You can have the best manual testing tools, but they won’t improve your results unless you know how, who, what, and when to use them. Manual testing, like any skill, requires knowledge, planning, and good execution to be effective.
There are many ways to do manual testing, each with a specific purpose. But with so many types, it’s easy to get confused since they often overlap or sound similar. To simplify things, let’s break down the main types of manual testing and explain what each one does.
What is manual testing?
Manual testing is when testers execute test cases without automation tools, carefully checking the software’s functionality to identify defects. This involves a thoughtful comparison of the expected output against the actual outcome. Usually, the manual testing process includes these steps:
- Understanding the requirements,
- Creating test cases,
- Executing test cases,
- Reporting bugs,
- Retesting after fixes.
Why is manual testing important?
Manual testing is important because it allows testers to identify issues that automated testing might miss. It helps ensure the software works as expected in real-world scenarios. Some of the most important goals of manual testing are:
- Detecting user interface and usability issues,
- Handling complex test cases that require human intuition,
- Validating software behavior under varied conditions,
- Verifying fixes for defects.
Manual testing vs. Automated testing
Here's a comparison of key aspects between manual testing and automated testing:
Manual testing methods
Manual testing approaches involve different methods to check software functionality and structure. Each approach focuses on specific aspects of the system and offers a unique way to identify issues.
Black box testing
Black box testing focuses on testing software without knowledge of its internal code or structure. It examines the software's input and output to ensure it meets the requirements.
Example
Scenario: Testing the login feature of an e-commerce website.
Steps:
- Enter valid credentials (username: user@example.com, password: correctpass) and check if the login is successful.
- Enter invalid credentials (username: user@example.com, password: wrongpass) to ensure the system prevents access and shows an error message.
- Test the "Forgot Password" feature by entering a registered email address and verifying the system sends a password reset email.
Outcome: The system should behave as expected based on inputs, regardless of how the internal code operates.
Black box testing includes:
- Functional testing: Verifying features work as expected.
- Non-functional testing: Checking performance, usability, and scalability.
- Regression testing: Ensuring new changes don't affect existing functionality.
White box testing
White box testing involves examining the internal structure, logic, and code of the application. The tester needs knowledge of the source code and the system's internal workings.
Example
Scenario: Verifying the interest calculation logic in a banking application.
Steps:
- Review the code responsible for calculating interest for savings accounts.
- Trace the logic to ensure all possible conditions are handled (e.g., different interest rates for various account types).
- Test the loop that calculates interest for all accounts, ensuring the loop runs exactly for the total number of accounts.
Outcome: The interest should be calculated correctly according to the code's formula, and the loop should process every account exactly once.
White box testing includes:
- Path checking: Ensuring all code paths are executed.
- Output validation: Checking the correctness of code outputs.
- Security testing: Identifying vulnerabilities in the code.
- Loop testing: Ensuring loops function as intended.
- Data flow testing: Checking how data moves through the system.
Gray box testing
Gray box testing is a hybrid approach that combines black box and white box testing elements. Testers have partial knowledge of the system's internal workings but still focus on testing the software from the user's perspective.
Example
Scenario: Testing the shopping cart functionality on an e-commerce website with access to database information.
Steps:
- Add items to the cart from the user interface while checking how the database updates stock levels.
- Remove an item from the cart and ensure both the cart UI and the database reflect the updated stock.
- Apply a discount code and check if the correct value is reflected in both the cart total and the backend.
Outcome: The system should update both the frontend and backend correctly, with stock and cart totals synchronized across both.
Gray box testing includes:
- Matrix testing: Evaluating the relationship between inputs and outputs.
- Regression testing: Ensuring changes don't break existing features.
- Pattern testing: Checking for known issues based on observed patterns.
- Orthogonal array testing (OAT): Testing different combinations of inputs systematically.
9 Types of manual testing
Manual testing involves different approaches to validating software's functionality and performance. These approaches help identify defects and ensure the software meets the required specifications.
1. Functional testing
Functional testing verifies whether the software operates according to defined requirements and specifications. It checks individual features or modules by comparing the expected output with the actual output. The aim is to confirm that the software performs its intended functions properly.
Unit testing
Unit testing assesses individual components or units of the software to ensure each part works independently. This testing occurs at the code level to identify issues early in the development process. It confirms that small modules function as expected before integration.
Integration testing
Integration testing evaluates the interaction between different modules or components in the system. It aims to find issues related to how modules work together, such as data flow or communication problems. This ensures the system performs well as a whole.
System testing
System testing reviews the complete software system in an environment that simulates real-world conditions. It checks compliance with functional and business requirements, ensuring that all components operate together in a fully integrated manner.
User acceptance testing (UAT)
UAT is conducted to confirm that the software meets end-user needs and business requirements. It involves real users testing the system to determine if it is ready for deployment. This final testing phase validates whether the software can perform tasks in real-world usage.
2. Non-functional testing
Non-functional testing inspects aspects of the software that do not pertain to specific functions but address overall performance, reliability, and user experience. It examines factors such as speed, security, usability, and scalability, which are crucial for system stability and user satisfaction.
Performance testing
Performance testing evaluates the system's behavior under specific workloads, including response time and processing speed. It ensures that the software operates well under normal and peak conditions. This helps identify bottlenecks and checks if the system can handle expected user traffic.
Load testing
Load testing analyzes the system's behavior under heavy user loads or large data volumes. It verifies the system's ability to support the maximum number of users or transactions without degrading performance. This test assesses system capacity and scalability.
Stress testing
Stress testing examines the system beyond its limits to understand its behavior under extreme conditions, such as high traffic or limited resources. The goal is to identify the system's breaking point and observe its recovery from failure. This helps evaluate the system's robustness and stability.
Usability testing
Usability testing assesses whether the system is user-friendly and intuitive for the end user. It reviews the software’s interface and overall user experience, ensuring users can navigate the software effectively.
3. Regression testing
Regression testing checks that recent code changes have not introduced new bugs or affected existing functionality. Following updates, bug fixes, or enhancements, it verifies that the software continues to work as expected. This helps maintain stability during system evolution.
Full regression testing
Full regression testing involves retesting the system after code changes to ensure everything functions correctly. This comprehensive approach is time-consuming and is typically performed when there are significant updates or large-scale code changes.
Selective regression testing
Selective regression testing focuses on specific areas affected by recent changes. This method is efficient as it narrows the testing scope to impacted areas while confirming their integration with the rest of the system. It is often used for minor updates.
Retesting
Retesting involves running failed test cases again after developers have addressed identified issues. This confirms that bugs are resolved and functionality is restored, ensuring that fixes are successful in the defect resolution process.
4. Exploratory testing
Exploratory testing is an informal method where testers explore the software without predefined test cases. Testers learn about the system and test various functionalities based on their understanding. This approach can help uncover defects in an unscripted manner.
5. Ad-hoc testing
Ad-hoc testing is an unstructured evaluation where testers assess the software without specific plans or documentation. It relies on the tester’s experience and intuition to find bugs that may not be identified through structured testing methods. This is often performed spontaneously for quick issue identification.
6. Compatibility testing
Compatibility testing verifies that the software operates correctly across different environments, such as operating systems, browsers, hardware, and devices. It checks that the application delivers consistent functionality and performance regardless of the platform. This testing is critical for ensuring a seamless user experience across various configurations.
7. Sanity testing
Sanity testing is a quick, focused method performed after minor changes or bug fixes to confirm that specific functionality works as intended. It checks critical parts of the software to ensure that changes have not caused major issues. Sanity testing typically occurs before more extensive testing, such as regression testing.
8. Smoke testing
Smoke testing is an initial process to ensure the software's basic functions work after a new build or deployment. It acts as a checkpoint to determine whether the system is stable enough for further testing. If the software fails smoke testing, it indicates significant issues that must be addressed before detailed testing can continue.
9. GUI testing
GUI (Graphical User Interface) testing focuses on verifying that the software's visual and interactive elements work as intended. It involves testing both functional and non-functional aspects of the user interface.
- Functional aspects: GUI functional testing ensures that all UI elements, such as buttons, forms, and menus, function correctly when the user interacts. It checks whether the interface behaves as expected based on user input and predefined conditions.
- Non-Functional aspects: GUI non-functional testing evaluates the interface's usability, responsiveness, and design consistency. This includes checking the interface's visual appeal, layout, and intuitiveness for end-users.
Conclusion
Looking ahead, manual testing will remain an essential part of software development. Even as testing methods evolve, different types of manual testing will still be key. Functional testing will make sure core features work properly, while usability testing will keep the user experience smooth.
Exploratory testing, with its creative and unscripted approach, will help catch hidden issues, and regression testing will ensure new updates don’t disrupt existing functionality. Ultimately, manual testing brings a human touch that is crucial for making software reliable and user-friendly.
GAT and manual testing - why are we a good choice?
Global App Testing is a valuable platform for optimizing manual testing. We leverage a global network of 90,000 professional testers to deliver fast turnaround times and actionable insights.
With seamless integration into CI/CD pipelines, Global App Testing ensures that applications are thoroughly tested across various scenarios. Our approach improves the quality and reliability of the application and accelerates the development cycle, making it an essential asset for any team involved in manual testing.
Here’s how GAT's key features enhance manual testing:
Crowdtesting network
- Global coverage: GAT connects you with over 90,000 professional testers from 190+ countries, ensuring diverse device and OS coverage. This broad reach is crucial for manual testing, simulating real-world user interactions across different environments.
- Real-world scenarios: By utilizing real devices in actual conditions, GAT's crowd-testing network helps identify issues that may arise in various user contexts, boosting the application's overall reliability.
Quick turnaround
- Rapid test execution: Tests are executed quickly, often delivering results within hours. This fast turnaround is vital for manual testing, allowing developers to receive immediate feedback and adjust without slowing down the development process.
- Continuous testing: The quick availability of test results supports continuous testing, enabling teams to integrate testing seamlessly into their CI/CD workflows.
Actionable insights
- Detailed bug reports: Comprehensive reports with reproducibility steps, screenshots, and video evidence help developers swiftly identify and resolve issues, ensuring that the application meets high-quality standards.
- Data-driven decision-making: GAT's actionable insights enable teams to make informed decisions, allowing for precise refinements and prompt addressing of critical issues.
CI/CD integration
- Seamless integration: The platform connects with popular CI/CD tools like Jira, TestRail, GitHub, and Zephyr, as well as through API, CLI, and Webhooks. This ensures that manual tests are triggered automatically with code changes, enhancing overall quality and reducing time to market.
- Efficient workflow: By integrating existing tools, GAT minimizes disruptions, allowing teams to scale their QA efforts without increasing staff or changing processes.
Scalability
- Flexible testing: GAT allows teams to easily adjust their testing efforts based on project needs, whether for small updates or larger releases. This flexibility is crucial for manual testing, ensuring all critical user paths are thoroughly examined regardless of project size.
- Adaptive testing: The platform's adaptability to different project requirements ensures that testing efforts align with the project's needs, providing comprehensive coverage without unnecessary overhead.
Manual testing types we can assist you with
These are some of the manual testing types we specialize at:
- Usability testing: Dive into the user experience across multiple devices and platforms, ensuring smooth and intuitive interactions.
- UX and UI testing: Fine-tune both the user experience and interface, making sure everything feels seamless and functional.
- Functional testing: Spot and fix any issues in core functions with the help of crowdsourced testing, delivering comprehensive results.
- Exploratory testing: Receive detailed feedback, complete with videos and logs, within just 36 hours to keep your development cycle moving fast.
- Regression testing: Keep your app running smoothly after updates, safeguarding consistent performance and reliability.
- Performance testing: Analyze response times, resource usage, and system metrics to push your app’s performance to its peak.
- Compatibility testing: Ensure flawless performance across a range of devices, browsers, and platforms for maximum reach.
- Accessibility testing: Achieve compliance with accessibility standards by running tests with WCAG-trained testers, including those with real-world impairments.
- Localization testing: Adapt your app for global markets, checking for cultural relevance and compliance with local regulations.
- Content guideline compliance: Scrutinize content to ensure it adheres to guidelines, filtering out anything inappropriate.
- Bias assessment: Understand potential content bias through targeted surveys across diverse demographics.
- Red team testing: Simulate malicious user behavior to strengthen your app’s defenses against misuse.
- AI Act compliance verification: Validate AI features for regulatory compliance, offering a detailed breakdown of functionality and more.
Ready to explore further? Sign up now to arrange a quick call and discover how Global App Testing can meet your testing needs!
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