It is vital to make sure that applications and sites work properly across various browsers and devices in the constantly changing environment of web development. However, attaining genuine cross-browser compatibility can be difficult because every browser has different capabilities and particularities. Here's where thorough cross-browser testing is useful. You may fix bugs and inconsistencies to give every user an optimal experience (regardless of their browser or device) by extensively testing websites across a range of browsers. This article will discuss the significance of cross browser testing, appropriate procedures to follow, and helpful tools for streamlining the procedure.
What is cross browser testing?
It is the process of thoroughly testing websites and online apps on various browsers, such as Internet Explorer, Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and others, to ensure that all functionalities function as intended regardless of the browsing environment. Although most browsers aim to follow standards, slight differences in how they interpret the same code can often lead to issues in some browsers that may not be evident in others. These variations are found by comprehensive cross-browser testing.
The need for cross browser compatibility
With many browsers using different engines and code interpretations, ensuring compatibility across all of them is essential. Users now freely switch between browsers based on personal preference. If your website looks broken or behaves strangely on some browsers, it can severely impact the user experience and hamper conversion rates. Cross browser testing allows identifying and fixing such issues before public launch to avoid frustrations and retain users across all environments.
Who Performs Cross-Browser Testing?
Cross-browser testing is a vital process that often requires involvement from various roles within an organization. While developers and QA engineers typically spearhead testing efforts, ensuring comprehensive compatibility across all browsers benefits from participation across teams. Developers write code with browser compatibility in mind, conducting initial testing as part of the development lifecycle.
Quality assurance specialists create formal test plans and cases, systematically testing new features, releases or fixes. They utilize automated tools as well as manual testing. UX designers and front-end engineers also test pages for visual consistency, layout functionality and responsiveness.
Project managers coordinate testing activities to meet deadlines while acquiring licenses for tools where external testing is required. Even content writers and business teams can be taught basic techniques to test important sections. A collaborative, cross-functional approach to testing leads to robust, seamless experiences optimized for all.
When should cross-browser testing be performed?
Cross-browser testing is most effective when incorporated at various stages of a project's life cycle, from initial development through post-launch support. Testing early during wireframing and prototyping phases allows designers to address browser inconsistencies from the start. Developers should conduct cross-browser testing iterative alongside coding to catch issues promptly. Formal testing should occur after any major new features or functionalities are implemented while also testing before releases.
Regression testing after deployment identifies problems introduced with changes and ensures nothing was accidentally broken. Testing also aids quick fixes for bugs reported. Landing page conversions are a good benchmark for testing marketing messages. Monitoring analytics helps determine if specific browsers exhibit abnormal behaviours requiring investigation. By making cross-browser testing an ongoing process, projects can deliver robust experiences.
How To Perform Cross-Browser Testing?
There are two traditional ways to perform the cross browser testing, manual and automated. Let us understand these in more detail below:
Manual Cross-Browser Testing
Manual testing involves a tester directly testing the web pages and features across various browsers on different devices and platforms. It is important to test all the core features including forms, multimedia, animations, AJAX calls, etc. Some steps in manual cross-browser testing include creating detailed test cases and plans, testing on the latest desktop and mobile versions of popular browsers, clearing cache and cookies in private browsing modes, testing at different zoom levels, getting involvement from others, and documenting any issues found. Manual testing helps discover even subtle visual rendering issues but can be time consuming.
Automated Cross-Browser Testing
Automated testing tools help run pre-defined test cases across multiple browsers simultaneously, shortening the testing cycle. Setting up cross-browser test scripts involves recording user interactions and asserting expected behavior. Tools like Selenium automate the execution of these scripts across browsers and generate detailed reports on failures. This helps run regression test suites regularly. Setting up a CI/CD pipeline with automated cross-browser testing ensures each push/merge faces comprehensive compatibility checks. Tools also facilitate remote cross-browser testing on actual devices. While automated testing can't find all manual issues, it boosts the efficiency of the testing process when used along with periodic manual testing.
How to start with Cross-browser testing
● Handle the older and rarely used browsers.
While thoroughly checking all outdated browser versions may not be practical, devote some resources to verify that crucial sections function acceptably on browsers comprising even 1% of traffic. This proactively captures problems encountered by remaining users which small fixes may address.
● Test early
Initiate cross-browser validation as soon as initial designs are ready to avoid extensive reworking later. Earlier identification of variances facilitates prompt resolution before development proceeds too far, integrating fixes seamlessly into emerging work.
● Handle bugs that are not dependent on browsers.
Address coding errors unrelated to differing rendering engines first as they risk impacting all browsers. Remove defects independent of specific browser quirks to establish a robust foundation for defect-free multi-browser operation.
● Prioritize browsers
Concentrate initial testing efforts on the most popular desktop and mobile browsers to maximize coverage of relevant audiences. Validate functionality across browser combinations responsible for at least 90% of traffic should be the goal for progressive releases.
● Future expansion
While thorough validation across all minority browsers remains challenging, consistently monitor usage shifts and provision for assessing newly strategic platforms over time. Adaptability supports ongoing functionality as the landscape evolves.
Cross browser testing best practices
Here are some effective practices to follow for thorough cross browser testing:
● Test on various browsers: At minimum test on the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge and IE 11. Test major browser releases in the last 2 years.
● Check desktop and mobile browsers: Testing on mobile browsers is critical due to distinct screens and input methods. Test responsiveness across mobile Chrome, Safari and native apps.
● Test on different operating systems: Rendering engines vary by OS, so test on Windows, Mac and Linux versions of browsers if possible.
● Inspect across devices: In addition to emulation, physically test on actual target devices like smartphones and tablets when able to.
● Test early and often: Plan cross browser testing at the initial design phase and re-test during development iterations and after pushes to catch regressions.
● Try clearing cache: Testing in private/incognito modes or after clearing cache/data can catch caching/storage-related issues.
● Use browser zoom levels: Check appearance at default and maximum/minimum zoom levels.
● Test all key features: Thoroughly evaluate core functionality, forms, multimedia, animations, and Ajax calls across browsers.
● Get fresh eyes: Enlist help from others to test as they may notice different glitches than developers.
● Document issues found: Record browser inconsistencies encountered to track resolution during fixes.
Keys to effective cross browser testing
There are several important aspects to keep in mind to ensure cross browser testing is done effectively. Some key elements include:
● Proper Planning: Develop a comprehensive test plan detailing the browsers, devices, and OS that will be tested. Identify all key features, pages, and scenarios to validate.
● Thorough Documentation: Record all test cases with detailed steps and expected results. Log any issues encountered along with steps to reproduce them. Maintaining documentation streamlines future regressions testing.
● Iterative Approach: Cross browser testing cannot be a one-time activity. It needs to be done at multiple stages during development, before releases, post deployment, and so on. Issues caught early avert bigger refactoring effort later.
● Use of Automation: Leverage tools for automating repetitive tasks like initializing browsers, running test suites, and generating reports. This boosts efficiency and allows tests to be rerun easily.
● Manual Validation: While automation catches regressions, manual testing uses real user behaviors to reveal nuanced interface problems. Periodic human validation remains essential.
● Diversified Resources: Test across a variety of browsers, versions, devices, and OS configurations. Involve varied team members for fresh perspectives in identifying inconsistencies.
● Fixing Identified Bugs: The goal is validation, but optimization also requires resolution of any issues found. Addressing errors flagged during cross browser testing fortifies the experience.
● Monitoring Analytics: Continuous performance tracking helps determine if any browsers regress or display abnormal behaviors requiring re-examination over time.
● Proactive not Reactive: Cross browser testing enables delivering robust functionality proactively rather than having to react to post-launch browser-specific bug reports.
LambdaTest: An efficient Cross browser testing Tool
If you are looking for an easy yet powerful solution for performing comprehensive cross browser testing, then LambdaTest should be your top choice. As a leading cloud-based testing platform, LambdaTest provides access to over 3000+ different browser and operating system configurations. You can test your website on any real browser without installing or maintaining anything locally. Both manual and automated testing are supported through their intuitive interface.
LambdaTest makes cross browser testing a breeze with features such as live interactive testing, live video recording, and automatic screenshots on each browser. Advanced capabilities allow interacting with localhost servers. Extensive reporting and dashboard tracking helps maintain testing histories for audits or handoffs. Best of all, LambdaTest offers a generous free tier so you can get started with cross browser testing right away without any upfront costs.
Rather than wasting time setting up complex environments, let LambdaTest do the heavy lifting. Their excellent support team is also there to assist with any integration or usage questions. Overall LambdaTest is the complete solution to ensure your website designs render perfectly on every browser with maximum compatibility. Give it a try today and say goodbye to frontend bugs and browser headaches for good.
Conclusion
With the complex browser landscape, cross browser testing is imperative to delivering high-quality, reliable experiences. Following best practices like testing on diverse environments across devices and incorporating automation can help make cross browser testing comprehensive yet efficient. Regular testing ensures websites and apps satisfy all users, meeting the expectations of customers in today's multi-platform world. Adopting a cross browser mindset leads to stronger, more user-friendly experiences.
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