cypress-ops

# Cypress Operations > Facts verified as of 2026-07. **Version context (verified against docs.cypress.io, 2026-06):** Cypress 14.x, Test Replay (v13+), `cy.session` with `cacheAcrossSpecs`. APIs move — confirm against the live docs when a detail is load-bearing. End-to-end and component testing with Cypress (`cypress`, TS/JS). The runner executes tests *inside* a real browser via the **Cypress App** (`cypress open`) or headlessly (`cypress run`). The defining mental model: **`cy.*` commands are not promises** — they enqueue onto an async command chain that Cypress drains for you. Internalise that and the agentic gotchas below disappear. ## Quick Start ```bash npm install -D cypress npx cypress open # launch the Cypress App: pick E2E or Component, real browser npx cypress run # headless run, all specs (CI default) npx cypress run --spec "cypress/e2e/auth/*.cy.ts" npx cypress run --component # run component specs npx cypress run --browser chrome --headed npx cypress run --record --key <k> # upload to Cypress Cloud (enables Test Replay, v13+) ``` Specs live in `cypress/e2e/**/*.cy.ts` (E2E) and beside components or `cypress/component/` (component). Config is a single `cypress.config.ts` at the repo root. ## The Async Command Queue (read this first) `cy.get(...)` returns a **Chainer**, not the element and not a Promise. Commands are *scheduled*, then run in order after the test function returns. This is the source of nearly every ...