Generate NUnit test reports by first identifying the runner your project uses: NUnit Console Runner writes NUnit XML, VSTest-based dotnet test can write TRX or HTML, and Microsoft.Testing.Platform (MTP) uses registered report extensions. Choose the artifact your CI system or other consumer expects; the commands and options for these routes are not interchangeable.
Choose the report route that matches your test runner
Before changing a command, determine whether tests run through nunit3-console, VSTest-based dotnet test, or MTP. Then select a result format: NUnit XML for NUnit-oriented processing, TRX for tooling that consumes Visual Studio test results, or HTML when you need a browser-readable report.
| Need | Route | Typical artifact |
|---|---|---|
| NUnit-native machine-readable results from a batch run | NUnit Console Runner | NUnit 3 XML, or legacy NUnit 2 XML when required |
| Results for CI or tools that consume Visual Studio test results | VSTest-based dotnet test |
TRX |
A standalone HTML report from VSTest-based dotnet test |
VSTest HTML logger | HTML file |
| An MTP workflow | Microsoft.Testing.Platform | TRX or HTML through an installed report extension |
NUnit’s Console Runner documentation describes a command-line batch runner. Microsoft’s VSTest dotnet test documentation covers its loggers, while its MTP report extensions documentation describes the separate MTP model.
Generate NUnit XML with NUnit Console Runner
Use the Console Runner when you want NUnit result XML from a batch execution. Point it at a test assembly or an NUnit-understood project, and specify the result file and format:
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nunit3-console MyTests.dll --result=TestResult.xml;format=nunit3The format-qualified output specification selects native NUnit 3 XML. To request the legacy format instead, use format=nunit2:
nunit3-console MyTests.dll --result=TestResult.xml;format=nunit2If neither --result nor --explore is supplied, the runner saves TestResult.xml in NUnit 3 format. The result file is XML, not an HTML report; use a separate transform or consumer if a human-readable presentation is needed. See NUnit’s Console Command Line documentation for result specifications and options.
Control the output location and shell parsing
The output specification can include a transform, in the form --result:filename;transform=xsltfile; the transform must handle native NUnit 3 XML. The runner also accepts --work to choose the working directory used for generated output. Because semicolons can be interpreted specially by some shells, quote or escape the result argument as appropriate for your shell. Confirm the resulting path before configuring a CI artifact collector.
Write TRX or HTML from VSTest-based dotnet test
For projects using VSTest-based dotnet test, Microsoft documents the TRX logger and HTML logger. Run one of these commands from the project or solution context:
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dotnet test --logger trx --results-directory ./TestResultsWhen --results-directory is omitted, the documented default is a TestResults directory beside the project file. A TRX logger output and an HTML logger output are distinct artifacts; select the one accepted by the system that will publish or inspect the results.
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Keep multi-targeted results separate
If a multi-targeted project uses the same explicit TRX logfilename for each target framework, the filename is reused and later output can overwrite earlier output. Use Microsoft’s documented LogFilePrefix pattern or another unique naming strategy when each target framework needs its own retained artifact. Check the current VSTest CLI documentation for the supported logger syntax.
Generate reports with Microsoft.Testing.Platform
MTP does not use VSTest logger syntax by default. Its TRX and HTML reporting routes are provided by report extension packages, which are not part of MTP core. Install and register the extension that supplies the format you want, then use the report options and filename switches supported by that extension.
Set the output directory with --results-directory. If a report option such as --report-trx is unrecognized, check that the matching extension is installed and registered; confirm the available options with the test app’s --help output or dotnet test --help in MTP mode. Extension package and option details can change, so verify them against the project’s setup and Microsoft’s MTP report extensions documentation.
Understand NUnit adapter XML output
When Microsoft tooling runs NUnit tests, the NUnit3TestAdapter is part of the execution path. The adapter can also generate NUnit Test Result XML through its TestOutputXml settings. That NUnit XML is separate from the TRX or HTML produced by a VSTest logger: configure the artifact that the downstream consumer actually needs rather than assuming one replaces the other.
Adapter settings and output-folder behavior depend on adapter version. In particular, the adapter documentation identifies folder-mode behaviors introduced in versions 4.3.0 and 4.3.1. Check the installed adapter version and its settings documentation before relying on newer folder-mode values.
Troubleshoot missing, overwritten, or unusable reports
- The command is not recognized or tests do not run: verify the project’s actual runner and execution route. A Console Runner command, VSTest logger option, and MTP report switch belong to different workflows.
- You expected HTML but got XML: the NUnit Console Runner produces a result artifact in NUnit XML format by default. Choose the VSTest HTML logger or an MTP HTML report extension if the project uses the corresponding platform.
- An MTP report switch is unrecognized: install and register the required report extension, then inspect the test app’s help output for the available extension options.
- Results are missing from the expected directory: set
--results-directoryfor VSTest or MTP, or use the Console Runner’s--workoption and verify where the runner wrote the file. - One target framework’s TRX is missing: check whether multiple targets reused the same fixed
logfilename. Use a prefix or another unique name per target. - A transform fails on the XML: ensure the transform is written for native NUnit 3 XML, the format selected for the Console Runner output.
- Adapter XML is not where expected: verify the installed NUnit3TestAdapter version and the relevant
TestOutputXmlsetting, including version-specific folder-mode behavior.
Choose names and formats for the consumer
Confirm these points before wiring report generation into a build:
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- Which runner or platform executes the tests?
- Does the CI service or downstream tool accept NUnit XML, TRX, or HTML?
- Does the audience need machine-readable results for processing or an HTML view for inspection?
- Will multi-targeted runs produce separate files, and are their names unique?
- Is the output path stable and included in the CI artifact collection?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does NUnit Console Runner create an HTML report by default?
No. Its default result artifact is NUnit 3 XML.
Can a project produce both NUnit XML and TRX?
Yes, when the selected runner and adapter/logger configuration supports each artifact; configure each output separately.
Where can I confirm which MTP report options are available?
Check the test app’s --help output or dotnet test --help in MTP mode, and verify the registered report extensions.
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