HTML reports publishing in Jenkins - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - HTML reports publishing

Start Jenkins Job

↓

Run Tests or Build

↓

Generate HTML Report Files

↓

Archive HTML Reports

↓

Publish HTML Reports Plugin

↓

View Reports in Jenkins UI

↓

End

This flow shows how Jenkins runs a job, generates HTML reports, archives them, publishes via plugin, and then displays them in the Jenkins interface.

Execution Sample

Jenkins

pipeline {
  agent any
  stages {
    stage('Test') {
      steps {
        sh 'run-tests.sh'
      }
    }
  }
  post {
    always {
      publishHTML(target: [
        reportDir: 'reports',
        reportFiles: 'index.html',
        reportName: 'Test Report'
      ])
    }
  }
}

This Jenkins pipeline runs tests, then publishes the HTML report located in 'reports/index.html' using the publishHTML plugin.

Process Table

Step	Action	Files Created	Jenkins Plugin Action	Result
1	Start Jenkins Job	-	-	Job starts running
2	Run tests via shell script	Test output files, including HTML report files in 'reports/'	-	Tests run and generate report files
3	Archive HTML reports	reports/index.html	publishHTML plugin archives report files	Reports archived for publishing
4	Publish HTML reports	reports/index.html	publishHTML plugin processes report	Report becomes visible in Jenkins UI
5	View report in Jenkins UI	-	-	User can open 'Test Report' link to see HTML report
6	Job ends	-	-	Job completes successfully

💡 Job ends after publishing and viewing HTML reports

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	Final
Job Status	Not started	Running	Running	Running	Completed
Report Files	None	reports/index.html created	reports/index.html archived	reports/index.html published	reports/index.html published and viewable
publishHTML Plugin State	Inactive	Inactive	Archiving	Publishing	Published

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we need to specify 'reportDir' and 'reportFiles' in the publishHTML step?

Because Jenkins needs to know where to find the HTML report files to archive and publish them. See execution_table step 3 where 'reports/index.html' is archived based on these settings.

What happens if the HTML report files are not generated before publishing?

The publishHTML plugin will fail to find the files and the report won't be published. This is shown in execution_table step 2 and 3 where report files must exist before archiving.

Can the published HTML report be viewed immediately after the job finishes?

Yes, once the publishHTML plugin processes the files (step 4), the report link appears in Jenkins UI for viewing (step 5).

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, at which step are the HTML report files archived?

A Step 2

B Step 4

C Step 3

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Check the 'Jenkins Plugin Action' column for archiving action in step 3.

According to the variable tracker, what is the state of 'publishHTML Plugin State' after step 4?

A Publishing

B Archiving

C Inactive

D Published

💡 Hint

Look at the 'publishHTML Plugin State' row and the column 'After Step 4'.

If the 'reportDir' is set incorrectly, what will happen according to the execution flow?

A The job will fail to start

B The publishHTML plugin will not find the report files and fail to publish

C Tests will not run

D The report will be published but empty

💡 Hint

Refer to key_moments question about specifying 'reportDir' and 'reportFiles'.

Concept Snapshot

Jenkins HTML Reports Publishing:
- Run tests/build that generate HTML reports
- Use publishHTML plugin in post step
- Specify reportDir and reportFiles
- Plugin archives and publishes reports
- Reports viewable in Jenkins UI after job completes

Full Transcript

This visual execution shows how Jenkins publishes HTML reports. First, the Jenkins job starts and runs tests that generate HTML report files in a directory like 'reports/'. Next, the publishHTML plugin archives these files by specifying the directory and file names. Then, the plugin publishes the reports so they appear as clickable links in the Jenkins UI. Finally, users can view the HTML reports directly from Jenkins after the job finishes. Key points include ensuring the report files exist before publishing and correctly setting the report directory and file names in the plugin configuration.