angular/angular-cli · error · SchematicsException

Project "${options.project}" does not have a "test" target w

Error message

Project "${options.project}" does not have a "test" target with a supported builder.

What it means

The vitest-browser schematic requires the target project's "test" target to already use the unit-test (Vitest) builder (Builders.BuildUnitTest). If the target is missing or built with a different builder, this SchematicsException is thrown because browser mode can only be layered onto a Vitest-based test setup.

Source

Thrown at packages/schematics/angular/vitest-browser/index.ts:40

} from '../utility/dependency';
import { JSONFile } from '../utility/json-file';
import { latestVersions } from '../utility/latest-versions';
import { getWorkspace } from '../utility/workspace';
import { Builders } from '../utility/workspace-models';
import { Schema as VitestBrowserOptions } from './schema';

export default function (options: VitestBrowserOptions): Rule {
  return async (host: Tree, _context: SchematicContext) => {
    const workspace = await getWorkspace(host);
    const project = workspace.projects.get(options.project);

    if (!project) {
      throw new SchematicsException(`Project "${options.project}" does not exist.`);
    }

    const testTarget = project.targets.get('test');
    if (testTarget?.builder !== Builders.BuildUnitTest) {
      throw new SchematicsException(
        `Project "${options.project}" does not have a "test" target with a supported builder.`,
      );
    }

    if (testTarget.options?.['runner'] === 'karma') {
      throw new SchematicsException(
        `Project "${options.project}" is configured to use Karma. ` +
          'Please migrate to Vitest before adding browser testing support.',
      );
    }

    const packageName = options.package;
    if (!packageName) {
      return;
    }

    const dependencies = [packageName];
    if (packageName === '@vitest/browser-playwright') {

View on GitHub (pinned to bb72145f9a)

Solutions

First run the unit-test/Vitest migration schematic (`ng generate init-vitest` or the project's migration command) so the test target uses @angular/build:unit-test, then rerun vitest-browser.
Manually set the test target's builder to @angular/build:unit-test in angular.json.
Add a "test" target if the project has none, configured with the Vitest builder.
Verify with `ng config projects.<name>.architect.test.builder` that the builder is the supported one before running the schematic.

Example fix

// before (angular.json)
"test": { "builder": "@angular-devkit/build-angular:karma", ... }
// after
"test": { "builder": "@angular/build:unit-test", ... }

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

const ws = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('angular.json', 'utf8'));
const test = ws.projects?.[name]?.architect?.test ?? ws.projects?.[name]?.targets?.test;
if (test?.builder !== '@angular/build:unit-test') {
  throw new Error(`Project "${name}" must first migrate its test target to the Vitest unit-test builder.`);
}

Try / catch

try {
  await ngGenerate(['vitest-browser', '--project', name]);
} catch (e) {
  if (String((e as Error).message).includes('supported builder')) {
    await ngGenerate(['init-vitest', '--project', name]); // migrate first, then retry
  } else throw e;
}

Prevention

Complete the Karma-to-Vitest migration before layering browser testing on a project.
Check the test target builder string in angular.json equals @angular/build:unit-test.
Ensure every project that will use vitest-browser has an explicit "test" target.

When it happens

Trigger: Running the vitest-browser schematic on a project whose angular.json either has no "test" target at all, or whose test target's builder is not the @angular/build unit-test builder (e.g. karma builder or a custom builder string).

Common situations: Projects still on Karma, projects created before the Vitest migration where the test target was never converted, hand-edited angular.json with a custom test builder, or applying the schematic to a library without a test target.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of angular/angular-cli@bb72145f9a (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/64d02195df0ad51c. Report an issue: GitHub.