To configure Happo for a React component library that already has Storybook, install the happo development dependency, point a root-level happo.config.ts at the Storybook configuration directory, then run the Happo CLI. Current Happo documentation says the CLI adds its client runtime to the Storybook package it builds, so the basic setup does not require a manual Storybook registration import. This guide covers the setup, CI, coverage choices, quota planning, and common problems.
What you need before configuring Happo
This setup assumes your React component library has a working Storybook app and stories that render the components you want to compare. Storybook provides isolated component examples; Happo captures those examples and compares them with a baseline. The exact commands below use npm, but equivalent package-manager commands are included.
- A React component library with Storybook configured and runnable.
- At least one story for the components you want to include.
- A Happo account and the credentials required by your Happo project when you run captures. Consult the current Happo Storybook documentation for account and CI setup details.
Install Happo and add the minimum configuration
-
Install Happo as a development dependency:
npm install --save-dev happo # or: pnpm add --save-dev happo # or: yarn add --dev happo -
At the project root, create
happo.config.ts. The default Storybook configuration directory is.storybook; change it if your repository uses a different path.import { defineConfig } from 'happo'; export default defineConfig({ integration: { type: 'storybook', configDir: '.storybook', }, // Add other Happo settings here as needed. }); -
Add a script to the root
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{ "scripts": { "happo": "happo" } } -
Run the integration:
npm run happoUse
pnpm happooryarn happoif that is how your project invokes package scripts. The Happo CLI builds the Storybook package and captures its eligible stories.
Do you need to register the Happo runtime manually?
Not for the basic current setup: Happo says its CLI inserts the client runtime into the Storybook package it builds. Older instructions may show import 'happo/storybook/register'; Happo documentation says manual registration was required before version 6.19.1. Check your installed version before carrying over older snippets. The import can still be useful for optional helpers such as theme switching or forced screenshots.
When to add the Happo Storybook preset or decorator
The preset and decorator are optional. Add them when you want to inspect Happo parameters or use its testing helpers inside Storybook. They are not prerequisites for the minimum CLI integration, and older decorator examples may reflect behavior that predates Happo 6.19.1. Follow the current instructions for your installed version rather than adding a legacy setup by default.
Adjust the Storybook build integration when needed
The default paths work for a conventional Storybook project. For a monorepo, custom builder, or existing build pipeline, verify the directory Storybook actually uses and the output it actually produces before changing Happo settings. The integration options documented by Happo include:
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| Option | Purpose and guidance |
|---|---|
configDir |
Storybook configuration folder; defaults to .storybook. |
outputDir |
Compiled output folder; defaults to .out. Set it to the output directory your build uses when the default is not correct. |
staticDir |
Comma-separated list of directories containing static assets. |
usePrebuiltPackage |
Set to true to skip the Storybook build and use an existing package. Ensure outputDir points to that package. |
previewOnly |
Build only the preview, without the Storybook manager UI. The documented default is true; set it to false if you need to download built packages to browse locally. |
navigatePerStory |
Load each story in a fresh page instead of navigating client-side. This is slower, but can help isolate state that leaks between stories. |
Most options align with Storybook’s build-storybook options, according to the Happo integration guide. Treat the guide as the reference for exact configuration syntax if your builder or Storybook version differs from the baseline shown here.
Run Happo in CI and maintain a useful baseline
Run Happo on pull requests to catch changes and on your main or default branch to keep baseline screenshots current. Happo’s pricing FAQ says its CLI automatically detects common CI providers, including GitHub Actions, CircleCI, Travis CI, and Azure DevOps; use its CI documentation for provider-specific environment setup. The exact workflow file depends on your repository, package manager, credentials, and build configuration.
Use partial runs for large story catalogs
Happo’s --only and --skip options can limit which components or story files are freshly rendered. For a partial pull-request run, Happo describes finding a recent baseline from Git history, rendering the included stories, and combining new screenshots with matching baseline screenshots for a complete report. Keep both pull-request and main/default-branch runs configured: without a usable baseline, selective comparisons may not behave as intended. A pending baseline can delay the final comparison, and unresolved or malformed story metadata can cause a fallback to a full run. Log the filter used in CI so you can diagnose what the run covered.
Deleted stories remain represented in comparison reports. When a story is excluded with parameters.happo = false, either at story level or file level, it is not newly captured. With --only or --skip, excluded stories can still appear in the report using baseline data; only newly rendered screenshots count toward quota.
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Choose stories, themes, and browser coverage deliberately
Prioritize meaningful component states
Do not aim for the largest story count. Include named stories for states where a visual regression would matter to consumers of the library. Depending on the component, that may mean default, disabled, loading, error, open-menu, hover or focus, and long or localized content. Stories should make the state reproducible rather than depend on incidental data or timing.
Happo’s product description says interaction tests can drive a component into a state before screenshot capture. Use behavior assertions and visual comparison as complementary checks: a visual diff shows rendered change, while an interaction test checks behavior.
Capture theme variants
Happo documents a happo.themes story parameter, for example ['light', 'dark'], and a theme-switching helper available through happo/storybook/register. Ensure the switcher changes the same theme inputs used by the production component; otherwise the captured variants may not reflect real theme behavior.
Balance browsers and viewports against product needs
Choose a matrix based on the component states and themes that matter, responsive breakpoints that exercise layout changes, and the browsers your users need. Happo’s product page advertises rendering across Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and iOS Safari, but which browsers are included depends on the plan. Check the current Happo pricing page before relying on a specific browser entitlement. Happo also describes accessibility checks alongside screenshot testing; an accessibility finding and a visual diff answer different questions, so neither replaces the other.
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Estimate snapshot use before expanding the matrix
Happo defines one snapshot as one screenshot of one component variant in one browser. Its basic monthly estimate is:
component variants × browsers × Happo runs per month
For illustration, Happo’s pricing page gives the example 50 components × 3 browsers × 100 monthly runs = 15,000 snapshots per month. That is a vendor example, not a prediction of what a particular team will use. Count your included stories or variants, browsers, routine CI runs, and likely reruns.
The pricing page lists a free plan with 5,000 snapshots per month in Chrome, with no time limit or credit card. It also lists paid plans with larger quotas and browser choices. Happo’s FAQ says a free account at quota is paused until an upgrade or the next cycle, while paid overages are billed at the listed rate. Pricing, quotas, and browser entitlements can change, so confirm current terms directly on the pricing page.
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Troubleshoot common setup and coverage problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or change |
|---|---|---|
| Happo cannot find the Storybook configuration or build | configDir or output path does not match the repository’s actual layout. |
Check where the Storybook configuration lives; set configDir accordingly. For a custom or prebuilt package, align outputDir with the directory actually produced or supplied. |
| An older example asks for manual runtime registration | The instruction may target a Happo version before 6.19.1. | Use the current integration docs for the installed version. Current CLI setup does not require the registration import for the basic flow. |
| A partial PR run turns into a full run or lacks a comparison | The baseline may be missing, pending, or unusable; story metadata may be malformed. | Ensure the main/default branch is also run, inspect metadata and filters, and log the selected --only or --skip values in CI. |
| Theme screenshots do not reflect the intended appearance | The theme helper may not be changing the production theme inputs. | Verify the story parameter and switcher update the same theme configuration the component uses in the application. |
| Snapshot use is higher than expected | Every freshly rendered component variant in every browser contributes a snapshot; retries add runs. | Recount eligible variants, browser targets, and CI reruns. Exclude genuinely unstable or irrelevant stories with parameters.happo = false, or narrow a PR run with supported story filters. |
| State appears to leak from one story to another | Client-side navigation can preserve state between stories. | Consider navigatePerStory to load each story in a fresh page, accepting slower runs in exchange for isolation. |
Or skip the browser setup
If your immediate need is a website screenshot rather than a visual-regression baseline for Storybook stories, ScreenshotNeo offers a one-request screenshot API and an MCP server for AI agents. It is not a replacement for configuring Happo to compare a component library’s stories, but it can avoid maintaining browser-capture code for standalone page screenshots.
See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation. This cURL request captures Stripe as a WebP file; replace the URL with the page you need and provide your API key:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture. Bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are not billed. Its MCP server gives AI agents screenshot tools, and the free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots. Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Happo be used with React component libraries?
Yes. The documented Storybook integration captures eligible stories, so a React library can use its Storybook examples as visual comparison targets.
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The documented previewOnly default is true, which builds the preview without the manager UI. Set it to false when you need the manager for browsing a downloaded build.
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