Hooks

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Hooks allow you to run setup and teardown templates automatically before and after your tests. They provide a way to execute common preparation or cleanup tasks without duplicating them in every test case.

Table of Contents

1. What are Hooks?
2. Types of Hooks
   • Before Test Hook
   • After Test Hook
3. Execution Order
4. Configuring Hooks

What are Hooks?

Hooks are Templates that run automatically at specific points during test execution:

Key Benefits:

• Consistency: Ensure the same setup/cleanup runs for all tests
• Reduced Duplication: Define once, apply everywhere
• Centralized Updates: Modify the template, all tests using the hook are updated
• Flexible Overrides: Override hooks at the schedule or suite level when needed

Types of Hooks

There are two types of hooks:

Before Test Hook

Runs before the main test steps begin

Common uses:

• Accept cookie consent banners
• Close promotional popups
• Set up application state
• Navigate to a specific section
• Wait for page elements to load

After Test Hook

Runs after all test steps complete, including any teardown steps. This hook runs in a "finally" block, meaning it executes even if the test fails.

Common uses:

• Log out of the application
• Clear shopping cart
• Reset application state
• Clean up test data
• Take final screenshots

Execution Order

Understanding when hooks run is crucial for designing effective test flows:

1. Navigate to Starting URL
2. Login (if test account configured)
3. ▶ BEFORE TEST HOOK ◀
4. Main Test Steps
5. Teardown Steps (if any)
6. ▶ AFTER TEST HOOK ◀

Key points:

• Before Test hook runs after login completes
• After Test hook runs after teardown (in a nested "finally" block)
• After Test hook runs even if the test fails
• After Test hook runs even if teardown fails
• If Before Test hook fails, the test stops but After Test hook still runs

Configuring Hooks

Configure hooks for individual test cases in the Environment Configuration:

1. Navigate to the test Settings tab
2. Click on an environment configuration to edit it
3. In the Hooks section:
   • Select a template for Before Test
   • Select a template for After Test
4. Click Update Config

Each environment configuration can have different hooks. For example, you might need different cookie consent handling for staging vs. production.

Next Steps

• Learn about Templates - Create reusable hooks
• Test Configurations - Configure hooks per environment