Workflow Testing
Build with Confidence
Thorough testing ensures your workflows function correctly before and after deployment
Why Testing Matters
Prevents Errors
Identify and fix issues before they impact your business operations
Validates Logic
Ensure workflows behave as expected in all scenarios and conditions
Increases Confidence
Deploy with certainty that automations will work correctly
Improves Reliability
Create more robust workflows that handle edge cases gracefully
Facilitates Optimization
Discover performance issues before they affect operations
Wakflo Testing Tools
Test Mode Features
Simulated Execution
Run workflows in an isolated environment without affecting live data
Step-by-Step Execution
Walk through each action individually to inspect behavior
Data Inspection
View input and output data for each step in real-time
Mock Responses
Simulate responses from external systems for testing
Error Simulation
Test how your workflow handles failures and exceptions
Test Data Sources
Sample Data
Use built-in sample data that mimics typical values for your trigger
Real Data
Use recent real events from your integrations as test data
Custom Data
Create your own test data to handle specific scenarios
Testing Approach
Follow this structured approach to thoroughly test your workflows:
Unit Testing
- •Test individual actions in isolation
- •Check data mapping between steps
- •Validate condition routing
- •Verify error handling
Integration Testing
- •Test connections to integrated platforms
- •Verify data flows between systems
- •Check authentication and authorization
- •Test API rate limit handling
End-to-End Testing
- •Run complete workflow from trigger to final action
- •Test with various input scenarios
- •Verify all branching paths
- •Measure performance and resource usage
Scenario Testing
- •Happy Path: Standard expected flow
- •Edge Cases: Unusual or extreme values
- •Error Scenarios: Failures and exceptions
Use the “Test Action” button on individual steps to quickly test specific actions without running the entire workflow.
Creating Test Cases
Effective test cases should cover all possible workflow paths, include a variety of data inputs, test boundary conditions, verify error handling, and validate business rules.
Example Test Scenarios
Order Processing
Standard Order
Domestic shipping, items in stock, standard payment
International Order
Cross-border shipping with customs documentation
Complex Order
Mix of in-stock and backordered items with discounts
Inventory Management
Stock Update
Normal inventory adjustment above threshold
Low Stock Alert
Product quantity below reorder threshold
Out of Stock
Zero inventory with backorder handling
Error Scenarios
Integration Failures
API timeout, auth failure, rate limiting
Data Issues
Missing fields, invalid formats, special characters
Process Interruptions
Partial execution, retry logic, timeouts
Testing with Mock Data
Creating custom test data allows you to test specific scenarios:
Create test data
In Test Mode, choose “Custom Data” as your data source
Define JSON structure
Provide a JSON object matching your trigger’s data structure
Set specific values
Include values that test particular conditions or edge cases
Save test cases
Save your test data for reuse in future testing
Example: Order Test Data
{
"order": {
"id": "12345",
"customer": {
"id": "cust_789",
"email": "test@example.com",
"first_name": "Test",
"last_name": "Customer",
"vip": true
},
"total": 249.99,
"currency": "USD",
"items": [
{
"id": "item_1",
"product_id": "prod_101",
"sku": "SKU001",
"name": "Test Product",
"quantity": 2,
"price": 99.99,
"requires_shipping": true
},
{
"id": "item_2",
"product_id": "prod_202",
"sku": "SKU002",
"name": "Digital Item",
"quantity": 1,
"price": 50.01,
"requires_shipping": false
}
],
"shipping_address": {
"address1": "123 Test St",
"city": "Testville",
"state": "TS",
"zip": "12345",
"country": "US"
},
"payment_status": "paid",
"fulfillment_status": "unfulfilled",
"tags": ["test", "high-value"]
}
}Simulating Errors
Test Error Handling
Testing how your workflow handles errors is crucial for building robust automations. Wakflo Test Mode allows you to simulate various error conditions.
API Errors
Simulate failed API calls
Validation Errors
Test with invalid data
Timeout Errors
Simulate operation timeouts
Auth Errors
Test credential failures
Custom Errors
Create specific error conditions
Error Simulation Steps
Enable error simulation
In Test Mode, toggle “Enable Error Simulation”
Select action to fail
Choose which action should generate an error
Configure error type
Select the type of error to simulate
Set error details
Provide custom error message or status code if needed
Run test
Execute the workflow and observe error handling
Performance Testing
Performance Metrics to Monitor
Execution Time
Total runtime and per-action timing
Resource Usage
Memory and CPU consumption
API Calls
Number and duration of external calls
Data Volume
Amount of data processed
Concurrency
Behavior under parallel executions
Rate Limit Impact
Effect on API rate limits
Testing Environments
Development
- •For initial building and testing
- •Safe for experimentation
- •Connect to test/sandbox integrations
Staging
- •Pre-production environment
- •Mirror of production setup
- •Final testing before deployment
Production
- •Live business environment
- •Connected to real systems
- •Limited to verified workflows
Testing Best Practices
🚀 Start Testing Early
Test each component as you build it rather than waiting until the workflow is complete
📝 Use Descriptive Names
Give test cases clear names that describe what they’re testing
🎯 Test Boundary Conditions
Test at the edges of valid data ranges (min, max, just inside/outside limits)
🔒 Isolate Tests
Make test cases independent of each other and external factors
📚 Document Test Cases
Keep records of your test scenarios for future reference and repeatability
📊 Monitor Results
Track test results over time to identify patterns and trends
🔄 Test After Changes
Run tests again after modifying workflows to ensure changes don’t break existing functionality
🎯 Focus on Outcomes
Design tests that verify the workflow achieves its intended business purpose