What Types of Testing Are Best to Automate?

Sometimes manual testing is not enough to ensure quality, especially when it comes to complex software products and multi-component software. In addition, modern IT companies, adapting to the dynamic needs of the market, accelerate development, so less time is spent on testing. As a result, automation is increasingly important because it allows you to speed up QA processes. Let’s see what types of testing should be automated first.

Regression Testing

This type of testing is most often automated, which is not surprising. Automation, in this case, relieves the tester from repeatedly executing the same test cases before each release. Typically, automated regression test scripts are developed from manual tests that have proven effective in detecting defects. The greatest efficiency in regression testing automation is achieved when it comes to services that require regular changes.

Automation has proven itself in the case when a tester needs to perform the same actions but each time with different data. All data can be collected in one database, and scripts will automatically use this information when conducting tests. By the way, this is nothing more than a DDT approach to testing (data-driven testing).

Cross-browser and Cross-platform Testing

Automation can also increase the efficiency of such types of testing as cross-platform and cross-browser testing. Everything is simple here: the same automated test scripts are used on different platforms.

Localization Testing

This testing can be very time-consuming for manual testing. For example, if we test a website with dozens of versions in different languages, we check the adaptation of interface elements, translation of texts, etc. Our task is to get information about whether the localization caused defects. In this case, automation allows you to test the desired aspects using less time.

Performance Testing. Load and Stress Testing

Nowadays, performance testing, as well as load testing and stress testing, are almost always automated. Many automation tools (JMeter, Gatling, Tsung) allow you to reproduce different conditions, including conditions that can cause problems with the performance of a software application. Using automated tests, you can simulate a lack of RAM and other scenarios, and, most importantly, you can record the software’s response to these scenarios.