Cress documentation

Cress is a workflow-first end-to-end testing platform for Windows teams that need authoring tools, CLI automation, step manifests, living documentation, and evidence-rich execution in one place.

Tip

If you are new to Cress, start with Getting started and use the HTTP quickstart for the fastest first run.

What you can do with Cress

  • initialize a project with opinionated folders, profiles, and starter assets
  • author flows through Studio, Studio Web, or source-first YAML editing
  • record browser and desktop steps, then normalize them into durable locators
  • run flows locally or in CI with profiles, reports, screenshots, and diagnostics
  • export framework-native xUnit, NUnit, and MSTest tests that still execute through the Cress engine
  • run Cress from a reusable GitHub Action that packs and installs the CLI on the runner
  • publish living docs and generated API reference from the same repository

Product surfaces

Surface Best for Start here
CLI bootstrapping projects, validation, running flows, reports, diagnostics CLI reference
Studio / Studio Web recording, editing, reviewing evidence, watching metrics Studio overview
Specs and manifests source-controlled capabilities, flows, fixtures, and steps Project schema guide
Generated API reference browsing public .NET types and namespaces API reference

Guided paths

New users

  1. Install prerequisites and choose a quickstart
  2. Use the fastest first-run path
  3. Walk through Studio
  4. Run and debug flows

Web automation teams

  1. Create a project and set a web profile
  2. Use the recording flow
  3. Normalize locators and flow YAML

Desktop automation teams

  1. Enable the Flawright driver
  2. Use the desktop recording target picker
  3. Design desktop apps for automation

Contributors

  1. Understand the repository
  2. Set up local development
  3. Extend Cress with steps, plugins, and import/export paths
  4. Build and publish the docs site

Common testing targets

Target Primary approach Guide
CLI tools plugin-backed steps and process assertions Testing CLI apps
Services and APIs built-in HTTP driver plus JSON assertions Testing services
Web apps Playwright-backed browser flows with Studio recording Testing web apps
Desktop apps Flawright-backed Windows flows with Studio authoring Testing desktop apps

Native test framework integration

Cress can now generate framework-native tests for teams that want Cress-authored flows to live inside existing .NET test projects and CI suites:

Studio at a glance

The existing product screenshots are included throughout the guides so teams can follow the same screens they see in the app.

Cress Studio landing page

Cress Studio project view

Need a screenshot-backed inventory of what ships today? Start with the feature map.

Documentation map