Cypress

Write reliable E2E and component tests with Cypress avoiding flaky selectors, race conditions, and CI failures.

Install

openclaw skills install @ivangdavila/cypress

Setup

On first use, read setup.md for integration guidelines.

When to Use

User needs E2E tests, component tests, or API tests with Cypress. Agent writes tests, debugs flaky specs, configures CI/CD, and creates custom commands.

Architecture

Project tests live in the standard Cypress structure:

text

cypress/
├── e2e/              # E2E test specs
├── component/        # Component tests (if enabled)
├── fixtures/         # Test data JSON files
├── support/
│   ├── commands.ts   # Custom commands
│   ├── e2e.ts        # E2E support file
│   └── component.ts  # Component support file
└── downloads/        # Downloaded files during tests
cypress.config.ts     # Main configuration

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Setup process	`setup.md`
Memory template	`memory-template.md`
Selectors & queries	`selectors.md`
Custom commands	`commands.md`
Network & API	`network.md`
CI/CD configuration	`ci.md`

Core Rules

1. Selectors: data-testid First

typescript

// ✅ Resilient — survives refactors
cy.get('[data-testid="submit-btn"]')
cy.get('[data-cy="user-list"]')

// ❌ Fragile — breaks on style/structure changes
cy.get('.btn-primary.submit')
cy.get('#root > div > form > button:nth-child(3)')
cy.get('button').contains('Submit')  // OK for text, not structure

Priority order: data-testid > data-cy > aria-* > text content > CSS selectors.

2. Never Use Fixed Waits

typescript

// ❌ Flaky and slow
cy.wait(3000)
cy.get('.loader').should('exist')
cy.wait(2000)

// ✅ Wait for actual state
cy.get('.loader').should('not.exist')
cy.get('[data-testid="results"]').should('be.visible')
cy.intercept('GET', '/api/users').as('getUsers')
cy.wait('@getUsers')

3. Intercept Network Requests

typescript

// Setup intercepts BEFORE triggering actions
cy.intercept('POST', '/api/login', { statusCode: 200, body: { token: 'abc' } }).as('login')
cy.get('[data-testid="login-btn"]').click()
cy.wait('@login')

4. One Assertion Focus per Test

typescript

// ✅ Clear failure message
it('shows error on invalid email', () => {
  cy.get('[data-testid="email"]').type('invalid')
  cy.get('[data-testid="submit"]').click()
  cy.get('[data-testid="email-error"]').should('contain', 'Valid email required')
})

// ❌ Multiple concerns — unclear which failed
it('validates the entire form', () => {
  // Tests 5 different validation rules
})

5. Commands for Repeated Actions

typescript

// cypress/support/commands.ts
Cypress.Commands.add('login', (email: string, password: string) => {
  cy.session([email, password], () => {
    cy.visit('/login')
    cy.get('[data-testid="email"]').type(email)
    cy.get('[data-testid="password"]').type(password)
    cy.get('[data-testid="submit"]').click()
    cy.url().should('include', '/dashboard')
  })
})

// Usage
cy.login('user@example.com', 'password123')

6. Fixtures for Test Data

json

// cypress/fixtures/user.json
{
  "validUser": { "email": "test@example.com", "password": "Test123!" },
  "adminUser": { "email": "admin@example.com", "password": "Admin123!" }
}

typescript

cy.fixture('user').then((users) => {
  cy.login(users.validUser.email, users.validUser.password)
})

7. Isolation: Reset State Before Tests

typescript

beforeEach(() => {
  cy.intercept('GET', '/api/notifications', { body: [] })
  cy.clearCookies()
  cy.clearLocalStorage()
  // Or: cy.task('db:seed') if using database reset
})

Common Traps

Trap	Consequence	Fix
`cy.wait(ms)` fixed delays	Flaky tests, slow CI	Use `cy.intercept().as()` + `cy.wait('@alias')`
CSS selectors for actions	Break on redesign	Use `data-testid` attributes
Test interdependence	One failure cascades	Each test must setup its own state
Asserting too early	False positives	Chain `.should()` to auto-retry
Forgetting `baseUrl`	Hardcoded URLs everywhere	Set `baseUrl` in config
Skipping viewport tests	Mobile bugs in prod	Add `cy.viewport()` tests
Ignoring retry-ability	Flaky assertions	Use Cypress queries, not jQuery

Debugging

Time Travel

Click any command in the Command Log to see DOM snapshot at that moment.

Pause and Step

typescript

cy.get('[data-testid="item"]').then(($el) => {
  debugger  // Opens DevTools
})
// Or
cy.pause()  // Pause execution, step manually

Console Debugging

typescript

cy.get('[data-testid="items"]')
  .should('have.length.gt', 0)
  .then(($items) => {
    console.log('Found items:', $items.length)
  })

Configuration

cypress.config.ts Essentials

typescript

import { defineConfig } from 'cypress'

export default defineConfig({
  e2e: {
    baseUrl: 'http://localhost:3000',
    viewportWidth: 1280,
    viewportHeight: 720,
    defaultCommandTimeout: 10000,
    requestTimeout: 10000,
    retries: { runMode: 2, openMode: 0 },
    video: false,  // Enable for CI debugging
    screenshotOnRunFailure: true,
    setupNodeEvents(on, config) {
      // Plugins here
    },
  },
  component: {
    devServer: {
      framework: 'react',  // or 'vue', 'angular', etc.
      bundler: 'vite',     // or 'webpack'
    },
  },
})

TypeScript Support

typescript

// cypress/support/commands.ts
declare global {
  namespace Cypress {
    interface Chainable {
      login(email: string, password: string): Chainable<void>
      getByTestId(testId: string): Chainable<JQuery<HTMLElement>>
    }
  }
}

Cypress.Commands.add('getByTestId', (testId: string) => {
  return cy.get(`[data-testid="${testId}"]`)
})

Running Tests

Command	Purpose
`npx cypress open`	Interactive mode
`npx cypress run`	Headless (CI)
`npx cypress run --spec "cypress/e2e/login.cy.ts"`	Single spec
`npx cypress run --headed`	Headless but visible
`npx cypress run --browser chrome`	Specific browser

External Endpoints

This skill does not call external APIs. Cypress runs entirely locally or in your own CI environment.

Security & Privacy

Data that stays local:

All test code and fixtures remain in project directory
Cypress runs locally or in your own CI environment

This skill does NOT:

Send data to external services
Require API keys or authentication
Access files outside project directory

Note: Cypress Cloud (optional, paid) can receive test results if configured with CYPRESS_RECORD_KEY. This skill does not configure or recommend it.

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

playwright — alternative E2E framework
typescript — TypeScript best practices
javascript — JS fundamentals and patterns
react — React component testing

Feedback

If useful: clawhub star cypress
Stay updated: clawhub sync