The document serves as a comprehensive guide to web application testing, outlining the significance of rigorous testing in ensuring software functionality, quality, and user satisfaction. It covers various testing techniques, the importance of automated testing, and the challenges faced by testers, while also emphasizing the need for high-quality web apps to enhance customer experience and organizational reputation. Additionally, it lists effective testing tools and strategies essential for successful web app testing in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

1. A Complete Guide to Web App Testing
Anything is possible while deploying a website: broken links, web security,
difficult navigation, and other issues. Thus, a thorough testing strategy is
critical for mitigating these risks and maintaining website quality.
This guide will address all questions about web testing, providing you with the
information necessary to approach web app automation testing strategically
and effectively.
What is Web Application Testing?
Web app testing is a software testing practice that ensures the application's
functionality and quality as per the requirements. Before delivery, web testing
must identify all underlying issues, such as security breaches, integration
issues, functional inconsistencies, environmental challenges, or traffic load.

2. Why is Web Testing essential?
● Website testing is essential and required following the development
of a feature since we cannot ensure to the customer the delivery of
bug-free software without a proper web testing phase.
● Website testing enables the detection and reporting of product
defects. If testers do not perform thorough testing, there is a high
probability that end users may report issues. If customers are
dissatisfied with the end product, they will hesitate to delegate any
new feature to the team.
● If testers do not run rigorous web application tests, the risk of defects
and the probability of losing customers is high. By compromising on
the software's quality, there is a negative impact on the organization's
reputation.
● Website testing is critical for delivering high-quality software. It is only
by performing web page testing that developers can ensure that the
product does not have critical flaws.
● Providing bug-free software in the market attracts new customers
that eventually drive revenue generation.
Website Testing vs. Desktop Applications
● Website testing is URL-based testing and runs across many web
browsers. On the other hand, testers carry out desktop application
testing on a single computer or system.

3. ● Desktop app testing requires an understanding of user interaction
with the application. Furthermore, web app testing necessitates
familiarity with the operating system and database.
● Testing desktop applications entails evaluating elements such as the
graphical user interface (GUI), load, and backend. Memory leaks and
unhandled exceptions must be evaluated during the desktop
application testing process. Multiple users can access web apps
concurrently through the internet. Web applications run on two or
more systems; they are complex, necessitating extensive testing.
● In order to test a web application, the tester must be familiar with the
application's functionality for interacting with the end-user. Website
testing verifies the application's static page testing, browser
compatibility, and overall feature functionality.
● Cross-browser testing is essential for web app automation testing,
while it is not applicable for desktop application testing.
● Website application testing does not require
Installation/uninstallation testing, while the same is required for
desktop applications.
● Security/authentication testing is critical for website testing due to
the application being accessed by several users. On the other hand,
authentication testing might not be extensively performed on the
desktop application as it is accessed mostly by a single user.
● Testers perform load testing to evaluate websites by simultaneously
accessing the app with multiple users. On the contrary, desktop apps

4. are used by a single user; hence, the app behavior is not analyzed
when various users access them simultaneously.
Benefits of Web App Testing
● Web app testing ensures the delivery of high-quality websites.
● It enables a highly efficient product in the market with a high
customer satisfaction index.
● Web testing assures that the software is fully functional.
● A sound web testing strategy helps in the early detection of bugs. It
gradually increases tester velocity, as they can release new features
more efficiently and quickly.
● Website testing helps in increasing customers' confidence in the
application.
● Since QA testers run rigorous tests on the web application at the end
of each iteration and sprint, there are fewer chances of risk and
failure in the future.
● Testing a website via an automated website testing tool saves time
and ensures a positive return on investment.
Web Application Testing Techniques
Here are some of the fundamental web application testing techniques:
1. Functionality Testing

5. The primary objective of functional testing is to ensure that all of the
functionalities of a web application function smoothly without issues.
Functional testing in a web application may include verifying whether all links
are operating correctly, testing cookies, reviewing forms on all webpages,
evaluating database security, and validating CSS or HTML.
Additionally, developers and testers should ensure that test cases cover
necessary boundary conditions. Furthermore, invalid inputs should be backed
by an appropriate error notification.
2. Web UI Testing
Critical components of a web app are the webserver interface, database
server interface, and application server interface. Web UI testing validates that
all components of the web application are well-connected. Testers should use
this testing method to determine whether the interaction between these
servers is carried out effectively.
3. Usability Testing
The application's user interface should adhere to industry standards regarding
effectiveness and user-friendliness. It is also critical to adhere to global
conventions and web standards while developing a web application. Usability
testing is appropriate for apps that aim to automate manual processes.
However, testers must consider specific critical issues such as correct
navigation, a site map, and avoiding over-crowded content while performing
usability testing.

6. 4. Performance Testing
Performance testing enables you to determine a web application's
performance in various scenarios. It includes stress testing, load testing, and
scalability testing. Typically, this testing method evaluates a website's
functionality across different hardware platforms, operating systems, and
more.
5. Compatibility Testing
Compatibility is a critical factor to be considered while testing a web
application. Compatibility testing determines the compatibility of a web app
with operating systems, browsers, mobile browsing, and other printing
options.
6. Security Testing
Security testing is a critical web app automation testing method as it
determines whether data modifications or leaks are tolerable. It primarily
includes various activities such as verifying SSL, checking the CAPTCHA for
automated script logins, and determining whether web files or directories can
be accessed directly.
Challenges faced in web application
testing
Interaction with Firewalls:

7. Challenges in connecting with firewalls arise because a port or a firewall can
block a web app due to issues with security certificate compliance. Thus, it is
critical to test the application across multiple firewalls to avoid such
scenarios.
Validation of web services:
Modern web applications rely heavily on web service layers such as
XML/SOAP or JSON/REST for exchanging data between applications or
systems. Hence, the need for verifying these web services has increased
significantly. However, web testing platforms are not equipped to handle them.
As a result, testing web services is a significant problem for the QA teams.
Consistency across browsers:
Customers always prefer scalable and highly interactive web applications. If a
customer encounters inconsistencies while browsing across browsers, it can
adversely impact the enterprise's brand image and growth. Thus, developers
and QA testers must track the app's scalability and interactivity across
browsers and hardware configurations while conducting usability testing.
Addressing performance issues:
Users abandon any slow-loading web app, which eventually affects the
company brand and revenue. Thus, to overcome this obstacle, developers
should identify the factors affecting performance testing, such as scalability
of the app's features, compatibility, and integration limitations.

8. Securing web app against data breaches:
There has been a constant rise in the number of cyber threats that can leak
users' sensitive data. It is essential to monitor security testing processes to
avoid loss of information and data breaches. It will help prevent DDoS attacks
and other cyber threats. In case of any issue detection, testers can fix those at
the earliest.
What is Automated Web App Testing?
Web application automated testing, or automated web app testing, evaluates
a website's performance using varied types of automation website testing
tools. It is a process in which various software tools are used to analyze a
website's performance. The automated web app testing approach simplifies
and standardizes web testing parameters in response to configuration
changes during the development phase, conserving resources and providing
consistent results to site administrators and owners.
Additionally, developers may perform relevant tests and compare results to
predicted results by deploying efficient automated website testing tools.
Consumers may occasionally encounter several bugs or error warnings while
browsing certain websites, impairing the website's usability and readability. As
a result, end-users abandon such web apps. These kinds of bugs and defects
have a significant impact on businesses, as they can result in the loss of
valuable customers. It indicates a lack of proper and effective web application
automation testing on such websites. Thus, modern enterprises should
leverage automated web app testing tools to ensure their websites perform
seamlessly and deliver end-users with an uninterrupted experience. Different

9. types of automated website testing include evaluating the functionality and
usability of the web app, cross-browser compatibility, the performance of web
apps under stress and load, and the accessibility and security of websites.
5 Effective Web App Testing Tools
1. Testilo
Testilo offers quality assurance, quality engineering, and digital experience
solutions to allow organizations to achieve faster time-to-market and drive
economic value. The platform enables seamless start-to-finish manual and
automated testing across mobile and web application testing. The platform is
intuitive, comprehensive, and flexible that can be leveraged by employees,
freelance testers, or mixed teams to optimize test coverage. Testilo covers
browser compatibility testing and tests SaaS platforms across retail stores,
social networking sites, and other task-based apps for browser compatibility
and functionality under strain. It tests for different aspects of web apps like
average load speed, peak performance, and high volume and evaluates the
end-user experience.
2. Tricentis
Tricentis provides a holistic set of low code test automation capabilities to
address a wide range of web app testing challenges. Tricentis Testim enables
AI-powered testing for consumer-facing apps to quickly and efficiently adapt
to changes, write tests proactively, minimize maintenance, and ship quality
faster. The platform helps modernize UI functional testing across different
mobile and web applications and helps to:

10. ● Increase test coverage and quality across apps
● Reduce maintenance efforts with self-improving AI-driven stabilizers
● Eliminate flaky tests
● Pinpoint root cause to fix bugs quickly
● Accelerate release cycle
3. ACCELQ
ACCELQ serves as a robust AI-powered codeless web app testing tool that
provides universe-driven visual test designs and develops secure and scalable
apps for driving business. The tool helps keep businesses focused while
generating application blueprints. ACCELQ’s embedded frameworks offer
modularity to accelerate development and reduce maintenance efforts. With
ACCELQ, testers and QA teams can seamlessly automate test cases and
deploy a design-first approach without any framework. The platform allows to:
● Quickly and easily automate tests with natural language automation
and next-gen recorder
● Leverage robust and intelligent element explorer to capture required
elements and create automation
● Develop test scenarios according to predictive analytics and path
analysis
● Reduce maintenance with self-healing automation
● Extend and support new technologies and custom controls with no
programming complexities
4. testRigor

11. testRigor allows testers and QA professionals to create tests in simple
English, where elements are referenced from a human perspective to
streamline their web app testing. The tool analyzes all possible parameters
behind the scenes to help use the most critical ones and render ultra-reliable
tests. testRigor helps decrease test maintenance by allowing teams to spend
95% less time on average. Additionally, this web app testing tool allows
testers to seamlessly build new tests and increase test coverage. This
solution makes converting existing manual test cases into automated tests
easier and allows users to define and customize their requirements.
5. Testpad
Testpad is extensively leveraged as a web app testing tool that helps
transform manual testing with a checklist approach. The tool provides
one-line prompts of what is to be checked and is organized in an outline editor,
which allows testers to easily write, re-write, change, and organize their tests
accordingly. Testpad also helps export scripts and results as CSV, simplifying
the process of importing the analysis into other tools that the enterprise might
leverage.
Website Testing Life Cycle
Testers use a web testing approach to evaluate apps launched using a web
browser on the internet. In web page testing, QA testers carry out a set of
processes before the actual testing.
Requirement gathering

12. In this phase, testers collect all requirements related to the feature and refine
them and identify the gaps.
Test Planning
In this phase, testers update the test plan document with a definition of the
test scope and objectives, strategy, the entry and exit criteria for web testing,
and an evaluation of the test estimate.
Test case preparation
QA testers generate test scenarios and scripts using the most appropriate
automation technique considering the test strategy as a guide.
Test Execution
At this stage, testers run the defined test cases and document any deviations
from the intended result.
Bugs Reporting
If a test case fails during execution and a bug is detected, testers raise and
report it using a defect tracking tool like Jira and HP ALM QC.
Defect Retesting
Once the developer has fixed the defect, testers retest it and re-execute the
failed test case.
Test Closure

13. The test cycle is closed once all defects are fixed and the web application is
functioning as expected. If not, QA testers repeat the process.
Why is an end-to-end web application
testing a priority?
Businesses across industries and technology are aligning to scale up to
change the course of website testing. Software testing companies are
adapting to such industry changes. Rapid technical advancements in web
application testing further motivate testers to improve their automation
testing expertise. Thus, organizations must have skilled resources with highly
efficient automation testing concepts to deliver high-quality software
successfully.
Testing strategies and test automation approaches are crucial for
organizations focused on cloud computing and business analytics.
Businesses include website testing into their software development cycle,
using testing methods such as Agile.
There is also a strong demand for adopting the latest software testing trends
for software sectors across the globe, as this enables organizations to adapt
to the current world's requirements.
Conclusion
Websites and digital apps are business enablers for organizations today. They
need to have high-performing websites that function flawlessly across
browsers and even under high load. Users and visitors tend to abandon

14. websites with issues and prefer to avoid slow-loading web applications. Thus,
businesses must ensure that their websites deliver an excellent customer
experience by leveraging next-generation web testing services to perform
optimally without affecting web app traffic and provide a great user
experience.
This article was originally published on:
https://www.headspin.io/blog/a-complete-guide-to-web-app-testing