How to automate your web testing on real mobile and desktop browsers

Getting Started with Automated Web Testing on Mobile and Desktop

We, engineers, love automation! We love it so much that we devise new ways all the time to incorporate automation in each and every field of software development. Today, automation is like the fuel that keeps the project going and helps us finish within deadlines and allotted budget. 



But automation is most needed to manage the responsibility of something that is <a aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/245501/multiple-mobile-device-ownership-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">14.9 billion in number</a> and has become the part and parcel of our lives; the mobile phone. Mobile applications are taking the world by storm. 2021 alone is seeing <a href="https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1262892/mobile-app-revenue-worldwide-by-segment">693 billion USD</a> in revenue from mobile apps. 



Web developers are moving their focus from desktop-first to mobile-first web design which further solidifies our understanding of how important this pocket device has become.



 When something steals the show by this nature and everyone begins to notice, it results in fierce competition and a race to be the most popular, on top, and the best! The frequent mobile app updates are living evidence of this claim. What could be the best choice to cut down the costs and gain speed to move the pipeline faster than test automation? 



Mobile devices are the most fragmented thing you will ever work with while developing software. From operating systems to versions to hardware specs, mobile devices stand unique even after being billions in number. 



Such a fragmented world is impossible to <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-to-convert-manual-test-cases-into-automated-test-cases-and-why/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">test through manual work and hence the call for test automation</a> in mobile becomes a necessity while developing an application. But this is not as easy as it may sound. 



Automation does bring out some fruitful benefits that reap throughout the season but implementing mobile test automation also puts up some roadblocks that are best to be considered before initiating the process. 



In this post, we shall go through the same challenges that <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/automated-mobile-app-testing" target="_blank">mobile test automation</a> brings with itself and analyze the methods by which we can tackle them.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Variety_of_Device_Settings">1 Variety of Device Settings</a></li><li><a href="#Moulding_Automation_Approach_with_Application">2 Moulding Automation Approach with Application</a></li><li><a href="#Training_and_Selecting_Right_Tool_Stack">3 Training and Selecting Right Tool Stack</a></li><li><a href="#Collaboration_with_Multiple_Teams">4 Collaboration with Multiple Teams</a></li><li><a href="#Too_Frequent_Versions">5 Too Frequent Versions</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="variety-of-device-settings">Variety of Device Settings</h2>



Test automation in conventional software is straightforward. With fixed targets and no external factor to depend on, writing automation test scripts becomes easy. A mobile device is a different story though. 



The functionality and usability of applications on mobile devices can be influenced by multiple other factors. For example, checking the impact on functionalities because of the change in network bandwidth is an important scenario to judge the mobile application’s performance, and including it in the automation script could be a tough job. 



But testing this is essential too because data communication over the network cannot be eliminated by putting all the files into the device storage. That way the application becomes a heavy download (and update) for the user and also occupies a big space on one of the most precious things on a mobile device: the storage space. Some such similar challenges are: 



<ul class="list_style_disc wp-block-list"><li>Network Related Settings</li><li>Orientation Settings.</li><li>Side-By-Side View for multi-tasking.</li><li>Accessibility settings for challenged users.</li></ul>



Also, along with it, some mobile devices offer specific settings such as adjustable windows, etc.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/zlElgfgNSIp63V48hLIcAe5e0JYi2i9HUkDHVrfncT00QNPyZLAjF0oKsT_1r9meVZKjQCWaxSr_wHj8uYaNm4VSY0AfNe6DnGD0QoZXf9JM9Bp2Ygu0WL_mkrmtraNsiLo0NSsE" alt="Testsigma - Test automation platform"/></figure>



Source: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.norebbo.com/google-android-illustrations/" target="_blank">https://www.norebbo.com/google-android-illustrations/</a>



Can we tackle this challenge in mobile test automation? Actually, only partially. Mobile devices are very diverse and so is their settings list. Practically, these settings are one of the top reasons that have kept manual testing alive in this area. 



But, on the other hand, things are progressing too. Online mobile test automation tools have started to develop setting-based software through which we can write scripts of network bandwidth being “4G” and for orientation of the mobile device. One such tool that can help you achieve the above tasks is <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/automated-mobile-app-testing" target="_blank">Testsigma</a>. 



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To read more about mobile testing, check out the <a href="https://testsigma.com/mobile-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">mobile testing guide here</a>. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="moulding-automation-approach-with-application">Moulding Automation Approach with Application</h2>



An important part of working in an organization based on a mobile application is that feedbacks are prompt and the team cannot ignore them. With such high competition in every field, the one who works on feedbacks leads the race in the market. 



To gather more and more feedback from the user, developers often use multiple ways for the same. For example, prompting the user regularly with a pop-up, emailing them regularly for feedbacks or picking the feedbacks from app hosting platforms such as the play store.&nbsp; 



An important part of working in a team that works on developing a mobile application is that the mobile application goes through multiple changes quickly. These changes are driven by user needs and feedback and are essential to keep up with the competition.



So, how does test automation relate here? When we work regularly on adding updates/feedbacks for a long time, the application might take a new form. There will be a lot of arrangements, new additions, deletions etc.



 With such a reformed application, the older automation scripts will not work properly. As a result, we can relate the test automation to a machine that needs servicing regularly with regular checks and regular updates into the system. 



If the feedbacks are too much, the <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/top-test-automation-challenges-to-look-out-for/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">automation changes regularly and thus become a challenge for the organisation slowing</a> down every other process in the pipeline.&nbsp; 



This challenge is the easiest to tackle among all the others. The basic thing to remember is to write minimum cases and scripts that can easily be changed later to change to accommodate new changes. 



Practically, we can’t write cases that will never be changed even if the application has reformed with time. But keeping them to a minimum is the best way to go. 



Also, list down all those cases that have the potential to be changed later and the cases that have dependencies on them. Too many dependencies can lead to the same disastrous consequences that we are trying to avoid from the beginning.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="training-and-selecting-right-tool-stack">Training and Selecting Right Tool Stack</h2>



Automation in mobile testing is a bit tough, as already portrayed in this post. It takes a bit of cost in the beginning too and the device settings make it more troublesome. Therefore, it is extremely important to <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-open-source-test-automation-tool/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">choose the tool stack that can fulfil all your mobile application test automation</a> needs. 



But there is a dilemma here. We cannot go ahead and choose the first tool we see as best. What if no one in our team is trained to operate on the tool? That’s an extra cost of training and delayed project deadlines right there!&nbsp; 



So the dilemma comes down to should we go ahead and choose the best tool and put a cost on training? Or should we choose the most known tool and put a cost on manual testing? 



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Rj9xKfh7Rv60-HvV3SR10nRnB6GFowmWyuxqb8Fz8wZOqhkV0EJlMhW_8FpwFvOHeYyu1xI45yDd9SBzpSfs1MOPqHqn-xZvarSe5yK5-k81krFJZunalhTG7PecSzeYnfGCgnfW" alt="Testsigma - Test automation platform"/></figure>



Source: <a href="https://www.greymatterrecruitment.co.uk/blog/only-half-of-marketers-have-training-in-key-skills/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">https://www.greymatterrecruitment.co.uk/blog/only-half-of-marketers-have-training-in-key-skills/</a>



Being in a good position in your testing team, such a question will definitely cross your path. The best method to tackle this challenge is to choose the best tool (because that’s the best bet in the long run) and the tool should have strong documentation that can help teammates learn on their own. 



Documentations are extremely important to pull you up whenever you get stuck in between or want to know what wonders the tool can perform. One such tool that can help you in mobile test automation and has solid documentation with step-wise processes is Testsigma. 



With Testsigma support, you can contact its support executives for any problems within seconds through the chat feature. Testsigma also gives you detailed documentation and examples to perform certain tasks such as creating a local tunnel etc.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="collaboration-with-multiple-teams">Collaboration with Multiple Teams</h2>



As time passes, the mobile applications become complex and modules become diverse. As a result, the company hires more people and expands its wings in the market. These teams do not always know each other in person but a simple ticket is their only source of connection. 



In mobile test automation, while teams work on different modules, collaboration becomes a little difficult. There are a lot of people involved in writing the test cases, a different set of people setting them up in your CI/CD pipeline and then other people reading the error reports and working on them. All of them have to be in sync and hence it becomes a challenge for everyone.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/sRiCY21RJ25VJ-2TcDzdBb-tmJmx08DpD5XjAB0h94bkoP9T0fxsV8_dSTtmmS7X2tOHfsbtqV8wmB5T-zD-b20uzbI-dU_VdDRCSaoEGo1s1ttDdNE6irn4SdU0H1PtafNS3i45" alt="Testsigma - Test automation platform"/></figure>



Source: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="http://www.twitter.com" target="_blank">www.twitter.com</a>



The best method to tackle this challenge is the tool you choose for mobile test automation. Tools have evolved over the years to not only support the capabilities of a mobile device but also the teams working behind it to make it better. Collaborative tools are one such solution. 



Collaborative tools perform mobile automation with multiple people together on a single problem such as improving or writing automation test cases. Collaborative tools also help in sharing the final test reports with other team members or having a single central repo where all of them can look into (if they have rights).&nbsp; 



A mobile test automation tool with collaborative properties is the best way to go, this tool should allow you to share the reports and help write tests together as well. TestSigma helps you in such regards by allowing you to give different rights to different people in a project.



 With Testsigma, mobile <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/ios-testing-frameworks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">test automation for iOS</a> as well as Android can be done from the same place. People<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/mobile-testing-tools" target="_blank"> can easily automate</a> and collaborate to work together as a team on different assigned projects, generate reports and share them automatically. Also, this is completely cloud-based and the test automation can be started within minutes of signing up. 



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="too-frequent-versions">Too Frequent Versions</h2>



Automation is costly in nature. From implementing to licensing, automation can take up a huge cost in the beginning but it eventually evens out with time. The only thing that mobile test automation takes up more than automation is maintenance. 



Different mobile devices keep coming into the market. With each new device, a new screen size, new hardware, and other new specifications arrive that need testing.&nbsp; 



Even if we leave aside the multiple devices, each year Android gets its new update, then iOS and other open-source operating systems too. With each new version, loads of new features arrive for which newer tests need to be written. 



Also, as these operating systems arrive in the market, we need to delete the older operating systems and their tests too. All this becomes a heavy challenge in automation as maintenance becomes very high. 



Unfortunately, this is one such challenge we will face in automation that is not easy to tackle. There will always be an influx of operating systems and versions and they will always ask for optimizations. There will always be code that will be old enough to delete and there will always be newer features that will ask for new code. 



All we can do is to visit this issue regularly in the organization and do not let the work pile up. Hence, there is no shortcut to bypass this challenge and hence if we are dealing with mobile applications, we will have to deal with this too.



This brings us to the end of this post that took us through some of the challenges in mobile <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/top-automated-testing-practices-to-follow/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">test automation and how they can be tackled using practical</a> examples. I hope with this post, you will be prepared better for your automation journey. 



Automation is a bit tricky but the results cut down our time and costs(which every organization loves). If you have any suggestions and comments, don’t forget to put them down below in the comment section. We will be happy to address them. Till then, happy mobile automation testing!!

Challenges of mobile test automation and how to tackle them?

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Selenium Mobile Testing Setup: Tips and Best Practices

Top 4 UI Frameworks For Android Automation Testing

Top 4 Android UI Testing Frameworks List to Look For

Android application testing An indepth comparison of the two approaches Manual and Automated

Android Automated Testing and Manual Testing: Which Approach to Follow?

RPA Vs Test Automation. Key Differences, Benefits and Tools

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 class="wp-block-heading" 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 class="wp-block-heading" 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 class="wp-block-heading" 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/9-tips-to-avoid-cross-browser-compatibility-issues-from-the-start/" 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 wp-block-list"><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 class="wp-block-list"><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)" data-wpil="url" href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-to-check-responsive-website-in-chrome/" 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" decoding="async" 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 class="wp-block-heading" 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

How to ensure cross browser compatibility testing

9 Tips to Avoid Cross Browser Compatibility Issues

<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/9-tips-to-avoid-cross-browser-compatibility-issues-from-the-start/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cross-browser compatibility testing</a> is the most important testing for someone whose business is completely dependent on a website. Take for example an online service provider company. It may have gone through rough testing phases but is there a point in exhausting all your energy when the end-user is not able to communicate with the website properly?



Cross-browser compatibility testing is extremely important for a successful running website where you have one less thing to worry about. Since cross-browser compatibility testing is so important, it should be done with caution and care. 



Similar to any other testing paradigm, developing the software with due consideration to the feedback from testing will always prove to be fruitful in the end. Hence, we have crafted this post in the same direction to provide you with tips on cross-browser compatibility testing. Working your way by keeping these tips in mind will help you design a website that is partially compatible even before testing. <gwmw style="display: none; background-color: transparent;"><gwmw style="display: none; background-color: transparent;"><gwmw style="display: none; background-color: transparent;"><gwmw style="display:none;"><gwmw style="display:none;"></gwmw>Similar to any other testing paradigm, developing the software with due consideration to the feedback from testing will always prove to be fruitful in the end. Hence, we have crafted this post in the same direction to provide you with tips on cross-browser compatibility testing. Working your way by keeping these tips in mind will help you design a website that is partially compatible even before testing.</gwmw></gwmw></gwmw><gwmw style="display:none;">



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Perform_Code_Validation">1 Perform Code Validation</a></li><li><a href="#Build_Browser_Matrix">2 Build Browser Matrix</a></li><li><a href="#Always_Verify_Feature_Support">3 Always Verify Feature Support</a></li><li><a href="#Skip_Unnecessary_Components">4 Skip Unnecessary Components</a></li><li><a href="#Choose_The_Right_Way_To_Test">5 Choose The Right Way To Test</a></li><li><a href="#Encapsulate_Code_In_Framework">6 Encapsulate Code In Framework</a></li><li><a href="#Test_Develop_Test">7 Test Develop Test</a></li><li><a href="#Any_More_Tips">8 Any More Tips?</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="perform-code-validation">Perform Code Validation</h2>



Code validation is a process of determining whether the code written by us is in accordance with the W3C standards or not. This is extremely important as a website developer. Remember how Internet Explorer sank just because they were not following the guidelines? 



Having a validated and well-formatted website will not only make it browser compatible but bring a lot more freebies along with it. Some of them are like improved search engine optimization for better traffic on the website, easy maintenance etc.&nbsp;



To make the website cross-browser compatible, you can check your code using validator tools that can be found on the internet. The text editors also have such functionalities that can highlight the code not compatible with the standards. One such editor that I encountered was Adobe Dreamweaver and it helped me learn best practices in web development too. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="build-browser-matrix">Build Browser Matrix</h2>



A browser matrix is a process of listing down the browsers and their versions for which you are developing the website. It is nearly impossible to satisfy every browser and every version of them even if they are in use. 



A simple reason for this is that browsers reject and accept various CSS and JS properties over time with their new versions. Although this process is gradual in nature, it does happen regularly. For this, you need to decide which browsers are you targeting and the range of their versions.&nbsp;



The best way to finalize a browser matrix is to think about your target audience. If you have a confined audience such as a particular bank whose employees use Firefox 78, then develop accordingly. The general audience gets their browsers updated regularly in the background and hence your browser matrix should also be updated in such cases.



 A browser matrix will help you make a plan about what components to use in your website. This will help you in the end since you will dodge common mistakes of using one deprecated feature of Chrome 70 and one new feature of Chrome 83 etc. 



You can also take help from online cloud-based cross browser compatibility testing tools such as Testsigma that keeps their <a aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/platforms-browsers-mobile-devices" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">browser configurations</a> updated as they are launched. This will be further discussed later in detail.<gwmw style="display:none;">



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="always-verify-feature-support">Always Verify Feature Support</h2>



Now that we have enlightened ourselves with the validator and building a browser matrix, we need to take care of the components we use on our website. As a developer, we may know a lot of things in development but what we may not know is that the feature is now deprecated or is about to. 



Our habit and practice in the past give birth to our ignorance and we never try to check whether the feature is still in use or not. The result is mind-boggling and leaves us wondering for hours why the feature is not working on the web page.



As a web developer, to build a cross-browser compatible website, you should always check the features on each of the browsers you are targeting. For example, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/CSS_Grid_Layout/Subgrid" target="_blank">CSS Subgrids </a>is supported in Firefox but is not supported in Chrome. There are tons of such features that can hinder your user experience and it is always better to be prepared than to repeat everything again.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="skip-unnecessary-components">Skip Unnecessary Components</h2>



A lot of times, developers increase complexities of their website without any end-goal. A good example of the same is designing a lot of functionalities together creating congestion on the landing page. These are unnecessary components in terms of landing page and an enemy of cross-browser compatibility scenarios. 



The problem is simple in such cases. The more the components on a page, the more issues they will create and the more time they would need fixing.&nbsp;



Since components will live in a synchronised environment, a small misalignment of a single element could create chaos on the landing page.To simplify this, take the help of <a href="https://www.emailvendorselection.com/best-landing-page-builders/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">free landing page creators</a>, that lets you build customized landing pages effortlessly. Now you are required to adjust all the elements or maybe while adjusting some more elements gets misaligned and the process repeats. Hence, always code only the necessary components to reduce<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/9-tips-to-avoid-cross-browser-compatibility-issues-from-the-start/"> cross-browser compatibility issues.</a><gwmw style="display:none;">



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="choose-the-right-way-to-test">Choose The Right Way To Test</h2>



The step of choosing the correct way is always a tricky business. A wrong judgement on this part can lead to wastage of time and efforts. Take for example you are developing a ticket reservation website for citizens of your country. Now you want to test it across browsers to satisfy every user’s requirement. 



Can you take time and guess the correct way to go? Since the browser matrix is huge and the audience is very wide, the best way is to choose an online cross-browser testing tool.&nbsp;



An online cross-browser testing tool is like Amazon. In Amazon, you can just order the items sitting at your home. You do not need to go to the shop manually and purchase from the shop. Similarly, online cross-browser tools provide you with the platform which is already set up and connected with the physical infrastructure. 



You do not need to worry about setting up the infrastructure manually. Now you just type the URL, hit enter and the website is launched within seconds. One such tool is Testsigma that has 2000+ browsers and a lot of features to smoothen your testing. There are integrations available which are regularly updated and a matrix of powerful CPUs that can run your website within seconds.



Another way to go is by developing a device lab (which is extremely expensive) or taking the device lab service on rent. In terms of device labs and online tool, I personally believe <a href="https://testsigma.com/tools/responsive-design-testing-tools/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="online tools (opens in a new tab)">online tools</a> are more robust, faster and are lag-free. Although it ultimately boils down to the developers and testers’ preference and personal choice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="encapsulate-code-in-framework">Encapsulate Code In Framework</h2>



A good way to start the development of the website is to select a good framework and build your website in it. Frameworks bring a lot of advantages with them and most of them are free to use. A framework is already optimized for cross-browser issues and will automatically create responsive elements without any hardcode from the developer’s side. 



Frameworks are developed to let the developer worry just about the functionalities and not thinking much about the cross-browser compatibility issues that would arise in other browsers. <gwmw style="display:none;">



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="test-develop-test">Test Develop Test</h2>



This is the last step in our development process and our struggles to make a cross-browser compatible website. A lot of the time developers and the teams think that once they are completely satisfied and have developed the functionalities, only then you should test. This is the wrong approach as the issues are piled up when we delay them for later stages. The result is delayed-release and more efforts for improvements.



Similar to unit testing, if the website is tested regularly at frequent intervals, it will be very easy for the developers to get faster feedback from the user. With such feedback, there are lesser issues and lesser work to be done on the elements. 



You can save a lot of time and effort with such an approach and plan your future development processes easily. Consider a situation where you are using some CSS property that has been deprecated. It would be better to get the notification earlier into the process rather than changing the complete website. Therefore, test-build-test and keep iterating your plans as the development process moves on.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="any-more-tips">Any More Tips?</h2>



Cross-browser testing is a necessary job when it comes to website development. At first, it may seem that this is an end process i.e. you develop the website first and then move ahead with testing. It might look logical but creates a huge pile of issues. 



A website is not like the mark sheets that you can check even if piled up. You might notice that some element does not work which has been used exhaustively while development. This comes under bad planning in design and development. We can dodge such scenarios by learning through our experience and keep the above tips in mind.&nbsp;



The tips provided in this post have proved effective with the test of time and it is recommended to follow these. But, these are not the only ones and personal experiences will give birth to a few more that can help other fellow developers/testers. 



Hence, we welcome you to comment on your own experiences and any tips you would want to share with us. We would be more than happy to incorporate those in our post.&nbsp;