Crowdsourced testing is a practice that utilizes a large, geographically diverse group of testers to perform various types of testing on a product. Unlike traditional testing, where an in-house team runs tests on a controlled environment, crowdsourced testing allows you to gather feedback from a broader pool of real-world users. These testers are often individuals from a variety of locations, backgrounds, and skill levels, providing a more comprehensive range of insights.
How It Works:
- Testing Platforms: Companies usually partner with third-party crowdsourcing platforms (such as uTest, Testbirds, or CrowdTesting) to manage the process. These platforms host a community of testers who sign up to test software, websites, or apps. The business seeking testing can specify the types of tests they need (e.g., functional testing, usability testing, compatibility testing, security testing, etc.).
- Test Execution: The company provides the product to be tested, often in a beta version or early access phase. Testers can then interact with the software as actual users would, and report bugs, glitches, or usability issues they encounter. They may perform actions like clicking buttons, navigating pages, or interacting with features on various devices and platforms.
- Diverse Testers: Crowdsourced testing can bring together people with different devices, operating systems, browser configurations, geographic locations, and network conditions. Testers in different time zones or from different regions can simulate the behavior of real users from around the world. For example, a tester from Europe might experience the app on a slower 3G connection, while a tester from Asia might encounter localization issues that an American tester wouldn’t.
- Real-World Feedback: Since testers are often real users, they perform tests in conditions that more closely resemble how a typical user would interact with the software. They may face issues like slow internet connections, device incompatibilities, or differing screen sizes that a controlled testing environment would never replicate.
Why It’s Useful:
- Wide Coverage: Crowdsourced testing gives access to a vast range of testing environments. It can uncover issues that would otherwise go unnoticed, such as platform-specific bugs, localization errors, or issues with specific network conditions.
- Faster Time to Market: With a large pool of testers working simultaneously, crowdsourced testing speeds up the feedback cycle. This allows companies to detect and fix problems early in the development process, reducing delays and accelerating time to market.
- Cost-Effective: Outsourcing testing to a crowd is often more affordable than maintaining a large internal testing team. This is particularly helpful for startups or companies looking to scale testing efforts without hiring a full team of testers.