Cypress E2E Testing Patterns

Quick Guide: Use Cypress for end-to-end tests that verify complete user workflows. Use data-cy attributes for resilient selectors, cy.intercept() with aliases for deterministic API mocking (never arbitrary cy.wait(ms)), and cy.session() to cache authentication. Each it() block must be independent. Cypress 15 is current stable; cy.origin() is mandatory for multi-origin tests.

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<critical_requirements>

CRITICAL: Before Using This Skill

All code must follow project conventions in CLAUDE.md (kebab-case, named exports, import ordering, import type, named constants)

(You MUST use data-cy attributes as your primary selector strategy - they are isolated from CSS/JS changes)

(You MUST use cy.intercept() with aliases and cy.wait("@alias") - NEVER use arbitrary cy.wait(ms) delays)

(You MUST isolate tests - each it() block runs independently without depending on other tests)

(You MUST use cy.origin() for any test that navigates across different origins - required since Cypress 14)

</critical_requirements>

---

Auto-detection: Cypress, cy.visit, cy.get, cy.intercept, cy.origin, cy.session, data-cy, describe, it, beforeEach, cy.fixture, cy.mount, cypress-axe, cy.env

When to use:

• Testing critical user-facing workflows (login, checkout, form submission)
• Multi-step user journeys that span multiple pages
• Cross-browser compatibility testing
• Testing real integration with backend APIs
• Component testing in isolation with cy.mount()

When NOT to use:

• Testing pure utility functions (use unit tests)
• API-only testing without UI (use direct API tests)
• Testing implementation details (tests become brittle on refactoring)

Key patterns covered:

• Test structure and organization (describe, context, it)
• Selector strategies with data-cy attributes
• Custom commands with TypeScript support
• Network mocking with cy.intercept()
• Fixtures and test data management
• Component testing with cy.mount()
• Accessibility testing with cypress-axe
• Multi-origin testing with cy.origin()

Detailed Resources:

• examples/core.md - User flows, test structure, selectors, assertions, aliases, sessions
• examples/intercept.md - API mocking, error states, request verification, response modification
• examples/custom-commands.md - Custom commands, TypeScript types, child/dual commands
• examples/fixtures-data.md - Fixtures, factories, test data constants
• examples/component-testing.md - Component testing with cy.mount()
• examples/accessibility.md - Accessibility testing with cypress-axe
• examples/ci-cd.md - GitHub Actions, Docker, parallel execution
• reference.md - Decision frameworks, anti-patterns, Cypress 14/15 changes

---

<philosophy>

Philosophy

Cypress E2E tests verify that your application works correctly from the user's perspective. They run in the same run-loop as your application, providing reliable, fast feedback on user-visible behavior.

Core Principles:

1. Test user-visible behavior - Focus on what end users see and interact with, not implementation details
2. Use resilient selectors - data-cy attributes are isolated from CSS/JS changes and won't break on refactoring
3. Isolate tests completely - Each it() block must be independent; use beforeEach for common setup
4. Trust Cypress retry-ability - Commands automatically retry; never use arbitrary cy.wait(ms)
5. Mock external dependencies - Use cy.intercept() for third-party APIs to ensure reliability

When E2E tests provide the most value:

• Critical business workflows (authentication, payments, core features)
• User journeys spanning multiple pages or components
• Testing real backend integration with one "true" E2E test per feature
• Cross-browser compatibility verification

When E2E tests may not be the best choice:

• Testing pure utility functions (unit tests are faster and more precise)
• Testing every edge case (balance with unit tests; use mocks for edge cases)
• Testing implementation details (tests become brittle and break on refactoring)

</philosophy>

---

<patterns>

Core Patterns

Pattern 1: Test Structure and Organization

Use describe to group related tests, context for different scenarios, and it for individual test cases. Named constants prevent magic strings. Each test starts fresh via beforeEach.

const LOGIN_URL = "/login";
const DASHBOARD_URL = "/dashboard";
const VALID_EMAIL = "user@example.com";

describe("Login Flow", () => {
  beforeEach(() => {
    cy.visit(LOGIN_URL);
  });

  context("with valid credentials", () => {
    it("redirects to dashboard after successful login", () => {
      cy.get("[data-cy=email-input]").type(VALID_EMAIL);
      // ...
      cy.url().should("include", DASHBOARD_URL);
    });
  });
});

Why good: Logical grouping with describe/context, beforeEach ensures isolation, named constants, data-cy selectors

See examples/core.md Pattern 1-2 for complete login flow and grouped test examples.

---

Pattern 2: Selector Strategies

Use data-cy attributes for reliable element selection. They survive CSS refactoring and make test intent clear.

// BEST: data-cy attributes
cy.get("[data-cy=submit-button]").click();

// ACCEPTABLE: cy.contains() when text change should fail the test
cy.contains("button", "Submit").click();

// AVOID: CSS classes, IDs, DOM structure - all fragile
cy.get(".btn-primary").click(); // Breaks on styling changes
cy.get("div > button:nth-child(2)").click(); // Breaks on markup changes

Use cy.getBySel() custom command to reduce boilerplate. See examples/core.md Pattern 3 and examples/custom-commands.md Pattern 1 for implementation.

---

Pattern 3: Network Mocking with cy.intercept()

Mock API responses for deterministic, fast tests. Always alias intercepts and wait on the alias.

cy.intercept("GET", "/api/users", {
  statusCode: 200,
  body: MOCK_USER,
}).as("getUser");

cy.visit("/profile");
cy.wait("@getUser");
cy.getBySel("user-name").should("contain", MOCK_USER.name);

Why good: Tests are deterministic, alias + wait ensures request completed, no arbitrary delays

Test error states with status codes and forceNetworkError: true. See examples/intercept.md for error state testing, request verification, response modification, and pagination patterns.

---

Pattern 4: Custom Commands with TypeScript

Wrap common flows (login, selectors) in custom commands with type declarations for IDE autocomplete.

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

Type declarations go in cypress/support/index.d.ts. See examples/custom-commands.md for selector commands, auth commands with cacheAcrossSpecs, form commands, child/dual commands, database task commands, and cy.origin() commands.

---

Pattern 5: Fixtures and Test Data

Use fixtures for reusable test data, factories for dynamic data.

// Fixture: cy.intercept with fixture file
cy.intercept("GET", "/api/products", { fixture: "products.json" }).as(
  "getProducts",
);

// Factory: dynamic data for specific scenarios
const users = createUsers(5);
cy.intercept("GET", "/api/users", { body: users }).as("getUsers");

Why good: Separates test data from test logic, fixtures are reusable, factories generate scenario-specific data

See examples/fixtures-data.md for organized fixture directories, factory patterns, and centralized test constants.

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Pattern 6: Multi-Origin Testing with cy.origin()

Cypress 14+ requires cy.origin() for any test that navigates across different origins (scheme + hostname + port). This is mandatory for OAuth, SSO, and cross-domain workflows.

cy.visit("/login");
cy.getBySel("oauth-button").click();

cy.origin(
  "https://auth.provider.com",
  { args: { email, password } },
  ({ email, password }) => {
    cy.get("#email").type(email);
    cy.get("#password").type(password);
    cy.get("#submit").click();
  },
);

cy.url().should("include", "/dashboard"); // Back on original origin

Why required: Chrome deprecated document.domain, which Cypress previously used for cross-origin testing.

See examples/custom-commands.md Pattern 7 for reusable OAuth command with session caching.

</patterns>

---

<red_flags>

RED FLAGS

High Priority Issues:

• Using cy.wait(5000) with arbitrary milliseconds - causes flaky or slow tests, use cy.intercept() aliases instead
• Using CSS selectors like .btn-primary or #submit-btn - fragile and break on refactoring, use data-cy
• Tests that depend on previous tests - coupled tests fail randomly, each it() must be independent
• Storing values in const for later use - Cypress commands are async, use aliases with .as() instead
• Not using cy.origin() for multi-origin tests - required since Cypress 14 due to Chrome's deprecation of document.domain
• Using deprecated Cypress.env() - use cy.env() for secrets, Cypress.expose() for public values (deprecated in v15.10.0, removed in 16)

Medium Priority Issues:

• Not using beforeEach for common setup - leads to duplicated code and inconsistent state
• Overusing cy.contains() for selectors - text changes may not warrant test failure, prefer data-cy
• No network mocking for external APIs - third-party flakiness affects your tests
• Running only in one browser - cross-browser issues go undetected
• Using Cypress.Commands.overwrite() for queries - use Cypress.Commands.overwriteQuery() since Cypress 14

Common Mistakes:

• Hardcoded test data scattered throughout files - use fixtures and named constants
• Testing implementation details instead of user behavior - tests break on refactoring
• Using after/afterEach for cleanup - no guarantee it runs, put cleanup in beforeEach
• Starting web server within tests with cy.exec() - server process never exits properly

Gotchas & Edge Cases:

• Cypress commands are chainable and async but don't return Promises - use .then() for values
• Fixture files are cached and won't reflect file changes during test - use cy.readFile() for dynamic files
• cy.session() caches login state but clears on spec file change - use cacheAcrossSpecs: true (Cypress 12.4+)
• cy.intercept() routes are global to test - reset in beforeEach to prevent pollution
• Parallel tests cannot share state - use fixtures and beforeEach for per-test setup
• Chrome 137+ no longer supports --load-extension in branded Chrome - use Electron, Chrome for Testing, or Chromium for extensions

</red_flags>

---

<critical_reminders>

CRITICAL REMINDERS

All code must follow project conventions in CLAUDE.md

(You MUST use data-cy attributes as your primary selector strategy - they are isolated from CSS/JS changes)

(You MUST use cy.intercept() with aliases and cy.wait("@alias") - NEVER use arbitrary cy.wait(ms) delays)

(You MUST isolate tests - each it() block runs independently without depending on other tests)

(You MUST use cy.origin() for any test that navigates across different origins - required since Cypress 14)

Failure to follow these rules will result in flaky tests, false positives, and maintenance nightmares.

</critical_reminders>