cypress-io/cypress · error · SchematicsException

angular.json not found

Error message

angular.json not found

What it means

Raised by modifyAngularJson() during `ng add @cypress/schematic` when tree.exists('./angular.json') returns false. The schematic only knows how to register Cypress targets inside an existing angular.json; without it there is nothing to modify, so it throws a SchematicsException instead of silently skipping.

Source

Thrown at npm/cypress-schematic/src/schematics/ng-add/index.ts:314

        addCypressTsConfig(tree, angularJsonVal, project)

        context.logger.debug(`Adding cypress-run and cypress-open commands in angular.json`)

        addNewCypressCommands(
          tree,
          angularJsonVal,
          project,
          runJson,
          openJson,
          e2eJson,
          options.e2e,
          componentJson,
          options.component,
        )
      })
    } else {
      throw new SchematicsException('angular.json not found')
    }

    return tree
  }
}

function addDefaultSchematic (): Rule {
  return (tree: Tree, _: SchematicContext) => {
    if (tree.exists('./angular.json')) {
      const angularJsonVal = getAngularJsonValue(tree)
      const angularSchematic = '@schematics/angular'
      const cli = {
        ...angularJsonVal.cli,
        schematicCollections: ['@cypress/schematic', ...angularJsonVal?.cli?.schematicCollections ?? []],
      }

      if (cli.schematicCollections.indexOf('@schematics/angular') === -1) {
        cli.schematicCollections.push(angularSchematic)

View on GitHub (pinned to 0d85fdc912)

Solutions

1. `cd` to the directory that contains angular.json (usually the Angular workspace root) and re-run `ng add @cypress/schematic`.
2. If angular.json is missing entirely, scaffold a standard Angular workspace with `ng new` first.
3. If the file was renamed or moved, restore it to the workspace root before running the schematic.
4. For Nx workspaces, confirm you are running an Angular CLI schematic against an Angular-style angular.json.

Example fix

# before: run from a subdir with no angular.json
# after:
cd /path/to/angular/workspace-root
ng add @cypress/schematic

import fs from 'fs'

if (!fs.existsSync('./angular.json')) {
  throw new Error('No angular.json found in the current directory. Run ng add @cypress/schematic from the Angular workspace root.')
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running `ng add @cypress/schematic` from a directory that does not contain an angular.json file (e.g. a subdirectory, a non-Angular project, or a workspace where the file was renamed/deleted).

Common situations: Wrong working directory (running from a packages/subdir instead of the workspace root); a project that uses a different config file name; angular.json accidentally gitignored or removed; an Nx workspace using workspace.json instead.

Related errors

• projects in angular.json is not defined
• Invalid project name: ${options.project}
• File not found.
• Invalid project name: ${options.project}
• No file name specified. This is required to generate a new C

AI-assisted analysis of cypress-io/cypress@0d85fdc912 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/50058fa86709b1d8. Report an issue: GitHub.