Snapshot/Golden Tests

Create snapshot and golden tests that detect unintended output changes.

Test Creation Checklist

UI Snapshot Capture

• Capture visual snapshots for all component states (default, loading, error)
• Test across relevant viewport sizes and screen densities
• Include snapshots for light/dark themes and accessibility modes
• Verify interactive states (hover, focus, disabled, selected)
• Establish pixel tolerance thresholds for acceptable rendering variance

API Response Baselines

• Capture baseline responses for all endpoint success cases
• Record error response structures for each error category
• Snapshot pagination metadata and envelope format
• Verify header values and content-type consistency
• Test response format stability across API versions

Serialization Contract Tests

• Snapshot JSON/XML/Protobuf serialization output for domain models
• Verify backward compatibility when fields are added or deprecated
• Test deserialization of historical format versions
• Check that optional fields serialize/deserialize correctly
• Validate enum and union type serialization stability

Change Detection Strategy

• Configure meaningful diff output for failed snapshot comparisons
• Exclude volatile fields (timestamps, random IDs) from comparisons
• Implement review workflow for intentional snapshot updates
• Group related snapshots for batch approval when schemas change
• Set up CI integration to block merges on unexpected snapshot diffs

Output Format

Report test plan with priority ratings: