Choose the lightest test layer that can exercise the behavior you need: unit tests for isolated logic, Kernel tests for selected Drupal integration, functional tests for site behavior and user interactions, and FunctionalJavascript tests when real JavaScript or AJAX matters. Add performance assertions when query or cache regressions are a concern. A reliable suite is one that actually ran under the required services—not merely one that returned a green-looking result.
Choose the Drupal test layer that matches the behavior
Drupal documents four PHPUnit test types. They differ in how much of Drupal and browser machinery they start, which affects both fidelity and runtime. Compare the behavior under test, setup required, and tooling cost—not coverage percentage alone. Drupal’s testing guidance recommends focusing unit tests on behavior rather than structure and wiring, rather than trying to test every line. Drupal’s test-type guidance explains the distinctions.
| Test type | Use it for | Setup and boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Unit | Isolated logic with minimal dependencies. | Does not boot a full Drupal site. Drupal identifies DrupalTestsUnitTestCase as the base class. |
| Kernel | Integration involving a bootstrapped kernel and a minimal set of extensions; selected HTTP output/status, REST, or AJAX checks. | Can be faster than a full functional test when only necessary pieces are set up. It does not provide normal form submission or normal page-request session semantics. |
| Functional | Web behavior and user interactions that need a full Drupal instance and simulated browser. | Each test starts from a fresh site, so it must create its own prerequisites. |
| FunctionalJavascript | Interactions that depend on JavaScript or AJAX. | Uses a real browser, takes longer, and requires a working WebDriver/ChromeDriver setup. |
| Nightwatch | JavaScript testing in Drupal’s documented framework. | Drupal documents Nightwatch as part of its testing options; the available guidance does not establish it as a replacement for every PHPUnit browser test. |
Use unit tests for logic, not Drupal wiring
Use a unit test when the behavior can be checked without booting a site—for example, a calculation or decision rule whose inputs and outputs are well defined. Keep assertions about the behavior users or other code rely on rather than mirroring every internal branch or line.
Use Kernel tests for selected integration
Kernel tests are appropriate when the test needs Drupal’s kernel and a limited set of extensions or services. They can also make selected HTTP assertions, including status and output checks, without requiring the full browser-testing stack. Do not use them to claim ordinary form-submission or session behavior: those semantics are unavailable or different in Kernel HTTP requests. See Drupal’s Kernel HTTP request guidance.
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Use functional tests for site behavior
A functional test is a better fit when the behavior depends on a complete Drupal site and browser-like interaction, but not on JavaScript executing in a real browser. This is where to verify rendered content, permissions, routes, or form behavior in the simulated browser environment.
Use FunctionalJavascript only when browser JavaScript matters
Choose FunctionalJavascript for behavior that genuinely depends on client-side execution, such as an AJAX interaction. It brings greater browser fidelity at the cost of a real browser and more tooling. Drupal advises using Unit, Kernel, or Functional tests instead when JavaScript interaction is not required. Drupal’s FunctionalJavascript documentation describes the trade-off.
Set up PHPUnit for the project you are testing
For new tests, Drupal recommends its test base classes: UnitTestCase, KernelTestBase, BrowserTestBase, and WebDriverTestBase. PHPUnit is the standard for Drupal 8 and later, but exact compatible Drupal, PHP, and PHPUnit versions vary by project. Check the project’s Composer dependencies and test configuration before copying a version-specific command. Start with Drupal’s PHPUnit in Drupal documentation.
Check paths and environment configuration
Run tests with the PHPUnit binary and configuration belonging to the project, not an unrelated global installation. The location of vendor/bin/phpunit depends on whether the Composer vendor directory is beside or above the Drupal root. Drupal’s running guide documents SIMPLETEST_BASE_URL and SIMPLETEST_DB for applicable test configurations, and BROWSERTEST_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY for Kernel and functional test output. Follow the project’s existing Composer layout and PHPUnit configuration rather than assuming one directory structure. See Drupal’s running PHPUnit tests guide.
Run a focused test first
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Identify the test class or suite for the behavior you changed.
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Run it using the project’s configured PHPUnit binary and configuration.
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Review the test report and emitted output, including skipped or incomplete tests.
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Run the broader relevant suite after the focused test passes.
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Unit tests do not require a working Drupal installation; Kernel and browser tests need additional services. A command’s exit status is not enough if a required service was missing or the intended test did not execute.
Make functional tests reproducible with explicit setup
A BrowserTestBase test installs a fresh Drupal instance. It should establish the state its scenario needs rather than relying on a developer’s local site or another test. Drupal’s functional-test guidance describes this simulated-browser layer.
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Enable modules beyond the defaults that the scenario requires.
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Create the accounts and assign the permissions relevant to the behavior.
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Set configuration explicitly, including the values the feature depends on.
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Create the content and other entities the test reads or changes.
Keep assertions tied to meaningful outcomes: response status, rendered content, permission enforcement, form behavior, JavaScript interaction, or performance regressions. Explicit fixtures make failures easier to reproduce and reduce accidental coupling to local state.
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Run JavaScript tests only when the browser test actually executes
FunctionalJavascript tests run against a real browser, so they require a working browser and WebDriver/ChromeDriver environment. Use PHPUnit with the project’s documented configuration and verify that the driver service is reachable. Drupal’s JavaScript test instructions include invocation and configuration details at Running PHPUnit JavaScript tests.
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Do not use core/scripts/run-tests.sh to establish that a JavaScript test passed: Drupal warns that this general runner can report JavaScript tests as passed when ChromeDriver is not running and the tests never executed. Check the test output and browser diagnostics, and confirm a successful browser session before treating the result as evidence.
Add performance assertions for regressions that matter
When a change risks increasing database queries or cache requests, add assertions for those basic metrics and a regression test for the performance fix. Drupal’s Gander support extends functional JavaScript tests with performance assertions; the documented feature requires Drupal Core 10.2 or later. Confirm compatibility with the project’s current core version. Details are in Drupal’s performance testing guidance.
Troubleshoot common Drupal testing failures
The test cannot find PHPUnit or the test configuration
Likely cause: The command is being run from the wrong directory, or it assumes a different Composer layout. Fix: Check the project’s PHPUnit configuration and locate its own vendor/bin/phpunit; account for whether vendor is beside or above the Drupal root.
A Kernel or functional test cannot connect to its database or site
Likely cause: A required test service or applicable SimpleTest environment setting is missing or incorrect. Fix: Follow the project’s running-test configuration and verify SIMPLETEST_DB and, where applicable, SIMPLETEST_BASE_URL. Check the test output directory setting if you need to inspect artifacts.
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A JavaScript test appears to pass but no browser interaction occurred
Likely cause: The ChromeDriver/WebDriver service is unavailable, or a runner did not execute the browser test. Fix: Run the JavaScript test through PHPUnit as Drupal documents, ensure the browser and matching driver are available and reachable, and inspect browser output before trusting the result. Avoid core/scripts/run-tests.sh for this purpose.
A functional test passes locally but fails in a clean environment
Likely cause: The test depends on modules, accounts, permissions, configuration, or content already present on the developer’s site. Fix: Create each prerequisite in the test itself; functional tests start with a fresh Drupal instance.
A Kernel HTTP test cannot reproduce a form or session issue
Likely cause: Kernel HTTP requests do not provide normal form submission and session semantics. Fix: Use the functional layer when the behavior depends on full site interaction, or a real-browser functional JavaScript test when it also depends on JavaScript.
Or skip the browser setup
For a screenshot of a page involved in a Drupal test workflow, you can use ScreenshotNeo with one GET request. It captures PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF; its consent handling and cleanup options are distinct from Drupal’s PHPUnit test layers and do not replace tests of application behavior.
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cURL, adapted to a Drupal page URL:
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