Which are types of tests can be done manual

Manual vs. Automated Testing in Website Development

While some tests require automation for efficiency, many tests can still be conducted manually to ensure a better user experience, security, and functionality. Below is a breakdown of which tests can be done manually and which require automation.

Tests That Can Be Done Manually

(These tests require human interaction, visual validation, and exploratory testing.)

1. Functional Testing (Manually Feasible)

Unit Testing – Can be done manually by testing individual components in a browser.
Smoke Testing – Manually check basic functionalities like login, navigation, form submissions, and buttons.
Regression Testing – Manually re-test features after updates (but can be tedious for large apps).
Forms & Input Validation Testing – Manually enter data to check error handling and validation messages.
Navigation Testing – Manually test if menus, buttons, and links navigate properly.
Broken Links Testing – Click on links manually to check if they work or return 404 errors.
Database Testing – Manually input, update, and delete records to check data integrity.

How? – Manually use the website in different browsers and devices, and track issues in a spreadsheet or bug tracking tool.

2. UI/UX Testing (Manual Preferred)

User Interface Testing – Manually check fonts, colors, layout, and responsiveness.
Navigation Testing – Ensure smooth user journey by clicking through all links and buttons.
Mobile Usability Testing – Test on real devices to check touch responsiveness, scrolling, and layout.
Dark Mode / Light Mode Testing – Manually switch modes to check UI compatibility.
Accessibility Testing – Use screen readers, keyboard navigation, and color contrast validation.
A/B Testing (Usability Testing) – Conduct user interviews and feedback sessions to check which version of a feature works better.

How? – Use manual click-through testing, feedback collection, and user testing sessions.

3. Compatibility Testing (Manual Feasible)

Cross-Browser Testing – Open the website in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera and compare the UI.
Cross-Device Testing – Manually test the website on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
Screen Resolution Testing – Manually resize the browser window to check responsiveness.
OS Compatibility Testing – Open the website on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

How? – Use real devices, browser dev tools, or virtual machines for testing.

4. SEO Testing (Manual Possible)

Meta Tag & Title Testing – Inspect the HTML source code manually for proper meta tags.
Schema Markup Testing – Check structured data (JSON-LD, microdata) manually via Google’s Rich Results Test.
Sitemap & Robots.txt Testing – Open the /robots.txt file and /sitemap.xml manually in a browser.
Keyword Density Testing – Read the content manually and check for keyword stuffing.

How? – Inspect the page source, read metadata, and use SEO browser extensions.

5. Localization & Internationalization Testing (Manual Best)

Language & Translation Testing – Manually switch languages and check translations.
Currency & Date Format Testing – Ensure correct currency and date formats manually.
RTL Support Testing – Check Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu, etc., layout manually.

How? – Manually set the language and verify UI correctness.

6. Compliance Testing (Manual Feasible)

GDPR Compliance – Manually test if users can opt-in/opt-out of cookies and delete their data.
HIPAA Compliance – Check if sensitive medical data is protected and not shared.
PCI DSS Compliance – Manually test if payment card details are securely handled.
ADA Compliance – Use keyboard navigation and screen readers to test accessibility.

How? – Use manual validation, compliance checklists, and real-world testing.

Tests That Should Be Automated

(These tests are time-consuming, repetitive, and require multiple iterations.)

1. Performance Testing

Load Testing – Simulating thousands of users manually is impossible.
Stress Testing – Requires automated test scripts to push the server beyond its limits.
Scalability Testing – Needs automated tools to increase load dynamically.
Page Speed Testing – Best done using automated speed tools like Lighthouse, GTmetrix, Pingdom.

Automated Tools:
JMeter, Locust, k6, Lighthouse, WebPageTest

2. Security Testing

Vulnerability Scanning – Automated tools detect SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, etc.
Penetration Testing – Requires automation for ethical hacking attempts.
Brute Force Testing – Impossible to test manually without automation.
Session Management Testing – Automated testing ensures session timeouts work properly.

Automated Tools:
OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite, Nikto, Acunetix, Nessus

3. Automation Testing

Automated UI Testing – Using Selenium, Cypress, Playwright to run automated browser tests.
API Automation Testing – Postman, REST Assured for automating API calls and responses.
Regression Testing (Large Websites) – Automating repeated tests using test scripts.
Data Migration Testing – Using automation to verify data integrity after database migration.

Automated Tools:
Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, JMeter, Postman, TestCafe

Best Approach: Hybrid Testing (Manual + Automated)

For best results, follow this hybrid strategy:
Perform manual testing for UI, UX, accessibility, localization, compliance, and exploratory tests.
Use automation for performance, security, regression, and API testing.
Combine both for functional, SEO, and usability testing.

Would you like help creating a test strategy based on your project?