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In Cucumber for the JVM, step annotations such as @Given, @When and @Then bind Gherkin step text to Java methods. Hooks such as @Before and @After run around scenarios; @BeforeStep and @AfterStep run around individual steps. Use steps to express meaningful test behavior and hooks for technical setup, cleanup and cross-cutting instrumentation.
This guide covers Cucumber’s Java API. Cucumber has implementations in multiple languages, and hook details—especially ordering—should not be assumed to work identically across them.
How Java step annotations map feature text to methods
A step definition is glue between a Gherkin step and a Java method. Cucumber loads registered step definitions, matches the text after the Gherkin keyword against an expression, converts captured or typed values, and calls the matching method. The keyword helps people understand the scenario; the expression is matched against the step text without that keyword.
For example, this feature describes a shopper’s expected behavior:
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Feature: Basket count
Scenario: A shopper sees a basket count
Given I have 2 items in my basket
When I open the basket
Then I should see 2 itemsA Java method can bind the first step:
import io.cucumber.java.en.Given;
public class BasketSteps {
@Given("I have {int} items in my basket")
public void haveItemsInBasket(int count) {
// Establish the scenario's basket state.
}
}{int} captures the number from the feature text and supplies it to the method as an integer. Use expressions specific enough to distinguish their intended steps; overlapping matches can make a step ambiguous rather than choosing the method you intended.
The same pattern applies to @When and @Then, imported from io.cucumber.java.en. Keep the scenario readable: Given establishes a known state, When describes an event or interaction, and Then states an expected outcome. A step definition implements that behavior; it should not make the feature’s specification harder to see.
Step definition or hook: which belongs where?
A hook is lifecycle glue, not another way to hide a business precondition. Cucumber’s documentation cautions: “Whatever happens in a Before hook is invisible to people who only read the features.” If a condition explains the business scenario, make it a Given or a Background. Reserve hooks for technical work that should happen consistently without becoming scenario behavior.
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| Approach | Scope | Visibility | Best fit and trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
Background or Given |
Feature background or an explicit scenario step | Visible in the feature | Business-relevant context readers need to understand; the extra feature text makes the precondition explicit. |
@Before or @After |
Scenario | Not shown as a feature step | Technical setup or cleanup shared across scenarios; concise and reusable, but its behavior is hidden from feature readers. |
@BeforeStep or @AfterStep |
Individual step | Not shown as a feature step | Cross-cutting per-step instrumentation; fine-grained, but can add noise and obscure execution if used for application behavior. |
Scenario hooks for setup and cleanup
Java scenario hooks use io.cucumber.java.Before and io.cucumber.java.After. A browser lifecycle is a typical technical concern for hooks:
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import io.cucumber.java.After;
import io.cucumber.java.Before;
import io.cucumber.java.Scenario;
public class BrowserHooks {
@Before
public void startBrowser() {
// Create low-level test infrastructure.
}
@After
public void stopBrowser(Scenario scenario) {
// Inspect scenario status if needed, then release resources.
}
}A @Before hook runs before a scenario’s first step. An @After hook runs after its last step, including when the outcome is failed, undefined, pending or skipped. The optional Scenario parameter lets a hook inspect scenario information, such as its status. Use that information for appropriate cleanup or diagnostics; a screenshot in a report also requires a browser and reporting integration, which the hook alone does not provide.
Use the hook to start or release infrastructure, not to silently establish a meaningful business condition. If the scenario is about an account already being paid, for example, that state belongs in a readable feature precondition or a named step, rather than an unexplained hook side effect.
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Filter hooks with tags and handle ordering carefully
A hook’s Java source-file location does not by itself restrict which scenarios it applies to. Use a tag expression to select scenarios. For example, a browser setup hook can be limited to scenarios tagged @browser and not tagged @headless:
import io.cucumber.java.Before;
public class BrowserHooks {
@Before("@browser and not @headless")
public void startBrowser() {
// Start browser infrastructure only for matching scenarios.
}
}Tags belong on features, rules or scenarios; they cannot be placed above a Background or an individual step. Choose tags to describe the scenarios that need the hook, rather than relying on which file contains the hook method.
The Java API supports explicit hook order values, for example @Before(order = 10). Before-hook ordering is documented as declaration order in the described implementations, but ordering rules should not be generalized across languages. In particular, verify the current Java API for the Cucumber version in your project before relying on teardown order among multiple @After hooks.
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Step hooks and run-level hooks
BeforeStep and AfterStep
@BeforeStep and @AfterStep surround individual steps. Cucumber describes these as having “invoke around” behavior: when a before-step hook runs, its after-step counterpart also runs regardless of that step’s result. If a step does not pass, subsequent steps and their hooks are skipped.
This makes step hooks appropriate for concerns such as cross-cutting logging or instrumentation, where the same operation genuinely belongs around every relevant step. Avoid putting application behavior or essential test setup there: it is harder to associate hidden per-step work with the feature text.
BeforeAll and AfterAll
BeforeAll and AfterAll run once around the full scenario run, rather than once per scenario. Keep run-wide work separate from scenario-specific setup, and check the Java API for the version in use when selecting signatures or relying on lifecycle behavior.
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Share state safely between Java glue classes
Cucumber’s JVM state model creates new instances of glue classes before each scenario. That scenario scope helps isolate one scenario’s state from another’s; it does not automatically make fields on different glue-class instances shared.
When step definitions and hooks need common collaborators, use a supported dependency-injection module instead of mutable static state. The JVM state guide lists PicoContainer, Spring, Guice, OpenEJB, Weld, Needle and Quarkus, and recommends PicoContainer when an application does not already use another DI module. A DI module is not required merely to use glue classes with empty constructors. For exact artifact coordinates and runner configuration, follow the current installation instructions for the Cucumber version and framework in your project.
A practical design checklist
- Write business preconditions and expected outcomes as readable
GivenandThensteps, or use aBackgroundwhen the same visible context applies throughout a feature. - Use
@Beforeand@Afterfor scenario-level technical setup and cleanup. - Use tag expressions to limit hooks; do not assume a hook’s file location limits its scope.
- Use step hooks only for work that truly belongs around individual steps.
- Keep shared collaborators scenario-scoped through dependency injection rather than mutable static state.
- Check version-specific Java API behavior before depending on hook order or runner configuration.
Or skip the browser setup
If your Cucumber workflow also needs clean website captures—for example, as an input to a separate test artifact pipeline—ScreenshotNeo provides a screenshot API and MCP server. It is not a replacement for Cucumber annotations or hooks. One GET request can return a screenshot or PDF; this cURL example saves a WebP capture:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. ScreenshotNeo accepts cookie or consent banners as a visitor and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture; each of those steps can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server lets AI agents use take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. See ScreenshotNeo for product details, or sign up free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Java Cucumber match the Given, When or Then keyword in a step definition?
No. The keyword is for the feature’s readable structure; the expression binds to the step text that follows it.
Do I need dependency injection to write Cucumber Java glue?
No. It is useful when glue classes need shared collaborators; empty-constructor glue does not require a DI module.
Quick Recap
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