---
title: "E2E"
description: "This package contains the repository-level end-to-end tests for Dify."
type: skill
canonical_url: https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/agents-23
source: "Claudary"
difficulty: intermediate
author: "Claude Code Knowledge Pack"
date: 2026-07-10T11:07:04.765Z
license: CC-BY-4.0
attribution: "E2E — Claudary (https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/agents-23)"
---

# E2E
This package contains the repository-level end-to-end tests for Dify.

## Overview

# E2E

This package contains the repository-level end-to-end tests for Dify.

This file is the canonical package guide for `e2e/`. Keep detailed workflow, architecture, debugging, and reporting documentation here. Keep `README.md` as a minimal pointer to this file so the two documents do not drift.

The suite uses Cucumber for scenario definitions and Playwright as the browser execution layer.

It tests:

- backend API started from source
- frontend served from the production artifact
- middleware services started from Docker

## Prerequisites

- Node.js `^22.22.1`
- `pnpm`
- `uv`
- Docker

Run the following commands from the repository root.

Install Playwright browsers once:

```bash
pnpm install
pnpm -C e2e e2e:install
pnpm -C e2e check
```

`pnpm install` is resolved through the repository workspace and uses the shared root lockfile plus `pnpm-workspace.yaml`.

Use `pnpm check` as the default local verification step after editing E2E TypeScript, Cucumber support code, or feature glue. It runs formatting, linting, and type checks for this package.

Common commands:

```bash
# authenticated-only regression (default excludes @fresh)
# expects backend API, frontend artifact, and middleware stack to already be running
pnpm -C e2e e2e

# full reset + fresh install + authenticated scenarios
# starts required middleware/dependencies for you
pnpm -C e2e e2e:full

# run a tagged subset
pnpm -C e2e e2e -- --tags @smoke

# headed browser
pnpm -C e2e e2e:headed -- --tags @smoke

# slow down browser actions for local debugging
E2E_SLOW_MO=500 pnpm -C e2e e2e:headed -- --tags @smoke
```

Frontend artifact behavior:

- if `web/.next/BUILD_ID` exists, E2E reuses the existing build by default
- if you set `E2E_FORCE_WEB_BUILD=1`, E2E rebuilds the frontend before starting it

## Lifecycle

```mermaid
flowchart TD
  A["Start E2E run"] --> B["run-cucumber.ts orchestrates setup/API/frontend"]
  B --> C["support/web-server.ts starts or reuses frontend directly"]
  C --> D["Cucumber loads config, steps, and support modules"]
  D --> E["BeforeAll bootstraps shared auth state via /install"]
  E --> F{"Which command is running?"}
  F -->|`pnpm e2e`| G["Run config default tags: not @fresh and not @skip"]
  F -->|`pnpm e2e:full*`| H["Override tags to not @skip"]
  G --> I["Per-scenario BrowserContext from shared browser"]
  H --> I
  I --> J["Failure artifacts written to cucumber-report/artifacts"]
```

Ownership is split like this:

- `scripts/setup.ts` is the single environment entrypoint for reset, middleware, backend, and frontend startup
- `run-cucumber.ts` orchestrates the E2E run and Cucumber invocation
- `support/web-server.ts` manages frontend reuse, startup, readiness, and shutdown
- `features/support/hooks.ts` manages auth bootstrap, scenario lifecycle, and diagnostics
- `features/support/world.ts` owns per-scenario typed context
- `features/step-definitions/` holds domain-oriented glue so the official VS Code Cucumber plugin works with default conventions when `e2e/` is opened as the workspace root

Package layout:

- `features/`: Gherkin scenarios grouped by capability
- `features/step-definitions/`: domain-oriented step definitions
- `features/support/hooks.ts`: suite lifecycle, auth-state bootstrap, diagnostics
- `features/support/world.ts`: shared scenario context
- `support/web-server.ts`: typed frontend startup/reuse logic
- `scripts/setup.ts`: reset and service lifecycle commands
- `scripts/run-cucumber.ts`: Cucumber orchestration entrypoint

Behavior depends on instance state:

- uninitialized instance: completes install and stores authenticated state
- initialized instance: signs in and reuses authenticated state

Because of that, the `@fresh` install scenario only runs in the `pnpm e2e:full*` flows. The default `pnpm e2e*` flows exclude `@fresh` via Cucumber config tags so they can be re-run against an already initialized instance.

Reset all persisted E2E state:

```bash
pnpm -C e2e e2e:reset
```

This removes:

- `docker/volumes/db/data`
- `docker/volumes/redis/data`
- `docker/volumes/weaviate`
- `docker/volumes/plugin_daemon`
- `e2e/.auth`
- `e2e/.logs`
- `e2e/cucumber-report`

Start the full middleware stack:

```bash
pnpm -C e2e e2e:middleware:up
```

Stop the full middleware stack:

```bash
pnpm e2e:middleware:down
```

The middleware stack includes:

- PostgreSQL
- Redis
- Weaviate
- Sandbox
- SSRF proxy
- Plugin daemon

Fresh install verification:

```bash
pnpm e2e:full
```

Run the Cucumber suite against an already running middleware stack:

```bash
pnpm e2e:middleware:up
pnpm e2e
pnpm e2e:middleware:down
```

Artifacts and diagnostics:

- `cucumber-report/report.html`: HTML report
- `cucumber-report/report.json`: JSON report
- `cucumber-report/artifacts/`: failure screenshots and HTML captures
- `.logs/cucumber-api.log`: backend startup log
- `.logs/cucumber-web.log`: frontend startup log

Open the HTML report locally with:

```bash
open cucumber-report/report.html
```

## Writing new scenarios

### Workflow

1. Create a `.feature` file under `features/<capability>/`
1. Add step definitions under `features/step-definitions/<capability>/`
1. Reuse existing steps from `common/` and other definition files before writing new ones
1. Run with `pnpm -C e2e e2e -- --tags @your-tag` to verify
1. Run `pnpm -C e2e check` before committing

### Feature file conventions

Tag every feature or scenario with a capability tag. Add auth tags only when they clarify intent or change the browser session behavior:

```gherkin
@datasets @authenticated
Feature: Create dataset
  Scenario: Create a new empty dataset
    Given I am signed in as the default E2E admin
    When I open the datasets page
    ...
```

- Capability tags (`@apps`, `@auth`, `@datasets`, …) group related scenarios for selective runs
- Auth/session tags:
  - default behavior — scenarios run with the shared authenticated storageState unless marked otherwise
  - `@unauthenticated` — uses a clean BrowserContext with no cookies or storage
  - `@authenticated` — optional intent tag for readability or selective runs; it does not currently change hook behavior on its own
- `@fresh` — only runs in `e2e:full` mode (requires uninitialized instance)
- `@skip` — excluded from all runs

Keep scenarios short and declarative. Each step should describe **what** the user does, not **how** the UI works.

### Step definition conventions

```typescript
import type { DifyWorld } from '../../support/world'
import { Then, When } from '@cucumber/cucumber'
import { expect } from '@playwright/test'

When('I open the datasets page', async function (this: DifyWorld) {
  await this.getPage().goto('/datasets')
})
```

Rules:

- Always type `this` as `DifyWorld` for proper context access
- Use `async function` (not arrow functions — Cucumber binds `this`)
- One step = one user-visible action or one assertion
- Keep steps stateless across scenarios; use `DifyWorld` properties for in-scenario state

### Locator priority

Follow the Playwright recommended locator strategy, in order of preference:

| Priority | Locator            | Example                                   | When to use                               |
| -------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| 1        | `getByRole`        | `getByRole('button', { name: 'Create' })` | Default choice — accessible and resilient |
| 2        | `getByLabel`       | `getByLabel('App name')`                  | Form inputs with visible labels           |
| 3        | `getByPlaceholder` | `getByPlaceholder('Enter name')`          | Inputs without visible labels             |
| 4        | `getByText`        | `getByText('Welcome')`                    | Static text content                       |
| 5        | `getByTestId`      | `getByTestId('workflow-canvas')`          | Only when no semantic locator works       |

Avoid raw CSS/XPath selectors. They break when the DOM structure changes.

### Assertions

Use `@playwright/test` `expect` — it auto-waits and retries until the condition is met or the timeout expires:

```typescript
// URL assertion
await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\\/datasets\\/[a-f0-9-]+\\/documents/)

// Element visibility
await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Save' })).toBeVisible()

// Element state
await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' })).toBeEnabled()

// Negation
await expect(page.getByText('Loading')).not.toBeVisible()
```

Do not use manual `waitForTimeout` or polling loops. If you need a longer wait for a specific assertion, pass `{ timeout: 30_000 }` to the assertion.

### Cucumber expressions

Use Cucumber expression parameter types to extract values from Gherkin steps:

| Type       | Pattern       | Example step                       |
| ---------- | ------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| `{string}` | Quoted string | `I select the "Workflow" app type` |
| `{int}`    | Integer       | `I should see {int} items`         |
| `{float}`  | Decimal       | `the progress is {float} percent`  |
| `{word}`   | Single word   | `I click the {word} tab`           |

Prefer `{string}` for UI labels, names, and text content — it maps naturally to Gherkin's quoted values.

### Scoping locators

When the page has multiple similar elements, scope locators to a container:

```typescript
When('I fill in the app name in the dialog', async function (this: DifyWorld) {
  const dialog = this.getPage().getByRole('dialog')
  await dialog.getByPlaceholder('Give your app a name').fill('My App')
})
```

### Failure diagnostics

The `After` hook automatically captures on failure:

- Full-page screenshot (PNG)
- Page HTML dump
- Console errors and page errors

Artifacts are saved to `cucumber-report/artifacts/` and attached to the HTML report. No extra code needed in step definitions.

## Reusing existing steps

Before writing a new step definition, inspect the existing step definition files first. Reuse a matching step when the wording and behavior already fit, and only add a new step when the scenario needs a genuinely new user action or assertion. Steps in `common/` are designed for broad reuse across all features.

Or browse the step definition files directly:

- `features/step-definitions/common/` — auth guards and navigation assertions shared by all features
- `features/step-definitions/<capability>/` — domain-specific steps scoped to a single feature area

---

Source: [Claudary](https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/agents-23) · https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com