Run Applitools visual tests in GitHub Actions by keeping the Eyes test in your existing test framework, storing the Applitools API key as a GitHub Actions secret, and running the test on the repository events you choose. Use the commit SHA as a stable batch ID so results can be tied to the code revision, then review visual differences in Applitools Test Manager before accepting a new baseline.
How the GitHub Actions workflow fits together
Applitools Eyes is added to an existing test framework rather than replacing it. The exact test code and command depend on the SDK and framework; the available Applitools examples cover Cypress and Selenium Java, not every framework. Start with the matching SDK documentation and run the visual test locally before wiring it into CI. Applitools Cypress quickstart and Applitools Selenium Java quickstart provide framework-specific starting points.
- Check out the repository and set up the runtime and dependencies.
- Provide the Applitools API key securely to the test process.
- Run the project’s visual test command for the intended push or pull request events.
- Associate the run with the revision using a stable batch ID, such as the commit SHA.
- Inspect the GitHub check and review any detected differences in Applitools Test Manager.
The GitHub Actions workflow is the CI wrapper; the visual assertions remain in the project’s normal test suite. An older Applitools integration walkthrough demonstrates this workflow shape and the review loop, but its third-party action example should not be assumed to be currently supported or official. Applitools GitHub Actions integration article.
Configure the API key as a GitHub secret
Create an Applitools API key in your Applitools account, then add it to the GitHub repository as a secret. In GitHub, open the repository’s Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions, choose New repository secret, and use APPLITOOLS_API_KEY as the secret name. Paste the key as the value. Do not put the key directly in committed workflow YAML, test configuration, or command-line text that may be logged.
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Expose that secret to the test process as an environment variable in the workflow job or step:
env:
APPLITOOLS_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.APPLITOOLS_API_KEY }}Applitools documents the environment-variable setup for its SDKs; confirm the exact SDK behavior for the framework in use. Applitools API key documentation.
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Add a GitHub Actions workflow
Use the runtime setup, dependency installation, and test command already appropriate for the project. The following is a workflow skeleton, not a universal runnable test recipe: replace the runtime setup and npm test with the versions and command your repository actually uses. For a Cypress project, the test command must run the Cypress suite containing the Eyes checks; for Selenium Java, it should invoke the project’s existing build tool and visual test target.
name: Applitools visual tests
on:
pull_request:
push:
branches: [main]
jobs:
visual-tests:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
env:
APPLITOOLS_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.APPLITOOLS_API_KEY }}
APPLITOOLS_BATCH_ID: ${{ github.sha }}
steps:
- name: Check out repository
uses: actions/checkout@v4
# Add the runtime setup and dependency installation steps
# required by this repository.
- name: Run visual tests
run: npm testThe APPLITOOLS_BATCH_ID environment variable illustrates the commit-SHA batch identity approach described in Applitools’ GitHub Actions tutorial. Verify the variable name and batch configuration supported by the SDK and version you use; SDK configuration differs. A batch ID ties results to a revision, while the pull request check gives reviewers a route to the run. Applitools GitHub Actions integration article.
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Set the events to match your review process. A pull-request trigger runs checks for proposed changes; a push trigger can cover commits to a selected branch. Avoid triggering redundant runs on the same change unless that is intentional.
Review and accept visual differences
Use the GitHub check to find the run, then open its results in Applitools Test Manager. A detected difference is a review item, not automatic proof that the change is correct or incorrect. Compare the changed rendering with the intended product change and accept a new baseline only when the visual change is expected. Reject or investigate unexpected differences. The older integration walkthrough describes this review-and-accept process. Applitools GitHub Actions integration article.
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Scale tests with parallel jobs carefully
For larger suites, a matrix can split work across GitHub Actions jobs. Applitools’ 2026 Storybook article shows a matrix strategy using the Applitools CLI. If multiple shards run against the same commit, one shard can close a batch before the others finish unless automated batch closing is disabled. In Test Manager, check Admin → Teams → Integrations → GitHub → Manage repositories and confirm the batch-closing setting for the relevant account before parallelizing. Applitools Storybook and GitHub Actions article.
Do not copy an old third-party action reference such as colbyfayock/applitools-eyes-action@main into a current pipeline without verifying its present maintenance, inputs, and version-pinning/security implications. The 2021 tutorials are useful for the general workflow pattern, not proof that a particular action remains supported. Applitools GitHub Actions integration article; Applitools visual testing with GitHub Actions.
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Common setup problems
- API key is missing or invalid: confirm the repository secret is named exactly
APPLITOOLS_API_KEY, is available to the event that started the workflow, and is mapped into the test process environment. Do not print the key while debugging. - The workflow passes but no visual tests run: ensure the configured command invokes the test file or suite containing Eyes checks, and that the project’s dependencies are installed before that step.
- Results are hard to associate with a commit: supply a stable batch identity based on the commit SHA using the configuration supported by the SDK or CLI in use.
- A parallel run appears incomplete or closes early: check the repository’s automated batch-closing behavior in Test Manager before increasing shard concurrency.
- An example action has unexpected inputs or fails: the older tutorials use a third-party action. Verify current repository maintenance, exact inputs, and a pinned version or commit before adopting it; otherwise run the SDK test command directly in the job.
- A diff appears after a legitimate interface change: inspect it in Test Manager and update the baseline only after confirming the changed appearance is intended.
Or skip the browser setup
If your immediate need is to capture a page rather than run framework-based visual assertions, ScreenshotNeo is a separate website screenshot API and MCP server. A GET request returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF capture; it does not replace Eyes’ baseline comparison and Test Manager review workflow.
For example, this cURL request saves a WebP capture:
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can GitHub Actions run Applitools tests on every pull request?
Yes. Configure the workflow’s pull-request event for the branches and paths that should run the suite; the test command must invoke the project’s Eyes-enabled tests.
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No. Review the difference in Applitools Test Manager and accept a baseline change only when it matches the intended UI.
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