Implementation:Webdriverio Webdriverio ESLint NoDebug

Knowledge Sources	Webdriverio_Webdriverio
Domains	Linting, Test_Quality
Last Updated	2026-02-12 00:00 GMT

Overview

ESLint rule that disallows browser.debug() calls in test files to prevent debugging statements from being committed to the codebase.

Description

The no-debug rule is defined as a Rule.RuleModule of type "problem". It uses the isCommand helper to detect calls to debug() on configured browser instances. The rule accepts an optional instances configuration array (defaulting to ["browser"]) allowing teams to specify additional browser variable names (e.g., multiremote instances). When a CallExpression node matches a debug call on any configured instance, the rule reports an unexpectedDebug error. This prevents browser.debug() breakpoints from accidentally reaching production test suites.

Usage

Use this rule in CI/CD pipelines and shared ESLint configurations to ensure that interactive debug() calls used during local development are not left in committed test code. Configure the instances option when using multiremote setups with custom browser variable names.

Code Reference

Source Location

• Repository: Webdriverio_Webdriverio
• File: packages/eslint-plugin-wdio/src/rules/no-debug.ts

Signature

const rule: Rule.RuleModule = {
    meta: {
        type: 'problem',
        docs: {
            description: 'Disallow browser.debug() in tests',
            category: 'Possible Errors',
            recommended: false,
        },
        messages: {
            unexpectedDebug: 'Unexpected browser.debug() not allowed'
        },
        hasSuggestions: true,
        schema: [{
            type: 'object',
            properties: {
                instances: {
                    type: 'array',
                    items: { type: 'string' },
                    description: 'List of browser instances to check (default: ["browser"])',
                    default: ['browser'],
                },
            },
            additionalProperties: false,
        }],
    },
    create: function (context: Rule.RuleContext): Rule.RuleListener
}

export default rule

Import

import rule from '@wdio/eslint-plugin-wdio/src/rules/no-debug'

I/O Contract

Inputs

Name	Type	Required	Description
context	Rule.RuleContext	Yes	ESLint rule context providing AST traversal and reporting API
options.instances	string[]	No	List of browser instance variable names to check (default: ["browser"])

Outputs

Name	Type	Description
Rule.RuleListener	object	Listener object with a CallExpression visitor that reports unexpectedDebug when debug() is called on a configured browser instance

Usage Examples

// .eslintrc.js - basic configuration
module.exports = {
    plugins: ['wdio'],
    rules: {
        'wdio/no-debug': 'error'
    }
}

// .eslintrc.js - with multiremote instances
module.exports = {
    plugins: ['wdio'],
    rules: {
        'wdio/no-debug': ['error', {
            instances: ['browser', 'myChromeBrowser', 'myFirefoxBrowser']
        }]
    }
}

// Incorrect - will trigger the rule
await browser.debug()

// Correct - debug() removed before committing
// (no replacement; simply remove the call)

Related Pages

• Principle:Webdriverio_Webdriverio_ESLint_Plugin_Architecture