Low-code Software Testing: What Is It and Why It Matters

The software development industry steadily transitions to automated testing. Yet, not every manual QA engineer understands how to work with automated testing tools, as most of them require coding skills.

Luckily, low-code testing solutions have appeared, making the switch to automated testing easier, more agile, and more efficient. Gartner research revealed that 70% of new apps will rely on low-code tools by 2025.

With Gartner predicting explosive growth in this area, how to successfully embrace low-code automated testing? We’ll answer this question below. But first, let’s start from the basics. 

What is Low-Code Testing?

Low-code automated testing is an approach to software testing in which testers and developers implement automation tools and create automated test scripts with drag-and-drop functionality and pre-built components. This approach simplifies and speeds up testing with visual interfaces and minimal manual coding.

Automated testing provides companies with lots of benefits. Gartner found that after automating software testing, respondents achieved higher test accuracy, greater agility, wider test coverage, better simulation of user environments, and lower costs.

Businesses also mention other advantages such as:

Little or no training is required. New hires are unnecessary as manual QA engineers can move to automated testing faster.More time on critical tasks. QA engineers are free from routine coding and repetitive tasks, reusing code snippets rather than generating new tests from scratch.Bugs and issues are reduced. Thanks to higher test accuracy and wider test coverage, the quality of the final product is improved.Automation processes are built with scalability in mind. Gartner statistics confirm that 25% of organizations have seen better scalability. 

Despite all the potential low-code automation provides, respondents also report challenges and concerns.  For example, 36% of companies struggled with implementation, while 21% lacked trust in automation tools. They admitted that the code those tools generated could unintentionally create security vulnerabilities if not managed properly. 

Still, to mitigate most of the risks, some vendors provide team augmentation services that include not only training for staff but also improving all testing processes, from detailing the testing plans and strategies to meeting security standards. 

Despite these challenges, low-code testing represents a tremendous opportunity for many businesses. When done right, the benefits are set to outweigh the risks, so consider the following best practices you can implement and succeed.

How to Get Started with Low-Code Automation?

Transparent and well-organized low-code testing reduces all the complexities of traditional testing. This approach is all about simplifying and improving the QA engineers’ lives. And it is surely worth a try for any business. There are commonly a few steps to start with low-code automation. 

Let’s look at them in more detail:

Identify your needs and develop an automation strategy. First, determine which processes need automation, focusing on repetitive, labor-intensive tasks.Determine what you want to achieve with low-code automation as a result. Goals may include some general business objectives, such as increased efficiency and improved product quality with fewer bugs, or more specific ones like the need for custom integrations or a requirement to compile with security standards.Consider whether your team needs new skills or the project requires extra hands. You may need new hires, expanding your team, or upskilling the existing workforce.Assess your existing systems for integration needs and identify any processes that interact with other systems. Many low-code solutions come with ready-made connectors for integrating with existing systems. However, your system may still need custom integrations.Evaluate available options on the market and choose the right low-code tool for your needs. Research and compare different low-code automation platforms. You can consider factors like ease of use, integration capabilities, scalability, and cost. If the vendor provides trials or demos, use them to see how different solutions work and which one best suits your requirements.  

When it comes to tools, Selenium has long been one of the most widely used automated testing tools. However, its popularity has fallen as it is very tough to learn. There has been a noticeable shift towards newer technologies like Testlum. It has an all-in-one nature where everything QA teams need is centralized. The tool is easy to get started. It usually takes 15 minutes to run the first automated test. QA engineers can quickly move from manual testing to automation as onboarding is simple. Full testing coverage and unlimited integrations, including custom ones, are among the tool’s benefits. 

Final Thoughts

The benefits of low-code automation are clear, ranging from faster bug detection to seamless integrations and better scalability. Higher ROI, improved cybersecurity, and easier new team member onboarding are also worth mentioning. 

However, some companies are still confused about low-code tools, thinking they are just another trend that comes and goes. For this reason, it is always better to try to dispel doubts. Besides, many solutions have already recommended themselves very well. We hope the steps above will help you make an informed decision.