Cypress tests often become flaky when developers assume cy.wait('@alias') waits for every new request. It doesn’t. Aliases capture only the first match, so later waits may resolve instantly. The fix: re-intercept before each occurrence or use times: 1 to create one-shot intercepts that “consume” themselves. But the real solution is avoiding network waits altogether. Instead, rely on user-visible, accessible UI states (spinners, aria-busy, disabled buttons, status messages). This makes tests stable, realistic, and far more reliable than waiting on network events.Cypress tests often become flaky when developers assume cy.wait('@alias') waits for every new request. It doesn’t. Aliases capture only the first match, so later waits may resolve instantly. The fix: re-intercept before each occurrence or use times: 1 to create one-shot intercepts that “consume” themselves. But the real solution is avoiding network waits altogether. Instead, rely on user-visible, accessible UI states (spinners, aria-busy, disabled buttons, status messages). This makes tests stable, realistic, and far more reliable than waiting on network events.

Achieving Reliable E2E Tests in Cypress: Overcome cy.wait Pitfalls

2025/11/26 13:14

Cypress gives frontend engineers a superpower: the ability to write E2E tests that watch our app behave just like a real user would. But with great power comes… well, a lot of subtle flakiness if you’re not careful.

The cy.wait Illusion: What's Really Happening

The scenario is simple: you have a component that loads data, and after a user action, it loads new data using the same API endpoint. To ensure the new data has arrived, you intercept the request and then use cy.wait('@requestAlias') multiple times.

// A common, flawed approach: cy.intercept('GET', '/api/items/*', { fixture: 'item-1' }).as('getItems'); cy.visit('/items'); // 1. Wait for the initial load cy.wait('@getItems'); // ... User performs an action that triggers the SAME request ... // 2. Wait for the second load cy.wait('@getItems'); // <-- THIS IS THE PROBLEM

The Flaw

Cypress's cy.intercept logic is designed to capture a single match for an alias. When you call cy.wait('@getItems') for the first time, it finds the initial request, waits for its resolution, and then the alias is fulfilled.

When you call cy.wait('@getItems') a second time, Cypress does not reset the listener. Instead, it checks if a request has already been resolved with that alias. Because the first request has resolved, the second cy.wait command resolves immediately, without waiting for the new network call to finish. Your test is now racing against the network, not waiting for it.

Fix #1: Re-intercept before each expected request

(Works, explicit, but verbose)

cy.intercept('GET', '/api/items').as('getItems_1') cy.get('[data-testid=refresh]').click() cy.wait('@getItems_1') cy.intercept('GET', '/api/items').as('getItems_2') cy.get('[data-testid=load-more]').click() cy.wait('@getItems_2')

Clear, deterministic, but repetitive.

Fix #2: Use times: 1 to force Cypress to “consume” intercepts

(Cleaner: Cypress forgets the intercept after one match)

This is the missing tool many engineers don’t realize exists.

cy.intercept({ method: 'GET', pathname: '/api/items', times: 1 }).as('getItems') // trigger request 1 cy.get('[data-testid=refresh]').click() cy.wait('@getItems') cy.intercept({ method: 'GET', pathname: '/api/items', times: 1 }).as('getItems') // trigger request 2 cy.get('[data-testid=load-more]').click() cy.wait('@getItems')

Why this works:

  • times: 1 means Cypress removes the intercept after a single matching request
  • Re-declaring the intercept creates a fresh listener
  • Each cy.wait('@getItems') now truly waits for the next occurrence

This technique gives you explicit, occurrence-specific intercepts without alias clutter. For tests that must assert network behavior (payloads, headers, error flows), it’s a clean and robust pattern.

Fix #3: Stop waiting for requests altogether

(The best fix. UI > network.)

Here’s the golden rule:

That means the most stable tests assert what the user sees:

  • A loading spinner appears → disappears
  • A button becomes disabled → enabled
  • A success message appears when an action is complete.
  • The newly loaded element is now visible in the DOM.

Example with user-visible cues:

cy.get('[data-testid=refresh]').click() cy.get('[data-testid=spinner]').should('exist') cy.get('[data-testid=spinner]').should('not.exist') cy.get('[data-testid=item-list]') .children() .should('have.length.at.least', 1)

No reliance on internal network timing. No alias lifecycle. Zero flake.

Accessibility makes this even more robust

Accessible UI patterns make great Cypress hooks:

aria-busy attribute

<ul data-testid="item-list" aria-busy="true">

Test:

cy.get('[data-testid=item-list]').should('have.attr', 'aria-busy', 'false')

role="status" with live regions

<div role="status" aria-live="polite" data-testid="status"> Loading… </div>

Test:

cy.get('[data-testid=status]').should('contain', 'Loaded 10 items')

Disabled states for actions

cy.get('[data-testid=submit]').should('be.disabled') cy.get('[data-testid=submit]').should('not.be.disabled')

These patterns aid screen reader users and produce stable, deterministic E2E tests.

When waiting for requests is appropriate

There ARE valid scenarios:

  • Asserting payloads or query params
  • Mocking backend responses
  • Validating request ordering
  • Verifying retry logic
  • Testing error handling flows

For those cases: Combine times: 1 with explicit, fresh intercepts defined right before triggers.

For other cases: the test should rely on the UI state.

A combined real-world example

(Network + UI, the best of both worlds)

// UI-driven loading signal cy.get('[data-testid=create]').click() cy.get('[data-testid=spinner]').should('exist') // Network contract check cy.intercept({ method: 'POST', pathname: '/api/items', times: 1 }).as('postItem') cy.get('[data-testid=create]').click() cy.wait('@postItem') .its('request.body') .should('deep.include', { title: 'New item' }) // Final user-visible assertion cy.get('[data-testid=status]').should('contain', 'Item created')

The network part is accurate. The UI part is resilient. The test is rock-solid.

Final checklist

For accessible, deterministic, non-flaky Cypress tests

  • Prefer user-visible UI state, not network events
  • Use aria-busy, role="status", aria-live, and disabled states
  • When waiting for requests:
  • Re-intercept before each occurrence, OR
  • Use times: 1 to auto-expire the intercept
  • Avoid global, long-lived intercepts
  • Never assume cy.wait('@alias') waits “for the next request”
  • Make loading and completion states accessible (good for tests, good for users)

\

Piyasa Fırsatı
Threshold Logosu
Threshold Fiyatı(T)
$0.00944
$0.00944$0.00944
-2.78%
USD
Threshold (T) Canlı Fiyat Grafiği
Sorumluluk Reddi: Bu sitede yeniden yayınlanan makaleler, halka açık platformlardan alınmıştır ve yalnızca bilgilendirme amaçlıdır. MEXC'nin görüşlerini yansıtmayabilir. Tüm hakları telif sahiplerine aittir. Herhangi bir içeriğin üçüncü taraf haklarını ihlal ettiğini düşünüyorsanız, kaldırılması için lütfen service@support.mexc.com ile iletişime geçin. MEXC, içeriğin doğruluğu, eksiksizliği veya güncelliği konusunda hiçbir garanti vermez ve sağlanan bilgilere dayalı olarak alınan herhangi bir eylemden sorumlu değildir. İçerik, finansal, yasal veya diğer profesyonel tavsiye niteliğinde değildir ve MEXC tarafından bir tavsiye veya onay olarak değerlendirilmemelidir.

Ayrıca Şunları da Beğenebilirsiniz

AI Startup Surge Risks Repeating Tech’s Last Funding Mania

AI Startup Surge Risks Repeating Tech’s Last Funding Mania

The AI startup frenzy and FOMO are inflating round sizes and valuations. Yes, the potential is huge. But too much capital too early often leads to mediocre outcomes. Remake of 2020–22?
Paylaş
Hackernoon2025/09/19 12:14
Bitcoin ETFs Revive with $241 Million Inflow, Ethereum ETFs Report Lowest Trading Value of the Week

Bitcoin ETFs Revive with $241 Million Inflow, Ethereum ETFs Report Lowest Trading Value of the Week

The post Bitcoin ETFs Revive with $241 Million Inflow, Ethereum ETFs Report Lowest Trading Value of the Week appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News On September 24, the US spot Bitcoin ETF saw a combined inflow of $241.00 million, while Ethereum ETFs continued their day 3 streak of outflow. It recorded a total net outflow of $79.36 million, as per the SoSoValue report.  Bitcoin ETF Breakdown  After two consecutive days of experiencing huge sell-offs, Bitcoin ETFs finally managed to record an inflow of $241.00 million. BlackRock IBIT led with $128.90 million, and Ark and 21Shares ARKB followed with $37.72 million.  Additional gains were made by Fidelity FBTC, Bitwise BITB, and Grayscale BTC of $29.70 million, $24.69 million, and $13.56 million, respectively. VanEck HODL also made a smaller addition of $6.42 million in inflows.  Despite the inflows, the total trading value of the Bitcoin ETF dropped to $2.58 billion, with total net assets $149.74 billion. This marks 6.62% of Bitcoin market cap, slightly higher than the previous day.  Ethereum ETF Breakdown  Ethereum ETFs saw a total outflow of $79.36 million, with Fidelity’s FETH leading with $33.26 million. BlackRock ETHA also experienced heavy selling pressure of $26.47 million, followed by Grayscale’s ETHE $8.91 million. 21Shares TETH and Bitwise ETHW also posted smaller withdrawals of $6.24 million and $4.48 million, respectively.  The total trading value of Ethereum ETFs dropped below a billion, reaching $971.79 million. Net assets came in at $27.42 billion, representing 5.45% of the Ethereum market cap.  Ethereum ETF Market Context  Bitcoin is trading at $111,766, signalling a 4.6% drop compared to a week ago. Its market cap has also dipped to $2.225 trillion. Its daily trading volume has reached $49.837 billion, showing mild progress there.  Ethereum is priced at $4,011.92, with a market cap of $483.822 billion, showing a sharp decline. Its trading volume has also slipped to $37.680 billion, reflecting a slow market.  Due to heavy outflow this week, Bitcoin and Ethereum’s prices are experiencing price swings. Crypto analysts from Bloomberg warn the market to brace for further volatility.  
Paylaş
Coinstats2025/09/25 18:40
Son of filmmaker Rob Reiner charged with homicide for death of his parents

Son of filmmaker Rob Reiner charged with homicide for death of his parents

FILE PHOTO: Rob Reiner, director of "The Princess Bride," arrives for a special 25th anniversary viewing of the film during the New York Film Festival in New York
Paylaş
Rappler2025/12/16 09:59