Complete Guide to Web Project Testing Before Launch
Proper testing of a web project before launch is a critically important stage that determines the success of the product and the user experience. Insufficient testing can lead to financial losses, reputational risks, and loss of users. In this article, we will look at a comprehensive approach to testing that will help you avoid critical mistakes and ensure high quality of your web project.
1. Testing Strategy: Planning for Success
Creating a Test Plan
Before starting any testing, it is necessary to create a detailed test plan, which should include:
Defining Testing Goals
- Main functionality that needs to be tested
- Critical user scenarios
- Performance requirements
- Compatibility with various browsers and devices
- Security requirements
Choosing the Methodology The most effective approach is combining different types of testing within the testing pyramid: a large number of unit tests at the base, fewer integration tests in the middle, and a minimal number of E2E tests at the top.
Defining Quality Criteria Set clear criteria for what is considered "ready for launch":
- Percentage of code covered by tests
- Maximum allowable page load time
- Number of critical and non-critical bugs
- Security testing results
Resource and Timeline Planning
Testing should take at least 25-30% of the total project development time. Plan several testing iterations, especially after fixing found defects.
2. Functional Testing: Verifying Core Functionality
User Scenario Testing
- User registration and authentication
- Main business processes (purchase, order, booking)
- Content search and filtering
- User profile management
- Integration with external services
Negative Scenarios It is equally important to test how the system behaves under incorrect actions:
- Entering invalid data into forms
- Attempts to access restricted sections
- Actions by unauthorized users
- Handling network and server errors
Form and Validation Testing
Forms are critically important elements of most web applications. Check:
- Correct operation of all field types (text, email, phone, date)
- Validation on client and server sides
- Handling and displaying validation errors
- File upload functionality
- Protection against XSS attacks through input fields
3. Performance Testing: Ensuring Speed
Load Speed Testing
Modern users expect fast page loading. Critical metrics:
- First Contentful Paint (FCP) — should be less than 1.8 seconds
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) — should be less than 2.5 seconds
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) — should be less than 0.1
- First Input Delay (FID) — should be less than 100 ms
Testing Tools:
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- GTmetrix
- WebPageTest
- Lighthouse (built into Chrome DevTools)
Load Testing
Test system behavior under various load levels:
- Baseline Testing — normal expected load
- Load Testing — maximum expected load
- Stress Testing — load above expected
- Spike Testing — sudden load increase
Recommended Tools:
- Apache JMeter (free)
- LoadRunner (commercial)
- k6 (modern tool)
- Artillery (for Node.js projects)
4. Cross-Browser Testing: Ensuring Compatibility
Browser Selection for Testing
Identify priority browsers based on your audience:
- Desktop: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
- Mobile: Chrome Mobile, Safari Mobile, Samsung Internet
Testing on Various Devices
Desktop Testing:
- Different screen resolutions (1366x768, 1920x1080, 2560x1440)
- Interface scaling (100%, 125%, 150%)
- Various operating systems
Mobile Testing:
- iOS and Android devices
- Different screen sizes
- Portrait and landscape orientation
- Touch interactions
Testing Tools:
- BrowserStack (cloud testing)
- Sauce Labs (automated testing)
- Chrome DevTools (device emulation)
- Responsive Design Mode in Firefox
5. Security Testing: Protection Against Threats
Authentication and Authorization Checks
- Testing weak passwords
- Session management verification
- Testing access rights for different user roles
- Logout functionality verification
- Password recovery function testing
Security Testing Tools
- OWASP ZAP (free vulnerability scanner)
- Burp Suite (professional tool)
- Nessus (vulnerability scanner)
- SQLmap (for testing SQL injections)
6. Test Automation: Efficiency and Reliability
Unit Testing
Create unit tests for critical components:
- Application business logic
- Utility functions
- User interface components
- API methods
Popular Frameworks:
- Jest (JavaScript)
- PHPUnit (PHP)
- pytest (Python)
- JUnit (Java)
Integration Testing
Test interactions between various components:
- API integrations
- Database interactions
- Integration with external services
- Frontend and backend interaction
End-to-End Testing
Automate critical user scenarios:
- User registration process
- Main business processes
- Critical navigation paths
E2E Testing Tools:
- Cypress (modern and convenient)
- Selenium WebDriver (classic choice)
- Playwright (by Microsoft)
- Puppeteer (for Chrome)
7. Production Environment Testing: Final Verification
Smoke Testing
After deploying to production server, perform a quick check:
- Main pages load
- Critical functionality works
- Database is connected
- External services are available
Post-Launch Monitoring
Set up monitoring systems to track:
- Server response time
- JavaScript errors
- Service downtime
- User behavior
Monitoring Tools:
- Google Analytics
- Sentry (error tracking)
- New Relic (performance monitoring)
- Pingdom (availability monitoring)
8. Pre-Launch Checklist
Functionality
- All main user scenarios have been tested
- Forms work correctly and validate data
- Authentication and authorization function properly
- Integrations with external services are configured
- Email notifications are sent and display correctly
Performance
- Core Web Vitals meet Google's requirements
- Images are optimized and compressed
- CSS and JavaScript are minified
- Caching is configured
- CDN is configured (if used)
Security
- SSL certificate is installed and configured
- Input data is validated and sanitized
- Proper HTTP security headers are set
- Vulnerability scanning has been performed
Compatibility
- Testing in major browsers is complete
- Mobile version works correctly
- Tested on various devices
- Accessibility testing passed
SEO and Metadata
- Meta tags are set on all pages
- Structured data added
- XML Sitemap created and submitted to search engines
- Google Analytics and other analytics systems connected
- 404 pages configured
Content and UX
- All texts checked for spelling and grammar
- Images have alternative text
- User messages (errors, notifications) are correct
- Privacy policy and user agreement pages added
Conclusion
High-quality testing of a web project before launch is an investment in the success of your product. A comprehensive approach, including functional, performance, security, and compatibility testing, will help you avoid critical issues and ensure an excellent user experience.
Remember that testing is an iterative process. Do not try to test everything at once, but make sure to cover all critical aspects. Start with the most important functionality and gradually expand test coverage.
Test automation will help you save time in the long run and ensure stability during future updates. However, do not forget about manual testing — some aspects of the user experience can only be evaluated by a human eye.
Invest in quality from the very beginning — it will pay off many times over in the form of satisfied users, positive reviews, and a successful product.