No matter how well a product is designed, if it doesn’t function correctly, users won’t stick around. That’s where QA automation comes in. By integrating automated testing into the software development life cycle, teams can ensure that products are reliable, scalable, and bug-free.
But QA automation and development share more in common than most people realize. While developers focus on building software, automation engineers design test automation frameworks, execute automated test scripts, and optimize testing efforts to maintain high-quality software.
To explore these similarities, we spoke with Leo, a QA Automation Engineer, about his journey into test automation, the importance of coding in QA testing, and how automation tools help ensure comprehensive test coverage across multiple platforms.
How Leo started in QA automation
Leo’s journey into QA automation testing wasn’t an immediate leap—it was a gradual transition from manual testing to automation testing. Learning both processes in parallel gave him a deep understanding of why automation matters and how it can streamline the testing process.
"I started learning QA automation alongside my first QA role. Cucumber was my entry point—it has an easy-to-understand syntax that helped me grasp why and how automated test scripts improve the testing process." – Leo
Cucumber allows test engineers to write automation scripts using plain English syntax. This approach helps QA professionals execute test cases without diving deep into complex programming languages right away.
By easing into test automation frameworks, Leo quickly saw how automation tools reduce repetitive testing tasks, speed up test execution, and ensure continuous testing throughout development.
The importance of coding knowledge in QA automation
One common question in the QA testing field is: Does a QA Automation Engineer need to know how to code? The answer, according to Leo, is yes—but to varying degrees.
"Coding becomes more important as the complexity of the feature being tested increases. Simple UI automation can be done with basic tool knowledge, but for dynamic test scenarios, a solid understanding of coding is necessary." – Leo
For basic automated test scripts, QA engineers can rely on codeless test automation tools. However, as they progress into automated regression testing, integration testing, and API testing, knowing how to write clean and efficient automation scripts becomes necessary.
Beyond coding, problem-solving skills play a huge role in automation. Automation engineers must think critically about how to test different features, optimize the test execution process, and improve test coverage.
"Automation engineers need to think beyond writing test scripts—they must approach testing like a developer, optimizing the automation test framework to ensure software quality."
As features become more complex, automation engineers must be able to adapt, debug failures, and continuously improve test automation frameworks. Understanding how to troubleshoot test failures is just as important as writing test cases in the first place.
The programming languages and frameworks used in QA automation
In QA automation, choosing the right test automation tools and programming languages depends on the project’s needs. Since test automation frameworks must integrate with the software development process, QA engineers need to be adaptable and work with multiple automation tools.
Leo started with Cucumber, which uses Ruby syntax and Capybara for automated test scripts. Over time, he worked with different test automation frameworks, including Cypress (JavaScript) and Playwright (TypeScript).
"Each project dictates the framework we use. My first experience was with Cucumber, but now I primarily use Playwright with TypeScript because that’s what my current project requires." – Leo
Some of the most commonly used QA automation tools include:
Selenium – One of the most popular test automation tools for web applications, supporting multiple programming languages.
Cypress – Great for fast and reliable UI testing with JavaScript.
Playwright – A powerful choice for cross-browser testing and mobile app testing.
Appium – The go-to tool for mobile automation testing.
"The key to success in QA automation is adaptability—learning new frameworks and languages when necessary."
With a solid understanding of automation scripts, API testing, and test execution processes, automation engineers can execute test cases efficiently while reducing human error in the software development life cycle.
If you want to know more about how Cucumber, Playwright, and Selenium stand against each other and which to choose, we have a blog here about the pros and cons of those three tools.
Problem-solving in QA vs. development: what’s the difference?
At their core, QA automation engineers and software developers both solve problems, but their approach is fundamentally different. Developers build features—their goal is to ensure the software works as expected. QA engineers break features—their role is to find weaknesses, uncover bugs, and stress-test the system.
"Developers think about how to build something. QA engineers think about how to break it." – Leo
Here’s how their problem-solving approaches differ:
Software developers:
Focus on creating and optimizing features.
Work on code structure, performance, and maintainability.
Aim for efficiency in execution and scalability.
QA automation engineers:
Focus on finding weaknesses and edge cases.
Develop automated test frameworks to execute tests under multiple conditions.
Aim for comprehensive test coverage to ensure software quality.
"QA automation is not just about running tests—it’s about understanding failure points and preventing them before the product reaches users."
A strong test automation process doesn’t just verify functional correctness; it also evaluates stability, scalability, and security, ensuring that the software can handle real-world conditions before deployment.
Design patterns and coding standards in QA automation
While test automation focuses on software testing, it follows many of the same best practices as software development. Writing maintainable test automation scripts requires using structured design patterns and coding standards.
"Good test automation follows the same principles as good software development—clean, reusable, and easy to maintain." – Leo
Key design patterns in test automation:
Page Object Model (POM): Improves test maintainability by structuring UI elements into reusable components.
Strategy pattern: Allows flexibility in test execution, letting QA engineers choose between UI tests, API testing, or unit testing for the same functionality.
Command pattern: Manages complex user scenarios like login flows or checkout processes by structuring test steps into command objects.
Coding standards used in test automation:
DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself): Avoids redundant code, making test scripts easier to maintain.
KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid): Ensures test cases remain readable and understandable.
Naming conventions: Clear and descriptive test case names improve organization and debugging.
How QA automation engineers use CI/CD, Docker, and Version Control
Without automation in continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD), teams would struggle to keep up with rapid software releases.
Leo explains how he leverages CI/CD, Docker, and version control to streamline test execution and enhance software quality.
"Every time developers push code to GitHub, our CI/CD pipeline automatically triggers automated tests. This allows us to detect and fix issues early in the development process." – Leo
1. Version control (Git & GitHub)
QA engineers collaborate with developers by reviewing and maintaining automated test scripts in Git repositories.
Pull requests and code reviews ensure that test automation frameworks follow coding standards and best practices.
Keeping test automation code versioned prevents test failures caused by outdated scripts.
2. CI/CD pipelines for automated testing
Automated QA testing is integrated into the CI/CD process, ensuring that every code change is tested before deployment.
Regression testing, integration testing, and smoke tests are executed automatically.
CI/CD helps teams detect software quality issues before they reach production.
3. Docker for test environments
Docker containers allow QA engineers to run tests in isolated environments, ensuring consistent test results.
Containers eliminate the "it works on my machine" problem by creating identical test environments across different machines.
Docker is especially useful for API testing, database testing, and parallel test execution.
"Using Docker, we can set up a reliable test environment in seconds—this makes automation testing much more efficient."
By integrating CI/CD, Docker, and version control, QA engineers improve test coverage and ensure faster test execution across multiple platforms.
The biggest challenge in QA automation (and how to solve it)
While test automation tools help streamline software testing, they also introduce challenges. One of the biggest frustrations for automation engineers? Flaky tests.
"Flaky tests are unreliable tests that sometimes pass and sometimes fail for no clear reason. The bigger the system, the more likely you’ll run into them." – Leo
Flaky tests reduce confidence in automated QA testing and slow down the software development process. If a test fails intermittently, it can create false positives.
How to minimize flaky tests:
Use dynamic waits instead of hardcoded delays.
Ensure test data is consistent across test runs.
Run tests in isolated environments using Docker.
Fix race conditions and test execution timing issues.
"The key to solving flaky tests is stability—if a test isn’t reliable, it’s not useful in automation."
By refining the test automation process and optimizing test execution, QA engineers ensure that automated regression testing, performance tests, and cross-browser testing deliver consistent, meaningful results.
The most important soft skills for QA automation engineers
While technical skills are essential, soft skills play an equally important role in QA automation testing. A skilled automation engineer isn’t just someone who writes test automation scripts—they need to communicate effectively, collaborate with developers, and think critically about software quality.
Key soft skills for QA automation engineers:
Communication – Clearly explaining test failures, test criteria, and debugging steps to developers.
Attention to detail – Spotting edge cases, inconsistencies, and weak points in software.
Problem-solving – Thinking creatively about how to automate repetitive tests and optimize the test automation framework.
Patience & persistence – Debugging complex automated testing tools and handling flaky test cases.
Collaboration – Working with developers to improve test coverage and prevent issues before they arise.
"Automation testing is about ensuring the software is truly ready for users. That requires both technical and soft skills."
Advice for beginners in QA automation
For those just starting out in QA automation, Leo shares his top advice.
He emphasizes the importance of building a strong foundation before diving into automation tools. He recommends beginning with manual testing, as understanding how a feature works manually makes the automation process much easier. Once comfortable with manual testing, beginners should explore automation tools like Cucumber or Selenium, which provide an introduction to writing test automation scripts.
Leo also encourages newcomers to embrace experimentation—automation testing involves trial and error, and learning happens through practice and iteration. Developing a problem-solving mindset is crucial, as QA engineers need to think critically about test automation frameworks, debugging test failures, and improving test execution.
While frontend testing is essential, having a basic understanding of backend development can also be valuable. Knowing how APIs, databases, and server-side logic work allows QA engineers to perform API testing, integration testing, and better assess how different system components interact. There's no need to go all in, but familiarity with backend processes can enhance test automation skills and provide deeper insights into software behavior.
Most importantly, Leo reminds beginners to be patient—learning QA automation tools, writing automation scripts, and mastering the test automation process takes time, but persistence and curiosity will lead to success.
"Automation can seem overwhelming at first, but with patience and persistence, it becomes second nature." – Leo
