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archiveArtifacts

The archiveArtifacts step is used to persist build outputs after a pipeline finishes. It is one of the most important steps for reporting, debugging, and auditing.

What Does archiveArtifacts Do?​

archiveArtifacts:

  • Copies files from the workspace
  • Stores them with the build record
  • Makes them available after build completion

Artifacts are stored on the controller, not the agent.

Basic Usage​

post {
  always {
    archiveArtifacts artifacts: '**/target/*.jar'
  }
}

This archives all JAR files under target directories.

Where Artifacts Live​

  • Artifacts are attached to a specific build
  • Accessible via Jenkins UI
  • Downloadable anytime (based on retention)

Wildcards & Patterns​

Common patterns:

  • **/*.log
  • **/reports/**
  • target/*.jar

Use precise patterns to avoid large uploads.

Allow Empty Archives​

archiveArtifacts artifacts: 'reports/**', allowEmptyArchive: true

Useful when:

  • Reports are generated conditionally
  • You don’t want pipeline failure

Retention & Cleanup​

Artifacts are affected by:

  • Build discarder settings
  • Disk usage limits

Always configure log rotation.

archiveArtifacts vs stash​

FeaturearchiveArtifactsstash
PurposePersist resultsShare data
ScopeAcross buildsWithin pipeline
Stored onControllerController
RetainedYesNo (temporary)

Common Mistakes​

  • Archiving entire workspace
  • No build discarder configured
  • Confusing stash with archive
  • Archiving secrets accidentally

Best Practices​

  • Archive only what you need
  • Use post block
  • Keep artifact size small
  • Combine with buildDiscarder

Interview Traps​

  • Where are artifacts stored?
    → Controller

  • Do artifacts persist after build?
    → Yes

  • Can artifacts be used across jobs?
    → Yes (via Copy Artifacts)