Testdriver:caching

testdriverai/testdriverai-testdriver:caching

1.7x faster test execution with intelligent caching and optimization

968 tokens

context cost

the whole folder, loaded on every use

files

instructions only

copies elsewhere

how many repositories repackaged it

237

stars on the repo

on the repository, not the skill itself

Install

one command, takes just this skill from the repository

npx skills add https://github.com/testdriverai/testdriverai --skill testdriver:caching

The instruction itself

5 sections, as written by the author

TestDriver is engineered for performance with intelligent caching that delivers up to 1.7x faster test execution by skipping redundant AI vision analysis.

// First run: builds cache
await testdriver.find('submit button');

// Second run: exact match
await testdriver.find('submit button');

Automatic Caching

Caching is enabled automatically with zero configuration. The cache key is computed from:

File hash: SHA-256 hash of the test file contents
Selector prompt: The exact text description passed to find()
Screenshot context: Perceptual hash of the current screen state
Platform: Operating system and browser version

When you modify your test file, the hash changes automatically, invalidating stale cache entries and ensuring fresh AI analysis with your updated test logic.

import { test } from 'vitest';
import { chrome } from 'testdriverai/presets';

test('auto-cached test', async (context) => {
  const { testdriver } = await chrome(context, {
    url: 'https://example.com'
  });

  // First call: AI analyzes screen, saves to cache
  await testdriver.find('More information link'); // 2.1s

  // Second call: cache hit, instant response
  await testdriver.find('More information link'); // 12ms ⚡
});

Managing the Cache

You can clear the cache within the TestDriver console. There, you'll also find previews of cached elements, the input prompts, as well as analytics on cache hit rates.

Manage and clear your test cache from the TestDriver console.

</Card>

Debugging Cache Hits and Misses

You can track cache performance in your tests:

test('monitor cache performance', async (context) => {
  const { testdriver } = await chrome(context, { url });

  const element = await testdriver.find('submit button');

  if (element.cacheHit) {
    console.log('✅ Cache hit - instant response');
    console.log('Strategy:', element.cacheStrategy); // 'exact', 'pixeldiff', or 'template'
    console.log('Similarity:', `${(element.similarity * 100).toFixed(1)}%`);
    console.log('Cache age:', element.cacheCreatedAt);
  } else {
    console.log('⏱️  Cache miss - AI analysis performed');
    console.log('New cache entry created');
  }
});

Configuring the Cache

You can configure cache behavior globally when initializing TestDriver:

import { TestDriver } from 'testdriverai';

const testdriver = new TestDriver({
  apiKey: process.env.TD_API_KEY,
  cacheKey: 'my-test-suite', // cache-key for this instance
  cacheDefaults: {
    threshold: 0.05,      // 95% similarity
  }
});

It's also possible to override cache settings per find() call:

// Default: 95% similarity required
await testdriver.find('submit button');

// Explicit strict threshold
await testdriver.find('submit button', {
  cacheThreshold: 0.01 // 99% similarity
});

Caching with Variables

Custom cache keys prevent cache pollution when using variables in prompts, dramatically improving cache hit rates.

// ❌ Without cache key - creates new cache for each variable value
const email = '[email protected]';
await testdriver.find(`input for ${email}`); // Cache miss every time

// ✅ With cache key - reuses cache regardless of variable
const email = '[email protected]';
await testdriver.find(`input for ${email}`, {
  cacheKey: 'email-input'
});

// Also useful for dynamic IDs, names, or other changing data
const orderId = generateOrderId();
await testdriver.find(`order ${orderId} status`, {
  cacheKey: 'order-status'  // Same cache for all orders
});

How to use it

Copy the folder

Take testdriverai/testdriverai-testdriver:caching from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.

Check the name does not clash

The agent identifies a skill by the name field in its header. Two skills with the same name cannot sit side by side — one of them will be ignored.