Selecting candidate tests to automate

Good Candidates for Automation

• Repetitive regression tests run on every build or release.
• Tests involving large volumes of data or many input combinations.
• Stable, business-critical workflows unlikely to change frequently.
• Tests that are time-consuming or error-prone when done manually.

Poor Candidates for Automation

• One-off, exploratory, or usability-focused tests.
• Features still under active, frequent change.
• Tests requiring subjective human judgment (e.g., visual design quality).

Why This Decision Matters

Automating the wrong tests wastes effort maintaining fragile scripts; automating the right ones delivers fast, reliable regression coverage where it matters most.