Cypress Studio lets you create or extend an end-to-end (E2E) test by recording interactions in your application. Install and open Cypress, choose E2E testing, run a spec, then use Studio to record actions such as clicks and typing. Review the generated commands and add assertions yourself: recording captures what you did, but your test still needs to verify the behavior that matters.
What Cypress Studio does—and what it does not
Studio runs inside the Cypress App. It records selected interactions with your application and adds corresponding Cypress commands to a spec. You can use it to start a test or append interactions to an existing test. Cypress describes the feature in its Cypress Studio AI guide.
Studio is an authoring aid, not a substitute for deciding what a test should prove. A useful test follows a simple pattern: set up the application state, perform an action, and assert the resulting state. A recorded click may show how to submit a form; an assertion must establish whether the expected result actually occurred.
Choose E2E testing for a user journey
In the Cypress Launchpad, choose E2E testing when you want to test a journey through the application in a browser—for example, signing in, filling out a form, or completing a checkout. Component testing instead mounts an individual component in isolation to check its behavior across states and props. The Studio setup guide is focused on generating and extending E2E tests.
Open mode is the interactive local workflow: you can run specs, inspect the application, view the Command Log, use Studio, and debug with snapshots and console output. Cypress Cloud is not needed for basic Studio recording; it is relevant if you want recorded-run history and analytics, and it is required for Studio AI recommendations.
Prerequisites before opening Studio
- Cypress installed in the project: open the Cypress App from the project root.
- Internet access: Cypress lists this as a Studio requirement.
- Sourcemaps: Studio requires them. Cypress says they are enabled by default in most configurations; if they are missing, Studio displays an error.
- An E2E spec: create one in the App or open an existing E2E spec and run it.
Manual Studio recording, inline editing, manual assertion creation, and undo, redo, and reset do not require Cloud or AI. Studio AI is a separate option for assertion recommendations and requires a Cypress Cloud account with the project linked. Cypress’s guide has described a limited try-before-login allowance and a 30-day paid-features trial for new accounts; these terms can change, so check the current guide and Cloud plan details before relying on them.
Install and open the Cypress App
From the project root, use the package manager command that matches your project. Cypress documents these ways to launch the App:
npx cypress openyarn cypress openpnpm cypress openbunx cypress open
On first launch, the Launchpad walks you through project setup, asks whether to configure E2E or component testing, and offers a browser choice. For a complete application journey, select E2E testing and choose a browser available in the App. Cypress’s Open the Cypress App guide covers this setup.
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In the Cypress App, create a new E2E spec or select an existing one, then run it. The spec runs in the interactive runner, where the Command Log shows the test’s commands and provides the entry point for extending it with Studio. Cypress’s first E2E test guide explains the initial spec workflow.
Record a new test or extend an existing one
Start a new test in Studio
- Open the relevant E2E spec or suite in the Cypress App.
- Choose New Test to open Studio for a new test.
- Give the test a descriptive name and enter the application URL. Studio writes a
cy.visit()command to load that URL for recording. - Interact with the app as a user would. Studio records supported interactions as Cypress commands in the spec.
- Review the generated test, edit it where needed, and add assertions for the outcome you expect.
Continue an existing test in Studio
- Run the spec in the Cypress App.
- In the Command Log, hover over the test you want to extend and choose Edit in Studio.
- Studio runs the test through its last command and begins recording from that point.
- Perform the additional interactions or add assertions. Studio appends the new material to the end of the test.
- Review the full test to make sure the added steps fit its setup and verify the intended behavior.
Depending on the App context, Studio can also be opened from the spec or suite’s New Test control or from the Studio panel.
What Studio records and how to use it safely
The documented recorded actions are .click(), .type(), .check(), .uncheck(), and .select(). Studio chooses a selector for the interacted element using a documented priority order: data-cy, data-test, data-testid, data-qa, name, id, class, tag, other attributes, then nth-child.
Prefer stable, intentional test attributes in your application when practical. If you need project-specific selector priorities, Cypress documents the Cypress.ElementSelector API for Studio and cy.prompt() in its Studio guide. Inspect generated selectors rather than assuming they will remain meaningful if the page structure changes.
Pause recording before opening DevTools to inspect or debug the page, then resume when you are ready to record again. This helps keep inspection activity separate from the actions intended for the test.
Review the generated test and add assertions
Use the generated commands as a starting point, then check the test against the behavior you need confidence in. A practical review sequence is:
- Set up: ensure the test begins in the intended application state, rather than depending on a previous test or manual browser state.
- Act: keep the recorded interactions that represent the user behavior under test.
- Assert: add checks for the visible or application state that should follow. A sequence of actions without meaningful assertions can run without proving the expected result.
- Run again: execute the edited spec and confirm it passes from its own setup.
Cypress’s first-test guidance frames this as visit, query, interact, assert. Studio can help with the interaction portion, but the assertion should express the expected result—not merely repeat that an action was attempted.
Studio versus Studio AI
| Need | Manual Cypress Studio | Studio AI |
|---|---|---|
| Record browser interactions | Yes | Yes |
| Add or edit assertions yourself | Yes | Yes |
| AI assertion recommendations | No | Yes |
| Cypress Cloud account and linked project | Not required | Required |
| Internet access and sourcemaps | Required | Required for Studio |
Choose manual Studio if your goal is to record interactions and write assertions under your own control. Consider Studio AI only if you want its assertion recommendations and are prepared to connect the project to Cypress Cloud. Cloud features and trial terms may change; consult Cypress’s current documentation for the applicable details.
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Troubleshooting common Studio problems
Studio reports a sourcemap problem
Studio requires sourcemaps. Check the project’s Cypress configuration and build setup to confirm they are emitted and available to the App. Sourcemaps are on by default in most Cypress configurations, but a project-specific build may differ.
The Studio option is not visible
Make sure you are in the Cypress App with an E2E spec or suite, rather than only viewing project files in an editor. To extend a test, run the spec and hover over the intended test in the Command Log for Edit in Studio. For a new test, look for New Test in the spec or suite context.
Interactions are missing from the recording
Confirm that recording is active and that the interaction is one of the documented types: click, type, check, uncheck, or select. If you opened DevTools to inspect the page, resume Studio recording before continuing.
Generated selectors are fragile or hard to read
Review the selector Studio chose and consider adding stable test attributes such as data-cy to application elements. Cypress also provides Cypress.ElementSelector for configuring selector priorities.
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That prompt applies to AI assertion recommendations, not basic recording and manual editing. Link the project to a Cypress Cloud account if you want Studio AI; otherwise continue with manual Studio.
The test passes but does not establish the expected result
Add an assertion that checks the result the user cares about, then rerun the spec. Recorded commands demonstrate interactions; they do not automatically make every test’s intent explicit.
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