Writing Tests¶

Vectra QA supports multiple ways to define and run tests, from natural language chat to structured API calls.

Method 1: Natural Language (Recommended)¶

The easiest way to run tests is through the chatbot.

Basic Test Request¶

Vectra Chat:

Test the homepage of https://example.com

Result: Vectra plans and executes a homepage test automatically.

Multi-Test Request¶

Check navigation and contact form on https://example.com

Result: Vectra plans two tests: 1. Navigation test 2. Contact form test

Complex Request¶

Run a full accessibility audit on https://example.com and check if it works on mobile

Result: Vectra plans: 1. Accessibility test 2. Responsive design test

Follow-Up Questions¶

After tests complete, ask for clarification:

What did the navigation test find?

Can you explain why the contact form failed?

What should I fix first?

Method 2: Dashboard Form¶

For precise control, use the Launch Test form:

Open Dashboard: http://localhost:3000
Enter URL: https://example.com
Select Test Type: Choose from dropdown
Click Initiate

Available Test Types¶

Type	Best For	Duration
Homepage	Initial page load verification	~30s
Navigation	Link validation	~60s
Contact Form	Form field testing	~45s
API Monitoring	Backend validation	~60s
Accessibility	WCAG compliance	~40s
Responsive	Multi-device testing	~50s
Full Suite	Comprehensive audit	~3min

Method 3: API Calls¶

For CI/CD integration or automation:

cURL¶

curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/api/tests/run \
  -d "url=https://example.com" \
  -d "test_type=homepage"

Python¶

import requests

response = requests.post("http://localhost:3000/api/tests/run", data={
    "url": "https://example.com",
    "test_type": "full"
})

result = response.json()
agent_id = result["agent_id"]
print(f"Test started: {agent_id}")

JavaScript¶

const response = await fetch('http://localhost:3000/api/tests/run', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'},
    body: 'url=https://example.com&test_type=navigation'
});

const result = await response.json();
console.log('Agent ID:', result.agent_id);

Writing Effective Test Requests¶

Be Specific¶

Good:

Test the contact form on https://example.com/contact

Vague:

Test my website

Include URLs¶

Always provide the full URL including protocol:

https://example.com/page

Not:

example.com/page

Use Keywords¶

Help Vectra understand your intent:

Keyword	Test Type
"homepage", "main page"	Homepage
"navigation", "links", "menu"	Navigation
"contact", "form"	Contact Form
"api", "backend", "endpoint"	API Monitoring
"accessibility", "a11y", "wcag"	Accessibility
"mobile", "responsive", "viewport"	Responsive
"full", "complete", "all"	Full Suite

Mention Specific Concerns¶

Test the homepage and check if there are any console errors

Check if the navigation works on mobile devices

Verify the contact form has proper validation

Multi-Step Testing Workflows¶

Sequential Testing¶

Run tests one after another:

1. Test homepage
2. Test navigation
3. Test contact form

Or simply:

Run a full test suite on https://example.com

Conditional Testing¶

Based on results, run follow-up tests:

User: Test the homepage
Vectra: ✅ Homepage test passed
User: Now test the navigation
Vectra: Running navigation test...

Regression Testing¶

After fixes, re-run tests:

I fixed the contact form. Can you test it again?

Test Scenarios¶

E-Commerce Site¶

Test these on https://shop.example.com:
1. Homepage loads correctly
2. Product navigation works
3. Contact form validates email
4. Checkout page is responsive

Portfolio Site¶

Run an accessibility audit on https://portfolio.example.com

API-Heavy Application¶

Monitor API calls on https://app.example.com
Check for 4xx and 5xx errors

Understanding Test Coverage¶

Homepage Test Covers:¶

Page load success/failure
Title and meta tags
Navigation structure
Hero section
Call-to-action buttons
Footer presence
Console errors
Total link count

Internal link validation
External link count
Broken link detection
Page transition success
Mobile menu functionality

Contact Form Test Covers:¶

Form field discovery
Required field validation
Email format validation
Form submission flow
Accessibility attributes

Accessibility Test Covers:¶

Image alt text
Heading hierarchy (H1-H6)
ARIA labels
Form labels
Keyboard navigation
Color contrast (basic)

Responsive Test Covers:¶

Desktop (1920x1080)
Tablet (768x1024)
Mobile (375x667)
Screenshot comparison

Best Practices¶

1. Start Simple¶

Begin with a homepage test before running full suites:

Test the homepage first

2. Iterate Based on Results¶

Fix critical issues before running comprehensive tests:

The homepage has errors. Let me fix those first.

3. Use Chat for Complex Workflows¶

For multi-step testing, chat with Vectra:

I need to test a user registration flow:
1. Homepage
2. Sign up page
3. Form validation
4. Thank you page

4. Save Test Plans¶

Document your testing strategy:

# Test Plan: Example.com

## Phase 1: Homepage
- [x] Load test
- [x] Navigation check

## Phase 2: Features
- [ ] Contact form
- [ ] Search functionality

## Phase 3: Quality
- [ ] Accessibility audit
- [ ] Responsive test

Troubleshooting Tests¶

Test Won't Start¶

Check if URL is accessible: curl -I https://example.com
Verify Docker services are running: docker compose ps
Check agent logs: docker logs vectra-mcp-server

Test Hangs¶

Some tests wait for page load (30s timeout)
Check if site blocks automated browsers
Try headless=false to see the browser

False Positives¶

Dynamic content may cause intermittent failures
Run test multiple times to confirm
Check screenshots for visual verification