How to Avoid Flaky Tests?

Flaky tests fail intermittently without code changes, undermining confidence in your test suite. Here's how to eliminate them:

Test Isolation

• Clean Environments: Run each test in a fresh environment with no shared state. Use unique test data, reset databases between tests, and avoid dependencies on previous test results.
• Mock External Dependencies: Replace APIs, databases, and third-party services with controlled mocks. This eliminates external variability that causes intermittent failures.
• Data Management: Generates fresh test data for each run instead of using fixed datasets. Use factories or builders to create consistent test objects without conflicts.

Reliable Element Selection

• Robust Locators: Use stable selectors like data-testid attributes rather than CSS classes or text that might change. Choose XPath expressions based on structure, not absolute paths.
• Dynamic Waits: Replace sleep() statements with explicit waits that check for specific conditions. Wait for elements to appear, API calls to complete, or application states to change.

Timing and Synchronization

• Handle Async Operations: Properly synchronize with AJAX calls, database transactions, and background processes. Use promises or callbacks to ensure operations complete before assertions.
• Prevent Race Conditions: Sequence operations correctly to avoid timing conflicts. Ensure setup completes before running test logic.

Retry and Recovery

• Smart Retry Logic: Implement selective retries for environmental issues, not code bugs. Limit retries to 2-3 attempts and only for specific failure patterns.
• Failure Analysis: Categorize failures to distinguish between infrastructure problems and actual defects. Track patterns to identify which tests need attention.