What Is Exploratory Software Testing?

Exploratory testing doesn’t require preparing test cases beforehand. Moreover, even project documentation is not a must for running these tests. Instead of relying on knowledge about a software product, a QA engineer learns everything first-hand by interacting with the system directly.
There is no such thing as automated exploratory testing – it can be manual only. The reason is simple: a QA specialist cannot write scripts for the functionality they are not familiar with. Exploratory testing techniques are applied to figure out the basics – how the product works.

When to Run Exploratory Testing?

The results of exploratory tests don’t necessarily differ drastically from those you get with scripted testing techniques. These two approaches are fully compatible and can even be used in a project to support one another.

Exploratory testing services are the way to learn about software behavior. The results can become the basis for project documentation. Exploratory testing also helps to cover the areas where a scenario-based approach isn’t efficient for some reason. For example:
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The The uncertainty regarding software behavior is high, and test case writing requires too much effort.

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Project documentation Project documentation describing requirements is absent, and it is impossible to create scenarios in the first place.

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There is no time to write test cases, but it is essential to check software logic and make sure there are no critical defects.

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A team needs to check for the defects that are complicated or impossible to detect using instructions (gaps in logic, UX bugs, etc.).

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New tests won’t be necessary in the near future, though creating and maintaining them will require a lot of resources.

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Benefits of Exploratory Testing

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Provides quick and early feedback at the initial stages of software development.
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Effective for inspecting products with unstable and changing requirements.
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Covers various aspects of testing, scenarios, and parts of the functionality.
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Ensures vast test coverage, revealing bugs that are normally overlooked in scripts.
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Makes testing possible when documentation is fully or partially unavailable.
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Perfect for checking new features in dynamic iterative development.

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