The Simplest Way to Make TeamCity TestComplete Work Like It Should

Your automated tests are solid. The build pipeline runs. Yet every night, one flaky test or missing permission ruins the party. That’s when most DevOps teams finally look at connecting TeamCity and TestComplete properly instead of duct-taping scripts together.

TeamCity orchestrates CI pipelines like a pit crew runs a race car. It tracks builds, enforces versioned configs, and manages agents. TestComplete, from SmartBear, handles automated UI and functional testing across desktop, web, and mobile apps. Put them together, and you get repeatable, verifiable test runs that mirror real user behavior on every commit.

The integration works through build steps and agent configuration. Each TeamCity agent hosts TestComplete or TestExecute. When a build triggers, TeamCity tells the agent to execute specific test suites, collect logs, and push results back to the server. Permissions flow through TeamCity’s role-based access, while test data can live in separate, secured storages or through environment variables synced via secrets management tools like AWS Secrets Manager or HashiCorp Vault.

What surprises most engineers is that the magic is not the plugin itself but the discipline around how you run it. Avoid shared local configurations or hard-coded paths. Keep your TestComplete project suite in source control right beside the application code. If you run parallel test queues, mark agents explicitly so you can track which environment type each test touches. And for the love of stability, rotate any service credentials used by TestComplete’s integrations with issue trackers or databases.

The result is a clean CI/CD loop where your UI tests feel like first-class citizens rather than second-class scripts.

Practical benefits:

• Faster test feedback when failures surface directly in build logs.
• Consistent environments across all agents, reducing false negatives.
• Centralized access control through TeamCity’s RBAC and audit trail.
• Easy pass/fail reporting with historical data for flaky test analysis.
• Scalable execution using disposable agents or cloud runners.

When developers talk about “velocity,” this is what they mean. Clean signals, fewer retries, and no wasted clicks between build artifacts and test dashboards. Once configured, the TeamCity–TestComplete pipeline becomes a quiet background process that rarely interrupts anyone.

Platforms like hoop.dev take this same principle further. They enforce identity-aware access so each CI agent, secret vault, and dashboard operates within guardrails. Think of it as policy enforcement that never needs a reminder.

How do I connect TeamCity and TestComplete?
Install the TestComplete plugin from TeamCity’s marketplace, configure your agent to include TestComplete or TestExecute, and add a new build step of type “TestComplete Test.” Point it to your .pjs file, select run options, and set build conditions. That’s it.

Why doesn’t my TestComplete build trigger correctly?
Check agent permissions, path to TestExecute, and whether your license allows concurrent sessions. Most issues stem from mismatched agent configurations or missing project references under source control.

Once it all runs smoothly, you’ll notice shorter cycles, steadier logs, and happier developers. The integration does not just test your product, it tests your discipline.

See an Environment Agnostic Identity-Aware Proxy in action with hoop.dev. Deploy it, connect your identity provider, and watch it protect your endpoints everywhere—live in minutes.