Testing Of WordPress 5.0

Developing software and website is one thing and making sure that it functions well is another. What is the point of software or website if it is not operating well for your audience?

The testing of software includes many complexities. WordPress website testing has many complications which makes it a daunting task. Before we dwell in the WordPress testing, allow me to address which recent update WordPress brought for their audience.

After much anticipation WordPress, 5.0 is here! It has a new editor called Gutenberg, which is a replacement for TinyMCE.

Gutenberg is designed to change the user experience massively. For this update, you need to be prepared; otherwise you will face problems. Gutenberg uses “blocks” to create content, which helps in creating stunning visuals.

What is a Block?

A block can be:

• Regular text
• Table
• Image
• Video
• Widget etc.

With the help of blocks, you can build your website the way you like, and it allows third-party developers to develop the blocks of their choice.

Gutenberg has become the default editor for WordPress 5.0, it was referred to as Gutenberg in the development phase, and now it is called as the WordPress block editor or just the WordPress editor.

Many users are reluctant to update to WordPress 5.0 in the fear that their site may break down.  There are some issues which occur in the absence of proper testing:

• The website breaks on certain devices, on the desktop it works fine, but on the mobile phone it doesn’t
• Some pages do not show on certain browsers, for example, you can see your latest post on chrome but not on Mozilla.
• Call to action button not showing on safari and so on.

It is essential to test Gutenberg before making a full transition to the editor. Testing enables you to update plugins and themes that might not work correctly in the new update. There are many problems that one can encounter after upgrading to WordPress 5.0; the solution to all these problems is testing!

First, Let’s See Some of The Benefits of Regular Testing

• Testing is beneficial to tackle any bugs and defects in your website
• Proper testing ensures the smooth running of your site
• Appropriate testing results in less downtime which in turns build user credibility
• After the update, your site will be more secure and faster

Testing might be a tiresome task for some, but this repetitive task is crucial for the smooth running of your website.

What Are The Things You Need For Testing?

Testing tools

Proper testing tools have the power of changing the testing game. To provide you with convenient and faster testing there are many tools which will prove to be helpful.

Proper Process

A detailed process is vital for the timely completion of any task, and testing is no exception. Make a list of the things that you need to do for proper testing, outline the tasks that you need to perform after the upgrade. This list will prevent you from missing any significant point.

How To Test Your Website Before Updating To WordPress 5.0?

Create a backup of your site

It is essential to make a backup of your site; otherwise, you might lose the content on your website. There are many plug-ins and themes which are not compatible with Gutenberg; updating without testing will land you in problems. Whenever you are planning a major update, it is wise to back up your website. Backups are your allies in catastrophic situations.

Clone your website to a staging environment

A Staging site is a password protected to restrict public access and to stop Google from indexing. Staging site is a subdomain where you can test any new features you want to add to your actual website without damaging the site.

Use screenshot creation tools

Use tools that take a full screenshot of your website, before and after the update.

Use Screenshot comparison tools

Screenshot comparison tools help compare the changes before and after the update, and you will save plenty of time in comparison as it is easier to compare what changes are made when you compare the new and old screenshots side by side.

Automated script testing

Automated test scripts use the predefined procedures for testing; after the update, you can check if your website is working as intended.

There are certain things that you should keep in mind before updating your website to save you from setbacks

• Create Automated test scripts
• Create a list of URLs that you are going to check after the update. For example contact page, homepage, checkout page, etc. Make sure to test these URLs on different platforms to ensure they are working.
• Making a list of all paid plug-ins and widgets that are not automatically updated, will help you remember to buy or upgrade them after the upgrade.

What To Do On The Staging Site?

• Copy your entire site to the staging site. WPEngine and SiteGround are the go-to tools for doing so.
• Before updating, take screenshots of all your URLs on Safari, Chrome, Firefox on Mac, Android phone, iPhone, Edge on latest versions of Windows.
• Now update your site on the staging environment. Make sure to update WordPress core files, Plugin files, theme files and anything which needs to be updated manually.
• Now check if your staging site is ok and again take the screenshots of your updated website on the staging environment. Again check how the URLs are performing on Safari, Chrome, and Edge on Windows and Firefox on Mac.
• Compare all the screenshots with the help of screenshot comparison tool before and after the update. Compare every URL on every browser
• Now run your automated test scripts to make sure contact us form, checkout, and other important parts are working efficiently.

What Happens To Old Content On Your Website?

Your old content won’t disappear! If you have old content on your website created with TinyMCE editor and you have updated to WordPress 5.0, the Gutenberg editor or the block editor put your old content into a standard block, which can be easily accessed.