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To use Chromatic with a Vite-based Storybook, keep Storybook on its Vite builder, add the Storybook-maintained Chromatic addon, connect a Chromatic project, and publish a first build to create visual baselines. Review later differences before accepting them, then run the same publishing and comparison workflow in CI using a protected project token.
How the Vite, Storybook, and Chromatic pieces fit together
Storybook’s Vite builder runs stories using Vite and can reuse the Vite configuration from your application. Chromatic builds and uploads the Storybook, captures story snapshots, and compares later snapshots with established baselines. The comparison helps identify visual changes in rendered appearance; it does not replace interaction, accessibility, or other functional tests.
Storybook describes the integration this way: “Storybook supports cross-browser visual testing natively using Chromatic, a cloud service made by the Storybook team.” See the Storybook visual testing documentation.
Set up Storybook’s Vite builder
Confirm the builder
Check that the project uses a Vite-based Storybook framework. Storybook’s Vite builder is the standard recommended choice for most cases, and initialization may already have installed it. The builder can reuse the application’s Vite configuration. Consult the Storybook Vite builder documentation for setup and supported options.
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Keep Vite configuration in the right place
Put general Vite settings in the project’s Vite config where practical. If Storybook needs a specific adjustment, use viteFinal in .storybook/main.ts or the matching JavaScript configuration file. If the Vite config lives outside the expected project root, the builder supports viteConfigPath. Avoid carrying over Webpack-specific settings without verifying that they apply to Vite.
Add Chromatic to Storybook
- From the project root, run
npx storybook@latest add @chromatic-com/storybook. The command adds the official Storybook visual testing addon and guides you through connecting a Chromatic project. - Sign in to Chromatic and create or select the project for this Storybook. The setup can add required configuration and project identification after you select the project.
- Check your installed Storybook version against the current addon instructions before upgrading or applying version-specific advice. The cited Storybook 8 documentation says Storybook 7.6 or higher is required for the addon.
See the Storybook visual testing guide for the addon workflow and version context.
Publish the first build and establish baselines
Chromatic’s CLI builds and uploads Storybook, then starts its publishing and visual testing workflow. The first build captures story snapshots that serve as baselines. Later builds compare their snapshots against those baselines and flag differences for review.
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- Run the addon’s configured workflow or publish Storybook with the Chromatic CLI, supplying the project token as required.
- Wait for the build and snapshot comparisons to finish, then inspect the highlighted changes.
- Accept a difference only if the visual change is intentional. If it is unexpected, correct the story or application and publish again.
Accepted baselines are synchronized to the cloud so teammates and CI can use them. For CLI configuration, including the project token and custom build scripts, refer to Chromatic’s CLI documentation.
Choose CLI or GitHub Actions for CI
The CLI is portable across CI providers and can also be run locally. The GitHub Action is a convenient option for GitHub repositories, where it can use repository secrets and report results in the pull-request workflow. Both routes publish Storybook and check it against synchronized baselines.
| Approach | Best suited to | Configuration considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Chromatic CLI | Local use or CI systems beyond GitHub Actions | Supports chromatic.config.json in the project root; command-line flags take precedence over config-file options. The default build script is build-storybook, with options for custom scripts or an already-built Storybook directory. |
| Chromatic GitHub Action | GitHub pull-request checks | Store the project token in repository secrets. Pin the action to a major or exact version if you do not want to follow latest; consult the current action documentation for tags and runner examples. |
Protect the project token
In CI, save the project token as a protected secret, conventionally named CHROMATIC_PROJECT_TOKEN. Do not commit a real token in source code or expose it in logs. Configure the job to build and publish the correct Storybook, and make its result visible on the pull request.
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Chromatic’s GitHub Actions documentation covers repository secrets, action versions, and options such as zip uploads for large builds. Check the current documentation before copying version tags or runner details, which can change.
Review visual differences and share published builds
Visual testing compares rendered story appearances. Pixel comparison evaluates the rendered image; markup snapshot comparison evaluates rendered HTML. These methods can catch appearance changes such as layout, color, size, or contrast, but a passing visual comparison does not establish that every behavior or accessibility requirement works.
- Review changes in context instead of automatically accepting every difference.
- Update a baseline only when the new appearance is expected.
- Pair visual checks with interaction, accessibility, and other tests where those are part of the project’s quality requirements.
Chromatic-published Storybooks are private by default for logged-in collaborators, and visibility can be changed to public. Confirm the project’s visibility setting before sharing a published link beyond the team; see Chromatic’s publishing documentation.
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Common setup problems
The addon command reports an incompatible Storybook version
Check the installed Storybook version and follow the addon instructions for that version. The Storybook 8 guide specifies 7.6 or higher for the addon; verify the current documentation before changing project dependencies.
Storybook builds locally but Chromatic fails to build it
Check that Chromatic is invoking the correct build script. Its default is build-storybook; set the documented custom script option or point the workflow at an already-built Storybook directory when your project uses a different build process.
Vite-specific settings do not take effect in Storybook
Keep shared settings in the project’s Vite config, verify that Storybook is using the Vite builder, and use viteFinal for Storybook-only changes. If the config file is not in the expected location, set viteConfigPath. Do not assume Webpack configuration transfers to Vite.
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CI cannot authenticate or report a result
Confirm that the project token is available to the workflow as a protected secret, that the secret name matches the workflow configuration, and that it has not been committed or omitted from the job’s permitted secrets. For GitHub Actions, compare the workflow with Chromatic’s current official action documentation.
A visual difference appears after a harmless-looking change
Inspect the highlighted snapshots and decide whether the appearance change is intentional. Accept the new baseline only for intended changes; otherwise fix the implementation or story and publish another build.
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