Pixel-based regression detection
Capture rendered snapshots and compare them against approved baselines so layout shifts, style drift, missing elements, and responsive breakage are surfaced before merge.
Buddy Visual Tests
Buddy Visual Tests compares rendered UI snapshots against approved baselines to catch visual regressions before they merge. It is built for pipeline, GitHub Actions, and local workflows, and supports both code-based and scriptless capture paths.
Overview
Buddy Visual Tests is a visual regression testing feature for catching UI changes that functional tests do not detect. It compares rendered snapshots of an app against approved baselines and highlights differences for review, including layout shifts, style drift, missing elements, and responsive breakage.
The product is designed for teams that want visual checks in their delivery pipeline without writing new test assertions from scratch. It can be run in Buddy Pipelines, GitHub Actions, or locally, and Buddy describes the feature as being in Preview.
Core features
Suite-based test organization
Define suites around what to render and how to compare, including browser and device combinations plus a diff threshold.
Variant-specific baselines
Compare snapshots per browser and device variant rather than only at the session level, so mobile and desktop results can be reviewed separately.
Approval-driven baseline updates
Review diffs and approve or reject changed snapshots; approved changes become the new reference for later runs on that branch.
CI and local execution
Pause Buddy pipelines until visual changes are reviewed, or use GitHub Actions and local runs for the same workflow outside Buddy.
Multiple capture paths
Use URL or sitemap capture, E2E plugins, or Storybook uploads depending on whether the team already has test code or wants scriptless testing.
Where it fits
Pipeline quality gate before deployment
Use Visual Tests to stop a release when a UI change alters rendering unexpectedly. The approval action can hold a Buddy pipeline until someone reviews the diffs and either approves or rejects the session.
Human review for agent- or dev-made UI changes
Run visual checks on changes produced by an agent or developer and review the exact pixels that changed. This is useful when a change may be functionally correct but still introduces a visual regression.
Scriptless testing for live pages
Use URL or sitemap capture when you do not want to add test code to the repo. Buddy can snapshot live pages directly from a URL and compare them against an approved baseline.
Existing test and Storybook workflows
Attach Visual Tests to existing Playwright, Cypress, Selenium, or Puppeteer workflows, or upload a Storybook build for component libraries and design systems.
Responsive and cross-browser review
Compare browser- and device-specific snapshots to catch issues that appear only on mobile, tablet, or a different browser engine.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Catches visual issues that functional tests can miss, such as shifted layout or hidden/missing content.
- Supports several input paths, including E2E plugins, Storybook, and URL or sitemap capture.
- Works with Buddy Pipelines, GitHub Actions, and local runs.
- Uses branch-aware baselines so approvals on one branch do not automatically change another branch’s reference state.
- Can pause a pipeline until a human reviews and approves the session.
Cons
- The feature is in Preview, so teams should treat it as not yet generally available.
- The source material does not specify a separate pricing model for Visual Tests beyond Buddy’s broader pricing plans and the Preview note.
FAQ
How do you set up Visual Tests?
Visual Tests are set up as suites. In Buddy, you go to TEST → Visual Tests, add a suite, and choose how snapshots will be collected: via E2E test plugins, Storybook uploads, or scriptless URL/sitemap capture. The docs say the suite can then be wired into Buddy Pipelines, GitHub Actions, or a local machine.
What is a visual test session?
A session is a single run of your visual tests. It contains the snapshots captured for that run across the browser, system, and device combinations enabled in the suite, and it waits for review if differences are found.
How are baselines determined?
Visual Tests compare each snapshot against a baseline resolved per snapshot and per browser/device variant. On a feature branch, the first run compares against the latest approved baseline from the branch’s ancestor history; later runs on that branch compare against the newly approved snapshots.
Where can I run Visual Tests?
The source documents show Buddy Pipelines and GitHub Actions, and also note that Visual Tests can run locally. The home page also describes a CLI-based workflow using the bdy command.
Is there separate pricing for Visual Tests?
The pricing page shows Buddy offers a free plan and paid plans, and the Visual Tests page says Visual Tests are free while in Preview. The docs do not describe a separate Visual Tests price or quota model.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Visual regression testing
- Platform
- Buddy CI/CD; also GitHub Actions and local runs
- Status
- Preview
- Primary users
- Developers and agents shipping UI changes
- Source domain
- buddy.works
- Pricing signal
- Free while in Preview; Buddy also offers free and paid plans
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