How to Assert URL in Cypress: Syntax and Examples

In Cypress, you can assert the current URL using cy.url() combined with should() for assertions. For example, use cy.url().should('include', '/dashboard') to check if the URL contains '/dashboard'.

Syntax

The basic syntax to assert the URL in Cypress uses cy.url() to get the current URL, followed by should() to make an assertion.

• cy.url(): Fetches the current URL of the page.
• should('include', 'text'): Asserts that the URL contains the specified text.
• should('eq', 'full_url'): Asserts that the URL exactly matches the full URL string.
• should('match', /regex/): Asserts that the URL matches a regular expression.

javascript

cy.url().should('include', '/path')
cy.url().should('eq', 'https://example.com/path')
cy.url().should('match', /\/path\/?$/)

Example

This example demonstrates how to visit a page and assert that the URL contains a specific path segment.

javascript

describe('URL Assertion Test', () => {
  it('checks if URL includes /dashboard after login', () => {
    cy.visit('https://example.cypress.io')
    // Simulate login or navigation
    cy.get('a[href="/dashboard"]').click()
    // Assert URL contains '/dashboard'
    cy.url().should('include', '/dashboard')
  })
})

Output

Test passes if URL contains '/dashboard'; fails otherwise.

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when asserting URLs in Cypress include:

• Using cy.location() incorrectly instead of cy.url() for simple URL string assertions.
• Asserting exact URL with eq without considering trailing slashes or query parameters.
• Not waiting for navigation to complete before asserting the URL.

Always ensure the page has fully loaded or navigation is complete before asserting the URL.

javascript

/* Wrong: Asserting exact URL without waiting or ignoring query params */
cy.url().should('eq', 'https://example.com/dashboard')

/* Right: Use include to ignore query params or wait for navigation */
cy.url().should('include', '/dashboard')

Quick Reference

Assertion Type	Usage	Description
Include	cy.url().should('include', '/path')	Checks if URL contains the given substring.
Equal	cy.url().should('eq', 'https://example.com/path')	Checks if URL exactly matches the string.
Match	cy.url().should('match', /regex/)	Checks if URL matches the regular expression.

Key Takeaways

Use cy.url() with should() to assert the current page URL in Cypress.

Prefer 'include' assertion to avoid brittle tests due to query params or trailing slashes.

Wait for navigation or page load before asserting the URL to avoid flaky tests.

Use 'eq' for exact URL matches only when you control the full URL precisely.

Regular expressions with 'match' provide flexible URL pattern assertions.