cypress-axe for accessibility - Test Execution Trace

Test Overview

This test uses cypress-axe to check if the web page meets accessibility standards. It loads the page, injects the accessibility tool, runs the accessibility checks, and verifies there are no violations.

Test Code - Cypress

Cypress

import 'cypress-axe';

describe('Accessibility check with cypress-axe', () => {
  it('should have no accessibility violations on load', () => {
    cy.visit('https://example.cypress.io');
    cy.injectAxe();
    cy.checkA11y();
  });
});

Execution Trace - 5 Steps

Step	Action	System State	Assertion	Result
1	Test starts	Test runner initialized, Cypress ready to run tests	—	PASS
2	Browser opens and navigates to 'https://example.cypress.io'	Example Cypress page loaded in browser	Page loaded successfully with status 200	PASS
3	Inject axe-core accessibility testing library into the page	axe-core script injected and ready to run accessibility checks	axe-core script is present in the page context	PASS
4	Run accessibility checks on the entire page using cy.checkA11y()	axe-core analyzes page elements for accessibility issues	No accessibility violations found	PASS
5	Test ends	Test completed with no accessibility violations	—	PASS

Failure Scenario

Failing Condition: Accessibility violations are found on the page during cy.checkA11y()

Execution Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What does cy.injectAxe() do in the test?

A It adds the axe-core accessibility testing library to the page

B It navigates to the test page URL

C It runs the accessibility checks

D It clicks on a button to start the test

Key Result

Using cypress-axe helps catch accessibility issues early by automatically scanning pages during tests, ensuring your site is usable by everyone.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of using cypress-axe in Cypress tests?

easy

A. To generate random test data for forms

B. To speed up the loading time of web pages

C. To style elements dynamically during tests

D. To automatically find accessibility problems on web pages during tests

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of cypress-axe

   cypress-axe is a tool that integrates axe accessibility checks into Cypress tests.

2. Step 2: Identify what it helps with

   It helps find accessibility issues automatically during test runs to improve web accessibility.

3. Final Answer:

   To automatically find accessibility problems on web pages during tests -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   cypress-axe = accessibility problem detection [OK]

Hint: Remember cypress-axe finds accessibility issues automatically [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking it speeds up page loading
• Confusing it with styling tools
• Assuming it generates test data

2. Which command correctly injects axe into the page before running accessibility checks in Cypress?

easy

A. cy.runAxe()

B. cy.loadAxe()

C. cy.injectAxe()

D. cy.startAxe()

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall the cypress-axe setup command

   The official command to inject axe into the page is cy.injectAxe().

2. Step 2: Verify other options

   Other options like cy.runAxe(), cy.loadAxe(), and cy.startAxe() are not valid Cypress commands for this purpose.

3. Final Answer:

   cy.injectAxe() -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Inject axe = cy.injectAxe() [OK]

Hint: Use cy.injectAxe() to add axe before checks [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using cy.runAxe() instead of cy.injectAxe()
• Confusing command names
• Forgetting to inject axe before checking

3. Given the following Cypress test code snippet, what will cy.checkA11y() do?

cy.visit('/home')
cy.injectAxe()
cy.checkA11y()

medium

A. Run accessibility checks on the entire page and report any violations

B. Reload the page and ignore accessibility

C. Only check the header element for accessibility

D. Throw an error because cy.checkA11y() needs arguments

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the code sequence

   The code visits the page, injects axe, then runs cy.checkA11y() without arguments.

2. Step 2: Know default behavior of cy.checkA11y()

   Without arguments, cy.checkA11y() runs accessibility checks on the whole page and reports violations.

3. Final Answer:

   Run accessibility checks on the entire page and report any violations -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   cy.checkA11y() default = full page check [OK]

Hint: cy.checkA11y() without args checks whole page [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking it only checks part of the page
• Assuming it throws error without args
• Confusing it with page reload

4. You wrote this Cypress test:

cy.visit('/dashboard')
cy.checkA11y()

But the accessibility check does not run and no errors appear. What is missing?

medium

A. You forgot to call cy.injectAxe() before cy.checkA11y()

B. You need to add cy.wait() before cy.checkA11y()

C. You must pass a selector to cy.checkA11y()

D. You should use cy.runAxe() instead of cy.checkA11y()

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify missing axe injection

   Before running accessibility checks, axe must be injected with cy.injectAxe().

2. Step 2: Confirm correct command usage

   Without injection, cy.checkA11y() does not run properly and silently fails.

3. Final Answer:

   You forgot to call cy.injectAxe() before cy.checkA11y() -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Inject axe first = cy.injectAxe() [OK]

Hint: Always inject axe before checking accessibility [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Skipping cy.injectAxe()
• Adding unnecessary cy.wait()
• Passing selector when not needed
• Using wrong command cy.runAxe()

5. You want to check accessibility only on the main content area with id main-content. Which code snippet correctly does this using cypress-axe?

hard

A. cy.checkA11y()
cy.injectAxe('#main-content')

B. cy.injectAxe()
cy.checkA11y('#main-content')

C. cy.injectAxe('#main-content')
cy.checkA11y()

D. cy.checkA11y('#main-content')
cy.injectAxe()

Solution

1. Step 1: Inject axe before checking

   First, call cy.injectAxe() without arguments to add axe to the page.

2. Step 2: Run checkA11y with selector

   Then call cy.checkA11y('#main-content') to check accessibility only inside that element.

3. Final Answer:

   cy.injectAxe() followed by cy.checkA11y('#main-content') -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Inject first, then check with selector [OK]

Hint: Inject axe first, then check with selector string [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Calling checkA11y before injectAxe
• Passing selector to injectAxe
• Not injecting axe at all
• Calling injectAxe after checkA11y