How to Use post always in Jenkins Pipeline

In Jenkins Pipeline, use the post block with the always condition to run steps after every build, no matter if it succeeds, fails, or is aborted. Place the post { always { ... } } block inside your pipeline or stage to ensure cleanup or notifications always run.

Syntax

The post block defines actions that run after the main pipeline or stage steps. The always condition inside post ensures the enclosed steps run regardless of build outcome.

Structure:

• post: Starts the post-build actions block.
• always: Runs steps no matter if the build succeeded, failed, or was aborted.
• Steps inside always: Commands or scripts to execute after the build.

groovy

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Example') {
            steps {
                echo 'Running main steps'
            }
        }
    }
    post {
        always {
            echo 'This runs after every build'
        }
    }
}

Example

This example shows a Jenkins Pipeline that prints a message during the build and always prints a final message after the build finishes, no matter the result.

groovy

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                echo 'Building the project'
                // Simulate a failure by uncommenting the next line
                // error 'Build failed!'
            }
        }
    }
    post {
        always {
            echo 'Cleaning up resources or sending notifications'
        }
    }
}

Output

[Pipeline] echo
Building the project
[Pipeline] echo
Cleaning up resources or sending notifications

Common Pitfalls

• Placing post block outside the pipeline block causes syntax errors.
• Using always inside steps instead of post is invalid.
• Not including post block means no guaranteed cleanup or notifications.

Correct usage ensures cleanup or notifications run every time.

groovy

/* Wrong: post block outside pipeline */
post {
    always {
        echo 'This will cause an error'
    }
}

/* Right: post block inside pipeline */
pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Test') {
            steps {
                echo 'Testing'
            }
        }
    }
    post {
        always {
            echo 'Runs always after build'
        }
    }
}

Quick Reference

Use the post block with these conditions:

Condition	When It Runs
always	Every build, success or failure
success	Only if build succeeds
failure	Only if build fails
unstable	Build is unstable
changed	Build status changed from previous

Condition	When It Runs
always	Every build, success or failure
success	Only if build succeeds
failure	Only if build fails
unstable	Build is unstable
changed	Build status changed from previous

Key Takeaways

Use the post { always { ... } } block inside your pipeline to run steps after every build.

The always condition runs regardless of build success, failure, or abort.

Place the post block inside the pipeline block to avoid syntax errors.

Common uses include cleanup, notifications, and resource release.

Other post conditions like success or failure run only on specific build results.