Frappe Testing

Write and run tests for Frappe applications using the built-in testing framework.

When to use

Writing unit tests for DocType controllers
Writing integration tests for workflows and APIs
Running existing test suites
Debugging test failures
Setting up CI pipelines for Frappe apps

Inputs required

App name to test
Site name for test execution
Specific module/DocType to test (optional)
Test environment (dev site, dedicated test site)

Procedure

0) Setup test environment

# Install dev dependencies
bench setup requirements --dev

# Ensure site is ready
bench --site <site> migrate

1) Run tests

# Run all tests for an app
bench --site <site> run-tests --app my_app

# Run tests for specific module
bench --site <site> run-tests --module my_app.my_module.tests

# Run tests for specific DocType
bench --site <site> run-tests --doctype "My DocType"

# Verbose output
bench --site <site> run-tests --app my_app -v

# Run single test file
bench --site <site> run-tests --module my_app.doctype.sample_doc.test_sample_doc

2) Write DocType tests

Create test_<doctype_name>.py alongside the DocType:

# my_app/doctype/sample_doc/test_sample_doc.py
import frappe
from frappe.tests.utils import FrappeTestCase

class TestSampleDoc(FrappeTestCase):
    def setUp(self):
        # Create test data
        self.doc = frappe.get_doc({
            "doctype": "Sample Doc",
            "title": "Test Document"
        }).insert()
    
    def tearDown(self):
        # Cleanup
        frappe.delete_doc("Sample Doc", self.doc.name, force=True)
    
    def test_creation(self):
        self.assertEqual(self.doc.title, "Test Document")
    
    def test_validation(self):
        doc = frappe.get_doc({
            "doctype": "Sample Doc",
            "title": ""  # Invalid - required field
        })
        self.assertRaises(frappe.ValidationError, doc.insert)
    
    def test_workflow(self):
        self.doc.status = "Approved"
        self.doc.save()
        self.assertEqual(self.doc.status, "Approved")

3) Write API tests

# my_app/tests/test_api.py
import frappe
from frappe.tests.utils import FrappeTestCase

class TestAPI(FrappeTestCase):
    def test_whitelist_method(self):
        from my_app.api import process_order
        
        # Create test order
        order = frappe.get_doc({
            "doctype": "Sales Order",
            "customer": "_Test Customer"
        }).insert()
        
        # Test the API
        result = process_order(order.name, "approve")
        
        self.assertEqual(result["status"], "success")
        
        # Cleanup
        frappe.delete_doc("Sales Order", order.name, force=True)
    
    def test_permission_denied(self):
        # Test as restricted user
        frappe.set_user("guest@example.com")
        
        from my_app.api import sensitive_action
        self.assertRaises(frappe.PermissionError, sensitive_action, "doc-001")
        
        # Reset user
        frappe.set_user("Administrator")

4) Test permissions

def test_role_permissions(self):
    # Create user with specific role
    user = frappe.get_doc({
        "doctype": "User",
        "email": "test_user@example.com",
        "roles": [{"role": "Sales User"}]
    }).insert()
    
    frappe.set_user("test_user@example.com")
    
    # Test permission
    self.assertTrue(frappe.has_permission("Sales Order", "read"))
    self.assertFalse(frappe.has_permission("Sales Order", "delete"))
    
    # Cleanup
    frappe.set_user("Administrator")
    frappe.delete_doc("User", user.name, force=True)

5) Use fixtures

# my_app/doctype/sample_doc/test_records.json
[
    {
        "doctype": "Sample Doc",
        "title": "Test Record 1"
    },
    {
        "doctype": "Sample Doc",
        "title": "Test Record 2"
    }
]

Reference in tests:

class TestSampleDoc(FrappeTestCase):
    def test_fixture_loaded(self):
        doc = frappe.get_doc("Sample Doc", "Test Record 1")
        self.assertIsNotNone(doc)

6) Run UI tests (Cypress)

# Run UI tests for an app
bench --site <site> run-ui-tests my_app

# Headless mode
bench --site <site> run-ui-tests my_app --headless

Verification

[ ] All tests pass: bench --site <site> run-tests --app my_app
[ ] No test pollution (tests are isolated)
[ ] Tests run in < 5 minutes for fast feedback
[ ] CI pipeline runs tests on each commit

Failure modes / debugging

Test not found: Ensure filename starts with test_ and class/method names follow conventions
Database errors: Tests may not be isolated—check for missing cleanup
Permission errors in tests: Use frappe.set_user("Administrator") in setup
Slow tests: Avoid unnecessary fixtures, mock external services

Escalation

For complex fixtures, see references/fixtures.md
For UI testing patterns, see references/cypress.md
For CI setup, see references/ci-testing.md

References

references/test-patterns.md - Common test patterns
references/fixtures.md - Test data management
references/cypress.md - UI testing

Guardrails

Use test fixtures: Load test data via fixtures, not manual creation in each test
Clean up test data: Delete created records in tearDown() or use frappe.db.rollback()
Mock external services: Never call real APIs in tests; mock HTTP calls
Isolate tests: Each test should be independent; no reliance on test execution order
Set user context explicitly: Use frappe.set_user() to test as specific users

Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Why It Fails | Fix | |---------|--------------|-----| | Not using FrappeTestCase | Missing test setup/teardown | Extend frappe.tests.utils.FrappeTestCase | | Missing db rollback | Test pollution, flaky tests | Use frappe.db.rollback() in tearDown or transactions | | Flaky async tests | Intermittent failures | Use frappe.tests.utils.run_until() or proper async handling | | Testing implementation not behavior | Brittle tests | Test outcomes, not internal method calls | | Hardcoded test data | Conflicts with existing data | Use unique names like _Test Record {uuid} | | Skipping permission tests | Security holes | Test with different user roles, not just Administrator |