February 2026 Summaries

In a recent update, cy.prompt, a tool for writing tests, now enhances its functionality by generating cy.contains and cy.press commands, and improving the handling of sensitive data. The update facilitates writing cy.prompt steps by using quoted text to generate cy.contains() for exact text matches, which is beneficial when the content is stable but selectors are not. For structural targeting where selectors are stable, cy.get() is used without quotes. The changes also include support for not.exist assertions using text-based targeting, ensuring elements are not just hidden but removed from the DOM, and introducing cy.press for keyboard interaction testing, crucial for accessible workflows. Furthermore, cy.prompt now excludes sensitive data such as passwords and credit card details from being sent to the AI model while still using the surrounding context for interaction, which is particularly important in testing login forms and checkout processes. These updates aim to improve test accuracy and security, and users are encouraged to explore the updated documentation or seek help from the Cypress Discord for any issues.

Cypress 15.11.0 introduces a new CLI flag, --pass-with-no-tests, which allows CI pipelines to pass even if no spec files are found during a test run, addressing a common frustration where builds fail due to the absence of test files. This feature is particularly useful in workflows that intentionally result in no test files, such as dynamic spec filtering with cypress-grep or test quarantine setups. However, users are advised to ensure that a zero-spec result is a valid outcome in their workflow before using this flag, as it might otherwise mask configuration issues that require attention. In addition to this flag, the release also includes other updates, such as improved support for React SSR hydration mismatches, Brotli compression handling, and enhanced CI provider metadata capture in Cypress Cloud.

Starting with Cypress version 15.10.0, the function Cypress.env() has been deprecated due to its potential to unintentionally expose environment values in the browser context, with plans for its removal in version 16.0.0. This change is a proactive measure to enhance security by ensuring more explicit control over how configuration values are exposed during test execution, despite no reported exploitations of the current method. Users are advised to migrate to using cy.env() for sensitive values and Cypress.expose() for those safe to expose, while also reviewing and upgrading plugins that rely on the deprecated function. Additionally, setting 'allowCypressEnv: false' in configurations will enforce the migration by causing failures with guidance messages. For users unable to upgrade immediately, a temporary mitigation involves moving sensitive value handling to cy.task() in Cypress versions 12.5.0 and later. The migration process is supported by detailed guides and collaboration with the community to ensure a smooth transition.