What are the steps to configure smoke testing for a web application?

Smoke testing, also known as build verification testing, ensures that the most critical functions of a web application work after a new build. The typical steps are:

1. Identify critical user flows – Login, navigation, form submission, and key business actions.
2. Create lightweight test cases – One test per critical flow, focusing on functionality rather than edge cases.
3. Set up a dedicated test environment – Use a staging server that mirrors production but is isolated.
4. Automate the tests – Use tools like Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright to run the smoke suite quickly.
5. Integrate with CI/CD – Configure the pipeline to trigger smoke tests on every build or deployment.
6. Run the tests – Execute the suite after the build is deployed to the test environment.
7. Analyze results – If any test fails, halt the release and investigate; if all pass, proceed to further testing.
8. Report and log – Store logs and screenshots for audit and debugging.
9. Maintain the suite – Update tests as the application evolves.

Following these steps ensures that a new build is stable enough for deeper testing and reduces the risk of critical failures reaching production.