[Issue #8942] Split staging E2E workflow: sharded no-auth, single-worker auth (#8965)

## Summary

Work for : Task #8942 

## Changes proposed
- Tests that require Login.gov authentication now contain logic to run
only against Chrome when targeting staging.
- The staging workflow has been split into two jobs:
- e2e-tests-no-auth-sharded : Runs in parallel shards similar to local
E2E runs.
- e2e-tests-auth-single-worker : Runs auth-related tests in a single
shard to avoid parallel Login.gov sessions.

## Context for reviewers
Due to Staging Login.gov limitations - authentication tests cannot run
in parallel. Splitting the workflow ensures non-auth tests still benefit
from parallelization while auth tests run safely in a single worker.

During this PR, we noticed that - Even with serially run tests, there
were few more challenges with Login.gov OTP codes, this PR mainly
addresses the fix for these challenges + extra tuning on other tests.

- Login.gov OTPs are valid for 30 seconds and single-use. In longer test
runs or in serially run tests:
- By the time a Test in series reaches the MFA step, the generated code
becomes invalid before login.gov processes it or
- If a test was faster the same code used in previous test login may be
attempted again by another test (as the OTP was still valid), which
login.gov rejects even if it is still within the same window.

This PR ensures a fresh OTP is generated and handles retry logic if the
code is rejected, making the login flow more stable for the E2E test
run.

## Credit
Tagging approach inspired by @doug-s-nava's PR #8960 , where tags are
passed via the test options object instead of embedding them in the test
name.

Author: Bhavna-Ramachandran

.github/actions/e2e/action.yml

@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ inputs:
   node_options:
     description: "options to pass to node"
     default: "--dns-result-order=ipv4first"
+  workers:
+    description: "number of workers to use for test run"
+    default: ""
 outputs:
   artifact-id:
     description: "artifact ids for uploaded test reports"
@@ -87,14 +90,14 @@ runs:
         TOTAL_SHARDS: ${{ inputs.total_shards }}
         CURRENT_SHARD: ${{ inputs.current_shard }}
         PLAYWRIGHT_TARGET_ENV: ${{ inputs.target }}
+        PLAYWRIGHT_WORKERS: ${{ inputs.workers }}
         STAGING_TEST_USER_EMAIL: ${{ inputs.staging_test_user_email }}
         STAGING_TEST_USER_PASSWORD: ${{ inputs.staging_test_user_password }}
         STAGING_TEST_USER_MFA_KEY: ${{ inputs.staging_test_user_mfa_key }}
       run: |
         npm run test:e2e
       shell: bash
 
-
     - name: Run e2e tests for ${{ inputs.playwright_tags }} (Shard ${{ inputs.current_shard }}/${{ inputs.total_shards }})
       if: ${{ inputs.playwright_tags != '' }}
       working-directory: ./frontend
@@ -103,6 +106,7 @@ runs:
         TOTAL_SHARDS: ${{ inputs.total_shards }}
         CURRENT_SHARD: ${{ inputs.current_shard }}
         PLAYWRIGHT_TARGET_ENV: ${{ inputs.target }}
+        PLAYWRIGHT_WORKERS: ${{ inputs.workers }}
         STAGING_TEST_USER_EMAIL: ${{ inputs.staging_test_user_email }}
         STAGING_TEST_USER_PASSWORD: ${{ inputs.staging_test_user_password }}
         STAGING_TEST_USER_MFA_KEY: ${{ inputs.staging_test_user_mfa_key }}
@@ -111,7 +115,7 @@ runs:
       shell: bash
 
     - name: Debug logging on failure
-      if:  ${{ failure() && inputs.api_logs == 'true' }}
+      if: ${{ failure() && inputs.api_logs == 'true' }}
       working-directory: ./frontend
       run: |
         cd ../api

.github/workflows/e2e-create-report.yml

@@ -8,37 +8,31 @@ on:
       artifact-ids:
         description: "comma separated string of test report artifact ids to download"
         type: string
-
 env:
   NODE_VERSION: 24
   LOCKFILE_PATH: ./frontend/package-lock.json
   PACKAGE_MANAGER: npm
   NODE_OPTIONS: --dns-result-order=ipv4first
-
 defaults:
   run:
     working-directory: ./frontend
-
 jobs:
   e2e-create-report:
     continue-on-error: true
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
-
       - name: Setup Node.js
         uses: actions/setup-node@v6
         with:
           node-version: ${{ env.NODE_VERSION }}
           cache: ${{ env.PACKAGE_MANAGER }}
           cache-dependency-path: ${{ env.LOCKFILE_PATH }}
-
       - name: Install Playwright Dependencies
         run: |
           npm ci
           npx playwright install --with-deps
-
       - name: Download All Blob Reports
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v7
         with:
@@ -47,20 +41,16 @@ jobs:
           run-id: ${{ inputs.run_id }}
           pattern: blob-report-shard-*
           merge-multiple: true
-
       - name: Verify Downloaded Artifacts
         run: |
           echo "Contents of all-blob-reports after download:"
           ls -R all-blob-reports*
-
       - name: Merge Blob Reports into HTML
         run: npx playwright merge-reports --reporter html ./all-blob-reports
-
       - name: Verify Downloaded Artifacts
         run: |
           echo "Contents of all-blob-reports after download:"
           ls -R playwright*
-
       - name: Upload Merged HTML Report
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v6
         with:

.github/workflows/e2e-staging.yml

@@ -20,39 +20,29 @@ on:
         description: "pipe separated list of @tags denoting groups of tests to run"
         required: false
         type: string
-
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
   cancel-in-progress: true
-
 jobs:
   e2e-tests-deployed:
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
-    strategy:
-      fail-fast: false
-      matrix:
-        shard: [1, 2, 3, 4]
-        total_shards: [4]
-
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
-
       - name: Set target
         run: if [[ -z "${{ inputs.target }}" ]]; then echo "defaulted_target=staging" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"; else echo "defaulted_target=${{ inputs.target }}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"; fi
-
       - name: Run E2E tests
         uses: ./.github/actions/e2e
         with:
           version: ${{ inputs.version || github.ref }}
           target: ${{ env.defaulted_target }}
-          total_shards: ${{ matrix.total_shards }}
-          current_shard: ${{ matrix.shard }}
+          total_shards: 1
+          current_shard: 1
+          workers: 1
           playwright_tags: ${{ inputs.playwright_tags }}
           staging_test_user_email: ${{ secrets.STAGING_TEST_USER_EMAIL }}
           staging_test_user_password: ${{ secrets.STAGING_TEST_USER_PASSWORD }}
           staging_test_user_mfa_key: ${{ secrets.STAGING_TEST_USER_MFA_KEY }}
-
   create-report:
     name: Create Merged Test Report
     if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
@@ -61,7 +51,6 @@ jobs:
     secrets: inherit
     with:
       run_id: ${{ github.run_id }}
-
   send-slack-notification:
     if: failure()
     needs: [create-report]

frontend/src/components/application/ApplicationFormsTable.tsx

@@ -316,6 +316,10 @@ const FormLink = ({
       {formName && (
         <Link
           className="text-bold"
+          // Added stable test attributes for reliable E2E targeting of form links.
+          // Enables Playwright to select the correct link regardless of text or layout changes.
+          data-testid="application-form-link"
+          data-form-id={formId}
           href={`/applications/${applicationId}/form/${appFormId}`}
         >
           {formName}

frontend/tests/e2e/apply/failure-path-sf424b.spec.ts

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { openForm } from "tests/e2e/utils/forms/form-navigation-utils";
 import { saveForm } from "tests/e2e/utils/forms/save-form-utils";
 import { verifyFormStatusAfterSave } from "tests/e2e/utils/forms/verify-form-status-utils";
 
-const { testOrgLabel } = playwrightEnv;
+const { testOrgLabel, targetEnv } = playwrightEnv;
 const OPPORTUNITY_ID = "f7a1c2b3-4d5e-6789-8abc-1234567890ab"; // TEST-APPLY-ORG-IND-ON01
 const OPPORTUNITY_URL = `/opportunity/${OPPORTUNITY_ID}`;
 
@@ -24,6 +24,16 @@ const sf424bErrors = [
   },
 ];
 
+// Skip non-Chrome browsers in staging
+test.beforeEach(({ page: _ }, testInfo) => {
+  if (targetEnv === "staging") {
+    test.skip(
+      testInfo.project.name !== "Chrome",
+      "Staging MFA login is limited to Chrome to avoid OTP rate-limiting",
+    );
+  }
+});
+
 test("SF-424B error validation - required fields and inline errors", async ({
   page,
   context,

frontend/tests/e2e/apply/fill-sflll-form.spec.ts

@@ -11,12 +11,22 @@ import { fillForm } from "tests/e2e/utils/forms/general-forms-filling";
 import {
   clearPageState,
   ensurePageClosed,
-} from "tests/e2e/utils/lifecycle-helpers";
+} from "tests/e2e/utils/lifecycle-utils";
 
-const { baseUrl, testOrgLabel, opportunityId } = playwrightEnv;
+const { baseUrl, testOrgLabel, opportunityId, targetEnv } = playwrightEnv;
 const OPPORTUNITY_URL = `/opportunity/${opportunityId}`;
 
 test.describe("fill SF-LLL Form", () => {
+  // Skip non-Chrome browsers in staging
+  test.beforeEach(({ page: _ }, testInfo) => {
+    if (targetEnv === "staging") {
+      test.skip(
+        testInfo.project.name !== "Chrome",
+        "Staging MFA login is limited to Chrome to avoid OTP rate-limiting",
+      );
+    }
+  });
+
   test.beforeEach(async ({ page, context }, testInfo) => {
     const isMobile = testInfo.project.name.match(/[Mm]obile/);
     await authenticateE2eUser(page, context, !!isMobile);

frontend/tests/e2e/apply/happy-path-application-submission.spec.ts

@@ -17,10 +17,20 @@ import { selectFormInclusionOption } from "tests/e2e/utils/forms/select-form-inc
 import { verifyFormStatusAfterSave } from "tests/e2e/utils/forms/verify-form-status-utils";
 import { submitApplicationAndVerify } from "tests/e2e/utils/submit-application-utils";
 
-const { testOrgLabel } = playwrightEnv;
+const { testOrgLabel, targetEnv } = playwrightEnv;
 const OPPORTUNITY_ID = "f7a1c2b3-4d5e-6789-8abc-1234567890ab"; // TEST-APPLY-ORG-IND-ON01
 const OPPORTUNITY_URL = `/opportunity/${OPPORTUNITY_ID}`;
 
+// Skip non-Chrome browsers in staging
+test.beforeEach(({ page: _ }, testInfo) => {
+  if (targetEnv === "staging") {
+    test.skip(
+      testInfo.project.name !== "Chrome",
+      "Staging MFA login is limited to Chrome to avoid OTP rate-limiting",
+    );
+  }
+});
+
 test("Application submission happy path - application with required SF424B and unsubmitted conditional SFLLL", async ({
   page,
   context,
@@ -35,33 +45,32 @@ test("Application submission happy path - application with required SF424B and u
   await createApplication(page, OPPORTUNITY_URL, testOrgLabel);
   const applicationUrl = page.url();
 
-  if (await openForm(page, SF424B_FORM_MATCHER)) {
-    // Fill SF-424B form fields using helper
-    await fillSf424bForm(page, "TESTER", testOrgLabel);
+  if (!(await openForm(page, SF424B_FORM_MATCHER))) {
+    throw new Error(
+      "Could not find or open SF-424B form link on the application forms page",
+    );
+  }
+
+  // Fill SF-424B form fields using helper
+  await fillSf424bForm(page, "TESTER", testOrgLabel);
 
-    // Save the form using helper
-    await saveForm(page);
+  // Save the form using helper
+  await saveForm(page);
 
-    // Verify form status after save
-    await verifyFormStatusAfterSave(
-      page,
-      "complete",
-      "SF-424B",
-      applicationUrl,
-    );
+  // Verify form status after save
+  await verifyFormStatusAfterSave(page, "complete", "SF-424B", applicationUrl);
 
-    // Extra wait for page to fully render forms table after navigation
-    await page.waitForTimeout(10000);
+  // Extra wait for page to fully render forms table after navigation
+  await page.waitForTimeout(10000);
 
-    // Select 'No' for including SF-LLL form in submission
-    await selectFormInclusionOption(
-      page,
-      "Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)",
-      "No",
-    );
+  // Select 'No' for including SF-LLL form in submission
+  await selectFormInclusionOption(
+    page,
+    "Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)",
+    "No",
+  );
 
-    // Submit the application and verify success
-    await submitApplicationAndVerify(page);
-    // Application ID is now available in appId variable for further use if needed
-  }
+  // Submit the application and verify success
+  await submitApplicationAndVerify(page);
+  // Application ID is now available in appId variable for further use if needed
 });