Top 5 Salesforce Testing Challenges and How To Overcome Them

Salesforce is a very approachable platform – but what about Salesforce testing? If you want your business solutions to work as expected, you have to test them. However, a lot of the time, the people who need to test their Salesforce processes aren't coding experts. That's why Salesforce testing challenges require approachable solutions. 

The fact that Salesforce is so configurable is what makes it hugely popular among businesses. You can create whatever you want by building upon the out-of-the-box features. But what if your solution introduces problems elsewhere in your enterprise’s Salesforce environment? How will you know? That's why we need more accessible Salesforce testing options. 

5 Salesforce Testing Challenges 

Just because you can configure a solution in Salesforce that works for you doesn't mean it will work across all setups and integration. That's a common problem we see when people work with a no-code or low-code solution. It’s also why we need testing. However, when it comes time to implement this testing, you're going to run into challenges. Here are five of the most common.

#1: Complex applications

It may be straightforward to test basic parts of Salesforce, but more complex configurations won't be as easy. Consider something like Visualforce, where creators develop custom user interfaces for mobile or web apps. Testing this can be very hard because you need complete coverage. Without the right testing solution, you may only wind up testing a third of the experience. 

#2: Frequent updates 

Salesforce has seasonal releases for rolling out new features in the Spring, Summer, and Winter. This is great for allowing users to take advantage of new options. However, it could spell trouble for tests. Platform changes frequently break tests, so proper testing means finding a way to continually repair and improve test scripts. 

#3: Dynamic elements 

Salesforce Lightning leverages many dynamic elements, like test web pages or locators, that can be challenging to test. Choosing a location to test isn't easy when that location keeps changing! The classic version doesn't run into this issue quite so much, but you shouldn't have to depend on the pared-down platform just because testing is easier. 

#4: Tables 

Salesforce is a table-heavy platform by design. How else will you organize all your data into easily digestible formats? However, you may need to leverage multiple tests to validate data and ensure data communication happens the way it should. Doing so manually can be time-consuming and frustrating. 

#5: Expertise

The biggest problem with Salesforce testing comes in when you rely too heavily on non-specialists to create custom solutions. Although Salesforce is a user-friendly platform, that doesn't translate to tests. Even some of the most accessible tools will require a certain amount of training. The best solution is to leverage a type of testing that is just as user-friendly as the platform itself. 

Low-Code, Scalable AI as a Salesforce Testing Solution 

The solution to Salesforce testing challenges lies in making testing itself more accessible to everyone. You want to avoid time-consuming manual tests. That way, you can keep up with changes and handle situations where multiple processes or elements require review.

The ideal tool leverages a low-code environment. Low code is simply a way of allowing individuals without coding experience to create their own programs through a more accessible interface. While they will need some training to create tests, they won't need to be expert developers. For example, at Copado Robotic Testing, we use natural language keywords and script recording to empower low-coders to create tests quickly and easily. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is also crucial. As Salesforce changes and new configurations are added, the need for tests will change as well. A program that offers self-healing AI can review these changes, update the scripts or send alerts to ensure that the test is updated. 

The final key is program scalability. Can you bump up your testing capabilities as your needs grow without dedicating weeks to establishing new processes? While some complex processes require human supervision, manual testing is never scalable. For routine tasks, automated testing can provide the scalability you need and allow experts to focus on more complex duties.  

Low code, AI-enabled options are the best solution to Salesforce testing challenges. With them, you can easily create the tests you need for your various configurations on the platform. It's an accessible solution to a complex and often time-consuming necessity.