Self Healing Tests: Good or Bad? How to Use Them Right
Self healing tests — sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, right? 🛸 But no, they’re real, and they’re shaking up UI automation like never before. These tests promise to fix themselves when your app throws a curveball, like when a “login” button suddenly decides to rebrand as “submit.” But here’s the million-dollar question: are self healing tests good or bad? Spoiler alert: it’s complicated! Stick around, and I’ll show you how to use them right, so your tests don’t end up playing “hide and seek” with real bugs. 👀
What Are Self Healing Tests? 🦾
Imagine your UI test is happily clicking away when bam! the developer changed the “login” button’s ID to “submit.” Normally, your test would throw a tantrum (fail), but a self healing test tries to play detective 🔎 — sniffing around, guessing, and eventually finding that “submit” button. Then, like a magician, it adapts and keeps going. Poof! No failure, no sweat.
They use fallback locators, fancy AI magic, and even visual recognition (yes, they’ve got eyes 👁️) to keep your tests running despite changes.
When Are Self Healing Tests Good? 🎉
1. Minor Tweaks That Shouldn’t Break Everything
Changing button text from “login” to “submit”? Pfft, self healing tests laugh at that and keep cruising.
2. Agile Development’s Best Friend
In fast-paced dev cycles, your UI changes more often than your socks. Self healing tests save your sanity and your weekend plans.
3. Keeping CI/CD Pipelines Green
Nobody likes red build warnings. Self healing tests help keep your continuous integration happy and humming.
4. Expanding Test Coverage Without Extra Headaches
Less maintenance = more tests = better coverage. Win-win!
When Are Self Healing Tests Bad? 🚩
1. They Can Be Too Forgiving
If your “submit” button now sends users to a Rick Astley video instead of logging in, a self healing test might still say “All good!” Talk about fake news! 😅
2. False Positives Galore
Sometimes the AI guesses wrong — like a toddler pointing at a cat and calling it a dog. Not helpful.
3. Hiding Poor Test Design
Relying too much on healing is like using duct tape on a sinking ship. It might hold, but it’s not a long-term solution.
4. Added Complexity & Need for Vigilance
More magic means more need to watch the magic show carefully.
How to Use Self Healing Tests Right 💡
1. Log Everything (Even the Awkward Moments)
Every healed locator should be logged like a diary entry. You want to know when your tests “cheated.”
2. Flag Healed Tests in Reports
Make healed tests wear a bright hat in your reports. QA teams should know when the magic happened.
3. Turn Off Healing for Critical Stuff
Login, payments, account settings — no healing here! You want these to fail fast and loud.
4. Use Confidence Scores Like a Bouncer
Only let healing happen if the AI is really sure. Otherwise, throw it out (fail the test).
5. Combine With Visual Regression Tools
Because sometimes the button changes shape, size, or color — and that’s not just a locator issue.
6. Track Healing Trends
Are your tests healing more than usual? Time to investigate, Sherlock.
7. Manual Reviews Are Your Friend
Let humans peek behind the curtain occasionally to catch sneaky bugs.
8. Work With Developers on Stable Locators
Test IDs and data attributes are your tests’ best friends. Make friends with devs to keep them consistent.
Real-Life Examples: From “Oops” to “Aha!” 😬➡️😎
The Trivial Change: “Login” → “Submit”
Self healing tests adapt instantly. Your test says, “No problem, boss!” and moves on.
The Serious Change: Login Workflow Breaks
If the “submit” button now leads to an error page, a self healing test might happily pass and you’re none the wiser. Not cool.
E-commerce Button Update
“Buy Now” becomes “Purchase.” Healing tests adapt, but visual diffs send alerts to designers. Fancy footwork!
Conclusion: 📝
Self healing tests are fantastic for minor UI tweaks and fast development cycles.
But beware: they can mask real, serious bugs if left unchecked.
Use logs, flags, and confidence scores to keep healing honest.
Disable healing on critical user flows.
Pair healing tests with visual regression and manual reviews.
Collaborate with developers on stable, consistent locators.
References 🔗
BrowserStack – What is self healing test automation? 🤖
BrowserStackLambdaTest – Benefits & workflow of self healing testing 🔍
LambdaTestAccelQ – Case study on reducing maintenance effort 80% 📊
AccelQOmniiT.ai – Techniques & dos/don’ts of self healing 🧠
OmniiTTestingTools.ai – Healing detection rates & response metrics ⚙️
TestingToolsMinistry of Testing (Reddit QA) – Risks and criticism of self healing 💬
Ministry of Testing