Common TestCafe Issues and Solutions

1. Test Execution Failures

Test cases fail unexpectedly, even when the application behavior has not changed.

Root Causes:

• Incorrect test selectors causing element detection failures.
• Asynchronous execution issues leading to flaky tests.
• Unstable network connections in headless mode.

Solution:

Ensure correct selectors are used:

import { Selector } from 'testcafe';
const button = Selector('#submit-button');

Use await to handle async execution:

await t.click(button).expect(button.exists).ok();

Run tests with increased timeout to mitigate network delays:

testcafe chrome test.js --timeout 60000

2. Selector Timeouts

TestCafe is unable to locate elements due to dynamic rendering delays.

Root Causes:

• DOM elements not available at test execution time.
• Dynamic content loading asynchronously.
• Incorrect selector targeting hidden elements.

Solution:

Ensure elements exist before interacting:

await t.expect(Selector('#menu').exists).ok({ timeout: 5000 });

Use a delay to wait for elements to render:

await t.wait(3000);

Force TestCafe to wait for elements dynamically:

await t.expect(Selector('#dynamic-content').with({ visibilityCheck: true }).exists).ok();

3. Authentication and Session Handling Issues

Tests fail due to authentication errors or inability to persist sessions.

Root Causes:

• TestCafe does not retain session cookies properly.
• Cross-domain authentication causing redirects.
• Incorrect login flow automation.

Solution:

Use TestCafe roles for authentication:

import { Role } from 'testcafe';
const userRole = Role('https://example.com/login', async t => {
    await t.typeText('#username', 'testuser')
           .typeText('#password', 'password123')
           .click('#login-button');
}, { preserveUrl: true });

Switch to the authenticated role before tests:

await t.useRole(userRole);

Enable session storage persistence:

testcafe chrome test.js --disable-page-caching

4. Browser Compatibility and Execution Issues

Tests behave differently across browsers or fail to execute in headless mode.

Root Causes:

• Browser-specific behavior affecting test execution.
• Incorrect flags used in headless mode.
• Unsupported browser versions.

Solution:

Run tests across multiple browsers:

testcafe chrome,firefox,edge test.js

Use proper flags for headless execution:

testcafe chrome:headless test.js

Ensure browser compatibility:

testcafe "chrome --no-sandbox --disable-gpu" test.js

5. CI/CD Pipeline Failures

TestCafe tests fail in CI/CD environments but work locally.

Root Causes:

• Headless execution failing due to missing dependencies.
• Incorrect configuration in CI pipelines.
• Timeout issues causing premature test failures.

Solution:

Ensure all required dependencies are installed:

sudo apt-get install -y xvfb

Run tests inside a virtual display in headless CI mode:

xvfb-run --auto-servernum testcafe chrome:headless test.js

Increase timeout settings for CI environments:

testcafe chrome test.js --timeout 60000

Best Practices for TestCafe Optimization

• Use roles for authentication to speed up login processes.
• Run tests across multiple browsers to ensure compatibility.
• Optimize selectors and avoid hard-coded timeouts.
• Use TestCafe’s built-in debugging tools for troubleshooting.
• Integrate TestCafe into CI/CD pipelines with proper headless execution settings.

Conclusion

By troubleshooting test execution failures, selector timeouts, authentication issues, browser inconsistencies, and CI/CD integration failures, developers can ensure stable and efficient end-to-end testing with TestCafe. Implementing best practices enhances test reliability and performance.

FAQs

1. Why are my TestCafe tests failing randomly?

Ensure correct selectors, add wait conditions, and use retries for unstable elements.

2. How do I fix TestCafe selector timeouts?

Use explicit waits, check for dynamically loaded elements, and verify correct selectors.

3. Why is TestCafe not retaining login sessions?

Use roles for authentication and enable session storage persistence.

4. How do I run TestCafe tests on multiple browsers?

Specify browser names in the command-line execution or use a configuration file.

5. What should I do if my TestCafe tests fail in CI/CD but work locally?

Ensure headless mode compatibility, install required dependencies, and increase timeout settings.