Types of Salesforce Testing and When To Use Them

Manual and automated testing are both important types of Salesforce testing used to manage development risks and deliver high-quality software on time. Salesforce is a highly dynamic and customizable platform requiring automated testing throughout several phases to reduce testing costs and time. A well-developed testing strategy that uses manual and automated testing with the right approach will be needed to complete tests on time. 

This blog will discuss key types of Salesforce testing and explain why testing is so important. Further, we’ll review the best testing methods and introduce the benefits of Copado Robotic Testing for Salesforce.

Why is Salesforce Testing Important?

Salesforce testing is required to improve the quality of your software. Your QA teams will be able to detect issues earlier in the development process, when bugs are less expensive to fix, and before they are deployed into production.

During each development cycle, you should complete testing to ensure that your system supports all critical business operations and works as expected after customizations and configurations.

Salesforce testing is essential because it:

• Confirms Salesforce configuration and code functionality.
• Ensures system stability.
• Verifies that custom workflows are functioning properly.
• Validates inbound and outbound integrations.
• Detects issues and bugs early in the software development life cycle.
• Helps improve employee and customer satisfaction.

Types of Salesforce Testing and When to Use Them

Depending on the requirements of your testing project, you may need several different types of Salesforce testing. The testing types listed below will help you choose appropriate testing activities.

Unit Testing

You should cover 75% of your code with unit testing before deploying code into production. Those test cases should have passed. These tests are not limited to specific user scenarios and are typically very specific.

Integration Testing

Integration tests are required if your code interacts with anything that isn't native to your Salesforce org. When you add third-party modules to the system, this type of Salesforce testing can reveal problems.

System Testing

System testing tests the entire system, including new and existing features. This type of testing is performed after integration testing and before UAT testing.

UAT Testing

In user acceptance testing, system users (or end-users) test Salesforce to ensure that it is operational and meets business requirements. 

Functional Testing

Functional testing ensures that features perform as expected per technical specifications. 
This type of testing examines each software function by providing input and comparing the output to functional requirements. In small projects, functional testing and UAT can be combined.

Regression Testing

Manual and automated tests can be used in regression testing.
Regression should be used after code changes occur to determine whether changes to source code, structure, or data have caused broken functionality.
Full regression testing takes time. Without automated tools, it can be difficult for QA teams to keep up with the constant stream of new releases and updates.

Production Testing

After your code has been pushed to production, QA testing teams and end-users perform production testing. Multiple end users are typically involved in production testing. This testing type ensures that all configurations and changes have been implemented successfully.

[Read Copado’s 2022 State of Salesforce Testing Report]

How to Approach Salesforce Testing

The goal of software testing is to improve software quality, reduce risk, and increase user satisfaction. Testing supports the release of high-quality software products into the market. Using the right types of Salesforce testing and approaches will increase test coverage, reduce cost, and prevent bugs from making their way into production.

Testing should start early in the SDLC, and perform all necessary tests to improve outcomes. Test your configurations, customizations, integrations, and business-critical processes whenever they are modified or upgraded to ensure that they remain operational.

 Your test methods should:

• Perform unit, UI, UAT, integration, functional, regression, and system testing as needed.
• Test on a needs-driven basis.
• Validate customized coding rather than just Salesforce built-in functionality.
• Allow you to accept software updates and patches in shorter time frames.

Copado Robotic Testing for Salesforce

Salesforce is a highly customizable platform, and your custom applications and workflows will require extensive testing. Your testing project necessitates automated testing tools like Copado Robotic Testing. When using automation, it is common to believe that automating all of your tests will produce the best results. Avoid that assumption. Instead, phase in automated testing over time.

Some tests will always require human supervision and involvement. Introducing automated testing incrementally, rather than all at once, will reduce business risk and ensure that bugs are caught earlier in the development process when they are easier to fix.

Copado Robotic Testing enables companies to adapt to fast-changing customer demands, increase development speed, and improve the customer experience.  

Our low-code platform will allow you to master complex test scenarios, including:

• Salesforce apps (CPQ, Field Service Lightning, nCino, Veeva, etc.)
• Mobile Testing
• Lightning dynamic content
• Technical elements like shadow DOMs and iframes
• End-to-End tests across cloud platforms

Make Copado Your Salesforce Testing Solution

Salesforce testing is essential for increasing the quality of your software releases. It will be critical to have the right strategy that considers business requirements, has stakeholder support, and employs the appropriate testing tools and frameworks.

A Salesforce testing solution like Copado Robotic Testing makes it easy to handle complex test projects. It will check for bugs and enable automated testing to occur automatically and without the use of additional resources whenever your codebase changes.

If you’d like to learn more about different types of Salesforce testing and how Copado can help improve your existing testing processes, contact us today!