Flaky Page

A flaky test gives different results on repeated runs without any change to the code or the test. Typical causes are timing, shared test data, network variance and unstable locators. The result cannot be trusted either way, so it should be fixed or quarantined.

The element was removed or re-rendered after you found it. Locate it again right before use, or wait with an expected condition that re-finds it, such as element_to_be_clickable. In Playwright, locators are lazy and re-resolve on each action, so this rarely occurs.

Retries keep a pipeline moving but hide the cause. Playwright supports retries in config and Cypress has test retries since version 5. Use them as a stopgap, track tests that needed a retry, and fix the underlying wait or locator.

CI machines are usually slower, run in parallel and have less memory, so timing assumptions break. Replace sleeps with condition waits, avoid shared data between tests, and add traces or videos on failure to see what the page looked like.

Run it many times, for example Playwright's --repeat-each, and compare failing traces to passing ones. Look for an action that ran before the page was ready, or an element replaced between find and click. Fix the timing at that step.