E2E Testing Foundations
Short answer
Reliable E2E separates Arrange (per-run seed data), Act (short UI path), and Assert (probe endpoints for authoritative state). Markdown plans and // @Scenario: links keep that discipline traceable as the product grows.
Guides in this section
| Guide | What you'll learn |
|---|---|
| Seed routes and probe Assert | Build test-only APIs, runId fixtures, and probes—the expired-coupon pattern for any domain |
Why foundations matter
Scenario guides (Stripe, Supabase, checkout) assume you can seed and probe. Without foundations:
- Tests share staging coupons and users → parallel CI collisions
- UI toasts pass while orders fail → UI-only assert traps
- Agents regenerate scripts with no requirement link → untraceable coverage
Test planning as code — business rules live in markdown scenarios agents read on /testchimp test. SmartTests declare coverage with // @Scenario: (requirement traceability).
Related gotchas
Frequently asked questions
Do I need TestChimp to use seed routes and probes?
No—the patterns are vanilla Playwright plus test-only API routes. TestChimp /testchimp init scaffolds them and links SmartTests to markdown scenarios so the harness grows with your product.
How is this different from Page Object Model?
POM organizes UI locators. Foundations organize world-state and authoritative Assert—complementary. Many teams use both: POM for Act, probes for Assert.