Start with what must not break
List the three to five journeys that matter most, such as taking an order, logging in or submitting a form. These get tested first, every release, without exception.
The core checks
- Functional testing: does each feature do what the requirement says?
- Regression testing: has the new change broken something that worked before?
- Exploratory testing: what happens when real people do unexpected things?
- Compatibility: browsers, devices and screen sizes your customers actually use
- Accessibility and performance: can everyone use it, and is it fast enough?
Make defects easy to fix
A good defect report states what was done, what was expected, what happened and how to reproduce it. Screenshots and environment details save developers hours.
Track defects in one place and agree severity levels in advance, so launch decisions are based on evidence rather than opinion.
Know when you are ready
Define exit criteria before testing starts: for example, no open critical defects and all priority journeys passing. An independent tester or QA partner can give an objective view when your own team is too close to the product.
