Flaky test

A test whose pass/fail result varies between runs with no underlying code change, usually due to timing, ordering, or external dependencies.

Example: An end-to-end test that intermittently fails because it checks for an element before a page animation finishes.

In practice: Common causes include race conditions, reliance on real time or randomness, and shared state between tests — the fix is almost never 'just retry it.'

• often caused by Fixture