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docs: add watch mode tips and best practices section #15875

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14 changes: 14 additions & 0 deletions docs/CLI.md
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Expand Up @@ -565,3 +565,17 @@ Whether to use [worker threads](https://nodejs.org/dist/latest/docs/api/worker_t
This is **experimental feature**. See the [`workerThreads` configuration option](Configuration.md#workerthreads) for more details.

:::

## Watch Mode Tips

When using Jest in watch mode (`--watch` or `--watchAll`), here are some best practices to maximize productivity:

- **Use `--testNamePattern` (`-t`)** in combination with `--watch` to focus on specific tests while developing.
- **Press `o` in watch mode** to only run tests related to changed files instead of all tests.
- **Press `f` in watch mode** to run only the tests that failed in the previous run.
- **Press `p` in watch mode** to filter tests by filename pattern interactively.
- **Set `--maxWorkers`** if watch mode is consuming too much memory or CPU on your machine.
- **Use `--bail`** (`-x`) to stop after the first test failure, useful for TDD workflows.
- **Clear cache** with `jest --clearCache` if you encounter stale cache issues during long watch sessions.

For more details, see the [Configuration](Configuration.md) page and run `jest --help` for all available options.
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