Cypress is an amazing tool for end-to-end testing, but even the best tools can have their hiccups. If you’ve been using Cypress for your web app testing and run into issues, you’re not alone. Let’s walk through some common problems you might face with Cypress and how to tackle them with real-life examples.

1. Flaky Tests That Seem to Fail Randomly

Scenario: You’re testing the checkout process of an online store, but your tests keep failing because the page sometimes takes too long to load.

Solution: Instead of using arbitrary waits (like cy.wait(5000)), leverage Cypress’s built-in retry mechanism. For example, if you need to click a “Complete Purchase” button, make sure it’s visible before interacting with it:

cy.get('button.complete-purchase').should('be.visible').click();

This way, Cypress waits until the button appears, reducing those pesky random failures.

2. Element Not Found on the Page

Scenario: Your test fails because it can’t find the “Submit Order” button, even though it’s there.

Solution: Double-check the selector. For a more reliable approach, use data attributes. For instance, update your button to:

<button data-cy="submit-order">Submit Order</button>

Then, in your test:

cy.get('[data-cy="submit-order"]').click();

This makes sure your test targets the right element consistently.

3. Network Request Failures

Scenario: Your test fails because the server is down or the API response isn’t as expected.

Solution: Mock the network request to avoid these issues. Use cy.intercept() to stub the API response:

cy.intercept('POST', '/api/checkout', { fixture: 'checkout-success.json' });

cy.get('button.complete-purchase').click();

cy.get('.order-confirmation').should('contain', 'Thank you for your purchase!');

This ensures your test doesn’t break due to external factors.

4. Tests Taking Too Long

Scenario: Your tests are running slowly because the app loads a lot of data before proceeding.

Solution: Optimize the test by avoiding unnecessary waits. If data loading is part of the test, simulate faster processing with cy.clock() and cy.tick():

cy.clock();

cy.get('button.load-more').click();

cy.tick(5000); // Simulate 5 seconds passing

cy.get('.items').should('have.length', 20);

5. Flaky Tests Due to External Services

Scenario: Your test fails because it depends on an external payment gateway that might be slow or down.

Solution: Mock the payment service to make your test more reliable:

cy.intercept('POST', '/api/payment', { statusCode: 200, body: { success: true } });

cy.get('button.pay-now').click();

cy.get('.payment-success').should('contain', 'Payment successful!');

6. Handling File Uploads

Scenario: Testing file uploads isn’t working as expected with Cypress.

Solution: Use the cypress-file-upload plugin to handle file uploads:

npm install --save-dev cypress-file-upload

Then, in your test:

cy.get('input[type="file"]').attachFile('profile-picture.jpg');

cy.get('button.upload').click();

cy.get('.upload-success').should('contain', 'File uploaded successfully!');

7. Interacting with iFrames

Scenario: Your application has an iframe that you need to interact with during tests.

Solution: Use the cypress-iframe plugin to manage iframe interactions:

cy.frameLoaded('#my-iframe');

cy.iframe().find('button.submit').click();

8. Handling Cross-Origin Requests

Scenario: Your test needs to interact with a third-party login service on a different domain.

Solution: Use cy.origin() to manage cross-origin requests:

cy.origin('https://auth.example.com', () => {

  cy.visit('/login');

  cy.get('input[name="username"]').type('user@example.com');

  cy.get('input[name="password"]').type('password');

  cy.get('button.submit').click();

});

9. Dealing with Popups and Alerts

Scenario: During checkout, a confirmation dialog appears that’s causing issues in your tests.

Solution: Handle or suppress browser dialogs using:

cy.on('window:alert', (str) => {

  expect(str).to.equal('Are you sure you want to proceed?');

});

cy.get('button.confirm').click();

10. Configuration Issues

Scenario: Your tests fail due to an incorrect base URL or other misconfigurations.

Solution: Check and correct your Cypress configuration file (cypress.json):

{

    "baseUrl": "https://mystore.com",

    "integrationFolder": "cypress/integration",

    "viewportWidth": 1280,

    "viewportHeight": 720

}

Final Thoughts

By addressing these common issues, you’ll make your Cypress tests more reliable and efficient. Remember, troubleshooting is part of the process, and getting familiar with these solutions will make you a more effective tester. Happy testing!