moments explanation about failure email subject.

Concept Snapshot

Jenkins pipeline email notifications:
- Use 'post' block to send emails after stages
- 'success' and 'failure' conditions trigger different emails
- 'mail' step sends email with to, subject, body
- Emails send only after build result is known
- Helps notify team about build status automatically

Full Transcript

This Jenkins pipeline example shows how email notifications work. The pipeline starts and runs the build stage. After the build finishes, it checks if the build succeeded or failed. If successful, it sends a success email; if failed, it sends a failure email. The execution table traces each step, showing when the email is sent. The variable tracker follows the build result and email status. Key moments clarify why emails are sent only after the build result is known and what changes if the build fails. The visual quiz tests understanding of when emails send and variable values. The snapshot summarizes how to use the post block and mail step for notifications.