Execute Shell Commands on Startup

TestCafe can execute shell commands on startup. Use this capability to launch a local web server or deploy your app. After the test run ends, TestCafe automatically terminates the process you initiated.

Pass the shell command to the -a (--app) CLI option or the runner.startApp Test Runner method.

testcafe chrome ./my-tests/ --app "node server.js"

await runner
    .browsers('chrome')
    .src('./my-tests/')
    .startApp('node server.js')
    .run();

Related configuration file property: appCommand

Shell Command Timeout

TestCafe delays tests to allow the shell command to execute. The default timeout is 1000 milliseconds. Use the --app-init-delay CLI flag or a runner.startApp parameter to specify the timeout value.

testcafe chrome ./my-tests/ --app "node server.js" --app-init-delay 4000

await runner
    .browsers('chrome')
    .src('./my-tests/')
    .startApp('node server.js', 4000)
    .run();

Related configuration file property: appInitDelay