QA steps

In this section you will find a list of steps to take when reviewing PRs, in order to catch unforeseen regressions.

General guidelines for quality reviews

  • Assume positive intent, we all have collective responsibility for the code we write - be nice.

  • Avoid expressing subjective opinions without reasoning. If you think something is bad, you need to explain why you think it is bad.

  • Try not to increase the scope of a PR unnecessarily. If reviewing a PR leads you to unrelated code smells, create a new issue.

  • Embrace the ‘social coding’ aspect of GitHub. If you spot a typo, rather than type a comment explaining where you found the typo and what the correction should be, suggest the actual code change.

  • As above, you can also push refactors and larger code changes back to a PR which the original author can then review.

  • If you engage in a code review, try to keep an eye out for your feedback being actioned so you can respond, to avoid blocking progress.

  • Avoid being overly pedantic. Always consider carefully if your point is important enough to hold up work being merged.

  • Remember to call out positive changes, not just negative changes. Are you impressed by the code change proposed? Did you learn a new thing by reviewing a certain change? Let the author know and spread the positivity.

Adding content

  • If adding a new page to a site, check that it has been added to the navigation, sitemap and breadcrumbs (where applicable).

  • Check that the new content’s copy matches the relevant copydoc.

Removing a page

  • When removing a page, check that it has been removed from the navigation, sitemap and breadcrumbs (where applicable).

  • Ensure that redirects are in place for deprecated urls.

Navigation

  • Check that clicking a navigation link takes you to the right place.

  • If applicable, check that the hover/active state on a navigation link still works.

Search

  • If the site has search functionality, check that searching works properly and you are given relevant results.

Forms

  • If the page you are QAing contains a form, fill it out and check that it still submits. Also, fill it out incorrectly and check that validation still works.

Browser testing

  • Check that the changes look correct on Chrome, Firefox and IE/Edge (see Browser support).

Responsiveness

  • Check that the changes look correct on mobile, tablet and desktop sizes.

Last updated 9 months ago.