Use Cypress Component Testing to mount an Angular component in a real browser, provide its inputs and dependencies, then interact with it and assert what users can see. The setup runs a development server for the component spec; it does not test the deployed application.
Check Angular compatibility and prerequisites
Cypress’s current Angular overview lists support for Angular ^21.0.0 and ^22.0.0. Compatibility can change, so check the official Angular overview for your project’s versions before setup. The cypress/angular harness requires @angular-devkit/build-angular, including projects that use @angular/build. As of Cypress 16, the harness supports zoneless testing without additional configuration or zone.js; zoneless is the default in Angular 21 and 22.
Component tests answer different questions from class-only and end-to-end tests. Angular notes that class-only tests can validate logic without a DOM, while DOM tests check rendering, response to input, and integration with parent and child components. Cypress mounts the component in a real browser rather than a simulated DOM, as described in its Component Testing guide. Choose the narrowest test environment that can verify the behavior you care about.
| Test scope | Environment | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Class-only test | No DOM | Logic that does not depend on rendering or browser interaction |
| Cypress component test | One component mounted in a real browser | Rendered output, user interaction, and component-level integration |
| End-to-end test | The larger application flow | Behavior spanning routes, application services, and multiple parts of the app |
Install Cypress and enable Component Testing
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Install Cypress as a development dependency using your project’s package manager. For npm, run
npm install --save-dev cypress.Free tools Windows power users keep installed
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Open Cypress with
npx cypress open. -
Choose Component Testing in the Cypress app. Cypress detects an Angular CLI project and guides you through configuration.
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Choose the browser and complete the generated component-testing setup. Cypress uses a development server to compile and serve component specs.
Setup details can vary with the Angular and Cypress versions in your project; follow the generated configuration and the Angular-specific setup guide rather than copying a configuration from a different project style.
Mount a component and make a first assertion
Import the component into a component spec, then call cy.mount(). This minimal test checks that the component renders:
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describe('StepperComponent', () => {
it('mounts', () => {
cy.mount(StepperComponent)
})
})The mount() API yields a wrapper that includes the component and its Angular fixture. After mounting, query the rendered interface, interact with it, and assert visible results. Prefer assertions about user-observable behavior over checks of private implementation details.
Pass inputs, providers, imports, and outputs
Set initial values and dependencies
Supply component values with componentProperties. If a component needs providers, declarations, or imports, pass them in the mount options as appropriate for that component. Standalone components carry imports in their own metadata, so those options do not apply to them in the same way; many standalone components can be mounted directly. Use the setup that matches the component instead of assuming one test-module configuration fits every Angular project.
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See Cypress’s Angular examples for the supported mount options and patterns.
Update a legacy @Input() after mounting
For a legacy input that needs to change during the test, use the Angular fixture’s component reference and setInput(). This lets Angular process the input and change detection correctly:
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cy.mount(StepperComponent).then(({ fixture }) => {
fixture.componentRef.setInput('count', 3)
fixture.detectChanges()
})
cy.get('[data-cy="count"]').should('have.text', '3')Replace count and the selector with the input and rendered element used by your component.
Assert output events with a spy
Pass a Cypress spy as the output handler, interact with the component, then verify the emitted value. For example, if the component exposes an output named valueChange:
const onValueChange = cy.spy().as('onValueChange')
cy.mount(StepperComponent, {
componentProperties: {
valueChange: onValueChange,
},
})
cy.get('[data-cy="increment"]').click()
cy.get('@onValueChange').should('have.been.calledWith', 1)Use a createOutputSpy() helper when that better fits the output pattern in your project. Cypress documents both spy-based output testing and examples for Angular input and model signals in its Angular examples.
Change signal values deliberately
Plain values can provide initial values for Angular input and model signals. If the test needs to change a bound value after mounting, use a writable signal and update it in the test. This distinguishes a one-time initial setup from a value the test intentionally changes later.
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A component test can verify the same sequence a user experiences: the initial rendered state, an action, and the resulting display or event. For example, a stepper test can check its starting value, click an increment control, and assert both the new displayed value and the output event. Keep test setup focused on the component’s actual collaborators; add providers or imports only when the component requires them.
- Rendering: assert that expected text or controls appear.
- Interaction: click, type, or otherwise use the rendered control, then check the resulting state.
- Inputs: verify that supplied or updated input values affect what the user sees.
- Outputs: verify that an interaction emits the expected value through the output.
- Integration: mount with the relevant child components or providers when their interaction is part of the behavior being tested.
Troubleshoot common setup and test failures
- Angular harness or build setup fails: check that
@angular-devkit/build-angularis installed, even if the project uses@angular/build, and review the current Cypress Angular compatibility page. - A component import or dependency is missing: confirm whether the component is standalone. For non-standalone components, provide the declarations, imports, or providers it needs through mount options; standalone components generally carry imports in their own metadata.
- An input update does not produce the expected render: for a legacy
@Input(), update it withfixture.componentRef.setInput()rather than assigning a property directly, then allow Angular change detection to run. - An output assertion never fires: check that the spy is passed to the correct output property and that the test interacts with the control that emits it.
- The test expects an application route or deployed page: component testing serves a component spec through a development server; it is not a visit to the deployed staging or production app. Use an end-to-end test for an application-wide route flow.
- Zoneless configuration causes confusion: Cypress 16 and later supports zoneless testing without extra setup or
zone.js; verify the Cypress version and Angular version before applying older configuration advice.
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