Cypress (E2E + Component Testing) Overview
Cypress runs browser automation with first-class network control, time-travel debugging, and a strong local dev workflow. Use it for critical path E2E tests and for component tests when browser-level rendering matters.
Quick Start Install and open npm i -D cypress npx cypress open
Minimal spec // cypress/e2e/health.cy.ts describe("health", () => { it("loads", () => { cy.visit("/"); cy.contains("Hello").should("be.visible"); }); });
Core Patterns 1) Stable selectors
Prefer data-testid (or data-cy) attributes for selectors. Avoid brittle CSS chains and text-only selectors for critical interactions.
cy.get('[data-testid="save-user"]').click();
2) Deterministic waiting (avoid fixed sleeps)
Wait on app-visible conditions or network aliases rather than cy.wait(1000).
cy.intercept("GET", "/api/users/*").as("getUser"); cy.visit("/users/1"); cy.wait("@getUser"); cy.get('[data-testid="user-email"]').should("not.be.empty");
3) Network control with cy.intercept
Stub responses for deterministic tests and speed. Keep a small set of “real backend” smoke tests separate.
cy.intercept("GET", "/api/users/1", { statusCode: 200, body: { id: "1", email: "a@example.com" }, }).as("getUser");
4) Authentication strategies
Prefer cy.session to cache login for speed and stability.
// cypress/support/commands.ts Cypress.Commands.add("login", () => { cy.session("user", () => { cy.request("POST", "/api/auth/login", { email: "test@example.com", password: "password", }); }); });
// e2e spec beforeEach(() => { cy.login(); });
Component Testing
Run component tests to validate UI behavior in isolation while keeping browser rendering.
npx cypress open --component
// cypress/component/Button.cy.tsx import React from "react"; import Button from "../../src/Button";
describe("", () => { it("clicks", () => { cy.mount(); cy.contains("Save").click(); cy.get("@onClick").should("have.been.calledOnce"); }); });
CI Patterns Artifacts (videos/screenshots)
Store artifacts for failed runs and keep videos optional to reduce storage.
// cypress.config.ts import { defineConfig } from "cypress";
export default defineConfig({ video: false, screenshotOnRunFailure: true, retries: { runMode: 2, openMode: 0 }, });
Parallelization (Cypress Cloud)
Parallelize long E2E suites via Cypress Cloud when runtime dominates feedback loops.
Anti-Patterns Use cy.wait(1000) as a synchronization mechanism. Select elements via deep CSS paths. Mix heavy network stubbing with “real backend” assertions in the same spec. Depend on test order; isolate state with cy.session and per-test setup. Troubleshooting Symptom: flaky click or element not found
Actions:
Add a data-testid hook for the element. Assert visibility before interaction (should("be.visible")). Wait on network alias for the data that renders the element. Symptom: tests fail only in CI
Actions:
Increase run-mode retries and record screenshots on failure. Verify viewport and baseUrl config match CI environment. Eliminate reliance on local-only seed data; create data via API calls. Resources Cypress docs: https://docs.cypress.io/ Best practices: https://docs.cypress.io/guides/references/best-practices