To keep Cypress screenshots after a test job ends, upload the run’s screenshot folder as a CI artifact after Cypress finishes. In cypress run, Cypress captures failed-test screenshots automatically by default and saves them to cypress/screenshots. Cypress clears that folder before each run by default, so the artifact should collect the current run’s files after the test command—even when tests fail.
What Cypress captures and where it saves the files
Failure screenshots are enabled by default in cypress run, but Cypress does not automatically take them in cypress open. The default configuration saves screenshots to cypress/screenshots; you can change the location with screenshotsFolder. You can also create additional screenshots with cy.screenshot().
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By default, trashAssetsBeforeRuns is true. Before a run, Cypress removes the contents of the screenshots folder, including nested files and directories. That makes the folder a useful source for artifacts from the current run, but it also means files from an earlier run will not remain there. Set this option to false only when you deliberately want files to persist between runs, and take care not to upload stale images as though they came from the latest run. See Cypress screenshot and video documentation and the configuration reference.
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The general workflow is to run Cypress, then have your CI provider upload cypress/screenshots as a workflow artifact. Configure the upload step to run after a failed test step as well as a successful one, using the provider’s supported failure condition. Otherwise, the job can discard the screenshots that are most useful for debugging.
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- Choose the output folder. Keep the default
cypress/screenshots, or setscreenshotsFolderin Cypress configuration. If you change it, use the same path in your CI artifact configuration. - Run Cypress. Use your existing
cypress runcommand. Cypress writes failure screenshots to the configured folder when failure capture is enabled. - Upload after the run. Add your CI provider’s artifact-upload step after the Cypress step and point it at the screenshot folder. Configure it to run when tests fail if the provider supports that behavior.
- Check the artifact. Confirm a failed test produces an artifact containing the image files, then confirm that the artifact is available after the job ends and can be downloaded by the intended reviewers.
Cypress’s GitHub Actions guide documents artifact actions in a Cypress workflow. Artifact syntax and retention controls belong to the CI provider and can change, so check that provider’s current documentation for the exact upload action, failure condition and retention settings.
Use the actual screenshot paths in scripts
Cypress’s screenshot directory structure reflects spec paths, and the shared ancestor in those paths can change when the set of specs changes. If a script copies, renames or separates screenshots, do not assume a permanent path derived from a spec’s name. Use paths reported by screenshot callbacks or the resolved file paths exposed by Cypress’s after:screenshot and after:spec Node events. The cy.screenshot() documentation describes screenshot output and related events.
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Generated screenshots, downloads and videos are often excluded from source control. Whether to ignore them depends on whether your team intentionally commits any of those assets; archiving them as CI artifacts does not require committing them to the repository. Cypress discusses generated assets in Writing and organizing Cypress tests.
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CI-provider artifacts are a direct fit when your team wants downloadable files attached to a workflow. Cypress Cloud is another route: recorded runs can present screenshots and other run data alongside test results. The choice depends on whether your team needs files only or wants test results and artifacts together in a managed debugging interface.
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| Consideration | CI-provider artifacts | Cypress Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Where screenshots appear | As files attached to a CI workflow or job; exact interface depends on the provider. | With recorded test results and run data in Cypress Cloud. |
| Retention | Set according to the provider’s current artifact controls. | Depends on applicable account and plan settings; check current retention for your account. |
| Access and sharing | Depends on the CI provider’s workflow permissions and artifact controls. | Depends on Cypress Cloud account settings and access controls. |
| Best fit | Teams that want downloadable run files within their existing CI workflow. | Teams that want a managed view of recorded results and associated artifacts. |
Cypress documents artifacts in its GitHub Actions guide and recorded-run artifacts in Recorded runs in Cypress Cloud. Neither option has one universal retention duration or access policy that applies to every provider, account and plan; verify those details for your setup before relying on a particular retention period.
Protect sensitive page data in screenshots
Review screenshots before making artifacts broadly available. Cypress supports blackout selectors, but its documentation says blackout applies to viewport captures, not runner captures. Check which capture mode your test uses and confirm sensitive page values are not visible in the resulting artifact. See the Cypress.Screenshot API.
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Screenshot capture is asynchronous. Cypress describes the operation as taking around 100 ms, and the rendered page can change between issuing the command and capturing the image. Do not treat a screenshot as a guaranteed exact frame of the instant the command ran; wait for the page state you need before capture.
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- No screenshot after a failure: Confirm the test ran with
cypress run, not onlycypress open, and check thatscreenshotOnRunFailurehas not been disabled. Cypress documents the setting in its configuration reference. - The artifact folder is empty: Check that the upload step runs after Cypress and that its configured path matches
screenshotsFolder. Also make sure the upload action runs on failure, if your CI provider requires an explicit condition for that case. - Older screenshots disappeared: This is expected with the default
trashAssetsBeforeRuns: true. Upload each run’s output before the job ends; change the setting only if retaining files between runs is intentional. - A script cannot find an image: Avoid constructing paths from spec names. Use the file path reported by a screenshot callback or a Cypress Node event.
- An image contains sensitive data: Validate the capture mode and blackout behavior, then restrict access to or remove the artifact as appropriate. Blackout selectors do not apply to runner captures.
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