Skip to main content
David Mello

Test Automation

Guides and perspectives on the broader practice of test automation — tools, workflows, and techniques that aren't tied to a specific framework. Whether you're evaluating AI-driven testing platforms, integrating automation into CI/CD, or thinking about how to structure a test suite you actually own, these articles cover the decisions that matter beyond the code itself.

12 articles

Prompt Engineering I Didn't Know I Was Doing

Prompt Engineering I Didn't Know I Was Doing

A StarEast tutorial put names to prompt engineering techniques I was already using and filled in gaps with a practical prompt template for test engineers.
Playwright AI Testing on a Budget: Locators vs. Computer Vision — StarEast 2026

Playwright AI Testing on a Budget: Locators vs. Computer Vision — StarEast 2026

Playwright's MCP server can burn your AI budget fast. StarEast 2026 lessons on efficient AI testing, and why locators still beat computer vision.
Getting Dirty with AI Testing: A StarEast 2026 Trip Report on Evals, Vibe Coding, and Prompt Engineering

Getting Dirty with AI Testing: A StarEast 2026 Trip Report on Evals, Vibe Coding, and Prompt Engineering

StarEast 2026 trip report: what a hands-on AI testing tutorial taught me about prompt engineering, evals, and building an AI chatbot as Count Dracula.
Beyond Brittle Selectors: AI Vision Testing vs Playwright MCP — StarEast 2026

Beyond Brittle Selectors: AI Vision Testing vs Playwright MCP — StarEast 2026

Brittle selectors slowing your team down? My notes from StarEast 2026 on AI vision testing vs Playwright MCP — and where to start.
How to Test AI Chatbots and Agents: A Real-World QA Engagement

How to Test AI Chatbots and Agents: A Real-World QA Engagement

Testing an AI chatbot with Promptfoo and Playwright: oracle problem, guardrail testing, bias detection, and accessibility — lessons from a real two-week engagement.
What Would You Stop Doing When UI Tests Are Flaky?

What Would You Stop Doing When UI Tests Are Flaky?

Most QA engineers answer this interview question confidently wrong. Here's what "What would you stop doing when UI tests are flaky?" is actually testing and what an experienced answer sounds like.
How to Handle Failing Tests Caused by a Known Bug

How to Handle Failing Tests Caused by a Known Bug

When a test fails due to a known bug that can't be fixed immediately, commenting it out is the wrong move. Here's the right pattern, with skip syntax for every major test framework.
Automated API Testing with Schemathesis: Let Your OpenAPI Spec Do the Work

Automated API Testing with Schemathesis: Let Your OpenAPI Spec Do the Work

Schemathesis automates API testing by generating test cases directly from your OpenAPI spec — covering edge cases, schema violations, and server errors you'd never think of or have the time to write manually.
Playwright Accessibility Testing: What axe and Lighthouse Miss

Playwright Accessibility Testing: What axe and Lighthouse Miss

axe and Lighthouse miss 60–70% of WCAG violations. Learn the limitations of automated accessibility testing and how to write smarter Playwright tests.
AI in Test Automation: Real Limitations vs. User Error

AI in Test Automation: Real Limitations vs. User Error

Not every AI testing complaint is a real tool limitation. Some are skill gaps dressed up as criticism. This article goes through the most common ones and gives each a verdict — with practical mitigations for the ones that are legitimate.
Best Websites for Practicing Test Automation

Best Websites for Practicing Test Automation

Looking for example demo sites to practice your test automation against with Selenium, Playwright, or Cypress? Here is a list of the top demo websites for practicing your test automation skills against.
AI in Testing is Here — But Is Your Test Automation Stuck in Someone Else's Platform?

AI in Testing is Here — But Is Your Test Automation Stuck in Someone Else's Platform?

BrowserStack's State of AI Testing 2026 report shows 93% of companies using AI in testing workflows. Here's what the data means for QA engineers and vendor lock-in.