The Tool Desk
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What Cypress can hide—and what it cannot
Cypress calls the feature “Blackout elements in screenshots.” It replaces matching page elements in the captured image based on CSS selectors. This is useful for account names, email addresses, invoices, access tokens rendered in a page, or test-only secret fixtures.
The selector must match an element that exists when the screenshot is taken. Cypress does not claim to discover every secret automatically. Text painted onto a canvas, content inside an unmatched shadow tree, or a value displayed by a different element will not be protected merely because it is sensitive.
- Supported approach: provide an array of CSS selectors in the
blackoutoption. - Capture scope: documentation limits blackout to
viewportcaptures and says it is ignored forrunnercaptures. Test the exact behavior of your installed version, especially if you use another capture mode. - Operational scope: masking a new screenshot does not redact files already saved, uploaded to CI, or shared through Cypress Cloud.
Mark sensitive regions with durable selectors
Prefer selectors that are part of your application’s intentional test contract rather than styling classes likely to change. A data attribute makes the intent obvious:
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<span data-hide="true">alex@example.com</span>
<div class="secret-info">Account number: 0042</div>Keep the attribute on the smallest region that contains the secret. Masking an entire page panel is safer than missing a nested value, but it can make debugging harder. If a component renders asynchronously, wait until it is present before capturing.
Black out elements in one screenshot
Use an application (viewport) capture and pass selectors as an array:
it('hides private account data', () => {
cy.visit('/account');
cy.get('[data-hide="true"]').should('be.visible');
cy.screenshot('account-redacted', {
capture: 'viewport',
blackout: ['.secret-info', '[data-hide="true"]'],
});
});capture: 'viewport' is deliberate. Cypress documents other values, including fullPage and runner, but its blackout guidance is specifically limited to viewport captures. A full-page shot may be useful for long documents, yet you should verify masking in your installed Cypress release before treating it as safe for secrets. Never assume a runner screenshot is protected: the API documentation says blackout is ignored there, and runner images include the Cypress interface and Command Log.
Check that selectors actually match
Before taking the screenshot, assert that each sensitive region exists. A typo that matches zero elements can produce an apparently successful but unsafe artifact:
cy.get('.secret-info').should('exist');
cy.get('[data-hide="true"]').should('exist');
cy.screenshot({
capture: 'viewport',
blackout: ['.secret-info', '[data-hide="true"]'],
});For lists, assert the expected count or use a stable parent selector. Review the generated image in a safe local environment; do not paste an unredacted artifact into a ticket while investigating.
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Set a project-wide default
If most screenshots should be application viewport captures, configure the defaults in a Cypress support file. Cypress recommends the support file because it is loaded before test files are evaluated:
// cypress/support/e2e.js
Cypress.Screenshot.defaults({
capture: 'viewport',
blackout: [
'.secret-info',
'[data-hide="true"]',
'[data-sensitive="email"]',
],
});Tests can still override the options for an individual call. Treat the default list as security-sensitive configuration: review it when a new component displays personal or confidential data, and keep selectors valid through refactors.
Temporarily change the DOM for a manual capture
Some values are difficult to select or should not be present even briefly in the image. For a manually requested screenshot, Cypress supports synchronous onBeforeScreenshot and onAfterScreenshot callbacks. Hide the element before capture and restore it afterward:
cy.screenshot('dashboard-without-clock', {
capture: 'viewport',
onBeforeScreenshot($el) {
$el.find('[data-live-clock]').css('visibility', 'hidden');
},
onAfterScreenshot($el) {
$el.find('[data-live-clock]').css('visibility', 'visible');
},
});This is preparation for that manual capture, not a blanket guarantee for automatic failure screenshots. Make the callbacks synchronous and restore the original state so later assertions are not affected. Selector blackout can be combined with this technique when a page needs both permanent masking and temporary layout changes.
Choose the screenshot type deliberately
| Capture | What it contains | Privacy consideration |
|---|---|---|
viewport |
The application in the current browser viewport | The documented scope for blackout; preferred when masking sensitive page elements. |
fullPage |
The application from top to bottom | Useful for long pages, but verify blackout behavior for your Cypress version before relying on it. |
runner |
The Cypress browser interface and Command Log | Blackout is documented as ignored; avoid it when the runner or log could expose data. |
Cypress Cloud guidance describes application capture as viewport or fullPage to keep Command Log information out of screenshots. That is a different concern from whether selector blackout is applied, so configure both intentionally.
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Control automatic screenshots on test failure
During cypress run, Cypress automatically takes a screenshot when a test fails by default. If a failure state can contain secrets that you cannot safely mask, disable that artifact:
// cypress.config.js
const { defineConfig } = require('cypress');
module.exports = defineConfig({
screenshotOnRunFailure: false,
});You can also set this through Cypress configuration as appropriate for your project. Disabling failure screenshots removes a valuable debugging artifact, so use it when the privacy risk outweighs that diagnostic benefit. If you leave it enabled, ensure the page’s sensitive selectors and capture mode are compatible with the behavior of your Cypress release; do not assume a manually configured screenshot option automatically governs every failure path.
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Screenshots are written to the configured screenshotsFolder, which defaults to cypress/screenshots. Cypress documents cleanup of that folder before cypress run when the default asset-cleanup behavior is active. Cleanup is not redaction and is not secure deletion of copies that were already uploaded or archived.
Review the complete artifact path
- Inspect the local screenshots folder and any alternate path configured in your project.
- Check CI upload steps, retention periods, pull-request previews, and build logs.
- Limit who can access Cypress Cloud runs and their screenshots.
- Decide whether failure artifacts should be disabled for tests that process production-like data.
Cypress Cloud documents blackout as masking selected elements in screenshots saved locally or visible to users who can access the Cloud run. Cloud’s controls for captured network data are separate: automatic redaction of certain credential and token fields in Test Replay network logs does not change screenshot pixels. Configure both artifact types if your threat model includes network logs.
Verification checklist before sharing a screenshot
- List every sensitive field that can appear in the tested state, including values revealed after loading or interaction.
- Add stable selectors such as
data-hide="true"to those regions. - Assert that the selectors exist before the capture.
- Use
capture: 'viewport'when relying on the documented blackout behavior. - Open the resulting image and inspect areas outside the intended mask, including headers, toast messages, and error states.
- Test a failure path separately if automatic failure screenshots remain enabled.
- Audit local, CI, and Cloud retention and access after the test run.
Troubleshooting common failures
The secret is visible despite a blackout selector
Check that the selector matches the rendered element at capture time, not only the component source. Wait for the element, confirm the exact attribute spelling and quoting, and inspect whether the value is rendered in a different node, iframe, canvas, or shadow root. Then confirm the screenshot is not a runner capture. If you use fullPage, verify behavior with your installed Cypress version rather than assuming viewport rules apply.
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The screenshot contains the Command Log
You captured runner. Use an application capture (viewport or, after validating masking, fullPage) when the Cypress interface must not appear.
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Manual masking changes the test page
Ensure onBeforeScreenshot and onAfterScreenshot use synchronous DOM changes and restore the original styles. Limit the temporary change to the capture and avoid assertions that depend on the hidden state.
A failure screenshot still contains private data
Automatic failure capture is a separate path. Either make the failure state safe and verify its capture mode, or set screenshotOnRunFailure: false and rely on other diagnostics that your retention policy permits.
Old unredacted images remain in storage
New blackout settings cannot alter existing files. Remove or restrict old local, CI, and Cloud artifacts according to your organization’s retention policy, then run the test again to create clean artifacts.
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FAQ
Does blackout encrypt or delete the original page data?
No. It changes the screenshot output; it does not remove secrets from the application, browser memory, network logs, or previously stored artifacts.
Can I use the same selector list for Cypress and ScreenshotNeo?
The concepts are similar, but ScreenshotNeo’s selector and capture options are configured through its API. Follow the current parameter names in its documentation rather than copying Cypress configuration directly.
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Should I mask test fixtures containing fake secrets?
Yes. Fake values can later be replaced with realistic data, and masking them keeps screenshots safe when test environments evolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Cypress blackout protect screenshots taken by plugins or external reporters?
Not necessarily. The documented option applies to Cypress screenshot capture; verify how any plugin or reporter obtains its image and apply its own redaction controls.
Is disabling failure screenshots enough for privacy compliance?
It prevents that Cypress failure artifact, but other screenshots, videos, network logs, CI files, and Cloud data may still exist. Review the entire capture and retention pipeline.
The Bottom Line
Use stable selectors and blackout with a validated viewport capture, then audit automatic failures and every place artifacts are retained. Cypress masking protects the image you configure—not every representation of the underlying data.
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