Test Artifact

Common types of test artifacts

• Logs: step-by-step output from the test and the system
• Screenshots and videos: visual evidence from browser tests
• Reports: JUnit XML, HTML, or JSON summaries
• Performance results: latency, throughput, and error data
• Traces: detailed records such as Playwright traces
• Output files: generated data, exports, or coverage reports

How test artifacts are captured

1. The test framework writes files to an output folder.
2. The runner collects those files when the test finishes.
3. Artifacts are uploaded to central storage.
4. Each artifact is linked to its test run and metadata.
5. Teams view or download them later for analysis.

Artifacts vs. results

Both describe a test run. They answer different questions.

Why test artifacts matter

Artifacts provide the evidence behind every test outcome.

• Faster debugging: reproduce and analyze failed scenarios
• Collaboration: share results and reports across teams
• Trend tracking: verify consistent performance over time
• Compliance: keep audit-ready testing evidence

Artifacts matter most in cloud-native environments, where test pods disappear right after a run.

Consider a SaaS team whose checkout test fails once a week. The stored video shows a slow third-party script, which never shows up in the logs alone.

Common challenges with test artifacts

• Lost files: artifacts deleted with short-lived pods
• Storage costs: videos and traces grow quickly
• Hard to find: artifacts not linked to the right run
• Sensitive data: screenshots or logs may include secrets

Best practices

• Collect automatically: never rely on manual uploads
• Link to runs: store artifacts with run IDs and metadata
• Set retention: keep what you need and expire the rest
• Mask secrets: keep credentials out of logs and screenshots

How test artifacts relate to Testkube

Testkube stores and manages test artifacts for analysis and debugging.

• Automatic collection: logs, output files, screenshots, and reports from every run
• Central storage: artifacts kept in persistent or external storage
• Easy access: view or download through the dashboard, CLI, or API
• Run history: each artifact linked to its execution
• Integrations: export to tools like Grafana, the ELK Stack, or S3

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)