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maestro-debug-test

Run a Maestro E2E test, and if it fails, diagnose and fix it in a loop until it passes. Analyzes failure screenshots, failed steps, and device view hierarchy via Maestro MCP to determine root cause, applies fixes, and re-runs. Use when the user says "debug this test", "fix this maestro test", "why is this test failing", or wants to get a Maestro test passing.

personAuthor: jakexiaohubgithub
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Debug Maestro Test

Run a Maestro test and, if it fails, enter a diagnose-fix-rerun loop until it passes.

The user provides a path to a .yml flow file. If relative, resolve from workspace root.

Step 1: Run the test

Verify the path exists, clean previous results, and run:

ls <resolved-path>
rm -rf build/maestro-results
maestro test --test-output-dir=build/maestro-results <resolved-path>

If the user specifies extra flags (e.g. --include-tags, --device), append them.

  • Exit code 0 → All tests passed. Report success and stop.
  • Non-zero → Test failed. Continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Diagnose

2a. Locate failure artifacts

ls -la build/maestro-results/$(ls -t build/maestro-results/ | head -1)/

Look for: screenshot-❌-*.png, commands-*.json, ai-*.json

2b. Read the failure screenshot

Use the Read tool on screenshot-❌-*.png to see visual state at failure time.

2c. Read the test flow

Read the .yml file and all sub-flows it references (runFlow entries). Identify the failed step from the test output.

2d. Inspect the live device

The device is frozen at the failure point. Use both Maestro MCP tools:

  • user-maestro-take_screenshot — current visual state
  • user-maestro-inspect_view_hierarchy — all elements with text, IDs, bounds, and states

Search the hierarchy for:

  • The element the test was looking for (exact text or ID match)
  • Similar elements with slightly different text, IDs, or casing
  • Whether the expected element exists but is off-screen or hidden

Note: Secure text inputs (password fields) may show placeholder text in screenshots even when they have values. The hierarchy value field will show masked dots (e.g. •••••••••••). Don't assume a password field is empty just because the screenshot shows the placeholder label.

2e. Try the failed command via MCP

Use user-maestro-run_flow to attempt the exact failing command on the live device:

appId: com.guideline.mobile
---
- tapOn: <the selector that failed>
  • Command succeeds → The element IS accessible, but wasn't ready during the test run. This is a timing issue. Fix with extendedWaitUntil to wait for the element before acting on it.
  • Command fails → The element genuinely doesn't exist or has changed. Proceed to 2f to determine why.

2f. Compare expected vs actual

| | Expected (from test YAML) | Actual (from device) | | ----------- | ------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | Screen | What screen should the test be on? | What screen is actually showing? | | Element | What text/ID is the test looking for? | Is it present? Under a different name? | | State | What state should the app be in? | Is it loading, showing an error, or on a different screen? |

2g. Determine root cause

| Category | Symptoms | How to confirm | | -------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Accessibility tree lag | Element visible in screenshot, MCP command works, but test failed | Hierarchy is empty/sparse despite full visual render. MCP tap succeeds. | | Text changed | Element not found, but similar text in hierarchy | Search for partial match | | ID changed | ID not found in hierarchy | Search by visible text instead | | Wrong screen | Expected element doesn't exist anywhere | Screenshot shows unexpected screen | | Loading/timing | Spinner or skeleton visible | Hierarchy contains loading indicators | | Off-screen | Element in hierarchy but not in screenshot | Bounds outside viewport | | Conditional flow | A when guard skipped a required step | Check env vars and conditional logic | | New modal/sheet | Overlay blocking interaction | Screenshot/hierarchy show modal | | Behavior change | Data or content the test asserted is missing/different | Element exists but content changed — prompt the user (Step 2h) |

Step 2h: Prompt the user when behavior changes are ambiguous

CRITICAL: Before applying any fix, evaluate whether the failure is a test issue or a possible app bug. If the diagnosis shows the app's actual behavior has changed (not just a selector rename or timing problem), you MUST stop and ask the user before modifying the test.

Always prompt when:

  • Data that the test expected to be visible is missing entirely (e.g., a price or percentage no longer appears)
  • The UI layout or content has structurally changed (e.g., fewer columns, different data in a view)
  • An element that previously existed is gone and there's no obvious replacement
  • The test was asserting specific business logic (e.g., "this tab shows percentages") and that behavior appears to have changed

Fix without prompting when:

  • A selector (text or ID) was renamed but the element still exists with the same purpose
  • A timing issue caused the test to miss an element that is genuinely present
  • An element moved off-screen but is still in the hierarchy
  • A new modal or sheet appeared that just needs dismissing

When prompting, always use the AskQuestion tool (never ask conversationally). Present the context in the question prompt and provide structured options:

  1. Summarize what the test expected vs. what the app actually shows
  2. Note whether this looks like an intentional UI change or a potential regression
  3. Offer options such as:
    • "Update the test to match the new behavior"
    • "This is an app bug — skip this fix"
    • "I need to investigate more before deciding"

Scope fixes precisely. When a failure affects one specific tab/view/state, only fix that specific case. Do not blanket-apply the same fix to similar assertions in other tabs/views unless you have confirmed each one independently. For example, if "Last 7 days" no longer shows percentages, do NOT assume "Your all time" and "# of shares" also changed — check each one separately.

Step 3: Fix and continue via MCP

After diagnosing (and prompting the user if needed per Step 2h), apply the fix to the YAML and continue running the remaining steps on the live device using user-maestro-run_flow. This avoids restarting the entire test from scratch for each fix.

3a. Apply the fix to the YAML

Edit the test file (or sub-flow) with the minimal change needed. Preserve headers, comments, and existing patterns.

Choosing the right fix — always check the screenshot first:

  1. Take a screenshot (user-maestro-take_screenshot) to see the actual screen.
  2. Is the element visible on screen?
    • Yes, on screen → Timing issue. Use extendedWaitUntil to wait for the element.
    • Yes, but below the fold / off-screen → Use scrollUntilVisible to scroll to it.
    • No, wrong screen entirely → Fix navigation or conditional logic.

Never use scrollUntilVisible for timing. It should only be used when the element is genuinely off-screen. For timing issues, use extendedWaitUntil.

Common fixes:

| Symptom | Fix | | ---------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Element on screen but test couldn't find it (timing) | Add extendedWaitUntil with visible selector (default timeout: 5000ms) | | MCP command works but test failed (timing) | Add extendedWaitUntil before the step (default timeout: 5000ms) | | Element below the fold / off-screen | Add scrollUntilVisible before the tap/assert | | Screen still loading (spinner visible) | Add extendedWaitUntil for post-loading content | | Text not found | Update selector to match current accessibility text | | New modal/sheet | Add optional dismiss: tapOn: text: "Got it", optional: true | | Element ID renamed | Update id to match current hierarchy | | Navigation path changed | Add/update tap steps for new intermediate screens | | Conditional skipped needed step | Set env var or make step unconditional |

3b. Run remaining steps via MCP

Instead of re-running the full test from the beginning, use user-maestro-run_flow to execute the remaining commands from the failure point forward. Build a YAML snippet containing the commands that haven't run yet (from the failed step onward, incorporating your fix).

appId: com.guideline.mobile
---
# The fixed version of the failed step
- <fixed command>
# Remaining steps from the flow that haven't executed yet
- <next command>
- <next command>
...
  • All remaining steps pass → The fix works. Proceed to Step 4 for a full re-run to confirm.
  • A later step fails → You found the next issue without restarting. Diagnose it (go back to Step 2) using the device's current state.
  • The fixed step still fails → The fix was wrong. Re-diagnose with the new information.

This is much faster than a full re-run because the app is already logged in and navigated to the right screen.

Step 4: Full re-run to confirm

Once all steps pass via MCP, do a clean full re-run to make sure everything works end-to-end:

rm -rf build/maestro-results
maestro test --test-output-dir=build/maestro-results <resolved-path>
  • Test passed → Report the fix summary and stop.
  • Test failed → Go back to Step 2. The failure may be a timing issue that only appears on a cold start.
  • 3+ full re-run failures on the same step → Stop and report. It may be an app bug, not a test issue.

Reporting

After each loop iteration, briefly report:

  1. Failed step and root cause
  2. Fix applied (what changed and why)
  3. Re-run result (pass / new failure / same failure)

When the loop ends (pass or bail), give a final summary of all changes made.