Getting Started with Cypress: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

Cypress is a next-generation front-end testing tool built for the modern web. It’s fast, developer-friendly, and makes UI testing easy and enjoyable. If you’re just starting out with Cypress, this guide will help you install it, explore its folder structure, and write your first test in minutes.

🚀 Why Choose Cypress?

Cypress stands out for several reasons:

• ✅ Fast & Reliable: Tests run inside the browser, giving you speed and accuracy.
• ⏳ Automatic Waiting: No need to add wait or sleep statements.
• 🔍 Time Travel Debugging: Inspect the DOM snapshot at each test step.
• 🛠️ Built-in Debugging Tools: Use browser dev tools easily during tests.
• 💬 Clear Error Messages: Quickly understand test failures.

🧰 Step 1: Install Cypress

To get started, navigate to your project directory and install Cypress as a dev dependency:

npm install cypress --save-dev

Or, if you’re using Yarn:

yarn add cypress --dev

🚪 Step 2: Open Cypress for the First Time

After installation, launch the Cypress Test Runner with:

npx cypress open

This will create a default Cypress folder structure and open an interactive test runner UI.

Cypress Folder Structure:

• cypress/e2e/ – contains your test specifications
• cypress/fixtures/ – mock data files (e.g., JSON)
• cypress/support/ – utility code and custom commands
• cypress.config.js – main configuration file

✍️ Step 3: Write Your First Cypress Test

Create a new test file inside the cypress/e2e/ folder. For example:

touch cypress/e2e/sample.cy.js

Add this basic test:

describe('My First Test', () => {
  it('visits a website and checks title', () => {
    cy.visit('https://example.com')
    cy.title().should('include', 'Example')
  })
})

This test opens example.com and checks if the title contains the word “Example”.

🧪 Step 4: Run Your Cypress Tests

You can run tests interactively using:

npx cypress open

Or run them headlessly for CI/CD:

npx cypress run

Cypress will automatically detect your test files and run them inside a real browser or in headless Electron mode.

🏁 Wrapping Up

You’ve just:

• ✅ Installed Cypress
• ✅ Opened the Cypress test runner
• ✅ Explored the folder structure
• ✅ Written and executed your first test

Cypress makes automated testing straightforward, powerful, and even enjoyable. Whether you’re a developer or tester, this tool can quickly become your go-to for modern web application testing.

Next in Series: Cypress vs Selenium: Why Modern QA Teams Prefer Cypress