Preserving state between tests in Cypress - Test Execution Trace

Test Overview

This test demonstrates how to preserve the login state between multiple tests in Cypress by using cookies. It verifies that the user remains logged in across tests without needing to log in again.

Test Code - Cypress

Cypress

describe('Preserve login state between tests', () => {
  before(() => {
    cy.visit('https://example.com/login');
    cy.get('#username').type('testuser');
    cy.get('#password').type('password123');
    cy.get('#login-button').click();
    cy.url().should('include', '/dashboard');
  });

  beforeEach(() => {
    Cypress.Cookies.preserveOnce('session_id', 'auth_token');
  });

  it('should display user dashboard', () => {
    cy.get('h1').should('contain', 'Dashboard');
  });

  it('should access profile page without logging in again', () => {
    cy.visit('https://example.com/profile');
    cy.get('h2').should('contain', 'User Profile');
  });
});

Execution Trace - 10 Steps

Step	Action	System State	Assertion	Result
1	Test suite starts; before hook runs	Browser opens at login page https://example.com/login	-	PASS
2	Find username input and type 'testuser'	Username field filled with 'testuser'	-	PASS
3	Find password input and type 'password123'	Password field filled	-	PASS
4	Click login button	Login form submitted	-	PASS
5	Verify URL includes '/dashboard' after login	User redirected to dashboard page	URL contains '/dashboard'	PASS
6	beforeEach hook runs; preserve cookies 'session_id' and 'auth_token'	Cookies preserved for next tests	-	PASS
7	Test 1: Check dashboard heading text	Dashboard page visible	Heading contains text 'Dashboard'	PASS
8	beforeEach hook runs again; preserve cookies	Cookies preserved again for next test	-	PASS
9	Test 2: Visit profile page https://example.com/profile	Profile page loaded	-	PASS
10	Verify profile page heading text	Profile page heading visible	Heading contains text 'User Profile'	PASS

Failure Scenario

Failing Condition: Cookies 'session_id' and 'auth_token' are not preserved between tests

Execution Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

Why is Cypress.Cookies.preserveOnce used in beforeEach?

A To clear cookies before each test

B To reload the page automatically

C To keep login cookies so user stays logged in between tests

D To reset the browser session

Key Result

Preserving cookies between tests in Cypress allows tests to share login state, avoiding repeated login steps and making tests faster and more reliable.