running-e2e-tests

by jeremylongshore

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SKILL.md About

---
name: running-e2e-tests
description: 'Execute end-to-end tests covering full user workflows across frontend
  and backend.

Use when performing specialized testing.

Trigger with phrases like "run end-to-end tests", "test user flows", or "execute
  E2E suite".

'
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Grep, Glob, Bash(test:e2e-*)
version: 1.0.0
author: Jeremy Longshore <jeremy@intentsolutions.io>
license: MIT
tags:
- testing
- workflow
- e2e-tests
compatibility: Designed for Claude Code, also compatible with Codex and OpenClaw
---
# E2E Test Framework

## Current State
!`cat package.json 2>/dev/null | grep -oE 'playwright|cypress|selenium' || echo 'No E2E framework detected'`

## Overview

Execute end-to-end tests that simulate real user workflows across the full application stack -- browser interactions, API calls, database operations, and third-party integrations. Supports Playwright (recommended), Cypress, Selenium, and Puppeteer.

## Prerequisites

- E2E testing framework installed (Playwright, Cypress, or Selenium WebDriver)
- Application running in a test environment with seeded test data
- Browser binaries installed (`npx playwright install` or Cypress binary)
- Test user accounts created with known credentials
- Environment variables configured for base URL, API keys, and test credentials

## Instructions

1. Identify critical user journeys to cover:
   - User registration and login flow.
   - Primary feature workflow (e.g., create item, edit, delete).
   - Search and filtering functionality.
   - Checkout or payment flow (if applicable).
   - Error handling (404 pages, form validation, session expiry).
2. Create page object models (POM) for reusable page interactions:
   - One class per page or major component.
   - Encapsulate locators, actions (click, fill, select), and assertions.
   - Use `data-testid` attributes as primary selectors for stability.
3. Write E2E test files organized by user journey:
   - Each test file covers one complete workflow.
   - Use `beforeEach` to navigate to the starting page and reset state.
   - Use `afterEach` to capture screenshots on failure.
   - Keep tests independent -- no test should depend on another test's output.
4. Handle authentication efficiently:
   - Store authenticated session state to a file (`storageState` in Playwright).
   - Reuse session across tests that require login.
   - Create a separate auth setup fixture that runs once per worker.
5. Configure multi-browser and responsive testing:
   - Run tests on Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit.
   - Test at mobile (375px), tablet (768px), and desktop (1280px) viewports.
   - Use Playwright projects to define browser/viewport combinations.
6. Add retry and stability mechanisms:
   - Use `expect` with auto-waiting locators (Playwright) instead of explicit waits.
   - Configure test retries (max 2) for CI environments.
   - Add `networkidle` or `domcontentloaded` wait conditions for page transitions.
7. Generate test reports with screenshots, traces, and video on failure.

## Output

- E2E test files organized by user journey in `tests/e2e/` or `e2e/`
- Page object model classes in `tests/e2e/pages/`
- Playwright/Cypress configuration file with browser and viewport matrix
- Authentication state file for session reuse
- HTML test report with screenshots, traces, and failure details

## Error Handling

| Error | Cause | Solution |
|-------|-------|---------|
| Element not found / timeout | Selector changed or element lazy-loaded after timeout | Use `data-testid` attributes; increase timeout; use `waitFor` with proper state checks |
| Test passes locally but fails in CI | Headless browser behavior differs or CI is slower | Run CI in headless mode locally to reproduce; increase timeouts; check viewport size |
| Authentication state expired | Stored session tokens have short TTL | Regenerate auth state before each test run; use long-lived test account tokens |
| Flaky test due to animation | Click registered before animation completes | Disable CSS animations in test config; use `force: true` on click; add `waitForLoadState` |
| Database state pollution | Previous test left data that affects current test | Seed database in `beforeEach`; use transactional rollback; reset via API endpoint |

## Examples

**Playwright test for user registration flow:**
```typescript
import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

test('new user can register and see dashboard', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/register');
  await page.getByTestId('name-input').fill('Test User');
  await page.getByTestId('email-input').fill('test@example.com');
  await page.getByTestId('password-input').fill('SecurePass123!');
  await page.getByTestId('register-button').click();

await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/dashboard/);
  await expect(page.getByTestId('welcome-message')).toContainText('Test User');
});
```

**Page object model:**
```typescript
export class LoginPage {
  constructor(private page: Page) {}
  async login(email: string, password: string) {
    await this.page.goto('/login');
    await this.page.getByTestId('email').fill(email);
    await this.page.getByTestId('password').fill(password);
    await this.page.getByTestId('submit').click();
    await this.page.waitForURL(/\/dashboard/);
  }
}
```

**Playwright config with multi-browser projects:**
```typescript
export default defineConfig({
  projects: [
    { name: 'chromium', use: { ...devices['Desktop Chrome'] } },
    { name: 'firefox', use: { ...devices['Desktop Firefox'] } },
    { name: 'mobile', use: { ...devices['iPhone 14'] } },
  ],
  use: { screenshot: 'only-on-failure', trace: 'on-first-retry' },
});
```

## Resources

- Playwright documentation: https://playwright.dev/docs/intro
- Cypress documentation: https://docs.cypress.io/
- Page Object Model pattern: https://playwright.dev/docs/pom
- Playwright best practices: https://playwright.dev/docs/best-practices
- E2E testing strategies: https://martinfowler.com/bliki/TestPyramid.html