Paragon generates tests using AI. Describe what you want to test, and Paragon writes the code. There are two ways to generate tests depending on the type.
Test Generation Methods Test Type Method What It Creates E2E Tests E2E Builder Step-based browser tests Code Tests AI Agent Unit/integration test files Performance Inline Config Performance test with budgets
E2E Builder (Step-Based Tests) The E2E Builder creates browser-based tests that run against your deployed application.
Creating an E2E Test
Go to Testing > Tests
Navigate to the Tests page
Click New Test
Click “New Test” button
Select Repository
Choose the repository for this test
Choose E2E
Select “E2E” as the test type
Open E2E Builder
You’re redirected to the visual builder
Building Steps The E2E Builder provides a visual interface to create test flows:
Navigation Steps Step Description Example Navigate Go to a URL https://myapp.com/loginRefresh Reload current page — New Tab Open URL in new tab — Switch Tab Switch between tabs —
Interaction Steps Step Description Example Click Click an element Button, link, checkbox Type Enter text in input Form fields Select Choose dropdown option Select menus Hover Hover over element Dropdown triggers Scroll Scroll to element Lazy-loaded content Drag and Drop Drag element Kanban boards File Upload Upload file File inputs
AI Steps Use natural language for complex interactions:
Step Description Example Paragon Action AI performs action ”Fill in the login form with test credentials” Paragon Check AI verifies state ”Verify the user is logged in” Paragon Extract AI extracts data ”Get the order ID from the confirmation”
AI steps are powerful for complex flows. Instead of specifying exact selectors, describe what you want in plain English.
Assertion Steps Step Description Example Wait Wait for time/element Wait 2 seconds Wait for URL Wait for navigation /dashboard appears in URLElement Check Verify element state Button is visible/enabled Page Check Verify page content Text appears on page
Data Steps Step Description Example Set Cookie Inject cookie Auth cookies Local Storage Set localStorage Feature flags Set Header Add request header Auth tokens
Authentication in E2E Tests If your tests need to access protected pages, you can record your login flow directly in the E2E builder.
Setting Up Auth In the E2E builder:
Click the key icon to start recording authentication
Log in to your app in the browser
Paragon captures your auth session
Save your test - the auth is saved with it
Future test runs will use the captured session to authenticate automatically.
Use a dedicated test account when recording authentication.
Running E2E Tests E2E tests run against your deployed application (production, staging, or preview URL).
E2E tests cannot run on PR events because there’s no deployed app yet. They run:
Manually : Click run buttonOn Schedule : Daily, weekly, customOn Push : After merge to production (if base URL is production) E2E Test Results After running, view:
Step-by-step breakdown : Each step with pass/fail and durationScreenshots : Captured at each stepVideo recording : Full test playbackConsole logs : Browser console outputNetwork requests : API calls made during testAccessibility violations : WCAG issues detected
Code Test Generation (Unit & Integration) Generate unit and integration tests that live in your repository.
Creating Code Tests
Go to Testing > Tests
Navigate to the Tests page
Click New Test
Click “New Test” button
Select Repository
Choose the repository for this test
Choose Unit or Integration
Select the test type
Click Generate Tab
Switch to “Generate New” tab
Open Agent
You’re redirected to the AI agent
Describe Your Test
Tell the agent what to test in natural language
Review Generated Code
Agent creates the test file
Create or PR
Save directly or create a PR with the test
Writing Good Prompts The better your prompt, the better the generated test.
Unit Test Prompts Be specific about the function and expected behavior:
Test the calculateDiscount function: - Returns 0 for orders under $50 - Returns 10% off for orders $50-$100 - Returns 20% off for orders over $100 - Throws error for negative amounts
Integration Test Prompts Specify the endpoint, inputs, and expected outputs:
Test POST /api/users/register: - Returns 201 and user object for valid email/password - Returns 400 for invalid email format - Returns 409 if email already exists - Password is not included in response
Supported Frameworks Paragon generates tests in your preferred framework:
Language Frameworks JavaScript/TypeScript vitest, jest, mocha Python pytest, unittest Go go test Rust cargo test Ruby rspec, minitest Java junit, testng C# xunit, nunit, mstest C++ gtest, catch2, ctest
Framework is detected from your project config or can be manually specified.
Code Test Results After running, view:
Test output : Standard framework outputAssertion results : Each assertion with pass/failCoverage (if enabled): Lines covered by testDuration : Time to run each test
Create tests that measure page load performance.
Go to Testing > Tests
Navigate to the Tests page
Click New Test
Click “New Test” button
Select Repository
Choose the repository
Choose Performance
Select “Performance” test type
Add URLs
Enter pages to test
Set Budgets
Configure performance thresholds
Configure Conditions
Set network and CPU throttling
Run Test
Execute the performance test
Set thresholds for key metrics:
Metric Description Good Target LCP Largest Contentful Paint < 2.5s FCP First Contentful Paint < 1.8s CLS Cumulative Layout Shift < 0.1 TTFB Time to First Byte < 0.8s
Test Conditions Simulate real-world conditions:
Network Throttling:
4G (typical mobile)
Fast 3G
Slow 3G
No throttling
CPU Throttling:
No throttle
2x slowdown
4x slowdown
6x slowdown
Iterations:
Run 1-10 times for consistent results
Test Organization Suites Tests are organized into suites (folders):
Repository: my-app ├── Suite: Authentication │ ├── Test: Login flow (E2E) │ ├── Test: Registration (E2E) │ └── Test: validateEmail (Unit) ├── Suite: API │ ├── Test: GET /users (Integration) │ └── Test: POST /orders (Integration) └── Suite: Performance └── Test: Homepage load
When creating a test:
Add to an existing suite
Create a new suite
Editing Tests Click any test to:
Update name or description
Regenerate code with new prompt
Move to different suite
Delete test
Next Steps
Test Runner Learn how tests run on PRs and pushes
