How to Publish Test Results in Jenkins: Step-by-Step Guide

To publish test results in Jenkins, use the Publish JUnit test result report post-build action or the junit step in a pipeline. This collects test report files (usually XML) and displays results in the Jenkins UI for easy tracking.

Syntax

In a Jenkins freestyle job, you add the Publish JUnit test result report post-build action and specify the path to your test result XML files.

In a Jenkins pipeline, use the junit step with the path to test result files.

• junit 'path/to/results/*.xml' - collects and publishes test results.

groovy

post {
  always {
    junit 'target/surefire-reports/*.xml'
  }
}

Example

This example shows a simple Jenkins pipeline that runs tests and publishes the results using the junit step.

groovy

pipeline {
  agent any
  stages {
    stage('Test') {
      steps {
        // Run tests here, e.g., using Maven
        sh 'mvn test'
      }
    }
  }
  post {
    always {
      junit 'target/surefire-reports/*.xml'
    }
  }
}

Output

Started by user
[Pipeline] Start of Pipeline
[Pipeline] stage
[Pipeline] { (Test)
[Pipeline] sh
+ mvn test
... (test output) ...
[Pipeline] }
[Pipeline] // stage
[Pipeline] post
[Pipeline] {
[Pipeline] junit
Recording test results
[Pipeline] }
[Pipeline] End of Pipeline
Finished: SUCCESS

Common Pitfalls

• Incorrect path to test result XML files causes Jenkins to find no results.
• Not generating test reports in XML format compatible with Jenkins.
• Forgetting to add the junit step or post-build action.
• Using wildcard patterns that do not match any files.

Always verify your test tool outputs XML reports and the path matches what Jenkins expects.

groovy

post {
  always {
    // Wrong path example - no files found
    junit 'reports/*.xml'

    // Correct path example
    junit 'target/surefire-reports/*.xml'
  }
}

Quick Reference

Summary tips for publishing test results in Jenkins:

• Use Publish JUnit test result report in freestyle jobs.
• Use junit 'path/*.xml' in pipelines.
• Ensure test reports are in JUnit XML format.
• Verify file paths and wildcards carefully.
• Check Jenkins console output for errors locating test files.

Key Takeaways

Use the Jenkins JUnit plugin to publish test results from XML files.

In pipelines, add the junit step with the correct path to test reports.

Ensure your test tool generates JUnit-compatible XML reports.

Double-check file paths and wildcards to avoid missing results.

Review Jenkins console logs if test results do not appear.