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4.5 SKIP Test|Task Status

Learning Objectives
LO-4.5-1

Recall the use case and purpose of skipping tests|tasks in Robot Framework

LO-4.5-2

Recall the different ways to skip tests|tasks in Robot Framework

In addition to PASS and FAIL, Robot Framework introduces a SKIP status to indicate that a test|task was explicitly skipped during execution. The SKIP status is useful when certain tests|tasks should not be executed, for example, due to unfulfilled preconditions, unfinished test logic, or unsupported environments. Skipped tests|tasks appear in logs and reports, clearly marked as skipped.

Reasons to Use SKIP

  • Temporal Exclusion of Tests|Tasks: To prevent failing tests|tasks for known issues to run until the issue is resolved.
  • Conditional Execution: Skip tests|tasks dynamically based on runtime conditions, i.e. if Suite Setup detected an issue.
  • Unsupported Scenarios: Mark tests|tasks as skipped in environments where they cannot run, but shall be in logs.

4.5.1 Skipping By Tags Selection (CLI)​

Learning Objectives
LO-4.5.1

Recall the differences between skip and exclude

Tests|tasks can be skipped with --skip by tags when executing Robot Framework, similar to --exclude. The difference between --skip and --exclude is that --skip will mark the tests|tasks as skipped in the report and log, while --exclude will not execute them at all. Therefore skip is better for documenting that a specific test|task was not executed for a specific reason.

Example: If there is a defect in the System under Test (SUT) and a test|task has been written to reproduce the defect and tests its resolution, but the defect is not yet resolved, the test|task can be tagged with the defect-number and skipped until the defect should be resolved.

Example: Assuming there are different test environments and some tests can only be executed on specific environments, the tests can be tagged with the environment name and skipped on all other environments.

  • Command Line Option: Use the --skip option to skip tests|tasks based on tags or tag patterns:

    robot --skip BUG-42 --skip mobile path/to/tests

  • Reserved Tag robot:skip: Add the robot:skip tag to tests|tasks to mark them as skipped: This ensures the test|task appears in reports as skipped but is not executed.

4.5.2 Skipping Dynamically During Execution​

Tests|tasks can be skipped dynamically within their execution with the Skip keyword based on runtime conditions.

The Skip keyword does stop the execution of a test|task and mark it as skipped with a custom message. If a Test|Task Teardown exists, it will be executed.

4.5.3 Automatically Skipping Failed Tests​

Tests|tasks can be automatically marked as skipped if they fail:

  • Command Line Option: Use --skiponfailure with tags or tag patterns:

    robot --skiponfailure flaky path/to/tests

  • Reserved Tag robot:skip-on-failure: Tag tests|tasks to skip automatically on failure.