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How to Connect to the LiveDoc Viewer

This guide shows you how to send test results to the LiveDoc Viewer web UI for real-time visualization. By the end, you'll see your features, scenarios, and steps in an interactive browser dashboard as tests execute.

Prerequisites
  • A working LiveDoc Vitest setup (imports or globals)
  • @swedevtools/livedoc-viewer installed (globally or locally)

Overview​

The LiveDoc Viewer is a web application that visualizes your test results in real time. LiveDocSpecReporter automatically discovers a running viewer and publishes results — no extra configuration needed. For explicit control, you can use LiveDocViewerReporter as a post-reporter. The viewer renders your Gherkin features as an interactive, navigable tree.

Step 1: Install the Viewer​

npm install -g @swedevtools/livedoc-viewer

Or add it as a dev dependency:

npm install -D @swedevtools/livedoc-viewer

Step 2: Start the Viewer​

livedoc-viewer

The viewer opens at http://localhost:3100 and waits for incoming test results.

tip

In the LiveDoc monorepo, use the convenience script instead:

./scripts/start-viewer.ps1 -KillStale

Step 3: Configure the Reporter (Auto-Discovery)​

The simplest approach is just LiveDocSpecReporter — it automatically discovers a running viewer on your machine. No extra reporter needed:

// vitest.config.ts
import { defineConfig } from 'vitest/config';
import { LiveDocSpecReporter } from '@swedevtools/livedoc-vitest/reporter';

export default defineConfig({
  test: {
    reporters: [
      new LiveDocSpecReporter({ detailLevel: 'spec+summary+headers' }),
      // Auto-discovers a running LiveDoc server automatically
    ],
  },
});

If no viewer is running, the reporter silently continues with console-only output — your tests still run normally.

Step 4: Run Your Tests​

npx vitest run

Results appear in the viewer automatically. If running in watch mode (npx vitest), the viewer updates on every test re-run.

Complete Example​

// vitest.config.ts
import { defineConfig } from 'vitest/config';
import { LiveDocSpecReporter } from '@swedevtools/livedoc-vitest/reporter';

export default defineConfig({
  test: {
    globals: true,
    include: ['**/*.Spec.ts'],
    reporters: [
      new LiveDocSpecReporter({ detailLevel: 'spec+summary+headers' }),
    ],
  },
});
// tests/ShoppingCart.Spec.ts
import {
  feature, scenario, given, when, Then as then,
} from '@swedevtools/livedoc-vitest';

feature(`Shopping Cart @checkout
    Core cart operations displayed in the viewer.
    `, () => {

  scenario("Add item to cart", () => {
    given("an empty cart", () => { /* setup */ });
    when("the user adds 'Widget' to the cart", (ctx) => {
      const item = ctx.step.values[0];
      // add item
    });
    then("the cart contains '1' item", (ctx) => {
      const count = ctx.step.values[0];
      // assert
    });
  });
});

Run tests and open http://localhost:3100 to see the results tree.

Common Variations​

Explicit Configuration​

Specify the viewer URL and project metadata directly using LiveDocViewerReporter as a post reporter:

import {
  LiveDocSpecReporter,
  LiveDocViewerReporter,
} from '@swedevtools/livedoc-vitest/reporter';

export default defineConfig({
  test: {
    reporters: [
      new LiveDocSpecReporter({
        detailLevel: 'spec+summary+headers',
        postReporters: [
          new LiveDocViewerReporter({
            server: 'http://localhost:3100',
            project: 'my-project',
            environment: 'local',
          }),
        ],
      }),
    ],
  },
});

Viewer Reporter Options​

OptionDefaultDescription
server'http://localhost:3100'Viewer server URL
project'default'Project name for grouping results
environment'local'Environment label (e.g., 'ci', 'staging')
timeout5000HTTP request timeout in milliseconds
silenttrueFail silently if the viewer is unavailable

Multiple Reporters Together​

Combine console output, JSON export, and viewer integration:

import {
  LiveDocSpecReporter,
  JsonReporter,
  LiveDocViewerReporter,
} from '@swedevtools/livedoc-vitest/reporter';

export default defineConfig({
  test: {
    reporters: [
      new LiveDocSpecReporter({
        detailLevel: 'spec+summary+headers',
        postReporters: [
          new JsonReporter(),
          new LiveDocViewerReporter({ server: 'http://localhost:3100' }),
        ],
        'json-output': './test-results/results.json',
      }),
    ],
  },
});

VS Code Compatibility​

The VS Code Vitest extension can conflict with custom reporters. Detect the environment and fall back:

const isVSCodeVitest = !!(
  process.env.VITEST_VSCODE ||
  process.env.VSCODE_PID ||
  process.env.VSCODE_IPC_HOOK
);

export default defineConfig({
  test: {
    reporters: isVSCodeVitest
      ? undefined
      : [
          new LiveDocSpecReporter({ detailLevel: 'spec+summary+headers' }),
        ],
  },
});

Troubleshooting​

ProblemCauseSolution
Viewer shows no resultsReporter not configured or server not discoveredAdd LiveDocSpecReporter to config — it auto-discovers a running server
Connection refusedViewer not runningStart the viewer with livedoc-viewer before running tests
Results don't update in watch modeStale viewer sessionRefresh the browser or restart the viewer
Port conflict on 3100Another process using the portUse ./scripts/start-viewer.ps1 -KillStale or change the viewer port
No output in VS CodeCustom reporter conflictsUse the VS Code environment detection pattern above
Want explicit controlAuto-discovery not desiredUse LiveDocViewerReporter as a post-reporter with explicit server URL