Advanced Exploratory Testing
<default_to_action> When exploring software or investigating quality risks:
- CREATE charter with mission, scope, and time-box (45-90 min)
- APPLY heuristics: SFDIPOT (quality criteria), FEW HICCUPPS (consistency oracles)
- EXPLORE systematically using test tours (Business District, Bad Neighborhood, Historical)
- DOCUMENT findings in real-time with notes, screenshots, evidence
- DEBRIEF: What learned? What's next? Share via agent memory
Quick Heuristic Selection:
- What to test → SFDIPOT (Structure, Function, Data, Interfaces, Platform, Operations, Time)
- Recognize problems → FEW HICCUPPS (Familiar, Explainable, World, History, Image, Comparable, Claims, Users, Product, Purpose, Standards)
- Navigate app → Test Tours (12 types for different exploration strategies)
Critical Success Factors:
- Exploration is skilled, structured thinking - not random clicking
- Document discoveries, not pre-planned test cases
- Pair testing reveals more than solo exploration </default_to_action>
Quick Reference Card
When to Use
- Investigating new or changed features
- Finding bugs automation misses
- Learning unfamiliar systems
- Risk discovery before test planning
Session Structure (SBTM)
| Phase | Duration | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Charter | 5 min | Define mission, scope, focus |
| Explore | 45-75 min | Systematic investigation |
| Note | Continuous | Document findings real-time |
| Debrief | 10-15 min | Summarize, prioritize, share |
SFDIPOT Heuristic (What to Test)
| Letter | Focus | Example Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Is it properly composed? | Code structure, UI layout, data schema |
| Function | Does it do what it should? | Core features work correctly |
| Data | Handles data correctly? | CRUD, validation, persistence |
| Interfaces | Interacts well? | APIs, UI, integrations |
| Platform | Works in environment? | Browsers, OS, devices |
| Operations | Can be used/managed? | Install, config, monitor |
| Time | Handles timing? | Concurrency, timeouts, scheduling |
FEW HICCUPPS Oracle (Recognize Problems)
| Consistency With | Check |
|---|---|
| Familiar problems | Does this look like a known bug pattern? |
| Explainable | Can behavior be explained rationally? |
| World | Matches real-world expectations? |
| History | Consistent with prior versions? |
| Image | Matches brand/product image? |
| Comparable | Similar to competing products? |
| Claims | Matches specs/docs/marketing? |
| Users | Meets user expectations? |
| Purpose | Fulfills intended purpose? |
| Statements | Matches what devs said? |
Test Tours (12 Types)
| Tour | Strategy |
|---|---|
| Business District | Critical business flows |
| Historical | Where bugs clustered before |
| Bad Neighborhood | Known problem areas |
| Money | Revenue-impacting features |
| Landmark | Navigate by key features |
| Intellectual | Complex, thinking-intensive features |
| FedEx | Follow data through system |
| Garbage Collector | Cleanup and edge cases |
| Museum | Help docs and examples |
| Rained-Out | What happens when things fail? |
| Couch Potato | Minimal effort paths |
| Obsessive-Compulsive | Repetitive actions |
Session Note Template
**Charter:** Explore [area] to discover [what] focusing on [heuristic]
**Time-box:** 60 min | **Tester:** [name] | **Date:** [date]
## Session Notes
- [timestamp] Observation/finding
- [timestamp] Bug: [description] - [severity]
- [timestamp] Question: [unclear behavior]
## Findings Summary
- Bugs: X (Critical: Y, Major: Z)
- Questions: X
- Ideas: X
## Coverage
- Areas explored: [list]
- Heuristics used: [SFDIPOT areas]
- % Time on: Bug investigation 30%, Exploration 50%, Setup 20%
## Next Steps
- [ ] Deep dive on [area]
- [ ] Follow up on question about [topic]Agent-Assisted Exploration
// Collaborative exploration session
await Task("Exploratory Session", {
charter: 'Explore checkout flow for payment edge cases',
duration: '60min',
heuristics: ['SFDIPOT', 'FEW_HICCUPPS'],
tour: 'money',
collaboration: 'human-navigator-agent-driver'
}, "qe-flaky-test-hunter");
// Agent generates test variations while human observes
await Task("Edge Case Generation", {
area: 'payment-form',
variations: ['boundary-values', 'invalid-inputs', 'concurrent-submits']
}, "qe-test-generator");
// Visual exploration
await Task("Visual Exploration", {
tour: 'landmark',
focus: 'responsive-breakpoints',
compare: 'baseline-screenshots'
}, "qe-visual-tester");Agent Coordination Hints
Memory Namespace
aqe/exploratory/
├── sessions/* - Session notes and findings
├── charters/* - Reusable charter templates
├── bug-clusters/* - Historical bug patterns
└── heuristic-results/* - What heuristics revealedFleet Coordination
const exploratoryFleet = await FleetManager.coordinate({
strategy: 'exploratory-testing',
agents: [
'qe-flaky-test-hunter', // Pattern recognition
'qe-visual-tester', // Visual anomalies
'qe-quality-analyzer' // Risk assessment
],
topology: 'mesh'
});Pairing Patterns
| Pattern | Human Role | Agent Role |
|---|---|---|
| Driver-Navigator | Navigate strategy | Execute variations |
| Strong-Style | Dictate actions | Record findings |
| Ping-Pong | Observe one area | Explore another |
Related Skills
- context-driven-testing - RST foundations
- risk-based-testing - Focus exploration on risk
- agentic-quality-engineering - Agent coordination
Remember
Exploratory testing = simultaneous learning, test design, and test execution.
Not random clicking. Structured, skilled investigation guided by heuristics and oracles. Document discoveries in real-time. Pair testing amplifies findings.
With Agents: Agents generate variations, recognize patterns, and maintain session notes while humans apply judgment and intuition. Combine agent thoroughness with human insight.
Gotchas
- Agent treats exploratory testing as scripted test execution — remind it: exploration means learning + adapting in real-time
- Session notes from agents lack the "why I tried this" reasoning — explicitly ask for decision rationale
- 90-minute sessions cause context overflow — cap at 45 minutes with explicit debrief
- Agent defaults to happy-path exploration — explicitly assign "Bad Neighborhood" or "Saboteur" tours for negative testing
- SFDIPOT heuristics are misapplied when agent doesn't understand the domain — provide domain context upfront