A Detailed Overview on Cloud Testing: Benefits, Types and Tools

What is Cloud Testing: Benefits, Types and Tools

As rapid technological advancements drive the digital era, providing customers with the latest and most intuitive applications has become a necessity. To ensure high application quality and reliability, businesses need to leverage testing and staging environments. Where a testing environment ensures each application component does its job, the staging environment ensures the components still perform well when deployed in a live environment. Let’s have an overview of the staging environment vs test environment, their best practices, and more.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_is_a_Test_Environment">1 What is a Test Environment?</a><ul><li><a href="#Elements_of_Test_Environment">1.1 Elements of Test Environment</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Why_Do_You_Need_a_Testing_Environment">2 Why Do You Need a Testing Environment?</a></li><li><a href="#Best_Practices_for_an_Effective_Test_Environment">3 Best Practices for an Effective Test Environment</a></li><li><a href="#What_is_a_Staging_Environment">4 What is a Staging Environment?</a></li><li><a href="#Why_Do_You_Need_a_Staging_Environment">5 Why Do You Need a Staging Environment?</a></li><li><a href="#Best_Practices_for_a_Reliable_Staging_Environment">6 Best Practices for a Reliable Staging Environment</a></li><li><a href="#Staging_Environment_vs_Test_Environment_What8217s_the_Difference">7 Staging Environment vs Test Environment: What&#8217;s the Difference?</a></li><li><a href="#Summary">8 Summary</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions">9 Frequently Asked Questions</a><ul><li><a href="#What_is_the_difference_between_staging_and_QA">9.1 What is the difference between staging and QA?</a></li><li><a href="#What_comes_first_UAT_or_staging">9.2 What comes first, UAT or staging?</a></li><li><a href="#What_are_the_different_types_of_testing_environments">9.3 What are the different types of testing environments?</a></li><li><a href="#How_many_environments_are_there_in_QA">9.4 How many environments are there in QA?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="uoip">What is a Test Environment?</h2>



Every application developed needs to be validated to ensure it performs as per the end user’s expectations. <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Test environments</a> are platforms that help design and run multiple test cases on the application as well as the associated hardware and network configurations. This environment consists of all the required resources needed to execute the tests, such as OS, servers, drivers, and so on.



Basically, a test environment is a setup that brings together hardware, software, data, and a combination of configurations to perform testing. These are configured according to the needs of the software being tested to ensure it performs well in all conditions.



Test environments are not one-size-fits-all in nature. It is the component that dictates the environment setup. The main aim of setting up a test environment is to enable QA teams to validate the application and find underlying bugs that are fixed to prevent any negative user experience.



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<h3 id="5899g">Elements of Test Environment</h3>



Certain factors are required to perform testing in a test environment. These are mentioned below:



Servers and Databases for Testing



Servers are environments where software is deployed for testing. Databases store massive datasets in the form of test results from the executed tests.



Team of Testers



A setup for a testing environment features different types of people who create test cases to find all possible bugs and defects. These are:



<ul><li>Dev team, which develops the software</li><li>Testers who run various tests to validate the software</li><li>System admin, who provides backend support.</li></ul>



Network for Testing



The network acts as a channel to transfer test data. The <a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/test-process/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">software testing process</a> generates a significant amount of data in the form of inputs, outputs, simulation data, etc. An ideal testing network features a network, LAN setup, or private network.



Tools for Reporting Bugs



Reporting the bugs is as critical as detecting them. The test environment should use reliable and effective defect-logging tools so that the developers can easily understand what needs to be fixed. Some examples of popular bug-reporting tools are Bugzilla and JIRA.



<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-environment-management/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Managing Test Environment</a>



Management of the test environment is critical to ensure they can be utilized whenever required. This includes <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-bed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test beds </a>according to the needs of the QA team. Test management also includes setting up a test repository and supporting software and ensuring these are updated through version control. Test environment management also means creating adequate documentation for the setup details, testing history, and outcomes. This helps in making future test cases and may be used as reference points in fixing similar bugs.



<h2 id="86b1a">Why Do You Need a Testing Environment?</h2>



A well-designed test environment is essential to ensure the investment in creating robust test cases pays off. A test environment enables testers to have comprehensive feedback about the application quality. In other words, a test environment provides teams with the necessary setup to run the test cases.



A test environment further helps in providing a dedicated environment to isolate the code and verify the application&#8217;s behavior. This ensures that no other activities that can influence the output of the tests are running on the server.



Moreover, a test environment can replicate the production environment, which is crucial for being confident about the testing outcomes. The testing engineer needs to ensure that the application behaves the same way in the test environment as in the production environment.



<h2 id="88a5j">Best Practices for an Effective Test Environment</h2>



Creating a software testing environment is essential for any organization that wants to ensure the quality of its software applications. This helps testers run various tests to identify and fix defects early in development.



Setting up a proper test environment needs experience, resources, and effort. Here are a few best practices for setting up an effective <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">software testing environment</a>:



<ul><li>Define the testing goals. It should be clear what the testers want to achieve with testing.</li><li>Identify what <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/the-different-software-testing-types-explained/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">types of testing</a> would be required. Some of the critical kinds of testing are Unit testing, Integration testing, Acceptance testing, Regression testing.</li><li>Determine the scope of software testing. It should be clear which parts of the software will be tested.</li><li>Create test cases while keeping in mind the requirements and features.</li><li>The test environment should feature a comprehensive software, hardware, and network configuration setup.</li><li>Ensure the testing environment is secure.</li><li>The environment should be scalable to incorporate the increasing volumes of user traffic and app data.</li><li>Ensure the code changes are validated periodically before the updates are pushed to production.</li><li>Ensure the test environment is updated and includes the latest software and hardware configurations.</li></ul>



<h2 id="e4eh5">What is a Staging Environment?</h2>



Staging environments consist of software, hardware, and configuration similar to the production environments. It is through these similarities testers can mimic the real-world production environment.



Staging environments are replicas of the production environments. It imitates the production environment as closely as possible to ensure application quality. The purpose of setting up a staging environment is to validate the application approaching the production stage to ensure the app will perform well post-deployment.



Simply put, it is a stage where Dev and QA teams can perform various tests on the software and identify its best version. It ensures that the users are always provided with the best software experience.



<h2 id="1d6kj">Why Do You Need a Staging Environment?</h2>



Working with a staging environment allows testers to verify all assumptions made before development and ensure that application deployments are successful. Also, testing new changes takes care of the risk of bugs hampering the end-user experience because the bugs are resolved before going to the live environment.



It is also recommended to deploy the staging environment as part of a release. This ultimately allows the Dev and QA teams to identify any coding, integration, or data bottlenecks.



There are several benefits of using a staging environment:



<ul><li>A staging environment allows the testers to validate the application in a near-production environment.</li><li>A staging environment offers a medium for performing QA checks to ensure the application is of the best possible quality.</li><li>The developers release the new versions of the application in the staging environment to ensure everything is working as intended.</li><li>This environment may be used to share product and services demos with the customers.</li></ul>



<h2 id="c18qa">Best Practices for a Reliable Staging Environment</h2>



Have a dedicated database server



The database features the entire content of the application. Hence, it is crucial to prevent the staging database override over the live database. It is recommended to use a dedicated database server for staging. Testers can refresh the staging database from scratch if they make any mistakes.



Ensure comprehensive testing



When updates are made to software, it is critical to ensure that they do not break anything. Testing assures that the updates and modifications made in the staging environment do not break the live product. A comprehensive test strategy plan, which includes both automation and manual testing, should be made before making any updates to the staging environment.



Monitor the testing environment



Monitoring bears many benefits in a pre-production environment, the foremost being ensuring that code updates do not hamper the production environment. Testers can know the possibilities of failure when the code is deployed by monitoring the testing environments and cases. It is difficult for testers to follow every possible user path and bug. Here, monitoring enables error tracking and ensures quicker code modifications.



Perform debugging and testing



Effective testing and debugging procedures ensure that high-quality code is produced consistently. These include automated testing, regular logging, and bug tracking.



Clone the exact infrastructure



When creating the staging environment, ensure that the same resources are used. These include:



<ul><li>Cloud provider</li><li>Virtualization tools</li><li>API gateways</li></ul>



Ensure a secure environment



Since a staging environment imitates a production environment, both share the same data. If a staging environment is compromised, it may also put the production environment at risk. To prevent any security incidents, testers should use a different domain for staging with restricted access. Data should be encrypted in transit, and complex credentials should be utilized to access the staging environment.



Create backups



When working with a staging environment, any data loss in the staging environment can lead to data loss in the production environment. Hence, it is critical to have data backups of the staging environment to enable quick data recovery in case something goes wrong. <a href="https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-backup/latest/devguide/whatisbackup.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AWS backup is a recommended way</a> to create effective data backups for staging environments.



Above we have discussed all about Test environment and staging environment, best practices and more , now lets look into staging environment vs test environment differences.



<h2 id="1qsa2">Staging Environment vs Test Environment: What&#8217;s the Difference?</h2>



A staging environment and a testing environment differ in the levels of resemblance these provide to testers. In a staging environment, versions are kept up to date to ensure everything resembles the live version except for the recently pushed updates from the Dev environment. This allows testers to deploy the software updates to a live environment while ensuring that nothing breaks in the process.



This may only sometimes be the case with a testing environment. Rather than testing everything end-to-end, testers often work on assumptions of how the software will work and test the changes made to the source code. The testing environment ensures that the code updates are tested faster and without needing to imitate the entire live environment, as in the case of staging environments. Now lets check out the table given below with staging environment vs test environment differences.







<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Staging Environment&nbsp;</td><td>Test Environment</td></tr><tr><td>A staging environment mimics the production environment to perform final QA checks on application.</td><td>A test environment validates each component of application under test.</td></tr><tr><td>It replicates all requirements and configurations of the production environment.</td><td>It is dynamic and requires specific configurations to test each component.</td></tr><tr><td>It validates the complete application.&nbsp;</td><td>It tests the Individual components or functions.</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



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<h2 id="dscsk">Summary</h2>
Both testing and staging environments play a critical role in ensuring the application performs as expected in real-life scenarios. On the one hand, the testing environment ensures each application component performs its job well. On the other hand, the staging environment ensures the application&#8217;s features work well with everything connected around it.
<h2 id="6fsjh">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>
<h3 id="7s9is">What is the difference between staging and QA?</h3>
The significant differences between staging and QA are found in the scale of the test as well as the agenda of finding bugs. The staging environment replicates the requirements and configurations of the production environment, whereas the testing environment validates a particular part of the product.
<h3 id="3s9sj">What comes first, UAT or staging?</h3>
UAT comes first in a software development life cycle, followed by staging.
<h3 id="dn7nj">What are the different types of testing environments?</h3>
<ul>
<li>The Dev environment &#8211; This is where apps are deployed and unit tested by the Dev team.</li>
<li>Test/<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/qa-environment/">QA Environment</a> &#8211; In this environment, the versioned QA builds are deployed, followed by testers executing the tests and reporting test results to the Dev team.</li>
<li>Staging Environment &#8211; It validates the application approaching the production stage to ensure the app will perform well post-deployment.</li>
<li>Production Environment &#8211; This is a live environment where real users use the app.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="9gqqh">How many environments are there in QA?</h3>
There are four QA environments: the Development environment, Test environment, Staging environment, and Production environment.
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Staging Environment vs Test Environment: Differences You Should Know

Web Application Testing Checklist & Template [2022 Updated] cover

Website Testing Checklist & Template

Mobile Testing Lab How to decide which way to go

Mobile Testing Lab: How to Decide Which Way to Go?

How do you feel when an application on your device starts breaking but it works just fine on your friend’s smartphone? You reload the browser for browser check and wait for the website to load. When it does, it does not feel right. All the features are not visible or you cannot click them.



Eventually, you will find yourself in the middle of two roads:



 1. Consider that the site is facing an issue and maybe come back later. OR



2. Look for another site as this one is broken.



Such incidents are probably the first encounters of compatibility challenges. Even though most of the web browsers adhere to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_standards" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Open Web Standards</a> and render HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, it does not guarantee constant performance throughout browsers.



Enters Cross Browser Testing, a comprehensive way of finding and fixing compatibility bottlenecks. Browser check for compatibility ensures that your audience is not alienated from the amazing features of your web app–simply because it didn&#8217;t work on their device. Before moving on to how to check browser compatibility ,we can go through the need of responsiveness.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#The_Need_For_Responsiveness">1 The Need For Responsiveness</a></li><li><a href="#What_Is_Covered_Under_Cross_Browser_Compatibility_Testing">2 What Is Covered Under Cross Browser Compatibility Testing?</a></li><li><a href="#How_to_Check_Browser_Compatibility">3 How to Check Browser Compatibility?</a></li><li><a href="#Conclusionnbsp">4 Conclusion:&nbsp;</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="the-need-for-responsiveness">The Need For Responsiveness</h2>



Responsiveness is the ability of an application to adapt according to any screen resolution or size. The need for responsiveness has become of utmost importance ever since the rise in mobile web use.&nbsp;



A <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/330695/number-of-smartphone-users-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">report by Statista</a> has revealed that there would be around 4 billion smartphone users by 2021. This has urged the application developers to ensure that their website serves equally well on all kinds of web browsers and OS versions.



Along with the browser, the “<a href="https://www.w3schools.com/css/css_rwd_viewport.asp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Viewport</a>” is also a key aspect of cross browser compatibility testing as it plays a critical role in how the application will display. If an app ill-performs due to browser or viewport – the user experience is severely hampered.



<h2 id="what-is-covered-under-cross-browser-compatibility-testing">What Is Covered Under Cross Browser Compatibility Testing?</h2>



If you’re targeting compatibility testing, you would have to check the website for literally everything.&nbsp;



However, you might not always have the right amount of time for that.



To maximize test coverage and get it done the first time, a specification list comes in handy. This list guides you on the areas to test, the browsers, versions, operating systems to consider, the benchmarks to meet, as well as time and budget allocation.



<h2 id="how-to-check-browser-compatibility">How to Check Browser Compatibility?</h2>



Here is your comprehensive roadmap to cross browser testing:



Begin With Chrome



A recent report by W3Counter revealed that <a href="https://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">65.3% of the global web browser </a>market share belonged to Chrome. So, Chrome is your go-to browser when you flag off compatibility testing. Perform all the design and functionality tests on Chrome first in order to have a better picture of how the application is intended to behave in front of the end-user.



Shortlist Your Browsers



Rather than merely going with your instincts, it is recommended to choose the browsers on some logical grounds. Prioritize testing the browser-OS combinations that are most popular among your target audience. Check out <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/cross-browser-compatibility-testing-what-browsers-you-should-test/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">this post for comprehensive details</a> on choosing the right web browsers.



Test The Primary Feature



Ensure that the key functionality of the application performs well on all the possible browser-OS combinations. The main areas you should consider for testing are:



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Menu bars and dialog boxes function as desired</li><li>Form fields are populated correctly</li><li>Application syncs well with cookies</li><li>Ensure inputs are seamless for all device types</li></ul>



Utilize Automation Testing



It is a no brainer that there’s a lot to test when checking cross browser compatibility for websites. If you <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/blog/cross-browser-testing-manual-vs-automated-browser-testing/" target="_blank">intend to manually tes</a>t across all the possible environments, you will end up draining a lot of resources. Eventually, automated cross browser testing is a practical approach in order to implement continuous testing along with continuous delivery. You may <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/blog/6-steps-automate-cross-browser-testing-continuous-delivery/" target="_blank">read this post to get started with automated cross browser testing</a>.



Infrastructure



You need a variety of devices to track and audit the application behavior when browsers are running on different operating systems. You would be choosing either of the following ways when setting up your cross browser testing infrastructure:&nbsp;



<ul><li>Use emulators or simulators and test browsers on these. Although you will heavily slice down the costs, these virtual machines are not scalable, and unreliable.</li><li>If you do not have any budget constraints and can procure real devices and keep them updated &amp; running over time, you may set up your dedicated device lab.&nbsp;</li><li>The final and highly recommended way is to utilize a cloud-based testing infrastructure that can enable you to run tests on a remote lab of devices and browsers. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/automated-cross-browser-testing-tool" target="_blank"></a></li></ul>



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/automated-cross-browser-testing-tool" target="_blank">Testsigma </a>is a renowned <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/blog/cloud-based-cross-browser-testing-tools-advantages/" target="_blank">automated cross browser testing tool</a> that helps you to easily create and run tests for your applications. The cloud-based tool offers a wide range of 1000+ desktop browsers as well as real iOS and Android device browsers.



Accessibility



The <a href="http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">World Health Organization</a> (WHO) revealed that 15% of the global population have a disability, making accessibility testing a critical aspect of app testing. Aim for compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) in order to cater to the custom needs of the differently-abled users. 



Responsiveness



When auditing the <a aria-label="responsiveness of the application (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-to-test-responsive-web-design-cross-browser-compatibility/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">responsiveness of the application</a>, consider how your end-users would access the application &#8211; this information, along with the data from the <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/selecting-a-cross-browser-testing-tool-questions-to-ask/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Test on the Right Devices</a> report will help you shortlist the target web browsers.







<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="945" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Infographic-for-Here-is-How-to-check-browser-compatibility-for-website-BLOG.png" alt="Testsigma Cross Browser Combatibility Testing" class="wp-image-14480"/></figure>



<h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion:&nbsp;</h2>



Cross browser testing can be quite daunting for a QA engineer. The biggest pain is accessing all possible devices and browser versions on which the app might run. If you need a comprehensive tool which can cater to all your testing requisites and ensure compatibility across devices and browsers, <a href="https://testsigma.com/cross-browser-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">Testsigma, an automated cross browser testing tool </a>is the best bang for your buck. With the ease of writing automated tests and ability to test over 2000+ browsers, Testsigma stands out as a one-stop tool for cross browser testing. 



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How to check browser compatibility for website

Check Browser Compatibility For A Website – A How-To Blog

Every mobile application, irrespective of its category, has a common goal of creating an impeccable user experience. App users want to see something new and innovative. And even though the great user experience is the most important, it only comes with quality.&nbsp;&nbsp;To make your mobile app work efficiently, make sure these mobile app testing checklists are followed.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Checklist_for_Mobile_App_Testing">1 Checklist for Mobile App Testing</a><ul><li><a href="#1Test_your_app_for_cross-platform_Compatibility">1.1 1.Test your app for cross-platform Compatibility</a></li><li><a href="#2Test_your_app_against_all_possible_settings_and_configurations">1.2 2.Test your app against all possible settings and configurations</a></li><li><a href="#3Base_your_test_cases_on_the_type_of_app_you_are_testing">1.3 3.Base your test cases on the type of app you are testing</a></li><li><a href="#4Test_the_GUI_of_your_app_thoroughly">1.4 4.Test the GUI of your app thoroughly</a></li><li><a href="#5Test_your_app_for_back-enddatabase-related_functionalities">1.5 5.Test your app for back-end/database-related functionalities</a></li><li><a href="#6Test_your_app_for_all_positive_and_negative_test_cases_around_storagememory_in_use">1.6 6.Test your app for all positive and negative test cases around storage/memory in use</a></li><li><a href="#7Test_your_app_on_all_types_of_networks_that_the_users_may_use_on_it">1.7 7.Test your app on all types of networks that the users may use on it</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#8Accessibility_and_Usability_Testing">2 8.Accessibility and Usability Testing</a><ul><li><a href="#9Test_your_mobile_app_for_the_user_journeys_8211_the_path_a_real_user_might_take_while_using_your_app">2.1 9.Test your mobile app for the user journeys &#8211; the path a real user might take while using your app</a></li><li><a href="#10Make_sure_your_app_is_safe_and_secure_for_the_users">2.2 10.Make sure your app is safe and secure for the users</a></li><li><a href="#Mobile_App_Automation">2.3 Mobile App Automation</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions">3 Frequently Asked Questions</a><ul><li><a href="#What_are_the_Basic_checks_to_be_performed_while_testing_on_mobile">3.1 What are the Basic checks to be performed while testing on mobile?</a></li><li><a href="#What_is_the_main_checklist_point_of_mobile_app_testing">3.2 What is the main checklist point of mobile app testing?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="checklist-for-mobile-app-testing">Checklist for Mobile App Testing</h2>



To ensure quality, mobile app testing is essential. In this blog, we will discuss a step-by-step mobile app testing checklist. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/17164221/Mobile-App-Checklist.png" alt="" class="wp-image-53890" srcset="https://s3.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/17164221/Mobile-App-Checklist.png 1200w, https://s3.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/17164221/Mobile-App-Checklist-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></figure>



<h3 id="h-1-test-your-app-for-cross-platform-compatibility">1.Test your app for cross-platform Compatibility</h3>



Your Android application may run fine on Oreo (Android 10), but the same might not be true with Marshmallow(Android 6.0). This is where <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/cross-platform-end-to-end-testing-explained-with-real-life-scenarios/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cross-platform testing</a> comes into the picture.&nbsp;



You should test your application on all the possible combinations of operating systems, screen sizes and resolutions that the app users might be using. This ensures that the app will behave uniformly across all devices.



Check here &#8211; <a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/compatibility-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Compatibility Testing</a>



<h3 id="2-test-your-app-against-all-possible-settings-and-configurations">2.Test your app against all possible settings and configurations</h3>



A mobile app interacts with many features – both in-app and mobile device based. The app should be compatible with all the possible settings and configurations. These may include screen resolution, orientation, different versions of operating systems, camera, motion sensor, etc.&nbsp;



<h3 id="3-base-your-test-cases-on-the-type-of-app-you-are-testing">3.Base your test cases on the type of app you are testing</h3>



A mobile app generally falls under three categories &#8211; native, web, and hybrid.



i. Web app testing : 



Optimized for mobile browsing and server-driven, the web apps should be tested for UI to ensure all the app elements are aligned for different screens and resolutions. Since the mobile apps have limited storage space and power supply, test for memory and battery usage. Avoid excessive usage of JavaScript&nbsp; &#8211; this might drain the mobile’s battery.



ii. Native and Hybrid app testing : 



Although driven by different technologies, native and hybrid apps share similar functionality and hence, their approach to testing. Functional testing is the key player here&nbsp; &#8211; run functional tests to validate key aspects such as screen orientation, gestures, compatibility, connectivity, performance, and interruptions such as calls and push notifications.



Check here &#8211; <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/native-apps-vs-hybrid-app/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Native App vs Hybrid App</a>



<h3 id="4-test-the-gui-of-your-app-thoroughly">4.Test the GUI of your app thoroughly</h3>



Front-end testing validates the features available on the UI of an app &#8211; testers check the functionality of the mobile app’s GUI. This includes testing the menus, dropdowns, navigation buttons, and gestures, forms, and other features used by the end user.&nbsp;



<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/front-end-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Front-end testing</a> will ensure that the app under test will perform on different browsers and devices. Perform unit, regression, performance, integration, and acceptance tests on the app for comprehensive front-end testing.



<h3 id="5-test-your-app-for-back-end-database-related-functionalities">5.Test your app for back-end/database-related functionalities</h3>



Back-end or <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/database-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">database testing</a> deals with the server side of the mobile app. Today, most mobile apps are API-driven. Data is populated via REST APIs displayed in the UI. Use a proxy to track the app’s requests and responses. Perform SQL, performance, and security testing to prevent deadlock, data loss, etc.



<h3 id="6-test-your-app-for-all-positive-and-negative-test-cases-around-storage-memory-in-use">6.Test your app for all positive and negative test cases around storage/memory in use</h3>



Mobile users want to have all their essential apps on the go. However, the devices do not have enough storage to fulfill the need of installing high-resolution apps.&nbsp;



Keep an eye on the app size with every release. You should not be in a situation where the end-user might not download the app only because of its large size.



<h3 id="7-test-your-app-on-all-types-of-networks-that-the-users-may-use-on-it">7.Test your app on all types of networks that the users may use on it</h3>



Run the app on different network conditions to measure its performance under weak signal and data transition. To <a href="https://www.solarwinds.com/network-performance-monitor" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test for network performance</a>, consider the following aspects:



<p id="i-jittersoccurs-during-a-delay-in-data-collection-as-the-data-travels-in-the-form-of-packets-these-packets-may-disperse-while-moving-from-the-sender-to-the-receiver-hence-the-data-becomes-scrambled-and-this-is-called-jitters-in-such-cases-the-app-should-notify-the-user-to-either-resend-the-data-or-wait-for-the-system-to-respond">i. Jitters Occurs during a delay in data collection. As the data travels in packets, these packets may disperse while moving from the sender to the receiver. Hence, the data becomes scrambled, and this is called jitters. In such cases, the app should notify the user to either resend the data or wait for the system to respond.



ii. Packet Loss During complete packet loss, ensure the app resends the data request or notify the end-user. Rather than keeping the user waiting, the app should prompt the app user to try again.



iii. Network Speed and Type Network speeds vary from time to time &#8211; ideally, this should not hamper the user experience. Check the app on different networks and speeds. Validate how the app behaves when the mobile app moves from mobile data to WiFi and vice versa.



<h2 id="h-8-accessibility-and-usability-testing">8.Accessibility and Usability Testing</h2>



<ul><li>Accessibility: Ensure compatibility with assistive technologies (screen readers, keyboard navigation).</li><li>Usability: Validate intuitive navigation, clear labeling, error handling, and overall user experience.</li></ul>



<h3 id="9-test-your-mobile-app-for-the-user-journeys-the-path-a-real-user-might-take-while-using-your-app">9.Test your mobile app for the user journeys &#8211; the path a real user might take while using your app</h3>



A good mobile app flow is the one that needs no explanation and can be understood on the first go. The user flow can vary based on how the app responds to different devices and operating systems.



For example, to log in to an app, a user may choose from fingerprint, face identification, or login via username and password. Validate all the possible capabilities to ensure the best possible digital experience to the users.



Now, Testsigma supports inspection as well as execution of your <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-cases-for-mobile-application/">mobile test cases</a> without any kind of setup at your end. 



<h3 id="10-make-sure-your-app-is-safe-and-secure-for-the-users">10.Make sure your app is safe and secure for the users</h3>



Due to the diverse operating system components, mobile app security can look quite intimidating. However, you can follow these common steps to mobile app security.



i. Secure the source code and database



ii. Perform Input Validation



iii. Perform Penetration Testing



iv. Use Cryptography



v. Prevent Client Side Injection



vi. Implement HTTPS – SSL/TLS Security Layer



vii. Protect Local Storage Data



<h3 id="mobile-app-automation">Mobile App Automation</h3>



Automation can increase the productivity of your testing process by manifolds. Tools like <a aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testsigma </a>enable you to create custom IDEs, in-house scripts, and cloud-testing frameworks to detect bugs and errors. 



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What do you think about this mobile app testing checklist? Would you like to add a point to this list? If yes, which one? At Testsigma, we have a team of highly experienced QA engineers who are well-versed with the latest tools and technologies to take care of all your mobile app testing needs. Want to see the ROI of <a href="https://testsigma.com/mobile-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mobile app testing</a> with Testsigma?



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<h2 id="frequently-asked-questions">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



<h3 id="what-are-the-basic-checks-to-be-performed-while-testing-on-mobile">What are the Basic checks to be performed while testing on mobile?</h3>



Network functionality, OS compatibility, Screen size and display resolution, UX and UI, and Content relevance are a few basics checks of mobile testing.



<h3 id="what-is-the-main-checklist-point-of-mobile-app-testing">What is the main checklist point of mobile app testing?</h3>



The main checklist point for mobile app testing is to ensure that the app functions flawlessly across all devices, platforms, and network conditions, providing a seamless user experience. This involves comprehensive testing for compatibility, performance, security, and usability.





Mobile Testing Tools
https://testsigma.com/mobile-testing-tools


Mobile Testing Challenges
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="yL504UH7MR"><a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/8-challenges-of-mobile-app-testing-and-how-to-solve-them/">8 Major Mobile Testing Challenges &#038; Solution</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" title="&#8220;8 Major Mobile Testing Challenges &#038; Solution&#8221; &#8212; Testsigma Blog" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/8-challenges-of-mobile-app-testing-and-how-to-solve-them/embed/#?secret=8dSvmGw9vr#?secret=yL504UH7MR" data-secret="yL504UH7MR" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>


Mobile UI Testing
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="EjlTaoUn8X"><a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-to-perform-mobile-automation-testing-of-the-ui/">Mobile UI Testing &#8211; How to Perform with Testsigma?</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" title="&#8220;Mobile UI Testing &#8211; How to Perform with Testsigma?&#8221; &#8212; Testsigma Blog" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-to-perform-mobile-automation-testing-of-the-ui/embed/#?secret=IqQO4KitXH#?secret=EjlTaoUn8X" data-secret="EjlTaoUn8X" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>


Types of Mobile Testing
https://testsigma.com/blog/different-types-of-mobile-testing-with-real-life-examples/


Mobile Compatibility Testing
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="lAfUWULkrm"><a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/mobile-compatibility-testing/">Mobile Compatibility Testing: How to perform On Real Devices?</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" title="&#8220;Mobile Compatibility Testing: How to perform On Real Devices?&#8221; &#8212; Testsigma Blog" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/mobile-compatibility-testing/embed/#?secret=PGIo8W3yZY#?secret=lAfUWULkrm" data-secret="lAfUWULkrm" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>


Cross Browser Compatibility Testing Checklist
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="5keoWybwAS"><a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/cross-browser-testing-checklist/">Cross Browser Compatibility Testing Checklist: The Do&#8217;s and Dont&#8217;s</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" title="&#8220;Cross Browser Compatibility Testing Checklist: The Do&#8217;s and Dont&#8217;s&#8221; &#8212; Testsigma Blog" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/cross-browser-testing-checklist/embed/#?secret=c9qreyrtko#?secret=5keoWybwAS" data-secret="5keoWybwAS" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>


How to Avoid Cross Browser Compatibility Issues?
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="BBRTRYi8Lf"><a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/9-tips-to-avoid-cross-browser-compatibility-issues-from-the-start/">How to Ensure Cross Browser Compatibility</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" title="&#8220;How to Ensure Cross Browser Compatibility&#8221; &#8212; Testsigma Blog" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/9-tips-to-avoid-cross-browser-compatibility-issues-from-the-start/embed/#?secret=1dQ7hjdeCY#?secret=BBRTRYi8Lf" data-secret="BBRTRYi8Lf" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Mobile App Testing Checklist – Points You Should Not Miss

If you are working in an agile environment, you may have come across the term ‘code review’. It is a strategic operation where you break the source code into snippets in order to audit the code before it moves to the testing phase.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_is_Code_Review">1 What is Code Review?</a></li><li><a href="#Why_are_Code_Reviews_Important">2 Why are Code Reviews Important?</a></li><li><a href="#What_are_the_Benefits_of_Code_Reviews">3 What are the Benefits of Code Reviews?</a></li><li><a href="#What_are_the_Disadvantages_of_Code_Reviews">4 What are the Disadvantages of Code Reviews?</a></li><li><a href="#Role_of_a_Software_Tester_in_Code_Reviews">5 Role of a Software Tester in Code Reviews</a></li><li><a href="#4_Different_Code_Review_Approaches">6 4 Different Code Review Approaches</a></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">7 Conclusion</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQs">8 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)</a><ul><li><a href="#What_is_Code_Review_in_SDLC">8.1 What is Code Review in SDLC?</a></li><li><a href="#What_are_Code_Review_Tools">8.2 What are Code Review Tools?</a></li><li><a href="#What_is_a_Good_Code_Review">8.3 What is a Good Code Review?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="what-is-code-review">What is Code Review?</h2>



Short definition: It is a two-way communication between a coder and a reviewer. The agenda is to learn from one another, understand the application, detect bugs, and ensure that the code follows quality standards.



Long definition: It is a quality assurance process in which a tester analyzes the source code of the application under review. You can either perform this manually or with the help of automated tools. The process ensures that bug detection and resolution happen early to give the best possible code quality.



<h2 id="why-are-code-reviews-important">Why are Code Reviews Important?</h2>



You may wonder why you would need code review when you have a <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">testing plan</a> in place.



Following are the key benefits that will enable you to understand the importance:



1. Find More Bugs: It lets you detect bugs at the primary stages of development. As a result, you save a lot of hours and effort during testing. True is the fact that automation testing will help you do the same thing. However, a human perspective is sometimes necessary to find and fix logical errors.



2. Stay Agile: Given the strict quality guidelines and timelines we need to work in, you must have, or would soon be adhering to, the agile methodologies. This means you need to deliver the best results while meeting the cost and time constraints. With code review, you can create bug-free prototypes and share them with the stakeholders.



3. Quality Compliance: It let you abide by the predefined coding rules and standards.



4. Collaboration: Frequent review sessions will bring out the best in your developers and testers. Team members can discover their peer’s strengths and also assist them in improvements.



<h2 id="what-are-the-benefits-of-code-reviews">What are the Benefits of Code Reviews?</h2>



When you think about it, it is just another set of eyes looking for possible human error. But for just one benefit, is it advisable to spend time and more resources on this practice?



Well, here are a few benefits :



<ul><li>Identifying code issues early</li><li>Ensuring to comply with standard code regulations</li><li>Increasing software security</li><li>Implementing a consistent design and development process</li><li>Improving team collaboration and cohesion</li></ul>



<h2 id="what-are-the-disadvantages-of-code-reviews">What are the Disadvantages of Code Reviews?</h2>



With every advantage comes a few disadvantages that you must know about. Only looking at the benefits and deciding on starting code reviews will do your business more bad than good. If you don’t prepare your team to tackle the issues related to code review, they are more likely to stay oblivious to the problems.



Know about the disadvantages here:



<ul><li>Time and resource constraints</li><li>Not every developer consists of knowledge about every project</li><li>Not necessary for every feature or simple applications</li><li>You cannot do a code review when developing a prototype product.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-role-of-a-software-tester-in-code-reviews">Role of a Software Tester in Code Reviews</h2>



A software tester might find the code a bit intimidating in the beginning. It is best to pair up with an experienced developer for code reviewing. Gradually, when the tester is able to identify the patterns and business logic, things start making sense eventually.



It enables the testers to understand the core functionalities of the project and share their wisdom to resolve the bottlenecks.



Here are a few tried-and-tested ways by which you can begin your code-reviewing experience:



1. Synchronous Review: An informal review where the developer stands next to the reviewer.



2. Asynchronous review: Specialized tools are used to review the code.



3. Instant Review: Developer and reviewer pair-up on a single system.



4. Once-a-while: Developer shares the code with the reviewers who meet and discuss the updates.



As a software tester, you would ask the following questions during your code reviewing session:



1. How was this code written?



2. Are there any patterns used for coding?



3. Is the code easy to understand?



4. Are there any logic errors?



5. Is the code secure?



6. Is the log file for debugging available?



7. Are there any third-party integrations?



8. Are <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/unit-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unit tests</a> included?



9. What amendments are being made?



The best part is that you don’t have to be an expert in order to take part in a code review session. You can review a code even if you are at the basic level of coding. What would be your role? You need to see what changes have been made to ask questions.



Before you dive in, get used to the process by initiating with minimal changes.&nbsp; Understand more about them and when you doubt any change, add your comments and question the coder. Given the benefits, you would want to include code reviewing as one of the key phases of the process. This will ensure that you deliver a quality product that adds value to your end-users.



<h2 id="4-different-code-review-approaches">4 Different Code Review Approaches</h2>



Get to know about different approaches in detail.



Formal 



It&#8217;s based on a formal process where testers follow a structured process to find issues in the code. It is also used to find design defects.



Under formal review, one of the most popular adoptions is the Fagan inspection. It follows a six-step process: Planning, Overview, Preparation, Inspection Meeting, Rework, and Follow-up. This holds the basic idea of defining output requirements for each of the steps mentioned. And while executing the process, you check each step&#8217;s output and compare it to the expected output. Subsequently, you decide to move on to the next step if the current step is working properly.



Lightweight 



These reviews are mostly followed by developers, not testers, when they are reviewing a code that is not life-threatening in nature, I.e., it does not impact the software quality to a great extent.



There are four types of lightweight reviews:



<ul><li>Instant code review or pair programming</li><li>Synchronous or over-the-shoulder code review</li><li>Asynchronous or tool-assisted code review</li><li>Code review once in a while or meeting-based code review</li></ul>



We have discussed these four types above.



<h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



If review is done right, can prove to be an effective way to share knowledge and understand your application. With time and experience, you will eventually start realizing the patterns, know more about the nuts and bolts of the codebase, and have a comprehensive perspective of the application.



Just like code reviews, tests are also reviewed. Manual test cases can be reviewed by peers, developers, and managers. Similarly, automated test cases can be reviewed too. Sometimes, the processes for reviews of automated test cases are the same as that for code reviews, as automation may also be done via code. You can also read more here on <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-to-convert-manual-test-cases-into-automated-test-cases-and-why/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">how to convert manual test cases to automated ones</a>.



<a href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testsigma, a cloud-based test automation tool</a>, has also simplified the process of test reviews. In addition, it also simplifies the process of test automation. Thus, in test automation and reviews – non-technical members of the team can be involved too.



<h2 id="frequently-asked-questions-faqs">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)</h2>



<h3 id="what-is-code-review-in-sdlc">What is Code Review in SDLC?</h3>



In SDLC it is a critical part that attempts to identify and resolve code issues before the testing phase. It involves going through the developer’s code to find mistakes and fix them before moving on to testing the application.



<h3 id="what-are-code-review-tools">What are Code Review Tools?</h3>



A code review tool is usually an online tool that integrates seamlessly with Engineering Workflow Management source control and work items. It offers you the capability to add output to your work items to present it to your team and stakeholders.



<h3 id="what-is-a-good-code-review">What is a Good Code Review?</h3>



It observes all the code changes and looks at the reasons why this happened. It is clear and does not overlook even the slightest of mistakes that are common when writing code. It covers code correctness, test coverage, and functionality changes and follows the coding guides and best practices.



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<ts-linktext-value>Software Testing Strategy</ts-linktext-value>
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Role Of A Software Tester In Code Reviews

What is Code Review | Why ,Benefits & Approaches

Top Eight Essentials to move to Automated Software Testing

How To Start Automation Testing From Scratch? | 8 Key Notes To Start With

Best practices in test automation in an agile environment mean that frequent software releases to production must exhibit the best possible quality.It is essential to synchronize automated testing with the Agile development methodology to ensure that all necessary elements are considered before releasing software into production. Testing early and often is crucial for attaining high quality in frequent software releases. Furthermore, test automation becomes increasingly important during the continuous deployment phase, as it provides immediate feedback to the development team.



The automated tests should be reliable and implemented continuously to get instant feedback. You must ensure that most quality assurance is completed while new features are developed within the <a href="https://www.atlassian.com/agile/scrum/sprints" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">s</a><a href="https://www.atlassian.com/agile/scrum/sprints" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">print</a>. The new functionalities should not hamper the workflow of the existing features of the application.



The concern is that the Sprint duration is low, making it practically impossible to execute the entire test case when the application advances towards the end of the Sprint. An automated Test Suite is your answer here.



Prioritize and group Test Cases into Test Suites. An initial investment in planning and designing the test automation process would pay off in the long run.



Introducing automation testing into Agile and Continuous delivery has a risk of failure. This is because the test object changes with time as the object is improvised by the developers in every Sprint. <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/software-test-automation-what-to-expect-near-future/">Test automation that undergo constant changes</a> would eventually require high maintenance.



So, an obvious question arises, “How do you create a sustainable automated testing architecture for Agile and Continuous Delivery?”



Even though test object changes continuously, working in Agile and Continuous Delivery without Test Automation to cope with changing requirements is impossible.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Best_Practices_in_Test_Automation">1 Best Practices in Test Automation</a><ul><li><a href="#Keep_Tests_Small_And_Run_Lean">1.1 Keep Tests Small And Run Lean</a></li><li><a href="#Create_High-Quality_Test_Scripts">1.2 Create High-Quality Test Scripts </a></li><li><a href="#Introduce_DevOps_When_Possible">1.3 Introduce DevOps When Possible</a></li><li><a href="#Work_Closely_With_Business_Analysts">1.4 Work Closely With Business Analysts</a></li><li><a href="#Implement_A_Sound_QA_Practise">1.5 Implement A Sound QA Practise</a></li><li><a href="#Follow_The_Best_Practices_For_Test_Automation">1.6 Follow The Best Practices For Test Automation</a></li><li><a href="#Automate_The_Deployments">1.7 Automate The Deployments</a></li><li><a href="#Use_the_Best_Automation_Tool">1.8 Use the Best Automation Tool</a></li><li><a href="#Keep_A_Check_On_The_Development_Environment">1.9 Keep A Check On The Development Environment</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">2 Conclusion</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions">3 Frequently Asked Questions</a><ul><li><a href="#What_are_the_Best_Test_Automation_Practices_you_Follow_while_doing_UI_Automation">3.1 What are the Best Test Automation Practices you Follow while doing UI Automation?</a></li><li><a href="#How_many_Test_Automation_is_Not_Limited_to_Test_Execution">3.2 How many Test Automation is Not Limited to Test Execution?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="best-practices-in-test-automation">Best Practices in Test Automation</h2>



Here are some of the test automation best practices you should follow:



<h3 id="keep-tests-small-and-run-lean">Keep Tests Small And Run Lean</h3>



Your <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/continuous-testing-at-the-speed-of-agile-and-devops/">continuous testing</a> process should aim at providing value to the business. Instead of investing in producing artifacts that may not pass any value, create an aesthetically lean <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/software-testing-strategy/">testing strategy</a>. Short test cases will help you remove unnecessary test data, enable instant modifications as per regression requirements, and help slice down the maintenance of large test suites.



<h3 id="create-high-quality-test-scripts">Create High-Quality Test Scripts </h3>



While writing test scripts, testers should ensure that the scripts are flexible to accommodate <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/requirement-traceability-matrix-regression-testing/">regression testing requirements</a>. The scripts may be measured for accuracy, maintainability, portability, integrity, and performance. This will ensure a seamless execution of <a href="https://testsigma.com/regression-testing/automated-regression-testing">regression tests</a> without much intervention from the testers. 



<h3 id="introduce-devops-when-possible">Introduce DevOps When Possible</h3>



DevOps collaborates the development, testing, and operations role in a product life cycle. With DevOps, you can make the most out of collaboration and cross-functioning of the Dev and QA teams and yield a high-speed delivery process. Since <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/why-devops-is-important-for-modern-businesses/">DevOps</a> is driven by shared development, integration, and accurate time testing, the Agile cycle becomes more efficient when backed with DevOps. <gwmw style="display:none;">



<h3 id="work-closely-with-business-analysts">Work Closely With Business Analysts</h3>



<a href="https://testsigma.com/continuous-testing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Continuous testing</a> would require you to test correctly from the very beginning. Make sure that the entire team has a clear picture of the product and business requirements before flagging off Development. This means that the QA team should work closely with Business Analysts best if <a href="https://dzone.com/articles/continuous-testing-functional-experts-agile" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">they are a part</a> of the Test Automation process. Ensure that every user story you create matches the <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/acceptance-criteria-vs-acceptance-tests/">acceptance criteria</a>. Create an end-to-end test scenario based on the current trends and analytics in order to understand user activities and behavior.



<h3 id="implement-a-sound-qa-practise">Implement A Sound QA Practise</h3>



Build an Agile QA strategy which drives development. Perform regular QA workshops that enable testers to improve their technical skills. 



<h3 id="follow-the-best-practices-for-test-automation">Follow The Best Practices For Test Automation</h3>



Know when you should follow the manual testing approach. Automate regression tests, performance tests, and security tests where possible. You need to strike a proper balance between Automated Testing and Manual Testing.



Ideally, you should perform automated testing from a Continuous Integration server. Create fast processing smoke regression packs and run them whenever the application updates.



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<h3 id="automate-the-deployments">Automate The Deployments</h3>



Continuous testing works best when the deployments are automated incrementally. Instead of waiting for DevOps to deploy the product’s release and QA team to test after that, automate the entire cycle.



Automation should not be limited to merely testing and verification. If you find the process lagging due to repetitive manual procedures, introduce automation to eliminate manual effort and time.



<h3 id="use-the-best-automation-tool">Use the Best Automation Tool</h3>



Be prepared to invest your time and effort in evaluating Popular <a href="https://testsigma.com/qa-automation-tools" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Automation Testing tools</a> in the market. Selecting the right test automation tools is a crucial part of the continuous delivery process. Before you pin down your choice on a certain tool, make sure that it meets the basic requirements to meet your test automation program.



Here are a few features to begin with, regardless of your custom testing needs: 



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>An OS friendly tool &#8211; The number of operating systems a tool supports, the better.</li><li>Intuitive &#8211; The tool should come with an easy-to-understand UI (videos, screenshots and logs for clear understanding for all user levels) and should provide relatively easy functionality. &nbsp;</li><li>User-friendliness &#8211; This will help the QA team to instantly start with the test automation process.</li><li>Seamless Integration &#8211; Tool should provide collaboration with Bug tracking, CI/CD integration and collaboration.</li><li>The tool should provide instant and precise results to make informed decisions.</li><li>A Steep learning curve – Easier the tool, lesser is the need for team training.</li><li>Tool should be versatile enough to be used in various other projects.</li><li>Data Driven testing &nbsp;&#8211; the tool should test multiple datasets and values and execute a single test script with different input values stored in Excel, CSV or XML formats.</li><li>Support Cross Browser/Cross Device testing in parallel and for all versions of web browsers.</li><li>Allow SMEs, QA Analysts, and stakeholders to provide their feedback and inputs</li><li>Adapt to changing elements of an application UI.</li><li>Finally, the tool should justify its pricing.</li></ul>



You may find a few other tips on&nbsp;<a aria-label="You may find a few other tips in&nbsp;How to select the right Automation Testing Tool?
 (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/blog/select-right-automation-testing-tool/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">How to select the right Automation Testing Tool?</a> 



<h3 id="keep-a-check-on-the-development-environment">Keep A Check On The Development Environment</h3>



QA team should keep an eye on the development environment. This may include virtual machines and cloud environments integrated with external databases and services. The idea behind this approach is that a bug may not always lie within the application. Sometimes, the concern could be the environment, network conditions, configuration, and backend database.



Keeping a check on the actual development environment will help you save time when detecting the cause of test failure.



<h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



Automating tests helps development teams ensure their code changes are tested and validated before they get released to the public. To get the most out of test automation, it is essential to use the right tools, create a good test suite, keep your code clean, and work together between dev and testing teams.



Testsigma is an awesome platform to help you with Agile and Continuous Delivery testing. It&#8217;s super easy to use, so you can still create and run tests even if you don&#8217;t know how to code. It makes test automation a breeze by giving you many cool features like easy test creation, integration with other tools, test management and analytics. Plus, it&#8217;s cloud-based, so it runs faster than ever! It has an AI-powered self-healing feature which helps reduce the time you have to spend on maintenance tasks so you can focus on other important stuff. 



In short, Testsigma is perfect for Agile and Continuous Delivery teams who want to speed up their testing process while still delivering high quality products. Give it a try and see how it can help you!



<h2 id="frequently-asked-questions">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



<h3 id="what-are-the-best-test-automation-practices-you-follow-while-doing-ui-automation">What are the Best Test Automation Practices you Follow while doing UI Automation?</h3>



Identifying the test cases that can be automated when performing UI automation is essential. Creating a robust test automation framework and selecting an appropriate tool is vital. Furthermore, reliable and maintainable test scripts should be written and unique, stable locators should be employed. Synchronization techniques should also be implemented, as well as error handling mechanisms. To ensure the accuracy of the results, it is necessary to review and update the automation scripts regularly.



<h3 id="how-many-test-automation-is-not-limited-to-test-execution">How many Test Automation is Not Limited to Test Execution?</h3>



Test automation isn&#8217;t just about running tests. It&#8217;s a process that involves planning, designing, developing, executing and reporting on tests. You can automate a variety of tests, like functional testing (testing how the system works), performance testing (how quickly it runs) regression testing (checking for bugs) and integration testing (making sure different parts of the system work together). You also need to set up and maintain the test environment, generate test data automatically and analyze the results. In short, test automation is more than just running tests &#8211; it&#8217;s an involved process with lots of steps!



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