How to Set Up Fullstack Testing with Jenkins and GitLab CI

 In modern software development, ensuring the quality of both frontend and backend components is crucial. Fullstack testing enables developers to validate the entire application—from UI to APIs to databases. When integrated into CI/CD pipelines using tools like Jenkins and GitLab CI, fullstack testing becomes automated, consistent, and scalable.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through the process of setting up fullstack testing with Jenkins and GitLab CI, combining the strengths of both platforms.


🔧 What is Fullstack Testing?

Fullstack testing is a testing approach that covers all layers of your application:

Frontend (UI tests) – via Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright

Backend (API tests) – via Postman/Newman, pytest, or REST-assured

Database tests – validating data persistence, schema, and queries

Integration tests – checking interaction between services


🧰 Why Use Jenkins + GitLab CI Together?

GitLab CI is great for version control and built-in pipelines.

Jenkins offers powerful plugins and custom job control.

Integrating both allows you to manage your codebase in GitLab while triggering complex build and test workflows in Jenkins.


🚀 Step-by-Step Guide

1. Set Up GitLab Repository

Start with your fullstack project hosted in GitLab. Structure your codebase with separate folders for frontend and backend:

bash

/frontend  → React, Angular, etc.

/backend   → Node.js, Django, Flask, etc.

/tests     → Fullstack/integration test scripts

2. Configure Jenkins

Install Jenkins and required plugins (Git, NodeJS, Python, etc.)

Create a Jenkins Pipeline Job

Add GitLab credentials to Jenkins

Configure webhook in GitLab to trigger Jenkins on push or merge


3. Write Jenkins Pipeline Script (Jenkinsfile)

groovy


pipeline {

    agent any

    stages {

        stage('Checkout Code') {

            steps {

                git 'https://gitlab.com/your-repo/project.git'

            }

        }

        stage('Install Dependencies') {

            steps {

                sh 'npm install --prefix frontend'

                sh 'pip install -r backend/requirements.txt'

            }

        }

        stage('Run Backend Tests') {

            steps {

                sh 'pytest backend/tests'

            }

        }

        stage('Run Frontend Tests') {

            steps {

                sh 'npm run test --prefix frontend'

            }

        }

        stage('Fullstack Integration Tests') {

            steps {

                sh 'npm run test:fullstack'

            }

        }

    }

}

4. Set Up .gitlab-ci.yml

Use GitLab’s pipeline to call Jenkins using an API trigger:


yaml


stages:

  - trigger-jenkins


trigger_jenkins:

  stage: trigger-jenkins

  script:

    - curl -X POST http://<jenkins-url>/job/fullstack-test/build?token=your_token

5. Monitor & Analyze Results

Jenkins will run tests and display results in the dashboard.

Use plugins like JUnit, HTML Publisher, or Allure Reports to view test outcomes.

GitLab can show pipeline status based on Jenkins job success.


✅ Best Practices

Keep test scripts modular and reusable.

Use Docker containers in Jenkins for consistent environments.

Add test reports to pipeline artifacts.

Set thresholds to fail builds on high error counts.


🔚 Conclusion

Combining Jenkins with GitLab CI allows you to implement robust fullstack testing across the development pipeline. This setup not only increases test coverage but also gives you automated confidence in your app’s stability with every code change.

Whether you're deploying daily or weekly, integrating fullstack testing ensures your product works from end to end—just the way users expect.


Learn Fullstack Software Testing

Read More : Introduction to CI/CD in Fullstack Testing

Read More : Automating Mobile UI Testing with Detox
Read More : Introduction to Espresso for Mobile Testing in Fullstack Development


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