Why Waiting Matters: Making Automated Tests Reliable

I remember working on a project where I was implementing a regression suite for a web app using Cypress. Initially, everything was going smoothly, and the tests were running well. However, I soon encountered a frustrating situation: some tests began to fail for seemingly no reason. It wasn’t as if I had introduced any changes that would cause this, but the failures persisted.

I spent quite a bit of time debugging the issue, trying to pinpoint what had gone wrong, but I couldn’t find a solution. After a while, I decided to take a break and work on something else. It's funny how sometimes, when something that used to work suddenly stops functioning, you might hope that a simple restart—like shutting down your laptop and revisiting the issue later—could resolve it. Unfortunately, this time, it didn’t work out that way.

Determined to resolve the issue, I sat down to observe how the test ran in headed mode. As I watched the web app spin up and execute the commands I had written, I noticed something crucial: when the test navigated to a particular page, not all of the content was loading properly.

This was my breakthrough moment! I realized that the network calls weren’t fully completed before the test attempted to perform actions on the page. To address this, I added a wait command to ensure the test paused until the necessary elements were fully loaded.

Guess what? The issue was resolved! This experience highlighted the importance of understanding the timing and loading behavior of web applications in automated testing.

Why waiting matters!

When baking, recipes often require you to wait for the dough to rise or for certain ingredients to reach room temperature. Rushing this process can lead to undercooked or poorly risen bread, resulting in a less enjoyable final product. In testing, just as you would wait for the dough to rise to get the desired texture, you must wait for elements to load properly to ensure that the test executes successfully. An automated test that doesn’t allow sufficient time for a page to load can lead to errors, just as a rushed baking process can lead to a failed dish.

There are two types of waits: Implicit wait and explicit wait. Think of them as different ways of telling the computer to pause at the right times. Let’s break them down.

Implicit Wait

Implicit wait is like telling the computer, "Wait a few seconds anytime you’re looking for something on the page." It is a general setting that applies across the entire test.

• Example: If you set an implicit wait of 5 seconds, the test will wait up to 5 seconds whenever it needs to find something on the page, like a button or image. If the element appears sooner, it moves forward without waiting the full time.

Explicit Wait

Explicit wait is more precise. It is like saying, “Wait until a specific thing happens, like a button appearing or a message showing up.” This type of wait is only used in particular situations where you know something might take extra time.

• Example: If there is a pop-up that takes a few seconds to appear after you click something, an explicit wait can be set to pause until that pop-up is visible.

Why do both waits matter?

These two types of waits make automated testing more reliable. With implicit waits, tests handle minor delays without needing specific instructions each time. Explicit waits help in special cases where certain elements take longer to load, ensuring the test does not rush and fail before everything is ready.

Together, implicit and explicit waits create a balanced approach, helping tests mimic real human patience and making them more resilient. By adding these "waiting rules," you prevent unnecessary errors, making your tests reliable to ensure websites and apps work as expected.