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Choose where Cypress runs
There are two practical patterns. A Netlify Build Plugin runs within the Netlify build; a separate CI job runs tests outside Netlify and can then deploy the built site with Netlify CLI. Neither is universally faster or more reliable: choose based on where you want tests to run and which deployments they should gate.
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| Decision | Netlify Build Plugin | Separate CI pipeline |
|---|---|---|
| Where tests run | During a Netlify build, through a configured Build Plugin. | In the CI provider’s job, separate from the Netlify build. |
| Which deploys trigger tests | Configure plugin behavior for production, branch deploys, Deploy Previews, or selected contexts in netlify.toml. |
Configure the CI workflow’s branch and pull-request triggers; the reviewed documentation does not prescribe a particular provider or trigger setup. |
| Results recording | The Netlify example enables Cypress Dashboard recording globally and disables it for Deploy Previews. | Run Cypress with the recording configuration your CI setup requires; keep credentials in environment variables. |
| Server readiness | Ensure the app is available before Cypress starts; use the plugin’s current package documentation for its inputs and setup. | Start the app and wait for it to respond before running Cypress, using a readiness tool or another appropriate approach. |
| Local build parity | Use Netlify CLI with the intended context and matching Node.js version. | Use your CI job’s build and deployment steps; Netlify documents manual deploys as a common pattern with separate CI. |
Netlify distinguishes Deploy Previews, branch deploys, and production builds. Deploy Previews are associated with pull or merge requests by default unless preview controls are changed; branch deploys require setup and are tied to configured branches. See Netlify’s deploy-context documentation for the current distinctions and settings.
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Run Cypress through a Netlify Build Plugin
1. Check the app and Cypress setup
First confirm that Cypress is configured in the project and that the application can be built and served in the environment where the plugin runs. The app must be ready before tests try to visit it. Cypress warns that starting a server in the background and immediately invoking cypress run creates a race: the tests may start before the server is listening. Its Continuous Integration guide describes readiness-waiting approaches, including start-server-and-test and wait-on.
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2. Install the plugin
From the project root, add the npm-published plugin as a development dependency with your package manager. For npm:
npm install --save-dev netlify-plugin-cypressNetlify’s Build Plugins documentation says npm-published plugins need to be included in the project dependencies as well as configured in the Netlify configuration file. Check the installed plugin version’s package documentation for its supported inputs and any setup requirements before relying on a particular configuration.
3. Configure deploy contexts in netlify.toml
Add the plugin configuration to the netlify.toml in the site’s base directory. This example follows Netlify’s documented pattern: recording is enabled in the general configuration, then disabled specifically for Deploy Previews.
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[[plugins]]
package = "netlify-plugin-cypress"
[plugins.inputs]
record = true
[[context.deploy-preview.plugins]]
package = "netlify-plugin-cypress"
[context.deploy-preview.plugins.inputs]
record = falseIn this example, the more-specific Deploy Preview entry overrides the general plugin configuration. Netlify describes it as recording Cypress results and artifacts to Cypress Dashboard for production and branch deploys, but not Deploy Previews. That is an example choice—not a universal default. If you want recording enabled in previews, change the context-specific setting after checking the plugin version’s supported inputs. Netlify also notes that plugins installed through the UI run in all deploy contexts; use file-based configuration when you need context-specific behavior. See Netlify’s plugin configuration guidance.
4. Keep secrets out of committed configuration
If Dashboard recording or another integration needs a secret, provide it as an environment variable instead of committing the value in netlify.toml. Netlify cautions that configuration files are stored in the repository and recommends setting sensitive environment variables through the UI, CLI, or API. See Netlify’s environment variables documentation.
5. Trigger and inspect a deploy
Push a change to a branch or open a pull or merge request, according to the deploy contexts you have configured. Inspect the Netlify deploy log to verify that the build selected the expected context and the plugin ran. A preview or branch deploy is not interchangeable with a production deploy: confirm the deploy type before interpreting whether a test or recording step should have run.
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Run Cypress in a separate CI pipeline
This pattern is useful when you want a CI provider to own test orchestration and make publishing conditional on test success. Cypress describes CI as broadly similar to running Cypress locally: install it and run it from the project. The exact workflow configuration depends on your provider.
Install and run Cypress
Cypress documents these npm commands for adding Cypress and running tests:
npm install cypress --save-dev
npx cypress runRun these from the project directory in the CI job. If tests visit an application server started by the job, start the server and wait until it is reachable before invoking Cypress. Cypress documents start-server-and-test and wait-on as options; an arbitrary fixed sleep is not a reliable readiness check.
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Make deployment depend on the test job
If a failed Cypress run must stop publishing, configure the CI workflow so its Netlify deployment step or job depends on successful tests. If deployment is allowed to proceed independently, make that choice explicit in the workflow rather than assuming the test command automatically blocks a deploy.
Netlify documents manual deploys as a common pattern when a separate CI tool builds the site. You can use Netlify CLI to deploy prebuilt output after tests pass. Consult Netlify CLI documentation for current CLI setup and deploy commands; the precise command depends on your build output and deployment arrangement.
Test a Netlify Deploy Preview
A Deploy Preview is a deployment context, not just another name for a branch build. If Cypress should run for pull or merge requests, configure the plugin or CI workflow to include that context. If Dashboard recording should differ from production or branch deploys, set the preview behavior separately. Netlify’s example uses record = false for previews, but you can choose differently; it is not a default requirement.
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Check the deploy log for the actual context. Netlify associates Deploy Previews with pull or merge requests by default unless preview controls are changed. Branch deploys instead require configuration and use a stable branch URL. For local reproduction, Netlify CLI can build with Deploy Preview settings using the deploy-preview context.
Verify the build locally
From the root of the linked repository, use Netlify CLI to reproduce the build and run configured Build Plugins. To check general build behavior:
netlify buildTo apply Deploy Preview settings:
netlify build --context deploy-previewUse the same Node.js version locally as the one configured for the Netlify build. Netlify warns that a version mismatch can produce errors, so check the project and site’s build configuration before treating a local result as equivalent. See Netlify’s local development and CLI documentation.
Troubleshoot common failures
Cypress cannot visit the application
- Likely cause: Cypress starts before the app server is accepting requests.
- Fix: Start the app and gate the Cypress command on server readiness with a tool such as
wait-onorstart-server-and-test. Cypress specifically warns against launching the server in the background and immediately running tests.
The plugin does not run in a deploy
- Likely cause: The plugin is configured in a different context, is missing from project dependencies, or the deploy is not using the expected repository configuration.
- Fix: Confirm that
netlify-plugin-cypressis installed as a dependency, that the site’s base-directorynetlify.tomlcontains the configuration, and that the deploy log shows the context you intended. Check current package-specific setup against the installed plugin version.
Dashboard results are missing from a Deploy Preview
- Likely cause: The context-specific example sets
record = falsefor Deploy Previews. - Fix: If you want preview runs recorded, review the installed plugin’s supported inputs and update the preview configuration. Keep any recording credentials in environment variables, not committed configuration.
Local and Netlify builds behave differently
- Likely cause: The local build uses the wrong deploy context or a different Node.js version.
- Fix: Run
netlify build --context deploy-previewwhen reproducing preview settings and match the Node.js version configured for the Netlify build.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Netlify automatically record Cypress Dashboard results for Deploy Previews?
No general default is established here. The documented Netlify example explicitly sets record = false for Deploy Previews; recording behavior depends on your configuration.
Can Cypress tests run outside the Netlify build?
Yes. A separate CI pipeline can run Cypress and use Netlify CLI to deploy prebuilt output, with the test job configured to gate deployment if that is your intended workflow.
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