Best Practices for Writing Test Prompts

Writing Effective Test Prompts

Learn how to write clear, actionable test prompts that BugOwl AI can understand and execute reliably.

Prompt Writing Guidelines

Be Specific and Clear

• Use simple, direct language
• Avoid ambiguous terms or complex sentences
• Be explicit about what you want to test

Good Examples:

• "Click the login button"
• "Enter '[e-mail]' in the email field"
• "Verify the welcome message appears"

Bad Examples:

• "Do the login thing"
• "Check if it works"
• "Make sure everything is good"

Action-Oriented Language

Use Action Verbs

• Click, Enter, Select, Navigate, Verify, Check
• Be clear about the action you want performed
• Specify the target element or area

Element Identification

• Use visible text when possible ("Click 'Submit' button")
• Reference form labels ("Enter password in 'Password' field")
• Use page context ("Click the blue 'Login' button in the header")

Test Data Integration

Using Variables

• Reference test data with @syntax: "@email", "@password"
• Create meaningful variable names
• Use consistent naming across test cases

Example:

• "Enter @email in the email field"
• "Click @button_text to submit the form"

Assertion Best Practices

Clear Expectations

• State exactly what should happen
• Use specific text or values to verify
• Include visual elements when important

Good Assertions:

• "Verify 'Welcome back, John!' message appears"
• "Check that the cart shows 3 items"
• "Confirm the page title is 'Dashboard'"

Common Patterns

Login Flows

• "Navigate to the login page"
• "Enter @email in the email field"
• "Enter @password in the password field"
• "Click the 'Sign In' button"
• "Verify the dashboard loads successfully"

Form Submissions

• "Fill out the contact form with @name, @email, @message"
• "Click 'Send Message' button"
• "Verify 'Thank you for your message' appears"

Navigation Testing

• "Click the 'Products' menu item"
• "Select 'Electronics' from the category dropdown"
• "Verify the products page loads with electronics items"

Tips for Success

Keep It Simple

• One action per step
• Use everyday language
• Avoid technical jargon

Be Consistent

• Use the same terminology throughout
• Follow a consistent format for similar actions
• Maintain naming conventions

Test Edge Cases

• Include error scenarios
• Test with invalid data
• Verify error messages appear correctly

What to Avoid

Vague Instructions

• "Test the login" (too broad)
• "Make sure it works" (not specific)
• "Check everything" (unclear scope)

Complex Sentences

• "Click the button that says submit and then wait for the page to load and then check if the success message appears" (too many actions)

Technical Assumptions

• "Click the #submit-btn element" (assumes technical knowledge)
• "Use the API endpoint" (not user-focused)

Example Test Case

Test: User Login

1. "Navigate to the login page"
2. "Enter @valid_email in the email field"
3. "Enter @valid_password in the password field"
4. "Click the 'Sign In' button"
5. "Verify the user dashboard loads"
6. "Check that 'Welcome, @user_name' message appears"

Test: Invalid Login

1. "Navigate to the login page"
2. "Enter @invalid_email in the email field"
3. "Enter @invalid_password in the password field"
4. "Click the 'Sign In' button"
5. "Verify 'Invalid credentials' error message appears"
6. "Check that the login form is still visible"

Remember: The clearer your prompts, the more reliable your tests will be!