diff --git a/frontend/blog_portal/cypress/support/commands.ts b/frontend/blog_portal/cypress/support/commands.ts
index a25fbf7..526f445 100644
--- a/frontend/blog_portal/cypress/support/commands.ts
+++ b/frontend/blog_portal/cypress/support/commands.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,104 @@
 /// <reference types="cypress" />
 
+interface MailpitAddress {
+  Address: string;
+  Name: string;
+}
+
+interface MailpitMessageSummary {
+  ID: string;
+  From: MailpitAddress;
+  To: MailpitAddress[];
+  Subject: string;
+  Snippet: string;
+  Created: string;
+}
+
+interface MailpitMessages {
+  total: number;
+  unread: number;
+  count: number;
+  messages: MailpitMessageSummary[];
+}
+
+interface MailpitMessageBody {
+  ID: string;
+  Text: string;
+  HTML: string;
+}
+
+interface SignupArgs {
+  email: string;
+  displayName: string;
+}
+
+interface ConfirmArgs {
+  token: string;
+  password: string;
+}
+
+interface LoginArgs {
+  email: string;
+  password: string;
+}
+
+interface SeedConfirmedUserArgs {
+  email: string;
+  displayName: string;
+  password: string;
+}
+
+type SeedAdminArgs = SeedConfirmedUserArgs;
+
+interface SeedPostArgs {
+  email: string;
+  password: string;
+  title: string;
+  body: string;
+}
+
+interface CreatedPost {
+  id: number;
+  userId: number;
+  authorDisplayName: string;
+  title: string;
+  body: string;
+  createdAt: string;
+  featureSlot: number | null;
+}
+
+interface SeedFeaturedPostArgs {
+  adminEmail: string;
+  adminPassword: string;
+  postId: number;
+  slot: number;
+}
+
 declare global {
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-namespace
   namespace Cypress {
     interface Chainable {
       resetDb(): Chainable<null>;
       seedDb(): Chainable<null>;
+      promoteAdmin(email: string): Chainable<null>;
+      clearMail(): Chainable<null>;
+      getMail(): Chainable<MailpitMessages>;
+      getMailBody(id: string): Chainable<MailpitMessageBody>;
+      signupViaApi(args: SignupArgs): Chainable<void>;
+      fetchLatestConfirmToken(email: string): Chainable<string>;
+      confirmViaApi(args: ConfirmArgs): Chainable<void>;
+      loginViaApi(args: LoginArgs): Chainable<void>;
+      logoutViaApi(): Chainable<void>;
+      seedConfirmedUser(args: SeedConfirmedUserArgs): Chainable<void>;
+      seedAdmin(args: SeedAdminArgs): Chainable<void>;
+      seedPostAs(args: SeedPostArgs): Chainable<CreatedPost>;
+      seedFeaturedPost(args: SeedFeaturedPostArgs): Chainable<void>;
     }
   }
 }
 
+const apiBase = "/api";
+
 Cypress.Commands.add("resetDb", function () {
   return cy.task<null>("db:reset");
 });
@@ -18,4 +107,129 @@ Cypress.Commands.add("seedDb", function () {
   return cy.task<null>("db:seed");
 });
 
+Cypress.Commands.add("promoteAdmin", function (email: string) {
+  return cy.task<null>("db:promote", email);
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add("clearMail", function () {
+  return cy.task<null>("mailpit:clear");
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add("getMail", function () {
+  return cy.task<MailpitMessages>("mailpit:messages");
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add("getMailBody", function (id: string) {
+  return cy.task<MailpitMessageBody>("mailpit:message", id);
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add("signupViaApi", function (args: SignupArgs) {
+  cy.request({
+    method: "POST",
+    url: `${apiBase}/signup`,
+    body: { email: args.email, displayName: args.displayName },
+  }).then(function (response) {
+    expect(response.status).to.equal(201);
+  });
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add("fetchLatestConfirmToken", function (email: string) {
+  return cy.getMail().then(function (inbox) {
+    const match = inbox.messages.find(function (message) {
+      return message.To.some(function (to) {
+        return to.Address.toLowerCase() === email.toLowerCase();
+      });
+    });
+    if (!match) {
+      throw new Error(`no mailpit message for ${email}`);
+    }
+    return cy.getMailBody(match.ID).then(function (body) {
+      const text = body.Text || body.HTML;
+      const tokenMatch = text.match(/token=([a-f0-9]+)/);
+      if (!tokenMatch) {
+        throw new Error("confirmation token not found in mail body");
+      }
+      return tokenMatch[1];
+    });
+  });
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add("confirmViaApi", function (args: ConfirmArgs) {
+  cy.request({
+    method: "POST",
+    url: `${apiBase}/confirm-email`,
+    body: { token: args.token, password: args.password },
+  }).then(function (response) {
+    expect(response.status).to.equal(200);
+  });
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add("loginViaApi", function (args: LoginArgs) {
+  cy.request({
+    method: "POST",
+    url: `${apiBase}/login`,
+    body: { email: args.email, password: args.password },
+  }).then(function (response) {
+    expect(response.status).to.equal(200);
+  });
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add("logoutViaApi", function () {
+  cy.request({
+    method: "POST",
+    url: `${apiBase}/logout`,
+    failOnStatusCode: false,
+  });
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add(
+  "seedConfirmedUser",
+  function (args: SeedConfirmedUserArgs) {
+    cy.signupViaApi({ email: args.email, displayName: args.displayName });
+    cy.fetchLatestConfirmToken(args.email).then(function (token) {
+      cy.confirmViaApi({ token, password: args.password });
+    });
+    cy.logoutViaApi();
+  },
+);
+
+Cypress.Commands.add("seedAdmin", function (args: SeedAdminArgs) {
+  cy.seedConfirmedUser({
+    email: args.email,
+    displayName: args.displayName,
+    password: args.password,
+  });
+  cy.promoteAdmin(args.email);
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add("seedPostAs", function (args: SeedPostArgs) {
+  cy.loginViaApi({ email: args.email, password: args.password });
+  return cy
+    .request({
+      method: "POST",
+      url: `${apiBase}/posts`,
+      body: { title: args.title, body: args.body },
+    })
+    .then(function (response) {
+      expect(response.status).to.equal(201);
+      cy.logoutViaApi();
+      return response.body.post as CreatedPost;
+    });
+});
+
+Cypress.Commands.add(
+  "seedFeaturedPost",
+  function (args: SeedFeaturedPostArgs) {
+    cy.loginViaApi({ email: args.adminEmail, password: args.adminPassword });
+    cy.request({
+      method: "POST",
+      url: `${apiBase}/admin/posts/feature`,
+      body: { postId: args.postId, slot: args.slot },
+    }).then(function (response) {
+      expect(response.status).to.equal(200);
+    });
+    cy.logoutViaApi();
+  },
+);
+
 export {};