Test automation is rapidly transforming how modern software teams build and release high-quality applications. As software teams grow more agile and releases become more frequent, test automation is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. But if you’re new to automated testing, or looking to level up your QA strategy, understanding the language of automation is a key first step.
That’s why we’ve put together this definitive guide to common terms in test automation and their functions, complete with practical examples. This guide explores the most common test automation terms, their roles in the software testing process, and how Scandium, the AI-powered, no-code test automation tool, simplifies every one of them.
Whether you’re a manual tester, developer, QA lead, or product manager, this glossary will strengthen your understanding and improve how you contribute to automated testing processes.
What is Test Automation?
Before we dive into the key terms, let’s clarify the core concept.
Test automation is the use of software tools to run tests on applications automatically, validate expected behaviour, and report results, without manual intervention. It helps teams accelerate release cycles, reduce human error, and ensure consistent software quality.
With tools like Scandium, even non-developers can create, manage, and scale test automation without writing code.
With Scandium, you don’t need to write complex scripts. It’s a no-code, AI-assisted platform that lets you automate Web, Mobile, and API testing through an intuitive visual interface. Think of it as automation for everyone, not just engineers.
And when paired with a test management solution like TestPod, you get a complete ecosystem to manage, organize, and execute tests at scale.
15 Test Automation Terms Every Software Tester Must Know
1. Test Case
A test case defines a specific scenario that tests a particular feature, function, or behavior of an application. It includes input data, execution steps, expected outcomes, and pass/fail criteria.
Function in Test Automation:
Automated test cases are executed by your automation tool to verify that the application behaves correctly under different conditions.
In Scandium, you can create reusable test cases in a few clicks, without writing a single line of code. Test cases are created visually, simply record your flow, and AI turns it into a reusable test.
2. Test Suite
A test suite is a logical collection of related test cases grouped together to validate a broader functionality or module.
Function in Test Automation:
Test suites help you run multiple test cases in sequence or parallel, saving time and improving coverage. It helps you organize, execute, and report on batches of test cases useful for regression and feature testing.
Scandium makes organizing test suites effortless through drag-and-drop and folder-based grouping.
A test suite is a group of related test cases bundled together for structured execution.
3. Test Execution
This is the process of running automated (or manual) test cases and recording the results.
Function:
Automated test execution ensures consistent validation and flags regressions quickly. It triggers actual validation logic and determines which tests pass or fail based on assertions.
Scandium allows you to run test executions locally, remotely, or in the cloud with real-time logs, screenshots, and diagnostic reports.
4. Test Automation Framework
A framework is a structured environment or set of guidelines that supports the development and execution of test scripts. It is the backbone for how tests are structured, maintained, and run. Popular frameworks include Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright.
Function:
Improves consistency, reusability, maintainability of tests, and provides structure to automated tests.
Scandium abstracts away framework complexity, giving teams a no-code environment with the power of advanced AI-powered automation behind the scenes.
5. Assertions
Assertions are conditions in a test that must be true for the test to be considered successful. They are conditions that define pass or fail for a test.
Function:
Validate outcomes like “the user is redirected,” “an error message is displayed,” or “a button is clickable.”
Scandium lets you add assertions visually, even across multiple pages or API responses. With Scandium’s visual builder, you can define assertions using simple dropdowns, not JavaScript or Python.
6. Test Script
A test script is the coded (or no-code) set of steps that the tool follows. A test script contains the instructions that the automation tool follows to test a specific functionality. It’s often written in code (or visually designed in no-code tools).
Function:
Automates the actions a human tester would take manually, like clicking buttons, submitting forms, or verifying responses.
Scandium auto-generates test scripts as you interact with the app with no code needed. It transforms your website interactions into reusable test scripts automatically with its scenario recording feature.
7. CI/CD Integration
CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery/Deployment) is a DevOps practice that encourages frequent code changes and automated testing during the build and release process. CI/CD pipelines trigger tests as part of the deployment flow.
Function in Test Automation:
Automated tests are triggered whenever new code is pushed, ensuring that bugs are caught early.
Scandium integrates directly with GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI, and CircleCI to automate your test pipeline, perfect for dev and QA sync.
8. Regression Testing
Regression testing is a repeatable set of tests that ensures new code changes don’t break existing features.
Function:
Regression Testing maintains application stability with every update. It re-runs previously passed tests after updates or fixes to catch unintended side effects.
Scandium allows you to organize regression test suites and re-run them anytime with real-time result tracking, reusable suites and cloud-based replays.
9. Test Coverage
Test coverage refers to how much of your application is tested by your test cases. It can refer to code (unit testing), features, or user flows.
Function:
Helps identify gaps in your testing strategy, improve overall quality assurance and gives insight into risk areas.
Scandium provides visual dashboards showing your test coverage progress over time.
10. Mocking / Stubbing
Mocks and stubs simulate external systems (like APIs or databases) so you can test your application in isolation.
Function:
Ensures reliable test results without depending on unstable third-party services.
Scandium supports API mocking and dynamic test data generation out of the box for more stable test environments.
11. Data-Driven Testing (DDT)
DDT uses multiple data sets to run the same test logic repeatedly with different inputs.
Function:
Validates how the application handles a variety of data inputs (like usernames, emails, or payment details).
Scandium lets you add dynamic test data directly into your no-code tests, perfect for validating edge cases. In Scandium, simply attach a CSV or use dynamic variables, no code required.
12. Smoke Testing
Smoke testing is a quick, high-level check to see if the most critical features of an application are working.
Function:
Acts as a gatekeeper before deeper testing begins.
Use Scandium to set up a quick smoke test suite for every deployment, run it in one click.
13. Exploratory Testing
Exploratory testing is unscripted, manual testing where testers actively explore the application to find issues that automated tests might miss.
Function:
Uncovers hidden bugs, usability issues, or unexpected behaviours.
Even with Scandium’s no-code automation, exploratory testing has its place, especially in early-stage releases.
14. Bug Tracking and Issue Reporting
When tests fail, the underlying issues must be logged, tracked, and resolved. Bug Tracking and Issue Reporting is the process of logging, prioritizing, and resolving test failures. Integration with tools like Jira, Trello, or GitHub is common.
Function:
Ensures traceability from test failures to bug fixes.
Scandium auto-tags failed steps and can link them directly to your issue tracker for faster resolution. It can push failed test data directly to Jira or GitHub, complete with logs and screenshots.
15. Test Environment
A test environment includes the hardware, software, network configurations, and tools required to execute your tests.
Function:
Ensures your tests run in conditions that reflect your production setup.
With Scandium, you can test across multiple environments, from staging to production, with easy environment switching.
Why These Test Automation Terms Matter (Especially If You Use Scandium)
Understanding these foundational terms isn’t just about speaking the QA language, it’s about building smarter, more scalable automation strategies. Whether you’re:
- Migrating from manual testing
- Evaluating no-code test automation tools
- Building regression suites
- Integrating testing into CI/CD
- Looking for a more collaborative way to manage QA
…these concepts are the building blocks of any robust testing operation.
Test automation isn’t just for engineers anymore. With tools like Scandium, powered by AI and built for no-code simplicity, and platforms like TestPod streamlining your test management, anyone can contribute to high-quality software releases.
At Scandium, we’ve reimagined the entire testing experience so anyone, not just engineers, can harness the full power of automated testing.
Ready to Put These Terms into Practice?
Explore how Scandium can help your team automate web, mobile, and API testing without writing code. From assertions to CI/CD, we make every concept accessible, collaborative, and powerful.
Start your free trial, no credit card required.
Or book a demo and see how we bring test automation terms to life in one seamless platform.
Scandium + TestPod: A Complete QA Stack
While Scandium handles AI-powered test automation for web, mobile, and API with a no-code interface, TestPod shines as a modern, collaborative test management platform.
Together, they provide:
- End-to-end test lifecycle coverage
- Smooth handoff between test execution and test documentation
- Real-time collaboration between testers, devs, and product managers
- Unified dashboards for coverage, traceability, and issue tracking
So whether you’re tracking a manual test cycle in TestPod or executing AI-generated test suites in Scandium, your QA process stays aligned, scalable, and modern.