Test automation

Test automation is the use of code and tools to run tests, compare actual results with expected results and report the outcome, without a person repeating each step by hand. It makes regular checks fast and repeatable, especially in a CI pipeline.

What to automate

• Tests that run often, such as regression and smoke tests.
• Stable, high-value paths such as login, checkout and core APIs.
• Checks that need many data combinations.

What to keep manual

• Exploratory testing and usability checks.
• Features that change every week.
• One-off checks that cost more to automate than to run.

Common tools

Selenium, Playwright and Cypress for browsers, Postman and REST Assured for APIs, and JMeter or k6 for load tests. AI features such as self-healing locators and test generation are now added on top of these.

Read the full guide: AI Test Automation vs Traditional Test Automation — The 2026 Reality Check