What is browser testing?

Definition

Browser testing exercises the rendered interface, navigation and interactions of a web application. It can reveal integration problems that unit tests or source inspection do not show.

A useful browser test completes the main user flow and checks important states such as loading, errors, empty inputs, mobile layouts and persisted data after refresh.

ELI5

Browser testing means opening the website and trying it the way a visitor would. The tester clicks, types and checks what appears on the screen.

For example, a tester can create a note, refresh the page and confirm that the note is still present and readable on both a laptop and phone-sized screen.

Frequently asked questions

Why test through the browser after code checks pass?

The browser combines the interface, network, storage and interaction behavior, so it can expose problems that isolated checks miss.

Which browser flows should be tested first?

Start with the main user journey, then cover failure states, persistence, responsive layouts and steps affected by the change.

Videos explaining browser testing