How to Use Exploratory Software Testing for a Lot of Extra Quality

Result-driven QA isn’t always about planning and strategizing. Sometimes, the best thing for your product is getting a cup of coffee and playing around with it. This relaxed approach to testing, though well known, is still not as widely used as it should be. So, today, we discuss the miracles of exploratory software testing and how and when to apply it.

What Is Exploratory Testing?

Exploratory testing is an improvisational investigation of your app. QA engineers rely on their skills and knowledge to look around it without following defined test cases or scripts.

Typical QA procedures are highly structured. And you can only systematically look for issues you can predict. Exploratory testing, by definition, strives to cover the unknown, obscure processes or user paths. Such a Voyager-esque method lets you better secure critical areas and add an extra layer of quality to your product.

Yet, exploratory testing isn’t necessarily a supplementary addition to a regular QA process. Some companies that request manual testing services don’t have extensive project documentation or don’t understand what areas of their software are problematic.

Hence, exploratory testing should be used tactically. Its most common applications include the following:

• Verifying new features to discover problems from a user’s perspective.
• Working on bug-prone or high-risk areas to explore them in-depth.
• Quickly checking key systems when there’s no time for writing and executing scripts.
• Validating critical user journeys after big changes or fixes.
• Evaluating user experience and usability.
• Learning a poorly documented or complex project while testing it.
• Adapting your testing approach as you go for frequently changing requirements.
• Covering edge cases and unusual scenarios.
• Executing a final quality check before release to eliminate unexpected defects.
• Subjecting non-functional testing to real-world conditions, especially performance, security, and compatibility.

Exploratory testing has benefits no other technique offers. But they only work when applied correctly. Generally, we’d say that you should use it to better understand your project or refine it further.

Exploratory Testing vs Functional Testing

Functional testing validates that all features work as needed. So, yes, functional exploratory testing is a thing. It simply investigates your product’s components in a freestyle way. But non-functional aspects can be evaluated in the same manner.

When you come across the question, “Is exploratory testing functional testing?” – always say yes. And be sure to put an asterisk after because usability, performance, etc. can also greatly benefit from this technique.

Here are two brief exploratory testing examples to demonstrate how it works.

Functional manual exploratory testing:

A QA engineer works with the login feature. They use various login methods, like entering incorrect passwords, using special characters, or leaving fields blank. They may also “mess” with the app a bit by quickly switching between pages or trying to log in from another device into an already active account.

Non-functional manual exploratory testing:

Another QA specialist navigates the product’s search feature. They enter common search terms to see how quickly results load. Try unusually long search phrases or requests in another language. Increase the number of displayed results to check performance, etc.

So, in the first instance, we focus on what the app does. In the second one, we look at how the app does it (action vs manner of execution).

Automated Exploratory Testing

There’s no such thing. Exploratory testing services are a priori manual, as you can’t automate random scenarios. Then why is there such a term as “automated exploratory testing tools”? It’s simple. While you can perform exploratory testing only manually, some aspects can be handled by specific apps.

• For example, there are tools that automate data generation and environment setup.
• There’s also software for bug-tracking, defect logging, and issue monitoring.
• Test case management apps and screen recorders also fall into the category of exploratory testing automation tools.
• Finally, there’s AI. It can analyze user feedback and support tickets to pinpoint areas that need attention.

All these let you streamline particular areas of exploratory testing while you take care of the task at hand – the exploration itself. So, to answer the oh-so-common question of “Can exploratory testing be automated?” – it can’t. But there are tools that can make it easier and keep it more structured.

Types of Exploratory Testing

Exploratory testing isn’t exactly frolicking in the system and seeing what happens. If we take a look at ad hoc vs exploratory testing, then the first one is definitely the frolicking one. You don’t go into much detail and aim to locate simple, obvious bugs. Exploratory testing, on the other hand, is relatively structured. Most often, you need to know what to do, where to look, and document your findings.

That’s why there are different types of exploratory testing. You pick what’s more important for your product at the moment and work from there.

• Feature-focused testing targets a specific feature or functionality.
• Critical path testing focuses on the most important paths or core workflows that users are expected to follow.
• User workflow testing simulates realistic user journeys, following common workflows to see how they function from start to finish.
• Boundary testing explores the edges of acceptable input ranges and system limits. This is usually done with numerical values (inputting age or date), text (names or descriptions), file size (uploading a document or image), etc.
• Error-handling testing checks how the system responds to errors, invalid inputs, or unexpected conditions. That’s where “break the system” came from. This type of exploratory testing works exclusively with invalid inputs and chaos scenarios.

That’s what we mean when we say that exploratory testing is structured (somewhat). You tend to use it for a specific purpose, though it would still be an improvisational investigation. Just with a bit of direction.

Exploratory Testing Techniques

Exploratory testing types give your testing purpose. And exploratory testing techniques determine how you fulfill this purpose. In other words, they guide the process.

• Freestyle testing – exploring the app without a specific plan or guidance, relying purely on intuition and creativity.
• Strategy-based testing – following a general strategy or approach without predefined test paths. The strategy could be based on user behavior, common usage patterns, or known risks.
• Scenario-based testing – investigating the app based on specific scenarios or use cases that mimic real-world user interactions.
• Collaborative testing – teaming up multiple QA engineers to navigate the app, sharing insights and discussing issues in real-time.
• Charter-based testing – working with a determined “mission statement” that outlines specific goals or areas to explore. The approach is still flexible and adaptive.
• Timing-boxed testing – navigating the app within fixed periods, aka time-boxed sessions (e.g., 30 minutes or 1 hour).

You can combine exploratory testing types and techniques however you want. That’s the beauty of exploratory testing. You can reach a specific milestone without spending too much time on planning and preparation.

Exploratory Testing Advantages

There are studies demonstrating clear exploratory testing benefits. One of them found that test case-based testing produces more false defect reports. The other shows that exploratory testing is a lot better at finding complex issues. But this research is quite old. What’s more interesting is that it’s contradicting.

We definitely need more data. And it’s curious that there are very few fresh studies. Because exploratory testing in software testing is widely used. So, while we can’t direct you comprehensive reports on the matter, we can confidently state the following perks of exploratory testing from our own practice.

• Speeding up bug discovery. Since you don’t create and follow rigid scripts, you can adapt quickly and identify bugs more efficiently.
• Improving test coverage. By investigating different aspects of your app, you increase the chances of finding unexpected issues.
• Offering better flexibility. You can adjust your approach in real time based on what you learn during testing.
• Uncovering hidden bugs. Venturing outside of predefined test cases, you can uncover complex or subtle bugs that would be hard to find otherwise.
• Advancing user experience. Exploratory testing pushes you to interact with an app as a real user would. This helps refine your UX and better understand your audience.
• Encouraging creativity. You can think creatively and explore different ways to interact with your product. This enhances its quality in new ways and refines your skills.
• Supporting evolving or unstable projects. You can swiftly adjust to changes without needing a rewrite of test plans.
• Offering early feedback. Exploratory testing provides quick feedback to the teams. Developers can look into problematic areas and address issues much faster. That’s why exploratory testing in agile is highly valued.
• Giving direction to your strategy. When you work with a new feature or an undocumented product, you can look around it without investing in test script writing and maintenance at first.
• Discovering new improvement vectors. Exploratory testing lets you find unexpected problematic areas and, thus, obscure bottlenecks in your processes or team.

And, of course, exploratory testing in manual testing is a quality driver. It’s not an essential practice. Nonetheless, when you locate out-of-the-blue issues and fix them, you also upgrade your project in ways you or your users wouldn’t expect. And this extra step can give you an edge.

Exploratory Testing Challenges

Before you choose the team that’ll run exploratory testing, make sure they have the needed skills. The biggest trouble with exploratory testing is that it highly depends on the expert using it. It’s the same thing as with automated software testing services. It seems like a divine idea until you realize that you need very specific yet ample knowledge to work with it.

So, consider the aspects you’ll need to navigate for a successful exploratory testing.

• The quality of exploratory testing results heavily relies on the QA engineer’s expertise, domain knowledge, and critical thinking.
• Since test results depend on the crew’s experience and perspective, there may be inconsistencies across different specialists.
• Without predefined test scripts, the team may inadvertently overlook some features or edge cases.
• Exploratory testing has no fixed structure. Hence, quantifying how much testing has been completed or how thoroughly a feature has been tested is tricky.
• Documenting and replicating defects can be difficult, especially when testing scenarios evolve dynamically.
• Exploratory testing may lead to overlapping efforts or missed areas if clear communication and test charters aren’t in place.
• While flexibility is a strength, exploratory testing can consume more time if the team isn’t skilled at quickly identifying areas of focus.
• QA engineers may unconsciously focus on areas they find more interesting or familiar. And some features may become less investigated.
• Combining exploratory testing with more structured approaches can be challenging if teams struggle to balance the two.

Exploratory testing is very interesting. You hear all about how it’s highly intuitive and doesn’t need your regular extra steps common for test case based testing. But we’d say that it’s more complicated. You need to keep it relatively loose to benefit from it. At the same time, you need to keep it organized to not spend days just clicking buttons.

Manual Exploratory Testing Tips

It could seem counterintuitive, but the key piece of advice on how to do exploratory testing is to make it methodical and coordinated. Combining free exploration with structure sounds illogical. But that mix is a sure way to make your exploratory testing highly productive.

• Set specific objectives or focus areas to ensure coverage and guide QA engineers while preserving flexibility.
• Limit testing to defined periods (e.g., 1-2 hours) to maintain focus and ensure efficient use of time.
• Document observations, bugs, and explored areas to track progress and help replicate issues later.
• Start with high-risk or business-critical functionalities to maximize the impact of your efforts.
• Involve developers, product managers, or domain experts to gather insights and center on scenarios that matter most.
• Invest in training and encourage the team to build domain expertise, critical thinking, and creativity.
• After each session, discuss findings with the crew to identify areas needing deeper exploration or formal tests.
• Approach the product as different user personas or roles (e.g., new user, advanced user) to uncover unique issues.
• Analyze logs, analytics, or user feedback to identify trends, edge cases, or specific scenarios worth exploring.
• Test under varied environments, such as different devices, browsers, or network conditions, to catch context-specific issues.

And don’t forget to blend exploratory testing with strong test case based testing. Exploratory tests will advance the quality you have. And it could be either 0 + 1 or 100 + 1. There’s a big difference.

Exploratory Testing Tools

Now, here are some tools our QA company uses during exploratory testing. They should simplify your exploratory testing and make it more impactful.

• TestPad helps you plan, execute, and report on exploratory testing sessions. It allows you to capture charters, notes, and bugs.
• Xray is a test management tool that integrates with Jira. It offers session-based testing, real-time recording, screenshot and annotation capabilities, and direct test case creation.
• Azure Test Plans provides a flexible platform for managing various testing activities, including exploratory testing.
• TestRail is a web-based test management tool that can be used for exploratory testing. It offers features like test case management, execution, and reporting.
• Bug Magnet is a free Chrome extension that allows you to quickly and easily report bugs during exploratory testing.
• Testuff lets you create test cases on the fly and capture screenshots and videos. It also integrates with various bug-tracking and project management tools.
• Zephyr is a comprehensive test management tool that supports exploratory testing. It offers features like test case management, defect tracking, and reporting.

These are examples of what QA teams usually find helpful. So, you can view the above list as a guide on what to look for in your exploratory testing tools.

How to Integrate Exploratory Testing into SDLC

Manual exploratory testing may seem like a simple practice. But it still calls for extra time, budget, and experts. You shouldn’t just run exploratory testing when you feel like it could benefit you. Not often, at least, as you may end up with wasted resources and mediocre results.

We’ve prepared a few recommendations on how to make exploratory testing a part of your SDLC without creating a mess.

1. Plan for exploratory testing early to know when and how you’ll use it. Consider the resources and specialists needed as well.
2. Make exploratory testing a dedicated phase in your test process. Define objectives, such as covering high-risk areas or verifying recent changes, to align efforts with development priorities.
3. Use exploratory testing to complement scripted or automated tests. For instance, run exploratory sessions after initial functional checks to uncover hidden or edge-case defects.
4. Conduct exploratory testing at the end of each sprint or iteration. This approach ensures issues are identified early and fosters continuous improvement.
5. Align exploratory testing sessions with Agile practices, such as executing it during sprint reviews or before releasing potentially shippable increments.
6. Adopt session-based testing management to structure exploratory testing. Create time-boxed sessions with predefined charters and document findings for reproducibility and reporting.
7. Prioritize your testing on high-impact or frequently changing parts of the app to secure them first.
8. Implement lightweight tracking mechanisms (like mind maps or exploratory testing logs) to ensure key areas are covered without imposing a rigid structure.
9. Regularly review exploratory testing findings to guide the creation of new test cases or enhance regression suites.
10. Encourage skill development for QA engineers through workshops or pair testing to build their proficiency in exploratory testing techniques.

And if you’re a little overwhelmed with how to do exploratory testing so it brings value, our team is here to help. QA Madness’ specialists can adapt to your needs or guide you on how to set up your exploratory testing correctly.

To Sum Up

Sometimes, exploratory testing is viewed as an unnecessary effort. But is there really such a thing? We’d say that anything that can make your product better is worth a try. Right now, lots of users are apathetic towards good software. They expect an app to offer quality and value. What they may not anticipate is that extra little bit of care that you put into your project with exploratory testing. And that little bit goes a long way.