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Copy Artifacts

The Copy Artifacts mechanism allows Jenkins to reuse build outputs across jobs. It is commonly used in upstream/downstream pipelines.

What Is Copy Artifacts?​

Copy Artifacts enables a job to:

  • Fetch artifacts from another job
  • Use outputs produced by upstream builds
  • Decouple build and deploy pipelines

This is different from stash, which works only within a single pipeline.

When to Use Copy Artifacts​

Use Copy Artifacts when:

  • Build and deploy are separate jobs
  • Multiple jobs consume the same artifact
  • You want clear upstream/downstream separation

Typical example:

  • Job A → Build
  • Job B → Deploy using artifacts from Job A

Plugin Requirement​

  • Requires Copy Artifact Plugin
  • Must be installed on the controller

Basic Usage (Freestyle Job)​

Build → Copy artifacts from another project

You configure:

  • Source project
  • Build selector (last successful, specific build)
  • Target directory

Usage in Pipelines​

copyArtifacts(
  projectName: 'build-job',
  selector: lastSuccessful(),
  filter: 'target/*.jar'
)

Build Selectors​

Common selectors:

  • lastSuccessful()
  • lastCompleted()
  • specific('123')
  • upstream()

Selectors determine which build’s artifacts are copied.

Permissions & Security​

  • Source job must allow artifact access
  • Use role-based access control
  • Avoid copying sensitive artifacts broadly

Copy Artifacts vs archiveArtifacts​

FeatureCopy ArtifactsarchiveArtifacts
PurposeReuse artifactsPersist artifacts
Cross-job✅❌
Requires plugin✅❌
StorageControllerController

Common Mistakes​

  • Using copyArtifacts instead of stash
  • No access permissions
  • Copying large artifacts unnecessarily
  • Tight coupling between jobs

Best Practices​

  • Keep build and deploy jobs separate
  • Use fingerprints for traceability
  • Clean copied artifacts after use
  • Document upstream/downstream relationships

Interview Traps​

  • Can stash share artifacts across jobs?
    → No

  • Does copyArtifacts persist files?
    → No, it copies existing ones

  • Is copyArtifacts pipeline-only?
    → No, works with freestyle too