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    "id": "api/node-events/before-spec-api",
    "title": "Before Spec Event | Cypress Node Events",
    "description": "The before:spec event fires before a spec file is run in Cypress.",
    "section": "api",
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    "updated_at": "2026-04-30T14:20:05.396Z",
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      {
        "id": "api/node-events/before-spec-api#before-spec-event",
        "text": "Before Spec Event",
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        "text": "Syntax",
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      {
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        "text": "Usage",
        "level": 2
      },
      {
        "id": "api/node-events/before-spec-api#log-the-relative-spec-path-to-stdout-before-the-spec-is-run",
        "text": "Log the relative spec path to stdout before the spec is run",
        "level": 3
      },
      {
        "id": "api/node-events/before-spec-api#see-also",
        "text": "See also",
        "level": 2
      }
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            "value": "Before Spec Event"
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        "children": [
          {
            "type": "text",
            "value": "The `before:spec` event fires before a spec file is run. When running cypress via `cypress open`, the event will fire when the browser launches."
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      },
      {
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        "depth": 2,
        "children": [
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            "value": "Syntax"
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        "children": [
          {
            "type": "text",
            "value": "⚠️ This code is part of the "
          },
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            "title": null,
            "url": "/llm/markdown/app/plugins/plugins-guide.md#Using-a-plugin",
            "children": [
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                "value": "setupNodeEvents"
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            ]
          },
          {
            "type": "text",
            "value": " function and thus executes in the Node environment. You cannot call `Cypress` or `cy` commands in this function, but you do have the direct access to the file system and the rest of the operating system."
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        ]
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "children": [
          {
            "type": "text",
            "value": "⚠️ When running via `cypress open`, the `before:spec` event only fires if the "
          },
          {
            "type": "link",
            "title": null,
            "url": "/llm/markdown/app/references/configuration.md#Experiments",
            "children": [
              {
                "type": "text",
                "value": "experimentalInteractiveRunEvents flag"
              }
            ]
          },
          {
            "type": "text",
            "value": " is enabled."
          }
        ]
      },
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                    "value": "cypress.config.js"
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        "value": "const { defineConfig } = require('cypress')module.exports = defineConfig({  // setupNodeEvents can be defined in either  // the e2e or component configuration  e2e: {    setupNodeEvents(on, config) {      on('before:spec', (spec) => {        /* ... */      })    },  },})"
      },
      {
        "type": "code",
        "lang": null,
        "meta": null,
        "value": "import { defineConfig } from 'cypress'export default defineConfig({  // setupNodeEvents can be defined in either  // the e2e or component configuration  e2e: {    setupNodeEvents(on, config) {      on('before:spec', (spec) => {        /* ... */      })    },  },})"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "children": [
          {
            "type": "text",
            "value": "spec (Object)"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
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        "children": [
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            "type": "text",
            "value": "Details of the spec file, including the following properties:"
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                    "value": "Property"
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                "children": [
                  {
                    "type": "text",
                    "value": "Description"
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          {
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                "children": [
                  {
                    "type": "text",
                    "value": "`name`"
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                ]
              },
              {
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                "children": [
                  {
                    "type": "text",
                    "value": "The base name of the spec file (e.g. `login.cy.js`)"
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                    "value": "`relative`"
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              {
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                  {
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                    "value": "The path to the spec file, relative to the project root (e.g. `cypress/e2e/login.cy.js`)"
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              }
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                "children": [
                  {
                    "type": "text",
                    "value": "The absolute path to the spec file (e.g. `/Users/janelane/my-app/cypress/e2e/login.cy.js`)"
                  }
                ]
              }
            ]
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        ]
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
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        "children": [
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            "value": "Usage"
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      },
      {
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        "children": [
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            "value": "You can return a promise from the `before:spec` event handler and it will be awaited before Cypress proceeds running the spec."
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        ]
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        "children": [
          {
            "type": "text",
            "value": "Log the relative spec path to stdout before the spec is run"
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        "value": "const { defineConfig } = require('cypress')module.exports = defineConfig({  // setupNodeEvents can be defined in either  // the e2e or component configuration  e2e: {    setupNodeEvents(on, config) {      on('before:spec', (spec) => {        // spec will look something like this:        // {        //   name: 'login.cy.js',        //   relative: 'cypress/e2e/login.cy.js',        //   absolute: '/Users/janelane/app/cypress/e2e/login.cy.js',        // }        console.log('Running', spec.relative)      })    },  },})"
      },
      {
        "type": "code",
        "lang": null,
        "meta": null,
        "value": "import { defineConfig } from 'cypress'export default defineConfig({  // setupNodeEvents can be defined in either  // the e2e or component configuration  e2e: {    setupNodeEvents(on, config) {      on('before:spec', (spec) => {        // spec will look something like this:        // {        //   name: 'login.cy.js',        //   relative: 'cypress/e2e/login.cy.js',        //   absolute: '/Users/janelane/app/cypress/e2e/login.cy.js',        // }        console.log('Running', spec.relative)      })    },  },})"
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            "value": "See also"
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