What is the role of test automation in CI/CD pipeline?
Tags: testautomation, automationtesting, ci, cd
Published: 2022-09-08 06:32:56

The principle of Continuous Integration (CI)/ Continuous Delivery (CD) is to “build fast, test fast, fail fast.” Automation testing acts as a perfect enabler for justifying the principle of CI/CD. Constant performance metrics and faster feedback time is provided through the test automation platform.  Immediate feedback can be expected by developers using the test automation platform to know how their code is performing. The value of CI/CD is enhanced through the strategic use of a test automation platform. The code changes can be pushed from staging environments to production by using automation testing in CI/CD process. In this article, you will get to know the role of [test automation](https://www.testingxperts.com/services/test-automation/gb-en) in the CI/CD pipeline. 

**The significance of Continuous Integration (CI) / Continuous Delivery (CD):**
Organizations can sustain and thrive in this competitive corporate scenario only when the right approaches and right technologies are adopted according to the ever-changing market demands. Through the strategic implementation of CI/CD, companies will be able to leverage agile methodologies to survive customer expectations and rapidly changing market requirements. 

CI/CD is a specific methodology that bridges the gap between the testing team, development team and Operations team via the DevOps platform. The work is continuously integrated by the developers, followed by testers who will test it rigorously so that the operations team can release updates and products more often. 
Release cycles are accelerated, which, in turn, leads to happier customers and Time-to-market. CI/CD not only plays a crucial role in customer satisfaction but also, contributes to developing a more secure, resilient and robust product.

The strategic role of test automation in the CI/CD pipeline:
CI/CD can be tactfully and effectively implemented through the automation testing platform. Test automation plays a pivotal role in CI/CD, simply because the notion of CI/CD is “build fast, test fast and fail fast.” This specific notion suits with the automation process.

If feedback should reach to the tester quickly and early, then the tests must run at a rapid pace. Bugs can also be detected early. As a result, the product that is going to be released will be bug-free and accurate. This can be made possible when test suites are automated.

**Following are the key benefits offered by test automation in line with the CI/CD pipeline:**
• Immediate feedback is provided, accurate tests can be expected and more test cases can be covered 
• Multiple test results can be generated and compared thereby confirming product consistency
• It becomes a key part of the CI/CD pipeline and thus abides by the “build fast, fail fast” concept.

All the automated tests in the CI/CD pipeline must be tested on devices and real browsers. Emulators and simulators should not be used for testing as real user conditions cannot be replicated in their entirety. 

**The need to automate testing in CI/CD:**

The iteration approach is closely followed by agile teams to deliver products at a faster pace, but, this may jeopardize quality. As completion is huge at a global level, there will be low tolerance for defects and this will in turn make the agile team for faster iterations of software delivery. To solve these issues in a strategic and streamlined manner, DevOps is considered to be a feasible solution.

DevOps can be made more efficient by using the CI/CD pipeline. A continuous cycle of improvement is designed through a pipeline of software development that can in turn lead to new testing opportunities.   

**For testers, this means that:**
• They can test earlier and more often with automation testing
• The “real-world” workflows (automated and manual) can be continually tested. 

**Conclusion:** If you are looking forward to implementing test automation in CI/CD pipeline, then do get connected with a competent and reliable software testing services company that will provide you with an exhaustive testing strategy that is in line with your project specific requirements.

**About the author:** I am a technical content writer focused on writing technology specific articles. I strive to provide well-researched information on the leading market savvy technologies.