diff --git a/.github/copilot-instructions.md b/.github/copilot-instructions.md
index dc0c356..9f369d4 100644
--- a/.github/copilot-instructions.md
+++ b/.github/copilot-instructions.md
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ you're testing with the most recent R version that users will have.
 - Always wrap test conditions in `{}`: `assert('message', {})`
 - Use `has_error()` instead of `tryCatch()` for error testing
 - Load the package with `library(gglite)` before testing
+- Use `%==%` (from testit) instead of `==` to test for strict equality
+- Never use `:::` to access internal functions in tests; testit exposes
+  internal functions automatically, so call them directly
 
 ### Rendering Example Rmd Files
 
diff --git a/tests/testit/test-gglite.R b/tests/testit/test-gglite.R
index a0026a8..ca6e521 100644
--- a/tests/testit/test-gglite.R
+++ b/tests/testit/test-gglite.R
@@ -11,24 +11,24 @@ assert('g2() accepts data and aesthetics', {
   df = data.frame(x = 1:3, y = 4:6)
   chart = g2(df, x = 'x', y = 'y')
   (identical(chart$data, df))
-  (chart$aesthetics$x == 'x')
-  (chart$aesthetics$y == 'y')
+  (chart$aesthetics$x %==% 'x')
+  (chart$aesthetics$y %==% 'y')
 })
 
 # encode() maps aesthetics as character strings
 assert('encode() maps column names to aesthetics', {
   chart = g2() |> encode(x = 'foo', y = 'bar', color = 'baz')
-  (chart$aesthetics$x == 'foo')
-  (chart$aesthetics$y == 'bar')
-  (chart$aesthetics$color == 'baz')
+  (chart$aesthetics$x %==% 'foo')
+  (chart$aesthetics$y %==% 'bar')
+  (chart$aesthetics$color %==% 'baz')
 })
 
 # mark_*() functions add layers
 assert('mark_point() and mark_line() add layers', {
   chart = g2() |> mark_point() |> mark_line()
-  (length(chart$layers) == 2)
-  (chart$layers[[1]]$type == 'point')
-  (chart$layers[[2]]$type == 'line')
+  (length(chart$layers) %==% 2L)
+  (chart$layers[[1]]$type %==% 'point')
+  (chart$layers[[2]]$type %==% 'line')
 })
 
 # build_config() produces correct spec with column-major data
@@ -37,20 +37,20 @@ assert('build_config() produces correct spec', {
   chart = g2(df, x = 'x', y = 'y') |>
     mark_interval() |>
     scale_of('y', nice = TRUE)
-  config = gglite:::build_config(chart)
+  config = build_config(chart)
 
   # spec should NOT contain constructor options
   (is.null(config$width))
   (is.null(config$height))
   # data should be annotated as column-major
-  (config$data$type == 'column')
+  (config$data$type %==% 'column')
   (is.data.frame(config$data$value))
   # marks
-  (length(config$children) == 1)
-  (config$children[[1]]$type == 'interval')
-  (config$children[[1]]$encode$x == 'x')
-  (config$children[[1]]$encode$y == 'y')
-  (config$scale$y$nice == TRUE)
+  (length(config$children) %==% 1L)
+  (config$children[[1]]$type %==% 'interval')
+  (config$children[[1]]$encode$x %==% 'x')
+  (config$children[[1]]$encode$y %==% 'y')
+  (config$scale$y$nice %==% TRUE)
 })
 
 # chart_html() generates valid HTML with G2.Chart constructor args
@@ -72,32 +72,32 @@ assert('chart_html() generates correct HTML structure', {
 # transform_of() adds transforms to the last mark
 assert('transform_of() adds transforms', {
   chart = g2() |> mark_interval() |> transform_of('stackY')
-  (length(chart$layers[[1]]$transform) == 1)
-  (chart$layers[[1]]$transform[[1]]$type == 'stackY')
+  (length(chart$layers[[1]]$transform) %==% 1L)
+  (chart$layers[[1]]$transform[[1]]$type %==% 'stackY')
 })
 
 # coord_transpose() adds transpose transform
 assert('coord_transpose() adds transpose transform', {
   chart = g2() |> mark_interval() |> coord_transpose()
-  (length(chart$coords$transform) == 1)
-  (chart$coords$transform[[1]]$type == 'transpose')
+  (length(chart$coords$transform) %==% 1L)
+  (chart$coords$transform[[1]]$type %==% 'transpose')
 })
 
 # facet_rect() sets facet config
 assert('facet_rect() sets faceting', {
   chart = g2() |> mark_point() |> facet_rect(x = 'Species')
-  (chart$facet$type == 'facetRect')
-  (chart$facet$encode$x == 'Species')
-  config = gglite:::build_config(chart)
-  (config$type == 'facetRect')
-  (config$encode$x == 'Species')
+  (chart$facet$type %==% 'facetRect')
+  (chart$facet$encode$x %==% 'Species')
+  config = build_config(chart)
+  (config$type %==% 'facetRect')
+  (config$encode$x %==% 'Species')
 })
 
 # animate() sets animation on last mark
 assert('animate() sets animation options', {
   chart = g2() |> mark_interval() |>
     animate(enter = list(type = 'fadeIn'))
-  (chart$layers[[1]]$animate$enter$type == 'fadeIn')
+  (chart$layers[[1]]$animate$enter$type %==% 'fadeIn')
 })
 
 # theme_of(), axis_of(), legend_of(), title_of() set chart options
@@ -108,10 +108,10 @@ assert('component functions set chart options', {
     axis_of('x', title = 'MPG') |>
     legend_of('color', position = 'right') |>
     title_of('Cars')
-  (chart$theme$type == 'dark')
-  (chart$axes$x$title == 'MPG')
-  (chart$legends$color$position == 'right')
-  (chart$chart_title == 'Cars')
+  (chart$theme$type %==% 'dark')
+  (chart$axes$x$title %==% 'MPG')
+  (chart$legends$color$position %==% 'right')
+  (chart$chart_title %==% 'Cars')
 })
 
 # End-to-end pipe chaining
@@ -122,19 +122,19 @@ assert('pipe chaining works end-to-end', {
     coordinate('polar') |>
     interact('tooltip')
   (inherits(chart, 'g2'))
-  (length(chart$layers) == 1)
-  (chart$scales$x$type == 'linear')
-  (chart$coords$type == 'polar')
-  (length(chart$interactions) == 1)
+  (length(chart$layers) %==% 1L)
+  (chart$scales$x$type %==% 'linear')
+  (chart$coords$type %==% 'polar')
+  (length(chart$interactions) %==% 1L)
 })
 
 # g2_cdn() is customizable via option
 assert('g2_cdn() respects gglite.g2_cdn option', {
   old = getOption('gglite.g2_cdn')
   options(gglite.g2_cdn = 'https://example.com/g2.js')
-  res = gglite:::g2_cdn()
+  res = g2_cdn()
   options(gglite.g2_cdn = old)
-  (res == 'https://example.com/g2.js')
+  (res %==% 'https://example.com/g2.js')
 })
 
 # annotate_df correctly wraps data frames
@@ -142,41 +142,41 @@ assert('annotate_df() wraps data frames', {
   x = list(data = data.frame(a = 1:3), children = list(
     list(type = 'point', data = data.frame(b = 4:6))
   ))
-  res = gglite:::annotate_df(x)
-  (res$data$type == 'column')
+  res = annotate_df(x)
+  (res$data$type %==% 'column')
   (is.data.frame(res$data$value))
-  (res$children[[1]]$data$type == 'column')
+  (res$children[[1]]$data$type %==% 'column')
 })
 
 # coord_*() shortcut functions
 assert('coord_polar() sets polar coordinate', {
   chart = g2() |> mark_interval() |> coord_polar()
-  (chart$coords$type == 'polar')
+  (chart$coords$type %==% 'polar')
 })
 
 assert('coord_theta() sets theta coordinate', {
   chart = g2() |> mark_interval() |> coord_theta(innerRadius = 0.5)
-  (chart$coords$type == 'theta')
-  (chart$coords$innerRadius == 0.5)
+  (chart$coords$type %==% 'theta')
+  (chart$coords$innerRadius %==% 0.5)
 })
 
 assert('coord_radial() sets radial coordinate', {
   chart = g2() |> mark_interval() |> coord_radial()
-  (chart$coords$type == 'radial')
+  (chart$coords$type %==% 'radial')
 })
 
 # theme_*() shortcut functions
 assert('theme_classic() sets classic theme', {
   chart = g2() |> mark_point() |> theme_classic()
-  (chart$theme$type == 'classic')
+  (chart$theme$type %==% 'classic')
 })
 
 assert('theme_dark() sets dark theme', {
   chart = g2() |> mark_point() |> theme_dark()
-  (chart$theme$type == 'dark')
+  (chart$theme$type %==% 'dark')
 })
 
 assert('theme_academy() sets academy theme', {
   chart = g2() |> mark_point() |> theme_academy()
-  (chart$theme$type == 'academy')
+  (chart$theme$type %==% 'academy')
 })