request-body-verification

name	request-body-verification
description	Verify backend-generated request bodies sent from fyllut-backend to external systems by comparing them against numbered test-case fixtures in the mock server. Use this for skjemabygging-proxy, innsending-api, familie-pdf, and similar integrations.

Verifying outbound request bodies

Goal

Verify the actual request body that fyllut-backend sends to external systems, not just the browser action that triggered the backend call.

Use this skill when a Cypress test must prove that a request to an external dependency such as skjemabygging-proxy, innsending-api, or familie-pdf contains the expected payload.

Workflow

Preferred verification pattern

Do not rely only on a browser intercept when the behavior you care about happens after the request reaches fyllut-backend.

Instead:

1. Create or update an expected JSON body in mocks/mocks/data/test-cases/.
2. Reuse the existing numbered test-case family when the scenario is related to an existing request verification.
3. Add or update the shared tcNN.md file when the numbered family needs a short explanation.
4. Add a route variant in the relevant mock route file, for example:
   • mocks/mocks/routes/skjemabygging-proxy.ts
   • mocks/mocks/routes/innsending-api.ts
   • mocks/mocks/routes/familie-pdf.ts
5. Use compareBodyMiddleware(...) to compare the actual backend request body with the expected fixture.
6. Select that route variant from Cypress with cy.mocksUseRouteVariant(...).

Route examples in this repo

• skjemabygging-proxy.ts verifies cover-page request bodies
• innsending-api.ts verifies soknad request bodies
• familie-pdf.ts verifies PDF request bodies

When to ignore fields

Pass ignored paths to compareBodyMiddleware(...) only for unstable or environment-dependent values, such as generated IDs or dynamic document fields.

Do not ignore the field that is the point of the test.

Test-case conventions

Expected bodies live in mocks/mocks/data/test-cases/.

Use the existing grouped naming style:

tc01-innsending-nologin-soknad-body.json
tc07-pdf-body.json
tc08a-cover-page-body.json
tc08b-cover-page-body.json

Use suffixes such as a and b when a test case family covers the same kind of assertion with different expected values.

Troubleshooting

When a request-verification spec fails:

1. Read the mock-server logs and inspect the logged req.body.
2. Compare the logged body to the JSON fixture before changing production code.
3. Confirm the route variant was actually selected in Cypress.
4. Confirm the fixture is imported by the correct route file.
5. If the request body matches but the spec still fails, the failure is likely later in the response, merge, or download flow rather than in request-body generation.