How Diffie works
Every test Diffie runs, regardless of where it was triggered, flows through the same five stages. Knowing which stage a test is in makes it much faster to diagnose a failure or tune a test that keeps picking the wrong element.
- 01
Plan
The Diffie plugin in Claude Code analyzes your source (full repo or a diff) and proposes concrete test specs: steps, assertions, and what secrets they need. You approve each spec before anything is created in Diffie.
Where you see it
In Claude Code or in the PR-testing workflow log.
- 02
Explore
Diffie opens your app in a real Chromium browser and scans the DOM for selector-stable hooks: data-testid, aria-label, accessible role, and name. Tests target those hooks rather than fragile CSS paths.
Where you see it
Happens server-side on Diffie. Visible in the run recording and the selector log.
- 03
Generate
It emits Playwright code that follows the spec and targets the selectors it found. Diffie stores the generated code in your workspace so you can inspect, edit, or re-run it.
Where you see it
The test detail page in the Diffie dashboard.
- 04
Run
The test executes end-to-end with video recording, per-step timing, and network-request logs. Secrets referenced by name are injected at run time and never leave your workspace.
Where you see it
The run detail page, which includes a shareable public URL.
- 05
Report
Pass/fail is surfaced wherever you triggered the run: Claude Code, a PR comment, or the dashboard. Failing tests can be reprocessed with a short fix prompt, which loops back to stage 01 with extra context.
Where you see it
Claude Code chat, the PR comment thread, or the dashboard.
Reprocessing vs. regenerating
A reprocess re-runs stages 01 to 04 with an extra instruction you give in the fix prompt. The spec is updated, Diffie re-explores only what changed, and the generated code gets patched rather than rewritten from scratch. That's how auto-fix keeps tests stable across UI changes: it nudges the existing test instead of throwing it out.
Use a brand-new test (start over at stage 01 with a fresh prompt) when the flow you want to cover is genuinely different from what the existing test captures.
Next: author tests in Claude Code
The Diffie Plugin guides cover interactive test authoring end-to-end: installation, planning, selector hints, secrets, auto-fix, and common gotchas.
Diffie Plugin guide →