What is 'Smoke Testing'?

Smoke testing refers to a preliminary testing process aimed at verifying whether the most crucial functions of a software application are working correctly. The goal of smoke testing is to ensure that the most essential features are functional enough for further testing to proceed. This type of testing acts as an initial check, often conducted after a new build or version of the application has been created.

By focusing on the basic functionality, smoke tests can quickly identify if there are major issues that would prevent the application from functioning as intended. If the application passes this initial test, more in-depth testing can be conducted, which includes detailed analysis and exploration of the various features and performance under different conditions.

This approach is valuable because it saves time and resources, allowing testers to only delve deeper into the functionality when the essential components are confirmed to be working. It is not a comprehensive analysis nor is it meant to replace thorough testing; rather, it serves as a quick check to determine if the application is stable enough for further testing efforts.