Throughout this tutorial, we’ll delve into the practicality and techniques of thoroughly testing an application’s email features.
Testing email functionality is a critical process when considering the robustness of both web and mobile applications. This guarantees the efficiency of the email features as well as the other segments of the system.
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The various elements that must be evaluated during different situations where emails are sent include the email prototype, the links/buttons within the email, the “From”, “To”, “Cc”, and “Bcc” sections, attachments, and the actual content of the email.
Contents of This Article:
Why is Email Testing Required?
Checking each piece of the system (including web/mobile applications) that relates to email functionality is crucial for ensuring that users receive the correct notifications. Challenges may arise if this feature is overlooked, such as creating confusion, damaging the application’s reputation, and compromising security.
Consider a scenario where a user gets an email to reset their password, but the reset password link, or URL included in the email isn’t functioning as intended. This would require the user to reach out to customer service, which can be a frustrating experience. Similarly, receiving reminders about paying your bills after the due date has passed, or being notified daily about overdue payments can be bothersome.
Emails are a critical aspect of our lives, efficiently keeping users informed. Thus, validating email functionality is crucial for ensuring a smooth user experience.
Common Real-world Circumstances and Validation Criteria for Emails
The validation requirements for thoroughly testing emails can fluctuate depending on the email category and the specific application. However, email template (inclusive of application logo, user greeting, name of the application, footer, etc.), and the accurate date and time for varying time zones are all standard validation components that need to be assessed across all types of emails.
Let’s review the usual types of emails that need validation:
#1) Account Activation Emails
When users sign up for an application for the first time, they receive activation emails. The activation link/button provided within these emails must be clicked by the user to activate their account and verify their email address.
Validation Points:
- Activation Link/Button:
- Clicking the activation link/button should direct the user to the corresponding application’s page and already logged in.
- The user’s email account should be automatically verified if they successfully follow the activation link/button to the application’s page.
- Active Duration:
- Check whether the activation link/button needs to be clicked within a certain time frame.
- Try to verify after the active duration has expired to ensure the account remains inactive and the email stays unverified.
#2) Password Reset Emails
Users who have forgotten their password will receive password reset emails containing a link that allows them to reset their password.
Validation Points:
- Reset Password Link:
- Clicking the reset password link should take the user to the relevant application’s page to change their password.
- Some applications may ask users to respond to security inquiries before resetting their password.
- If the user successfully alters their password, the link in the password reset mail should become deactivated and no longer functional.
- In case the password reset workflow is halted by the user, the password reset email link should remain operational.
- Time Limit:
- Ensure if the reset password link must be clicked within a specific duration.
- Try to click the link once the duration has expired to ensure it is deactivated and deemed expired.
#3) Due Date Alerts
Due date reminders notify users of pending tasks that need to be completed within a certain time frame. These can involve bill payments or handling pending tasks.
Validation Points:
- Number of Remaining Days/Due Date:
- If the email alerts users about the remaining number of days, it should be zero or higher. Zero days imply that the due date is the current date. The number of remaining days should never be a negative value. If the email notifies users of a due date (a specific date), it should be either the current date or a forthcoming date.
- Action Type:
- Verify which kind of action is required and confirm that it is explicitly communicated in the email. It could involve bill payment, forms submission, feedback generation, etc.
#4) Overdue Notices
Overdue notices are sent to inform users that the due date has passed, and they have not performed any action on the items.
- Number of Overdue Days:
- Ensure that the number of overdue days is one or more. It should not be zero or negative.
- Frequency:
- Check if the application sends custom overdue emails daily/weekly/monthly until the user performs the action, or if it sends a standard notification once after the due date has passed.
#5) Subscription Emails
Subscription types can vary according to user preference, allowing them to determine the frequency in which they receive emails such as newsletters, updates, special offers, etc.
- Sending frequency:
- Emails should be dispatched according to the user’s selected subscription regularity. For instance, if the user opts for daily updates, they should receive an email per day. If they opt for weekly updates, they should receive one email per week, etc.
- Links:
- Confirm that any links within the email redirect users to the right sections in the application based on their specific subscription type.
#6) Form Emails
Emails enclosing forms require users to provide feedback or utilize the provided link to access the form.
- Links:
- Verify that the email’s link directs users to the form submission webpage on the application matching the kind of form they need to submit.
- Ensure that, if the user has already filled out and submitted the form, clicking the link again notifies them that the form has been completed. The link should not allow them to resubmit the form.
#7) Confirmation Notices
Confirmation emails are dispatched to alert users about the verification of their actions, such as confirming reservations, orders, or inquiries.
Validation Points:
- Confirmation Details:
- Ensure that the order/booking number correlates with the number displayed on the application’s user interface (UI). This number should be one-of-a-kind throughout the application and should accurately identify the user’s order/booking.
- Confirm that the email contains the precise order type, user data, billing address, shipping address, and price, matching the information furnished by the user in the application’s UI.
- Links:
- Check that the link in the email redirects the user to the order’s detailed page on the application’s UI, where they can examine the same information as in the email.
#8) Chat Discourse Emails
Chat discourse emails are dispatched to users following the conclusion of a live chat with customer service. These emails contain the full chat dialogue.
Validation Points:
- Details:
- Inspect whether the name of the support representative and the complete chat conversation are comprised in the email, along with the sender’s details for each chat entry (name, date, and time).
#9) Mails with Attachments
Mails with attachments are sent to users. These attachments can either be password-protected or not. They can be statements from financial territories, user agreements, terms and conditions, etc. The incorporation of attachments varies among applications.
Validation Points:
- Type of Attachment:
- Confirm that valid file types are sent as attachments. Each attachment should be virus-free before downloading or opening them. In certain instances, attachments might be password protected, with the password required solely when opening the file attachment.
Different Forms of Emails
Emails can either come in HTML format, which is visually appealing and captivating for users, or in plain text format.
HTML emails are commonly preferred and are established as the default format in most applications. Nevertheless, applications can dispatch plain text emails if necessary, even though this warrants alterations on the backend.
Email Trigger Occasions:
Emails can either be sent instantly or compiled into a summary/batch. Instant emails are prompted by user actions, like activation emails, password reset mails, chat transcripts, and confirmation mails. Summary/batch emails are sent based on backend configurations such as financial statements, due date reminders, overdue notices, subscriptions, etc.
Emails can be prompted at specific times, like every Monday at 00:00. These kinds of emails can be used in cases like bank statements, due date alerts for bills, subscriptions, among others.
Bouncebacks:
Emails frequently bounce back when directed toward invalid email addresses. This happens when the recipient’s email address is deactivated, obsolete, or doesn’t exist.
The email server attempts to deliver the email a particular number of times. If it fails to reach the intended recipient, it bounces back and files the failure in the server’s bounceback logs. A variety of factors can trigger an email to fail such as the server being down, an excess number of hops, or due to the recipient’s email domain being down or the user’s account not being activated to receive emails.
Localization Scope in Email Testing
Testing localization for emails is vital when an application accommodates numerous languages.
All emails should be dispatched in the user’s chosen language. For instance, if the user’s profile language is set to English, all emails sent to this user should be in English. Similarly, if the profile language is French, all emails should be in French. The profile language preference can be set either once or is adjustable depending on the application’s settings.
Common validation scenarios for email testing localization involve the subject line, the content of the email, names of links/buttons, copyright data, and details for customer support.
Standard/Customizable Emails
Emails can be tailored on the backend.
Just as an example, some applications facilitate users to personalize the subject line or/and body text of emails according to their preference or for better identification. In such situations, detailed testing should be done to prevent intrusion efforts such as sending HTML, Java, or SQL code. All personalization attempts should be unsuccessful to enhance security levels. If the application doesn’t support email customization, standard subject lines and body text established by the application are used for all emails.
Ending Thoughts
Email functionality testing is fundamental in ensuring the efficient operation of a web or mobile application. It’s a team endeavour and should be orchestrated and executed concurrently with other component testing processes.
Email testing should create individualized test cases for every type of email, encompassing all factors. It should be conducted throughout various testing phases, which include regression testing, ad hoc testing, localization testing, UAT testing, and production testing.
Neglecting to validate email functionality can create a negative user experience, harm the application’s reputation, and unfavorably reflect on the testing team. Therefore, email validation is an important step in software testing.
About the author: This post was contributed by Nandini K, an author at STH, with over 7 years of experience in web application testing.
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