Why “Test Replay” in E2E Test Automation is Not Useful in Real Agile Projects? Part 2

This kind of ‘feature’ is good for demonstration, not for Real E2E Test Automation.

In Part 1, I shared my previous experience with “Test Replay” (even implementing it) and my opinion: “It is not useful”. This article will delve into the reasons behind this assessment.

Here, I am not questioning the “Cypress Test Replay” itself, regarding correctness (the tool itself is buggy), the slowness it might cause, cost (plan fees or usage limits) or constraints it might come with. Rather, a fresh and objective perspective, from Real E2E Test Automation. As an experienced test automation engineer who has been maintaining a large number of E2E tests for over 15 years, I see no value in “Test Replay”.

A side effect of good automated E2E testing is that the developers dare to make more changes, which usually leads to more regression errors. This is easy to understand; picture a small kid wearing protective gear to do roller skating.

More changes inevitably lead to more regression errors. Don’t be afraid. If the regression errors are new, they are quite easy to fix. The real pressure is on the test automation engineers. The reason is that a programmer’s simple fix could cause an…