A smoke test is a quick check that the most important parts of an app still work after a change. If signing in, signing up or checking out is broken, nothing else matters. ReplayQA automates smoke tests by turning a screen recording of each critical flow into a test that replays in a real browser.
What to include in a web app smoke test
Keep it small and focused on what would hurt most if it broke:
- Sign in and sign up
- The main purchase or conversion flow, such as checkout or starting a trial
- Creating, editing and deleting the core record in your app
- Search and the most visited pages
- Account settings, such as changing a profile field
Five to fifteen tests is typical. A smoke suite should finish in minutes, not hours.
How to automate it with ReplayQA
- Record each flow once, one flow per video, ending on the result that proves it worked.
- Upload the videos. AI writes the steps; ReplayQA validates each test in a real browser.
- Group them into a suite called something like "Release smoke test".
- Press Play All before every release, or right after a deploy.
Each run gives a pass or fail per test, a screenshot of every step and a video of the run. Retry only the failures, and spot flaky tests that pass on a retry.
Smoke tests on staging and production
Each project can have several sites, such as staging and production, each with its own test logins. Run the smoke suite on staging before you release, and on production right after, to confirm the deploy went out cleanly.
Why smoke tests from video stay useful
Smoke suites die when they become a chore to maintain. ReplayQA finds elements by the words on screen, so most redesigns don't break tests. When a button really was renamed or moved, it proposes a fix as a draft you approve. And because replays run the same saved steps every time, a failure points at a real change, not at a test that behaved differently today.
Frequently asked questions
What is a smoke test?
A quick check that an app's most important flows still work after a change, such as signing in, signing up or checking out. It answers "is this release safe to ship?" in minutes.
What's the difference between smoke testing and regression testing?
A smoke test covers a few critical flows and runs fast. A regression suite is broader and checks that existing features still work after a change. With ReplayQA, both are suites of recorded tests; a smoke suite is simply the smallest, most important set.
How long does an automated smoke test take?
It depends on the number and length of the flows, but a typical suite of short, focused tests finishes in minutes.
Can I run smoke tests after a deploy to production?
Yes. Add a production site to the project with its own test login, and run the suite there after you deploy. Use test accounts and test data on production.