Browser QA — Automated Visual Testing & Interaction#

Structured QA methodology for verifying UI behavior, visual consistency, and accessibility.

Quick Start#

1. Phase 1: Smoke Test — Navigate page, check for console errors, verify Core Web Vitals
2. Phase 2: Interaction Test — Click links, submit forms, verify user flows (login, checkout)
3. Phase 3: Visual Regression — Screenshot key pages at 3 breakpoints (375px, 768px, 1440px)
4. Phase 4: Accessibility — Run axe-core, verify keyboard nav, check screen reader landmarks

Key Concepts#

• Smoke Test: Detects hard-breaking errors before interaction testing wastes time
• Interaction Test: Verifies critical user journeys (auth, forms, checkout)
• Visual Regression: Detects layout shifts, missing elements, viewport overflow issues
• Accessibility: WCAG AA compliance, keyboard navigation, screen reader support

Common Usage#

Phase 1: Smoke Test#

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1. Navigate to target URL
2. Check for console errors (filter analytics noise)
3. Verify no 4xx/5xx in network requests
4. Screenshot above-the-fold (desktop + mobile)
5. Check Core Web Vitals: LCP < 2.5s, CLS < 0.1, INP < 200ms

Phase 2: Interaction Test#

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1. Click every nav link — verify no dead links
2. Submit forms with valid data — verify success state
3. Submit forms with invalid data — verify error state
4. Test auth flow: login → protected page → logout
5. Test critical journeys: checkout, onboarding, search

Phase 3: Visual Regression#

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1. Screenshot key pages at 3 breakpoints (375px, 768px, 1440px)
2. Compare against baseline screenshots (if stored)
3. Flag layout shifts > 5px, missing elements, overflow
4. Check dark mode if applicable

Phase 4: Accessibility#

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1. Run axe-core on each page
2. Flag WCAG AA violations (contrast, labels, focus order)
3. Verify keyboard navigation works end-to-end
4. Check screen reader landmarks

Output Format#

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## QA Report — [URL] — [timestamp]

### Smoke Test
- Console errors: 0 critical, 2 warnings (analytics noise)
- Network: all 200/304, no failures
- Core Web Vitals: LCP 1.2s ✓, CLS 0.02 ✓, INP 89ms ✓

### Interactions
- [✓] Nav links: 12/12 working
- [✗] Contact form: missing error state for invalid email
- [✓] Auth flow: login/logout working

### Visual
- [✗] Hero section overflows on 375px viewport
- [✓] Dark mode: all pages consistent

### Accessibility
- 2 AA violations: missing alt text, low contrast footer links

### Verdict: SHIP WITH FIXES (2 issues, 0 blockers)

References#

• references/tools.md — browser automation tools (claude-in-chrome, Playwright, Puppeteer)
• references/wcag.md — WCAG AA checklist and common violations

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Adapted from everything-claude-code by @affaan-m (MIT)