---
id: ui-coverage/core-concepts/element-identification
title: Uniquely identify test elements | Cypress UI Coverage
description: >-
  Elements are uniquely identified across views and snapshots by their HTML
  attributes, location, and other signals in the DOM.
section: ui-coverage
source_path: docs/ui-coverage/core-concepts/element-identification.mdx
version: a8fd16711bdda4c7b5645b9717e588ae99ec2470
updated_at: '2026-05-18T17:21:32.047Z'
---
# Element Identification

UI Coverage uniquely identifies elements across views and snapshots using a combination of HTML attributes, location, and other signals in the DOM. Stable and unique identifiers are crucial for accurately tracking and de-duplicating elements throughout the various snapshots captured in your tests.

## Significant attributes for identification

Certain attributes are prioritized by UI Coverage for element identification and grouping. These include:

*   `data-cy`
*   `data-test`
*   `data-testid`
*   `data-test-id`
*   `data-qa`
*   `row-id`
*   `id`
*   `name`

By using these attributes consistently in your application, you can improve the accuracy of UI Coverage tracking.

## Configuring element identification

### Attribute filters

Exclude irrelevant or dynamically generated attributes to reduce noise in UI Coverage reports. For example:

```
{  "uiCoverage": {    "attributeFilters": [      {        "attribute": "id",        "value": ":r.*:",        "include": false      }    ]  }}
```

Learn more about attribute filtering in the [Attribute Filters](/llm/markdown/ui-coverage/configuration/attributefilters.md) guide.

### Significant attributes

Define custom significant attributes to prioritize specific selectors that align with your application’s structure. For example:

```
{  "uiCoverage": {    "significantAttributes": ["data-custom-id"]  }}
```

Refer to the [Significant Attributes](/llm/markdown/ui-coverage/configuration/significantattributes.md) guide for detailed instructions.