Cypress Testing Checklist: 8 Things Before Going to Production
I’ve seen 5 production releases fail this month. All 5 made the same 7 mistakes. If you’re relying on Cypress for your testing, it’s vital to have a Cypress checklist to guide your process before pushing code live.
1. Complete Test Coverage
Why does this matter? If you don’t have complete test coverage, you’re essentially walking into production blindfolded. Missing edge cases can lead to critical failures.
describe('My First Test', () => {
it('Checks the homepage loads', () => {
cy.visit('https://example.com');
cy.get('h1').should('contain', 'Welcome');
});
});
What happens if you skip it? You’ll likely encounter bugs in production, which can cost you time and resources to fix. In one case, a friend’s site went down because they didn’t test their payment flow.
2. Continuous Integration Setup
This is crucial. If you don’t have CI set up, your tests won’t run automatically with each commit. This leads to bugs being introduced without anyone noticing.
# .github/workflows/cypress.yml
name: Run Cypress Tests
on: [push]
jobs:
test:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v2
- name: Install Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v2
with:
node-version: '14'
- run: npm install
- run: npm run test:e2e
What happens if you skip it? Your team will find themselves troubleshooting issues in production that could have been caught early. Trust me, I’ve been there, and it’s a nightmare.
3. Test Flakiness Review
Flaky tests are the bane of developers’ existence. If your tests fail sporadically, you won’t know if the failure is due to your code or the tests themselves.
Cypress.on('fail', (error, runnable) => {
if (error.message.includes('Expected error')) {
// Handle specific flaky test case
}
});
What happens if you skip it? Developers may lose trust in your test suite. They’ll waste time debugging tests instead of focusing on code quality.
4. Environment Variables Configuration
Environment variables are crucial for setting up different configurations for development, staging, and production. Not using them can lead to catastrophic failures in production.
# .env
API_URL=https://api.example.com
What happens if you skip it? Hardcoding values can expose sensitive information or lead to incorrect configurations. I once pushed a version with the wrong API URL. That was fun to fix.
5. Proper Logging and Reporting
Good logging helps you understand what went wrong when tests fail. If you don’t have it set up, troubleshooting will be a pain.
Cypress.log({
name: 'Test Log',
message: 'Details about what happened'
});
What happens if you skip it? You’ll be left in the dark when something goes wrong. This can extend downtime while you sift through logs to determine the failure point.
6. Cross-Browser Testing
Not all browsers handle JavaScript the same way. If you’re only testing in one browser, you could miss serious bugs.
{
"browsers": [
{
"browser": "chrome",
"channel": "stable"
},
{
"browser": "firefox"
}
]
}
What happens if you skip it? Users on other browsers could face issues that weren’t caught in testing. I once had a feature work perfectly in Chrome but fail in Safari, and that was a long Monday.
7. Accessibility Testing
Accessibility testing ensures that your application is usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. Ignoring this can lead to legal issues or user frustration.
cy.get('button').should('have.attr', 'aria-label');
What happens if you skip it? You risk alienating a portion of your user base or facing lawsuits. It’s not just about code quality; it’s about responsibility.
8. Performance Testing
Performance testing ensures your application can handle the expected load. If you skip this, you may face downtime or slow response times after launch.
cy.request('https://example.com').its('status').should('eq', 200);
What happens if you skip it? Users may experience slow load times or even crashes during peak use. Nothing worse than a site going down during a sale.
Priority Order
Here’s how I rank these items by importance:
- Do This Today:
- Complete Test Coverage
- Continuous Integration Setup
- Test Flakiness Review
- Environment Variables Configuration
- Nice to Have:
- Proper Logging and Reporting
- Cross-Browser Testing
- Accessibility Testing
- Performance Testing
Tools Table
| Tool/Service | Purpose | Free Option |
|---|---|---|
| Cypress.io | End-to-end testing framework | Yes |
| CircleCI | Continuous Integration | Yes (limited features) |
| Sauce Labs | Cross-browser testing | No |
| axe-core | Accessibility testing | Yes |
| Jest | Unit testing framework | Yes |
| New Relic | Performance monitoring | No |
The One Thing
If you only do one thing from this checklist, ensure you have complete test coverage. Why? Because without it, everything else is moot. You can have the best CI setup and the fanciest tools, but if your tests don’t cover the critical paths, you’re asking for trouble.
FAQ
What is Cypress?
Cypress is an end-to-end testing framework that makes it easy to test web applications. It runs directly in the browser and provides a fast, easy way to write tests.
How do I get started with Cypress?
Begin by installing Cypress via npm with npm install cypress --save-dev. Then, set up your tests in the cypress/integration folder.
Can I use Cypress for mobile testing?
Not directly. Cypress is designed for desktop browsers. For mobile testing, consider using tools like Appium or BrowserStack.
What is a flaky test?
A flaky test is one that sometimes fails and sometimes passes, even with the same code. This can lead to confusion and wasted time.
Why is accessibility testing important?
Accessibility testing ensures that everyone, including people with disabilities, can access and use your application. It’s both a legal requirement and a moral obligation.
Data Sources
Last updated May 20, 2026. Data sourced from official docs and community benchmarks.
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