| .. | ||
| android_emulator | ||
| e2e | ||
| utils | ||
| .babelrc | ||
| .detoxrc.json | ||
| create_android_emulator.sh | ||
| inject-detox-settings.js | ||
| package-lock.json | ||
| package.json | ||
| README.md | ||
| save_report.js | ||
| tsconfig.json | ||
| webhook_server.js | ||
How to Run Detox Tests
This guide will help you set up and run Detox tests for your project.
Install Dependencies
First, navigate to the root directory of your project and install the necessary dependencies by running:
npm install
navigate to the detox folder and run npm install
Configure your server details
in detox/e2e/support/test_config.ts will provide some default values for your server, if they differ you can:
- use environment variables
export SITE_1_URL="http://your-server:8065"
export ADMIN_USERNAME="your-username"
export ADMIN_PASSWORD="your-password"
export ADMIN_EMAIL="your-email"
- create a .env file in the
detoxfolder providing the values:
# detox/.env
SITE_1_URL=http://localhost:8065
ADMIN_USERNAME=your-username
ADMIN_PASSWORD=your-password
ADMIN_EMAIL=your-email@example.com
Note: no need to provide all variables, only the ones that differ.
Android
Build Detox Android App
To build the Detox Android app, navigate to the detox folder and run:
npm run e2e:android-inject-settings
npm run e2e:android-build
The debug apk will be built and available at android/app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk
Run Detox Android Tests
Create emulator
./create_android_emulator.sh SDK_VERSION AVD_NAME
# example ./create_android_emulator.sh 34 pixel_5a_avd
# example ./create_android_emulator.sh 34 pixel_5a_avd --headless
# If we want to see the emulator logs. Run it in debug mode example ./create_android_emulator.sh 34 pixel_5a_avd --debug
To execute the Detox tests on Android, navigate to the detox folder and run:
npm run e2e:android-test
# To run a particular tests
npm run e2e:android-test <path to test file>
iOS
Build iOS Simulator
To build the iOS simulator for Detox, from the project folder run:
npm run e2e:ios-build
This will build the Simulator .zip file at the root folder.
Create a folder named mobile-artifacts at the project root. Move the zip file under mobile-artifacts and unzip it there.
# From project root
mkdir mobile-artifacts
Configure your local
Update detox/.detoxrc.json to specify which device you want to run it. Change:
"device": {
"type": "__DEVICE_NAME__",
"os": "__DEVICE_OS_VERSION__"
},
to something like:
"device": {
"type": "iPhone 17 Pro",
"os": "iOS 26.4"
},
To get your values run xcrun simctl list devices to find both the device and iOS version.
Run iOS Tests
To execute the Detox tests on iOS, navigate to the detox folder and run:
npm run e2e:ios-test
# To run a particular tests
npm run e2e:android-test path to test file.
Disabling Password Autofill
from iOS v26 password autofill can interfere with login tests by automatically filling credentials. To disable this feature on your simulator:
# Interactive mode - select simulator from list
npm run e2e:ios-disable-autofill
# Or specify simulator ID directly
npm run e2e:ios-disable-autofill -- --simulator-id SIMULATOR_UDID
When to use this:
- if using iOS 26 or later
- Before running iOS E2E tests if you notice password fields being auto-filled
- When login tests fail unexpectedly due to autofill interference
- After creating a new iOS simulator for testing
Note: CI environments automatically disable this setting, so this is only needed for local development.
Finding your simulator ID:
xcrun simctl list devices | grep Booted
TIP : For iOS, you can download the simulator from ~Mobile: Test build or ~Release: Mobile Apps channel in the community.
Results
The Local Runs generate artifacts under detox/artifacts/ios-debug-** or detox/artifacts/android-debug-**.
You can see the html report, failure screenshot under that folder.
Playbooks Tests (AI-Powered Testing)
The Playbooks tests leverage AI-powered testing through the Wix Pilot framework, enabling natural language test creation and execution.
How It Works
The Playbooks tests utilize the pilot library, which connects to Anthropic Claude via the ClaudePromptHandler. This innovative approach allows you to:
- Write tests using natural language prompts
- Automatically translate prompts into executable test steps
- Maintain tests more intuitively through conversational interfaces
- Handle complex scenarios with AI-generated test logic
The system integrates seamlessly with your existing Detox test infrastructure while adding AI capabilities.
Best Practices
For reliable and effective Playbooks tests, follow these guidelines from the Pilot Best Practices Guide:
-
Prompt Clarity:
- Write clear, concise prompts
- Use specific action-oriented language
- Avoid ambiguous phrasing
-
Test Design:
- Keep prompts focused on single scenarios
- Use deterministic language to prevent flaky tests
- Structure complex tests as sequences of simple prompts
-
Maintenance:
- Review AI-generated test steps before committing
- Version control both prompts and generated code
- Monitor test stability regularly
-
Integration:
- Combine AI tests with traditional assertions
- Use AI for complex scenarios, traditional methods for simple verifications
- Document which tests are AI-generated
Getting Started
To run Playbooks tests:
-
Set up your environment:
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY='your-api-key-here' -
Run tests normally:
- The system will automatically initialize the
ClaudePromptHandlerwhen the API key is detected - No additional configuration is required beyond the API key
- The system will automatically initialize the
-
Execution examples:
# Run all Playbooks tests npm run e2e:android-test tests/playbooks/ # Run a specific Playbook test npm run e2e:ios-test tests/playbooks/playbooks_basic.e2e.ts
Technical Notes
- The Pilot framework handles the translation between natural language prompts and executable code
- Tests are cached locally after generation for faster subsequent runs
- All AI interactions are logged in the test artifacts for debugging
- The system falls back to traditional testing methods if the API key isn't available
For complete documentation, see: