What is happy path testing?
Happy path testing verifies your software works correctly when everything goes right. Instead of trying to break the system, you're confirming that users can accomplish their basic tasks when they do exactly what they're supposed to do.
Do you have any examples of happy path testing?
Let's look at testing a user registration flow. The happy path would verify that a new user can successfully:
- Enter their email and a valid password
- Receive and click the verification link
- Fill out their profile details
- Land on their new dashboard
No typos, no validation errors, no browser crashes—just the perfect user doing exactly what you expect them to do.
Why is happy path testing important?
Before you hunt for edge cases and weird bugs, you need to know your core features actually work. Happy path testing builds confidence that your software can handle its most basic jobs. Think of it as your baseline—if the happy path fails, nothing else matters until you fix it.
What are the challenges with happy path testing?
The biggest risk is getting lulled into a false sense of security.
Real users don't follow perfect paths—they make typos, hit the back button, lose internet connection, and do all sorts of unexpected things. While happy path testing is essential, it's just your starting point. You need negative testing and edge cases to truly verify your software's reliability.
Real users don't follow perfect paths—they make typos, hit the back button, lose internet connection, and do all sorts of unexpected things. While happy path testing is essential, it's just your starting point. You need negative testing and edge cases to truly verify your software's reliability.
