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`sf flow run test` does not return a custom error message

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#3,447 4 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

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Assessment

Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Newbie friendliness
45/100
Issue type
Bug
Clarity
Mostly clear
Activity status
Stale
Domain
cli

Research direction

Start by reproducing the issue with sf flow run test using the linked sample metadata and JSON output, then compare the empty Message field with the custom failure message shown in Flow Test UI. The payload names no repository files or tests; done means the CLI JSON output includes the custom assertion error message.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Description

bug owned by another team validated
Summary

If you execute a Flow Test with Salesforce CLI command sf flow run test it does not return a custom error message for a failed FlowTest, but it is displayed in the FlowTest UI

Steps To Reproduce

General Steps:
Create a Flow Test for a record triggered Flow
Create an assertion which will fail and define a custom error message in the assertion
Run the Flow Test in the UI - inspect errors with "Run Test and View Details" next to the Flow Test Table row - for the failure you will the custom error message
Run the same Flow Test from the CLI with output format JSON -> "message" will be empty

Sample Metadata to Reproduce

Clone repo https://github.com/ChristianMenzinger/flow-test-metadata
Create a new scratch org
Push all metadata to new scratch org
Open Org, Open Flow Builder for Flow "Check Escalated in Cases"
Open "View Tests"
Click chevron on the test row and select "Run Test and View Details"
Inspect the failed assertion:

The assertion failed because a condition was not met.
Condition
{!$Record.IsEscalated} Equals true
Custom failure message
Escalated was not set to true.
Condition evaluation
{!$Record.IsEscalated} (false) Equals true

Notice the custom failure message "Escalated was not set to true"

Run the same test with the CLI command:
sf flow run test -t Check_Escalated_in_Cases.Check_Escalated_in_Cases_Created_Status_is_Escalated_Escalated_is_False -r json -y

Inspect the output:

{
  "status": 100,
  "result": {
    "summary": {
      "failRate": "100%",
      "failing": 1,
      "hostname": "https://customization-speed-3216-dev-ed.scratch.my.salesforce.com",
      "orgId": "00DKO000000NIzq2AG",
      "outcome": "Failed",
      "passRate": "0%",
      "passing": 0,
      "skipped": 0,
      "testRunId": "",
      "testStartTime": "2025-11-05T14:52:16.731Z",
      "testsRan": 1,
      "username": "[email protected]",
      "commandTime": "1 ms",
      "testExecutionTime": "276 ms",
      "testTotalTime": "276 ms"
    },
    "tests": [
      {
        "Id": "",
        "QueueItemId": "",
        "StackTrace": "",
        "Message": "",
        "AsyncApexJobId": "",
        "MethodName": "Created: Status is Escalated, Escalated is False",
        "Outcome": "Fail",
        "ApexClass": {
          "Id": "07MKO000003z7am2AA",
          "Name": "Check_Escalated_in_Cases",
          "NamespacePrefix": "flowtesting"
        },
        "RunTime": 42,
        "FullName": "flowtesting__Check_Escalated_in_Cases.Created: Status is Escalated, Escalated is False"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Notice "Message" is empty

Expected result

"Message" should display the custom error message as in the Flow Test UI

Actual result

"Message" is empty

System Information
{
  "architecture": "darwin-arm64",
  "cliVersion": "@salesforce/cli/2.110.22",
  "nodeVersion": "node-v22.21.0",
  "osVersion": "Darwin 24.6.0",
  "rootPath": "/Users/christianmenzinger/.local/share/sf/client/2.110.22-7013be3",
  "shell": "zsh",
  "pluginVersions": [
    "@oclif/plugin-autocomplete 3.2.37 (core)",
    "@oclif/plugin-commands 4.1.35 (core)",
    "@oclif/plugin-help 6.2.33 (core)",
    "@oclif/plugin-not-found 3.2.70 (core)",
    "@oclif/plugin-plugins 5.4.50 (core)",
    "@oclif/plugin-search 1.2.33 (core)",
    "@oclif/plugin-update 4.7.11 (core)",
    "@oclif/plugin-version 2.2.34 (core)",
    "@oclif/plugin-warn-if-update-available 3.1.50 (core)",
    "@oclif/plugin-which 3.2.41 (core)",
    "@salesforce/cli 2.110.22 (core)",
    "agent 1.24.18 (core)",
    "apex 3.8.3 (core)",
    "api 1.3.3 (core)",
    "auth 3.9.17 (core)",
    "data 4.0.59 (core)",
    "deploy-retrieve 3.23.8 (core)",
    "flow 1.0.2 (user) published 197 days ago (Mon Apr 21 2025)",
    "info 3.4.93 (core)",
    "limits 3.3.67 (core)",
    "marketplace 1.3.8 (core)",
    "org 5.9.38 (core)",
    "packaging 2.22.0 (core)",
    "schema 3.3.82 (core)",
    "settings 2.4.48 (core)",
    "sobject 1.4.76 (core)",
    "telemetry 3.6.61 (core)",
    "templates 56.3.66 (core)",
    "trust 3.7.113 (core)",
    "user 3.6.38 (core)",
    "sfdx-plugin-package-xml 0.0.0-development (link) /Users/christianmenzinger/dev/metacache/sfdx-plugin-package-xml",
    "sfdx-plugin-source-read 1.5.6 (user) published 52 days ago (Sun Sep 14 2025)"
  ]
}
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Merged PRs (30d)
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