E2E Test Loop - Browser Automation Testing
Current branch: !git branch --show-current 2>/dev/null || echo "not in git repo"
The E2E test loop uses a 2-phase workflow with Dex task tracking for persistent, cross-session browser test development.
The 2-Phase Approach
| Phase | Name | Purpose | |-------|------|---------| | 1 | Flow Analysis | Identify critical user flows | | 2 | Dex Handoff | Create epic + tasks per flow |
After Phase 2, use /complete <task-id> for each E2E test task.
Starting the Loop
/e2e "Cover checkout flow" # Basic
/e2e "Test auth and settings flows" # Multiple flows
Phase 1: Flow Analysis
- Analyze application routes, features, user journeys
- Identify critical flows needing E2E coverage
- Prioritize 3-7 test tasks
Focus on:
- Happy paths users depend on
- Payment/auth/data submission flows
- Flows that broke in production
Output: <phase_complete phase="1"/>
Phase 2: Dex Handoff
Create Dex epic, then tasks for each flow:
# Create epic
dex create "E2E Test Coverage" --description "Critical user flow coverage"
# For each flow
dex create "E2E: checkout flow" --parent <epic-id> --description "
Flow: Browse → Cart → Checkout → Confirmation
Steps:
1. Add product to cart
2. Proceed to checkout
3. Fill payment form
4. Complete purchase
Files:
- e2e/checkout.e2e.page.ts
- e2e/checkout.e2e.ts
Acceptance:
- [ ] Page object with semantic locators
- [ ] Test covers happy path
"
Output: <phase_complete phase="2"/> or <promise>E2E SETUP COMPLETE</promise>
Working on Tasks
Use Dex + /complete workflow:
dex list --pending # See what's ready
dex start <id> # Start working
/complete <id> # Run reviewers and complete
File Naming Convention
e2e/
├── checkout.e2e.page.ts # Page object (locators, setup, actions)
├── checkout.e2e.ts # Test file (concise tests)
├── auth.e2e.page.ts
└── auth.e2e.ts
Playwright Patterns
Locator Priority (Semantic First)
| Priority | Locator | Example |
|----------|---------|---------|
| 1 | getByRole | page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' }) |
| 2 | getByLabel | page.getByLabel('Email address') |
| 3 | getByText | page.getByText('Welcome back') |
| 4 | getByTestId | page.getByTestId('submit-btn') - last resort |
Page Object Pattern
// checkout.e2e.page.ts
export class CheckoutPage {
constructor(private page: Page) {}
// Locators
readonly emailInput = this.page.getByLabel('Email')
readonly submitButton = this.page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Complete' })
// Actions
async fillEmail(email: string) {
await this.emailInput.fill(email)
}
async submit() {
await this.submitButton.click()
}
}
// checkout.e2e.ts
test('user can complete checkout', async ({ page }) => {
const checkout = new CheckoutPage(page)
await checkout.fillEmail('user@example.com')
await checkout.submit()
await expect(page.getByText('Order confirmed')).toBeVisible()
})
Waiting Patterns
// Auto-waiting (built into actions)
await page.getByRole('button').click() // Waits until clickable
// Explicit wait for state
await expect(page.getByText('Loaded')).toBeVisible()
// Wait for network
await page.waitForResponse('**/api/data')
Quality Standards
- ONE test per task - Focused, reviewable commits
- Test user-visible behavior - Not implementation details
- Tests must be independent - No shared state between tests
- Use page objects - Keep test files concise
Command Reference
/e2e "prompt" # Start flow analysis
/cancel-e2e # Cancel loop
/complete <task-id> # Complete task with reviewers
Related
/complete- Run reviewers and mark Dex task completedex list- View pending tasksdex-workflowskill - Full Dex usage patterns