Chris Schwartz
Most mistakes in test automation are predictable and can be avoided. By following these eight best practices, you can steer clear of common pitfalls and unlock higher quality and productivity in testing.
1. Identify the right tests to automate
The first step in building scalable test automation is to determine which tests to automate. You should consider automating:
- Predictable scenarios with a clearly defined objective and expected outcomes.
- Repetitive and data-intensive tests to eliminate human error and save time.
- Critical and complex feature tests to ensure frequent and thorough testing.
- Tests across multiple platforms and technologies to enable efficient end-to-end testing.
Finding the right balance is crucial. Automate too little, and you may not see significant benefits; automate too much, and you could spend excessive time maintaining less valuable tests.
2. Pick the right testing platform
Select a testing platform that allows you to create reusable and maintainable automation test flows. Opt for platforms that:
- Minimize maintenance burden. True no-code solutions accommodate team members with varied technical skills and reduce developer dependence.
- Integrate smoothly with your CI/CD pipeline, ensuring that your automation efforts complement existing development practices.
- Support the creation of reusable, parameterized test flows that can adapt to changes without extensive rewrites.
Related reading: The Top 20 Test Automation Tools of 2024
3. Divide tasks based on skill, but ensure shared responsibility
While it's efficient to divide tasks according to individual strengths, you want to make sure relevant stakeholders, such as application owners, can validate testing processes and results. Many automation tools require users to program, which creates silos.
This widens the divide between technical testers, who can code, and “non-technical” testers who can’t. The technical team members are then in charge of implementing test automation, with little or no validation from functional users.
Adopt a test automation platform that all testers can work with, and that breaks down silos. You want automation to become a natural part of the daily work of all team members.
Encourage regular knowledge-sharing sessions and collaborative reviews of testing strategies and automation.
4. Create independent, self-contained test cases
When it comes to test automation, we sometimes see test teams building and scheduling automated test cases as one long end-to-end flow. This approach works against the benefits that come with test automation, namely; flexibility, reusability, and agility.
Design test cases to be independent from one another to simplify troubleshooting and maintenance. You want to be able to reuse the logic contained in other test cases and to reduce the time required to create a new test case. Isolated tests also reduce dependencies, allowing for quicker identification of issues and less disruption to other tests.
This way, they can all be scheduled at once to be executed anytime and in parallel, i.e. across different environments.
5. Employ data-driven tests
Data-driven testing allows you to input a single test case that can execute tests for all test data from a data source and expect the test output in the same table. It is also called table-driven testing or parameterized testing.
Utilize data-driven testing to inject various datasets into your tests, evaluating how changes in data affect your application. This method not only enhances test coverage but also facilitates easy updates to test cases as requirements change.
Related reading: A Short Introduction to Data-Driven Testing
6. Adopt early and frequent testing
Begin testing early in the development process and continue testing frequently. Early testing helps detect issues before they become costly to fix, while frequent testing keeps pace with continuous integration and deployment practices.
As long as you have a solid automation strategy and tool, you’ll be able to ramp up your test execution cycles. If your test suites are large, you can set up parallel testing to test wider and shorten the testing cycle.
The end goal is to achieve continuous testing where you always have an up-to-date quality status on all builds and you can take corrective measures immediately if you see a critical test failing.
7. Prioritize detailed test reporting
Develop a comprehensive reporting strategy that provides clear insights into test outcomes, bug reports, and quality metrics. Effective reporting enables informed decision-making and supports continuous improvement in your test automation efforts.
Your test automation platform should include robust reporting and analytics features to help manage and interpret the vast amounts of data generated by numerous test cases. When dealing with hundreds or even thousands of tests, it is crucial to have data visualization tools that allow for a comprehensive analysis of test automation efforts at scale.
8. Keep records for better debugging
Keep detailed records of test cases, including their design, expected outcomes, and any modifications. This documentation is invaluable for debugging, onboarding new team members, and conducting audits or reviews of your testing processes.
Some test automation tools come with video recording logs for documentation. You can then access recordings of each test whenever you need them. See which tools have this feature in our Test Automation Tools Comparison Chart.
Keep learning about test automation
By following these best practices, you can establish a test automation strategy that not only supports your current development needs but also adapts to future challenges, ensuring long-term success.To keep learning about test automation, watch our on-demand webinar: How to Build a Successful Test Automation Strategy. In this session, our experts outline the crucial elements that go into creating a successful and scalable test automation strategy.
