Cypress Dashboard (Cloud) service - Build an Automation Script

Verify Cypress Dashboard records test run and shows correct test results

Preconditions (3)

Step 1: Run Cypress tests with the command 'npx cypress run --record --key <project-record-key>'

Step 2: Wait for tests to complete

Step 3: Log in to Cypress Dashboard at https://dashboard.cypress.io

Step 4: Navigate to the linked project

Step 5: Open the latest test run report

Step 6: Verify that the test run shows the correct number of tests passed and failed

Step 7: Verify that screenshots and videos (if enabled) are available for failed tests

✅ Expected Result: The Cypress Dashboard shows the test run with accurate pass/fail counts and displays screenshots/videos for failed tests.

Automation Requirements - Cypress

Assertions Needed:

Verify test run command completes successfully

Verify Dashboard API returns test run summary with correct pass/fail counts

Verify screenshots and videos URLs are present in Dashboard API response for failed tests

Best Practices:

Use Cypress environment variables for Dashboard record key

Use Cypress commands to run tests and capture results

Use API calls to Cypress Dashboard to verify test run data

Avoid hardcoding sensitive keys in code

Use explicit waits for API responses

Automated Solution

Cypress

/// <reference types="cypress" />

// This script runs Cypress tests with recording enabled and verifies Dashboard data via API

const dashboardProjectId = '<your-project-id>'
const dashboardRecordKey = Cypress.env('CYPRESS_RECORD_KEY')

// Step 1: Run tests with recording
// This is normally done outside test code, but we simulate here for demonstration

// Step 2: After tests run, verify Dashboard data via API

describe('Cypress Dashboard Verification', () => {
  it('should verify test run data on Cypress Dashboard', () => {
    // Call Cypress Dashboard API to get latest runs
    cy.request({
      method: 'GET',
      url: `https://dashboard.cypress.io/projects/${dashboardProjectId}/runs`,
      headers: {
        Authorization: `Bearer ${dashboardRecordKey}`
      }
    }).then((response) => {
      expect(response.status).to.eq(200)
      const runs = response.body.runs
      expect(runs).to.have.length.greaterThan(0)

      const latestRun = runs[0]
      expect(latestRun).to.have.property('stats')
      expect(latestRun.stats).to.have.property('tests')
      expect(latestRun.stats).to.have.property('passes')
      expect(latestRun.stats).to.have.property('failures')

      // Check that passes + failures equals total tests
      expect(latestRun.stats.passes + latestRun.stats.failures).to.eq(latestRun.stats.tests)

      // Verify screenshots and videos exist for failed tests
      if (latestRun.stats.failures > 0) {
        expect(latestRun).to.have.property('screenshots')
        expect(latestRun.screenshots.length).to.be.greaterThan(0)
        expect(latestRun).to.have.property('videos')
        expect(latestRun.videos.length).to.be.greaterThan(0)
      }
    })
  })
})

This test script uses Cypress to verify that the Cypress Dashboard service correctly records test runs.

First, it assumes tests have been run with the --record flag and a valid record key.

Then, it calls the Cypress Dashboard API to fetch the latest test runs for the project.

Assertions check that the API response is successful, that the latest run has test statistics, and that the sum of passes and failures equals total tests.

If there are failed tests, it verifies that screenshots and videos are present in the run data.

We use environment variables for sensitive keys and explicit assertions for clarity and reliability.

Common Mistakes - 3 Pitfalls

Hardcoding the Cypress Dashboard record key in the test code

Not waiting for the test run to complete before querying the Dashboard API

Using UI scraping to verify Dashboard data instead of API calls

Bonus Challenge

Now add data-driven testing to verify Dashboard test run data for 3 different projects with different record keys.

Show Hint