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

Getting Started with Automated Web Testing on Mobile and Desktop

In the past, web applications were only accessible via desktop computers. However, with the development of mobile technology, these applications and websites are now regularly used on mobile devices. To guarantee a consistent user experience, web testing must be conducted on desktop and mobile browsers to confirm compatibility. This entails verifying the performance and functionality of web-based programs in different web browsers on both desktop and mobile devices. As multiple users access web applications, it is essential to ensure they function correctly and efficiently on all platforms. Automated web testing can help achieve this goal by rapidly and accurately assessing compatibility across desktop and mobile browsers.

Statista’s statistics say, “As of January 2023, there were 5.3 billion internet users worldwide, up from 4.9 billion in the previous year.” Isn’t it amazing? So many internet users might be running websites and web applications on their phone browsers.

Number of internet and social media users worldwide as of January 2023
Number of internet and social media users worldwide as of January 2023

What is Web Automation Testing?

Automated web testing is a process in software testing that uses specialized tools and automated scripts to test the functionality and performance of web applications and websites. It aims to simulate real-world scenarios and user interactions to identify bugs or compatibility issues across various browsers, platforms, and devices. Automated web testing helps to reduce the manual effort and time required for testing and ensures that the application is functioning as expected.

Why use Automated Testing Tools for Testing Websites?

As the above statistics show, web testing requires catering to a broad spectrum of users. So can we do it manually? Of course, we can, but it will cost a vast amount of effort, time, test lab set-up, and resources, thus, significantly more budget.

Also, suppose the application covers a large user base. In that case, it is next to impossible to manually cover all possible devices, browsers, platforms, and version combinations that your target audience may be using. We would want to use automation testing as a resort in this case, or else it is a mammoth task.

The below points provide a glimpse of why we should use automation tools for web testing on real mobile and desktop browsers:

They provide a real environment for testing:

We need to test the application on API, backend, UI, cross-browser, and security levels, preferably on real devices. We would want to test the application on a real device’s browser to rule out any possibility of bug slippage in the real environment. Any bug in the real environment will cost catastrophically for any web app.For that purpose, it is always wise to thoroughly research the users and their devices/browsers before commencing the testing. Accordingly, we can select the real devices/browsers to perform the automated web testing.

Minimize cost:

Can we procure and set up a test lab to have all the virtual devices with all possible combinations of browser versions? Definitely, yes, we can! But can you imagine the cost incurred and the maintenance needed to match all browser versions in a natural user environment? We can minimize the costs by using automation tools that provide a ready-to-use cloud test lab with access to thousands of real devices.This considerably saves the cost incurred on purchasing the real devices. With automation testing tools, only a fraction of it will be spent using cloud-based real devices. With automation testing tools, only a fraction of it will be spent using cloud-based real devices and browsers.

Supports faster software delivery:

When we seek help from automation tools in our testing activities, we can deliver a quality software product faster. There are multiple reasons for this –

  • With automation tools, we can test cycles 24*7, which helps quicken the release.
  • The project saves enormous test lab setup and maintenance time if automation tools are used.

Better use of human efforts:

We would want to skip spending human attention and effort setting up test labs and writing test automation scripts. Letting people focus on the test strategy, test cases, exploratory/ad-hoc testing, and other testing-related activities will be a better idea. This way, we can save ourselves from the extra work of setting up and maintaining a test lab.

With its latest release, Testsigma is set to change mobile test automation forever. Witness the change live on 11th August

Do Automated Web Testing tools solve the problem of websites on real mobile and desktop browsers?

Many tools in the market are available for automated testing of a website. The best option today is to choose a tool that allows you to test your website on real devices. The testing of a website on real devices is called responsive testing.

These tools may have different approaches on the front end, though the result is usually the same. The result is the automation of the desired workflow. These automated test cases can then be executed on available devices/emulators.

The best way to decide the best tool is to go through them, try the ones that suit your needs, and decide the one you find the easiest and most efficient.

The various ways these tools implement for test creation vary from just record and play to enabling users to create flowcharts and multiple other ways. To read the details on these ways, check the article here: –Scriptless Automated Testing is not the same as Record and Playback

The general steps would be:

1. Identify the ‘locators’ of various elements on the web page using CSS/Xpath/ id etc.

2. Creation of repositories for elements on the different web pages of the website

3. Creating a flow or a program that tells the tool what step to take on the web page. This is where different approaches to test creation are employed.

4. Execution of the automated test case on the selected devices/browsers. This is the most important step. Here, you need to make sure that your tool allows you to execute your test cases on real mobile devices and desktop browsers.

5. Reporting of the result of the automated test case

Above are general steps, and there could be variations in these steps depending on the tool and the type of test case being automated. For example, a data-driven test case will require integration with a data source that is fed to a test script before execution.

Benefits of Automated Web Testing

Website testing automation involves utilizing software tools to evaluate website functionality and performance. This can encompass examining user interface components, backend capabilities, and performance in varied loads.

Benefits of Website Test Automation:

  1. Automated tests can get stuff done way faster than manual tests, so you don’t have to waste time and energy. That means your team can focus on what matters, like creating new stuff or fixing any issues.
  2. Automated tests are consistent, which makes it less likely for mistakes to happen. So the results you get from them are much more reliable, and you can trust them.
  3. Automated tests can help you stay on top of any issues during development. You can quickly catch and fix problems, saving time and money.
  4. Automated tests also make it easier to keep up with changes as your website grows. They scale with the website, so you don’t have to test every new feature and performance combination manually.

The Role of Real Browsers & Devices in Website Test Automation

Testing websites across different platforms, devices, and web browsers are super important. People access websites from various devices, browsers, and screen sizes. To ensure the website works correctly for everyone, it’s essential to use real browsers and devices when testing. Simulated or virtual environments can be helpful but don’t always accurately reflect what users will experience. That’s why testing on real browsers and devices is the best way to identify compatibility issues that may not appear in a simulated environment.

Testing websites on real browsers and devices helps ensure that the website will work properly for everyone. This means that it will look and function the same no matter what device or browser someone is using. That way, people have a good experience when they visit the website.

How Testsigma solves the problem of automating your web testing on real mobile and desktop browsers?

Testsigma helps you automate your test cases quickly and efficiently via the below features:

  1. Cloud-based: Testsigma is an online tool that saves you time and money by not needing to buy equipment or set up a unique environment for testing.
  2. Codeless: Testsigma makes it easy to automate your test cases, even if you’re not a coding expert. The tool is designed to be user-friendly, so your team can start testing quickly.
  3. Simple English: Testsigma makes it easy to create automated test cases without learning complicated programming languages. It uses simple English so anyone can understand it!
  4. Object Recognition: Testsigma provides ways to ensure the important stuff is saved and that changes in structure won’t cause you to lose track of objects. It does this by using both automated and manual object recognition.
  5. Failure Suggestions: If any of your tests don’t work, Testsigma will give you ideas on what might be wrong with the parts of your test, so it’s simple to fix the problems and get your tests running again.
  6. Cross-browser and Cross-device Testing: Testsigma lets you access 5 different device labs on the internet, so you can test your website or app to ensure it works on all browsers and devices.
  7. Recording and Logs: Testsigma gives you videos, pictures, and logs of what happened when you tested something, which makes it easier to figure out why something didn’t work.
  8. Status Sharing: You can easily share your test results with your friends by sending them through email, Slack, or any other way you like.
  9. 24/7 Customer Support: Testsigma offers customer support daily, so you can get help whenever needed.

Start automating your website testing today with Testsigma and experience the benefits of real browser and device testing. So what are you waiting for? Sign up now and start experiencing the benefits of automated testing with Testsigma!

Start your automated web testing on real browsers and devices

Testsigma can be used to automate the testing of web applications on real devices and browsers as presented in this article. A detailed tutorial to outline how to test mobile web applications using Testsigma is here.

Conclusion

“As a rule, software systems do not work well until they have been used, and have failed repeatedly, in real applications.”— Dave Parnas we need to do our web testing on real devices and browsers as emulators and simulators do not give the real picture. Today, when working in CI/CD models for continuous delivery, we want continuous testing to be faster, more high-quality, automated, monitored, and managed.

Therefore, relying on cloud-based continuous testing automation tools for cross-browser testing, like Testsigma makes sense. AI drives Testsigma to ease the whole testing process by managing the test cases automatically. Hence, human focus and attention can be used to make better decisions and test strategies.

It has a robust reporting and feedback system, making it the apt choice for CI/CD-based development. It provides a unified platform to keep everyone on the same page and reduces redundancies.

Learn More – How to Automate with Devices on Cloud

Frequently Asked Questions

How to automate web UI testing?

Automating web UI testing is like creating tests that act like a person using a website. It checks to make sure the website works correctly. Here’s what you can do to automate web UI testing:

  1. Choose a test automation tool
  2. Plan your tests
  3. Write automated tests
  4. Set up a testing environment
  5. Execute your tests
  6. Maintain your tests

To guarantee that one’s website functions properly for all users, the following steps may be employed to automate web user interface testing:

How do you automate a web application?

You can automate a web application by using different tools and techniques. One of the most common ways is to use a Test Automation Framework like Selenium WebDriver or Appium. These frameworks let you write automated tests in programming languages like Java, JavaScript, Python, and C#. They also give you features to help with finding problems and showing results. Plus, they let you create scripts that interact with the web app’s user interface elements.

An automation tool such as UiPath or WorkFusion, as well as scripting languages such as Bash or PowerShell, can be utilized to automate tasks within a web application. These tools provide graphical user interfaces that allow for the creation of workflows and data management. At the same time, scripting languages enable the writing of code which interacts with the web application’s API endpoints to perform tasks like creating users, updating records, and running reports.

Why do we automate testing?

Automated testing uses computer programs to run tests and compare results with what was expected. It makes it easier to check things faster and more accurately. Automation also helps save money on manual testing and makes the process go by quicker. Automated tests are usually more reliable since people can make mistakes or get tired.

Additionally, you can use automation to quickly test an application across different platforms and environments so that everything gets appropriately checked. Lastly, Automation testing can be used for regression testing, smoke tests, functional tests, integration tests, performance tests, and much more.


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Start your smart continuous testing journey today with Testsigma.

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