---
id: app/run-tests/continuous-integration/circleci
title: 'Run Cypress tests in CircleCI: step-by-step guide'
description: >-
  Set up CircleCI to run Cypress tests with the Cypress Orb, cache dependencies
  and build artifacts, and parallelize Cypress tests.
section: app
source_path: docs/app/run-tests/continuous-integration/circleci.mdx
version: efcbe8c28d49ff52285a47072f279cb65f20c0fc
updated_at: '2026-09-09T13:41:20.773Z'
---
# Run Cypress in CircleCI

The [Cypress CircleCI Orb](https://circleci.com/developer/orbs/orb/cypress-io/cypress) is the _official_ CircleCI Orb of Cypress. Although you don't need to use the orb to run your tests in CircleCI, the benefit of using the orb is that it allows you to easily install, cache and run Cypress tests in CircleCI with less effort. The orb abstracts common steps necessary for running your tests in CircleCI in order to make your life as a developer better!

## Basic Setup

The [Cypress CircleCI Orb](https://github.com/cypress-io/circleci-orb) is a piece of configuration set in your `.circleci/config.yml` file to correctly install, cache and run Cypress with very little effort.

For the Orb Quick Start Guide and usage cases, view the CircleCI [Cypress orb documentation](https://circleci.com/developer/orbs/orb/cypress-io/cypress).

A typical project can have:

.circleci/config.yml

```
version: 2.1
orbs:
  # "cypress-io/cypress@6" installs the latest published
  # version "s.x.y" of the orb. We recommend you then use
  # the strict explicit version "cypress-io/cypress@6.x.y"
  # to lock the version and prevent unexpected CI changes
  cypress: cypress-io/cypress@6
workflows:
  build:
    jobs:
      - cypress/run: # "run" job comes from "cypress" orb
          start-command: 'npm run start'
```

That's it! Your repo's dependencies will be installed and cached and your Cypress tests will run in CircleCI

## Parallelization

A more complex project that needs to install dependencies, start a server, and run tests across 4 CI machines [in parallel](/llm/markdown/cloud/features/smart-orchestration/parallelization.md) may have:

.circleci/config.yml

```
version: 2.1
orbs:
  cypress: cypress-io/cypress@6
workflows:
  build:
    jobs:
      - cypress/run:
          start-command: 'npm run start'
          cypress-command: 'npx cypress run --parallel --record --group all tests'
          parallelism: 4
```

Using the orb brings simplicity and static checks of parameters to CircleCI configuration.

You can find additional examples at [our orb examples page](https://github.com/cypress-io/circleci-orb/blob/master/src/examples).

The Cypress [Real World App (RWA)](https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress-realworld-app) uses the Circle CI [Cypress Orb](https://github.com/cypress-io/circleci-orb), Codecov Orb, and Windows Orb to test over 300 test cases in parallel across 25 machines, multiple browsers, multiple device sizes, and multiple operating systems with full code-coverage reporting and [Cypress Cloud recording](https://cloud.cypress.io/projects/7s5okt).

Check out the full [RWA Circle CI configuration](https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress-realworld-app/blob/develop/.circleci/config.yml).

## Additional Examples

### Component Testing Example

.circleci/config.yml

```
version: 2.1
orbs:
  cypress: cypress-io/cypress@6
workflows:
  test:
    jobs:
      - cypress/run:
          cypress-command: 'npx cypress run --component'
```

### Yarn Example

.circleci/config.yml

```
version: 2.1
orbs:
  cypress: cypress-io/cypress@6
workflows:
  test:
    jobs:
      - cypress/run:
          package-manager: 'yarn'
          start-command: 'yarn start'
```

### Chrome Example

The `install-browsers` flag installs Chrome, Chrome for Testing, Edge, Firefox and the geckodriver. Use it together with the `--browser` flag in your `cypress-command` to run your tests in an installed browser.

.circleci/config.yml

```
version: 2.1
orbs:
  cypress: cypress-io/cypress@6
workflows:
  test:
    jobs:
      - cypress/run:
          install-browsers: true
          start-command: 'npm run start'
          cypress-command: 'npx cypress run --browser chrome'
```