Appium Visual Testing -3 : Install “OpenCV” Plugin for Appium: A Step-by-Step Guide

Get a step-by-step walkthrough in the video below!

In this article, you’ll learn how to install and use the OpenCV plugin with Appium.

Why Use OpenCV with Appium?

Some common use cases:

• Testing apps with custom-drawn UI (e.g., games or canvas-based apps)
• Dealing with non-standard controls that Appium cannot identify
• Enhancing visual validation or comparing image states

Step1: Install OpenCV Plugin for Appium

Appium 2.x uses a plugin architecture. To install the OpenCV plugin:

Command to install:

npm install -g @appium/opencv

This will fetch the plugin from the npm registry and install it locally.

Usage:

This installs the Appium plugin that handles image element detection using OpenCV.

Example:

Step2: Enable the Plugin When Starting Appium

Once installed, start Appium with the plugin enabled:

appium --use-plugins=images

Conclusion:

Integrating OpenCV with Appium greatly expands your automation capabilities, especially for image-based UI testing. With just a few steps, you can install the plugin, configure it, and start automating tricky visual elements that standard Appium locators can’t handle.

GitHub Link: