Full-Stack Screenshot Testing

Overview

Render frontend pages with a real backend (real DB, real business logic, zero mocks) and capture screenshots from a single Go test. The Go test is the sole orchestrator — it creates data, starts the API, serves the pre-built frontend, and drives a headless browser.

Core insight: A Go httptest.Server can serve both /api/v1/* (real handlers) and /* (pre-built SPA static files) on the same port. No process coordination, no dev server startup, no MSW.

When to Use

• Reviewing UI design with realistic data at every lifecycle state
• Iterating on frontend changes with fast feedback (build → screenshot → review → fix)
• Verifying that admin pages render correctly after backend/model changes
• Catching visual regressions across order states, error conditions, empty states

When NOT to use:

• Unit testing component logic (use Vitest)
• Testing user interactions/flows (use Playwright E2E)
• API contract testing (use Go integration tests)