Export a session as a test
export writes a spec from the recorded steps. Refs are replaced with stable selectors. For a web page, the first of these that matches exactly one element is used: a test id (data-testid, data-test, data-qa), a role selector such as role/button[name="Add to cart"], an accessible name (aria/Add to cart), an id, the text of a button or link, a form field name, and finally a CSS path.
npx wdio session export --out test/specs/cart.e2e.ts
npx wdio run wdio.conf.ts --spec test/specs/cart.e2e.ts
history prints the steps before you export. history clear drops them.
Page objects​
--page-objects writes a page object next to the spec. Selectors are grouped by the path they ran on. A literal $('…') in a recorded step becomes a getter. $$, strings that happen to contain $('…'), and a dynamic $(selector) stay as they are.
npx wdio session export --page-objects --out test/specs/cart.e2e.ts
The command refuses to overwrite a page object that is already in the output directory. Move --out or remove that file first. The spec file itself is written again.
A import at the top of an exec step is hoisted to the top of the spec, outside the test function.
Helpers​
Add a file under .wdio/helpers/ when a step is too long for exec. Each file default-exports a function that receives the browser and registers commands with addCommand. Relative imports stay relative to that file. Bare package imports resolve from the project.
import { mark } from './util.js'
export default function login (browser) {
browser.addCommand('fillLogin', async (email) => {
await browser.$('#email').setValue(email + mark)
})
}
Helpers are loaded when the session opens and again with npx wdio session helpers --reload. If .wdio/helpers does not exist yet, the session watches for it. Helpers become custom commands in the exported test.
