E2e Test

Skill: End-to-End (E2E) Testing (Cross-Cutting)

Purpose

This skill is used to create end-to-end tests that verify complete user workflows from start to finish. E2E tests simulate real user interactions with the application.

When to Use

• When testing complete user workflows
• When testing critical user journeys
• When testing UI interactions
• When verifying application behavior from user perspective
• When testing authentication flows
• When testing payment/transaction flows

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Identify User Journeys

• Map critical user workflows
• Identify key user scenarios
• List user personas and their goals
• Determine test priorities (critical paths first)
• Document expected user behavior

Step 2: Set Up E2E Testing Framework

• Choose E2E testing tool (Playwright, Cypress, Selenium, etc.)
• Configure test environment
• Set up test browser/headless mode
• Configure test data and user accounts
• Set up test application instance

Step 3: Write E2E Tests

• Create test files for each user journey
• Write tests simulating user actions (click, type, navigate)
• Test complete workflows from start to finish
• Verify UI elements and feedback
• Test error scenarios and edge cases
• Use page objects for maintainability

Step 4: Run and Verify

• Run E2E tests
• Verify tests pass consistently
• Check test execution time
• Review test failures and flakiness
• Ensure tests are stable and reliable

Step 5: Maintain Tests

• Update tests when UI changes
• Keep page objects synchronized with UI
• Document test scenarios
• Monitor test stability

Required Input

• User journeys: List of critical user workflows
• Test environment: Application URL and test environment setup
• Test accounts: User accounts for testing
• E2E framework: Testing framework to use
• Browser: Browser to test in (Chrome, Firefox, etc.)

Expected Output

• E2E test files
• Test scenarios covering user journeys
• Page objects for UI elements
• Passing E2E test suite
• Documentation of E2E test scenarios

Tone & Rules

Test Scope

• Focus on critical user journeys
• Test from user perspective
• Verify complete workflows
• Test happy paths and error scenarios

Test Stability

• Use reliable selectors (data-testid, stable IDs)
• Add appropriate waits for async operations
• Handle flaky elements (retries, explicit waits)
• Keep tests independent and isolated

Performance

• E2E tests are slowest (run separately)
• Use headless mode for CI
• Parallelize tests when possible
• Consider test execution time

Limitations

• ❌ DO NOT test every UI element (focus on journeys)
• ❌ DO NOT use brittle selectors (XPath with complex paths)
• ❌ DO NOT skip error handling
• ❌ DO NOT write tests that depend on timing
• ❌ DO NOT test implementation details

Available Templates

• templates/e2e-test-template.js - JavaScript/Playwright template
• templates/e2e-test-template.ts - TypeScript/Cypress template
• templates/e2e-test-template.py - Python/Selenium template

Available Scripts

• scripts/setup-e2e-env.sh - Set up E2E test environment
• scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh - Run E2E test suite

Examples

See examples/ directory for reference:

• good-e2e-test/ - Well-structured E2E tests
• bad-e2e-test/ - Examples to avoid

Links to Other Skills

• unit-test: Use for testing individual components
• integration-test: Use for testing component interactions
• ui-ux: Reference when testing UI interactions
• documents: Use to document E2E test strategy