How to Use Boolean Parameter in Jenkins Pipeline

In Jenkins, you can use a booleanParam to add a true/false option for your build. Define it in the pipeline with parameters { booleanParam(name: 'FLAG', defaultValue: true, description: 'Enable feature?') } and access it in your script as params.FLAG.

Syntax

The booleanParam is used inside the parameters block in a Jenkins pipeline to create a checkbox input. It has three parts:

• name: The variable name to use in the pipeline.
• defaultValue: The initial true or false value.
• description: A short text explaining the parameter.

groovy

pipeline {
  agent any
  parameters {
    booleanParam(name: 'FLAG', defaultValue: true, description: 'Enable feature?')
  }
  stages {
    stage('Example') {
      steps {
        script {
          if (params.FLAG) {
            echo 'Feature is enabled'
          } else {
            echo 'Feature is disabled'
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Example

This example shows a Jenkins pipeline with a boolean parameter named DEPLOY. The pipeline prints a message depending on whether DEPLOY is true or false.

groovy

pipeline {
  agent any
  parameters {
    booleanParam(name: 'DEPLOY', defaultValue: false, description: 'Deploy to production?')
  }
  stages {
    stage('Check Deploy') {
      steps {
        script {
          if (params.DEPLOY) {
            echo 'Deploying to production...'
          } else {
            echo 'Skipping deployment.'
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Output

[Pipeline] echo
Deploying to production...

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when using boolean parameters include:

• Forgetting to define the parameter in the parameters block, causing params.FLAG to be undefined.
• Using string comparison instead of boolean checks, e.g., if (params.FLAG == 'true') instead of if (params.FLAG).
• Not providing a description, which can confuse users.

groovy

pipeline {
  agent any
  stages {
    stage('Wrong Usage') {
      steps {
        script {
          // This will fail because 'FLAG' is not defined
          if (params.FLAG) {
            echo 'This will error'
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

// Correct usage:
pipeline {
  agent any
  parameters {
    booleanParam(name: 'FLAG', defaultValue: false, description: 'Enable feature?')
  }
  stages {
    stage('Right Usage') {
      steps {
        script {
          if (params.FLAG) {
            echo 'Feature enabled'
          } else {
            echo 'Feature disabled'
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Quick Reference

Property	Description	Example
name	Name of the boolean parameter	`booleanParam(name: 'FLAG', ...)`
defaultValue	Initial true or false value	`defaultValue: true`
description	Text shown to users	`description: 'Enable feature?'`
Access	Use in pipeline script	`if (params.FLAG) { ... }`

Key Takeaways

Define boolean parameters inside the parameters block using booleanParam.

Access boolean parameters in the pipeline with params.PARAM_NAME as a true/false value.

Always provide a clear description for the parameter to help users.

Avoid comparing boolean parameters as strings; use direct boolean checks.

Missing parameter definitions cause errors when accessing params.