Automation Tools
The tools used by automation engineers in NZ software teams — from UI and API testing through to CI/CD pipelines and security scanning. Each guide covers what the tool does, when to use it, and how it fits into your stack.
All core automation guides are now live. Each guide covers what the tool does, NZ team usage patterns, setup, writing your first test, and common pitfalls. Use the AI Guru chat to ask questions or for specific implementation help.
UI & End-to-End Testing
Tools that drive a real browser to test your application the way a user would.
Playwright
Microsoft’s modern browser automation library. Multi-browser, fast, reliable — the current NZ industry default for new projects.
Selenium WebDriver
The long-established standard for browser automation. Widely used in enterprise and legacy codebases across NZ.
Cypress
JavaScript-first testing framework that runs in the browser. Excellent developer experience with real-time reloading and built-in assertions.
Appium
Cross-platform mobile automation for iOS and Android. Uses the WebDriver protocol — familiar if you know Selenium.
API Testing Tools
Tools to validate REST, GraphQL, and SOAP APIs — manually and in CI pipelines.
Unit Testing Frameworks
Test individual functions and components in isolation. The foundation of any test pyramid.
Jest & Vitest
The dominant JavaScript unit testing frameworks. Jest for React/Node projects; Vitest for Vite-based apps. Near-identical API.
JUnit & TestNG
The standard Java testing frameworks. JUnit 5 for modern Spring Boot; TestNG where parallel execution and complex test suites are needed.
Non-Functional Testing Tools
Tools to verify performance under load and scan for security vulnerabilities.
k6
Modern load and performance testing tool from Grafana. Script tests in JavaScript, run from CI, get clear threshold-based pass/fail results.
OWASP ZAP
The leading open-source web security scanner. Used by NZ government agencies and enterprises to find OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities in CI.
Pipeline & Environment Tools
Run your tests automatically on every commit and keep environments consistent and reproducible.
GitHub Actions
The most widely adopted CI/CD platform in NZ. Trigger test runs on push, PR, or schedule — with built-in secrets management and matrix testing.
Docker
Containerise your test environments so they run identically on every machine and in every pipeline. Essential for “works on my machine” problems.