What is Automated Testing?
Automated testing uses software tools to run predefined checks against an application, verifying that it behaves correctly without manual effort. Tests run quickly and repeatably on every change, catching defects early and giving teams the confidence they need to release frequently and safely.
What is automated testing?
Automated testing is the practise of writing code that checks other code. Instead of a person manually stepping through an application to confirm it works, scripted tests exercise the software and verify the results automatically. These tests can run in seconds, as often as you like, and they behave identically every time. That repeatability is what makes them powerful: every change a team makes can be checked against the full suite before it ever reaches a user.
Automated testing does not replace human judgement entirely - exploratory and usability testing still need people - but it removes the slow, error-prone work of re-checking the same behaviour by hand on every release.
Why does automated testing matter?
The cost of a defect rises sharply the later it is found. A bug caught by a test as the code is written is cheap to fix; the same bug found by a user in production is expensive and damaging. Automated tests catch regressions - features that used to work breaking because of an unrelated change - which is otherwise almost impossible to prevent in a growing codebase. They also enable confident, frequent releases, because the team can change code knowing the suite will flag anything they have broken.
What are the types of automated testing?
Tests sit at different levels, often visualised as a pyramid with many fast tests at the base and fewer slow ones at the top:
- Unit tests - verify a single function or component in isolation; fast and numerous.
- Integration tests - check that components work together correctly.
- End-to-end tests - simulate a real user journey through the whole application.
- Performance tests - verify the system holds up under load.
- Regression tests - confirm existing behaviour still works after changes.
What are automated testing best practices?
Favour many fast, reliable unit tests and fewer slow end-to-end tests, following the test pyramid, so the suite stays quick to run. Test behaviour and outcomes rather than internal implementation, so tests do not break every time code is refactored. Keep tests independent and deterministic - a test that fails intermittently erodes trust in the whole suite. Run the tests automatically on every change through a continuous integration pipeline, and treat a failing test as a stop sign rather than something to ignore.
How PixelForce approaches automated testing
At PixelForce, automated testing is built into Phase 2 - Development, QA and Release, not bolted on at the end. Our in-house Adelaide team writes tests alongside features and runs them automatically through a continuous integration pipeline, so regressions are caught before code is merged. This discipline underpins our 98% first-time app-store approval rate and the 99.99% crash-free performance we maintain across 100+ shipped products. Testing is part of our broader quality approach within our app development company australia services, and it integrates with the deployment and infrastructure practises in our aws devops consulting so every release is verified before it ships.
Where this applies
The PixelForce services where Automated Testing matters most - explore how we put it to work in client products.
Related terms
Other glossary definitions closely related to Automated Testing.
Frequently asked questions
Automated testing runs scripted checks via tools, quickly and repeatably, which suits regression testing and anything run frequently. Manual testing involves a person exercising the software, which is better for exploratory testing, usability and judgement-based assessment. The two are complementary: automation handles the repetitive, high-volume checks, freeing human testers to focus on the experience and edge cases that scripts cannot evaluate well.
No. Automation pays off for tests run repeatedly and for critical paths that must never break, but writing and maintaining tests has a cost. Highly exploratory checks, one-off validations and subjective usability assessment are often better done manually. A sensible strategy automates the stable, high-value, frequently run checks and reserves human effort for areas where judgement and exploration add the most value.
The test pyramid is a guideline for balancing test types. It recommends many fast, cheap unit tests at the base, a moderate number of integration tests in the middle, and few slow, expensive end-to-end tests at the top. This shape keeps the suite fast and reliable while still covering real user journeys. Inverting it - relying mostly on slow end-to-end tests - produces brittle, slow suites.
Writing tests adds effort up front, but it speeds development overall by catching defects early, preventing regressions and enabling confident, frequent releases. Teams without automated tests spend increasing time on manual checks and firefighting production bugs as the codebase grows. The initial investment is repaid many times over through reduced rework and the ability to change code safely.
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