When it comes to web testing, browser extensions can be a game-changer. They make inspecting, debugging, and automating tasks faster and easier.
Here are some of my favorite browser extensions that I personally find useful as a software tester:
1. SelectorsHub
- Use: Easily find XPath, CSS Selectors, and iframe locators.
- Why it helps: Saves time while writing automation scripts and validating locators.
2. Bug Magnet
- Use: Provides common test data (special characters, long strings, etc.) with just a right-click.
- Why it helps: Helps you quickly test field validations and edge cases.
3. WhatRuns
- Use: Detects which technologies (frameworks, plugins, libraries) a website uses.
- Why it helps: Useful to understand the backend/frontend technologies while testing.
4. WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool)
- Use: Evaluates web accessibility issues directly in Chrome.
- Why it helps: Helps ensure the site is accessible to users with disabilities — important for compliance testing.
5. Lighthouse
- Use: Audits website performance, accessibility, SEO, and best practices.
- Why it helps: Quickly assess critical issues that affect user experience.
6. Postman Interceptor
- Use: Captures and intercepts browser requests into Postman.
- Why it helps: Helpful when you need to verify API responses while testing the UI.
7. ModHeader
- Use: Modify request and response headers.
- Why it helps: Great for testing different environments (like staging/production) or simulating various user agents.