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A flaky test produces different results across runs without code changes. It passes on one execution and fails on the next, or passes only after a retry.

Quick Reference

ViewPathBest for
QA DashboardDashboard → QA ViewTeam-wide flaky overview
Developer DashboardDashboard → Developer ViewAuthor-specific flaky tests
Analytics SummaryAnalytics → SummaryFlakiness trends
Test Run SummaryTest Runs → SummaryPer-run flaky breakdown
Test Case HistoryTest Case → HistorySingle test stability
Test ExplorerTest ExplorerFlaky rate by file and test case
Cross-EnvironmentDashboard → QA ViewFlaky rates per environment

How Detection Works

Flaky test detection activates automatically when retries are enabled in Playwright. No additional configuration required.
playwright.config.ts
export default defineConfig({
  retries: process.env.CI ? 2 : 0,
});
TestDino detects flaky tests in two ways: Within a single run. A test that fails initially but passes on retry is marked flaky. The retry count appears in the test details. Test marked as flaky after passing on retry Across multiple runs. Tests with inconsistent outcomes on the same code are flagged. TestDino tracks pass/fail patterns and calculates a stability percentage. Stability percentage showing inconsistent test results across runs
Both detection methods indicate that the test result depends on something other than your code.

Flaky Test Categories

TestDino classifies flaky tests by root cause:
CategoryDescription
Timing RelatedRace conditions, order dependencies, and insufficient waits
Environment DependentFails only in specific environments or runners
Network DependentIntermittent API or service failures
Assertion IntermittentNon-deterministic data causes occasional mismatches
OtherUnstable for reasons outside the above

Common causes

  • Fixed waits instead of waiting for the page to be ready
  • Missing await causes steps to run out of order
  • Weak selectors that match more than one element
  • Tests share data and affect each other
  • Parallel runs collide on the same user or record
  • Slow or unstable network or third-party APIs
  • CI setup differs from local environment

Where to Find Flaky Tests

QA Dashboard

Open Dashboard → QA View. The Most Flaky Tests panel lists tests with the highest flaky rates in the selected period and environment. Each entry shows the test name, spec file, flaky rate percentage, and a link to the latest run. Click any test to open its most recent execution. Most Flaky Tests panel showing test names with flaky percentages

Developer Dashboard

Open Dashboard → Developer View. The Flaky Tests Alert panel shows flaky tests filtered by author. Flaky Tests Alert panel showing tests grouped by author

Analytics Summary

Open Analytics → Summary. The Flakiness & Test Issues chart shows the flaky rate trend over time and a list of flaky tests with spec file and execution date. A rising trend indicates increasing instability in your test suite. Flakiness trend chart with percentage over time and list of affected tests

Test Run Summary

Open any test run. The Summary tab shows flaky test counts grouped by category: Timing Related, Environment Dependent, Network Dependent, Assertion Intermittent, and Other Flaky. Test run summary showing flaky test counts by category Click a category to filter the detailed analysis table.

Test Case History

Open a specific test case and go to the History tab. The stability percentage shows how often the test passes: Stability = (Passed Runs / Total Runs) x 100 A test with 100% stability has never failed or been flaky. Any value below 100% indicates inconsistent behavior. The Last Flaky tile links to the most recent run where the test was marked flaky. Test case history showing stability percentage and last flaky run

Test Explorer

Open Test Explorer from the sidebar. The Flaky Rate column shows the percentage of executions with flaky results for each spec file or test case. Sort by flaky rate to find the most unstable specs. Expand a spec row to see flaky rates for individual test cases, or switch to Flat view to compare across files.

Cross-Environment Comparison

Open Dashboard → QA View → Cross-Environment Performance. The Flaky Rate row shows flaky percentages per environment. Cross-environment performance showing flaky rates per environment
High flaky rates in specific environments suggest environment-dependent issues like resource constraints or service availability.

CI Check Behavior

GitHub CI Checks handle flaky tests in two modes:
ModeBehaviorUse case
StrictFlaky tests count as failuresProduction branches where stability matters
NeutralFlaky tests excluded from pass rateDevelopment branches to reduce noise
See GitHub CI Checks for configuration details.

Export Flaky Test Data

Use the TestDino MCP server to query flaky tests programmatically:
List flaky tests from the last 7 days on the main environment
The MCP server returns test names, flaky rates, and run IDs for further analysis.
See TestDino MCP for more details. Test Explorer, CI checks, MCP, and analytics.