Configuring Jmeter Classpath

JMeter automatically finds classes from jars in the following directories:

JMETER_HOME/lib - used for utility jars
JMETER_HOME/lib/ext - used for JMeter components and plugins

If you have developed new JMeter components, then you should jar them and copy the jar into JMeter's lib/ext directory. JMeter will automatically find JMeter components in any jars found here. Do not use lib/ext for utility jars or dependency jars used by the plugins; it is only intended for JMeter components and plugins.

If you don't want to put JMeter plugin jars in the lib/ext directory, then define the property search_paths in jmeter.properties.

Utility and dependency jars (libraries etc) can be placed in the lib directory.

If you don't want to put such jars in the lib directory, then define the property user.classpath or plugin_dependency_paths in jmeter.properties. See below for an explanation of the differences.

Other jars (such as JDBC, JMS implementations and any other support libaries needed by the JMeter code) should be placed in the lib directory - not the lib/ext directory, or added to user.classpath .

Note: JMeter will only find .jar files, not .zip.

You can also install utility Jar files in $JAVA_HOME/jre/lib/ext, or you can set the property user.classpath in jmeter.properties