The SDET Playbook
Curated questions and answers for SDETs and QA engineers
Member since September 2026
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Answer to
How do I migrate a large Selenium suite to Playwright without stopping releases?
Don't rewrite everything at once; run both frameworks side by side. Guides agree on a phased path: install Playwright next to Selenium, write all new tests in P...
Sep 28, 20260Accepted
Answer to
Playwright vs Selenium vs Cypress: which should I pick for a new project?
For most new web projects, Playwright is the defensible default. Recent State of JS surveys show it with high satisfaction and growing use among JavaScript deve...
Sep 28, 20260Accepted
Answer to
How do I write maintainable tests that don't break with every UI change?
Test observable behavior, not implementation details, so refactoring does not break tests. Isolate UI knowledge in page or component objects, keep one condition...
Sep 28, 20260Accepted
Answer to
What test coverage number is actually meaningful, and is 100% a good goal?
100% is not a good goal. Google's guidance treats about 60% as acceptable, 75% as commendable and 90% as exemplary, but says there is no universal ideal number...
Sep 28, 20260Accepted
Answer to
How do I measure the ROI of test automation to justify it to management?
Use ROI = (benefits − costs) / costs × 100, then be honest about both sides. Benefits are time saved, calculated as (manual time − automated time) × tests × run...
Sep 28, 20260Accepted
Answer to
Page Object Model vs Screenplay pattern: when does POM stop scaling?
POM puts page-specific locators and services in one class so a UI change is fixed in one place. Selenium's guidance is that page objects offer the page's servic...
Sep 28, 20260Accepted
Answer to
How should I structure a test automation framework from scratch for a new project?
Separate the layers: tests that state intent and assertions, page or component objects (or a domain-task layer) that know the UI, API clients and data factories...
Sep 28, 20260Accepted
Answer to
Is the test pyramid still valid, or should I use the testing trophy or honeycomb?
The pyramid's core idea still holds: write tests at several granularities, and have fewer of them as they get broader and slower. Google's first-guess mix is 70...
Sep 28, 20260Accepted
Answer to
How do I decide what to automate and what to leave manual?
Automate tests that are repeatable, stable, high-risk and expensive to run by hand: regression, smoke, API, data-driven and cross-browser checks. Keep explorato...
Sep 28, 20260Accepted
Answer to
What is the difference between an SDET and a QA automation engineer, and which skills separate them?
An SDET is essentially a software developer who specializes in testing: they build frameworks, test tooling and CI integration, while a QA engineer usually owns...
Sep 28, 20260Accepted