Quick Start

First run

Go from a fresh local setup to a fully executed test flow with a report you can inspect — without writing test code.

Role: first-time QA authorsTime: 15 minutesOutcome: one runnable login validation flow

Install first Open Creating Tests

Before you begin

• AppraiseJS is installed and `npm run start` opens the local app.
• You have a reachable application URL for a login flow.
• You can use non-sensitive credentials for testing.

What you’ll finish with

First successful run

A complete login validation flow that: - Navigates to your app - Logs in using credentials - Verifies the user reached the home page via a welcome message - Generates a report you can inspect

New scaffolds start clean. That means everything you create here — environments, modules, suites, tags, locators, and test cases — reflects how real projects are structured in AppraiseJS.

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Step-by-step procedure

UI path

Environments → Modules → Test Suites → Test Cases → Inline Tags → Inline Locators → Test Runs → Reports

This quick start builds a login validation flow that confirms a successful login by asserting a welcome message on the home page.

Environment and module setup still happens before test case creation. Creating the suite first keeps the structure easy to understand, while tags, locators, and steps can still be created or selected inside the test case creation flow.

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1. Start the application

Start AppraiseJS with npm run start and confirm the app opens in your browser.

This is your control layer — everything from test design to execution happens here.

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2. Create an environment

Create environment Local with your application’s base URL.

Environments define where your tests run.
Appraise ties execution context directly to test intent — no external config files needed.

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3. Create a module

Create module Authentication.

Modules are not just folders — they represent functional domains.
This structure makes large test systems maintainable from day one.

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4. Create or select a test suite

There are two ways to create the suite for this flow.

Path 1: Create the suite ahead of time

Use the standalone Test Suites screen when you want to prepare reusable organization ahead of time.

1. Open Test Suites -> Create.
2. Create a test suite named Login.
3. Assign it to the Authentication module.

Path 2: Create the suite from the test case window

Use the suite control in the test case form to create Login under the Authentication module, then continue filling out the case without leaving the creation flow.

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5. Create the test case

Create a test case:

• Title: Login
• Description: Login with valid credentials and verify home page

From the test case form, create or select:

• Test suite: Login under the Authentication module
• Tags: @smoke and @auth

Build a flow that:

1. Navigates to the environment URL
2. Enters email and password
3. Clicks submit
4. Asserts that a welcome message is visible on the home page

When a step needs a locator, create it from the node addition sidebar instead of leaving the test case flow. Capture locators for the email input, password input, submit button, and welcome message as you add those steps.

You are defining behavior visually — Appraise translates this into executable logic behind the scenes.

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6. Create locators while adding steps

There are two ways to create locators for this flow. For quick-start authoring, create locators inline while adding steps so you can stay in the test case creation flow.

Path 1: Create locators from the node addition sidebar

Use the node addition sidebar to create needed locators while you add input, click, and assertion steps. This keeps each locator tied to the step that needs it and avoids leaving the test case window.

Path 2: Create locators ahead of time

Use the standalone Locators screen when you want to prepare reusable selectors before building the test case.

1. Open Locators -> Create.
2. Launch the Chromium picker from the saved environment or a direct URL.
3. Capture the element and save it to a route-aware locator group.

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7. Run the test and inspect the report

Open Test Runs -> Create and configure:

• Test case: Login
• Environment: Local
• Browser: CHROMIUM
• Workers: 1

Start the run.

No CLI commands. No runner setup. Execution is fully managed from the UI.

Watch the run status update in real time.

You’re seeing the exact flow executed in a real browser.

After the run finishes, open the generated report and confirm:

• Steps executed correctly
• Login succeeded
• Welcome message is present

Here is a demo of the run execution and the report inspection in action.

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What just happened

You just:

• Defined a test flow visually
• Generated executable automation logic
• Ran it using a real browser engine
• Validated application state
• Produced a structured report

All without writing test framework code or wiring tools together.

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⏱️ What this replaces

Traditionally, this flow requires:

• Setting up a test framework (Playwright/Cypress)
• Writing selectors manually
• Writing test scripts
• Configuring execution and reporting

With AppraiseJS:

Design → Execute → Validate → Report — all in one system

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Checkpoint

• You can create environments, modules, locators, suites, and test cases
• You executed a real test flow
• You validated application state using assertions
• You generated and inspected a report

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Common mistakes

• Expecting starter test data in a fresh scaffold
• Capturing locators from the wrong page
• Running tests before all steps are configured
• Forgetting environment selection affects execution
• Skipping Settings -> Sync after manual file edits

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Next step

You’ve created a complete test flow.

Now learn how to scale this into real workflows:

→ Creating Tests