Introduction to Exploratory Testing

Exploratory testing is simultaneous learning, test design, and test execution. Unlike scripted testing where you execute predefined test cases, exploratory testing is an investigative approach where the tester actively controls the design of tests as they’re performed, using information gained while testing to design new and better tests.

Think of exploratory testing (as discussed in From Manual to Automation: Complete Transition Guide for QA Engineers) (as discussed in Will AI Replace QA Engineers by 2030? The Future of Testing Profession) as the difference between following a GPS route and exploring a new city on foot. The GPS gets you to your destination efficiently, but walking around lets you discover hidden gems, understand the neighborhood’s character, and find problems the GPS never mentioned.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the art and science of exploratory testing—from structured approaches like session-based testing to creative techniques like tours, from documentation strategies to powerful heuristics that guide your investigation.

What Is Exploratory Testing?

Definition

Exploratory testing is an approach to software testing that emphasizes the tester’s freedom and responsibility to continually optimize the value of their work by treating test-related learning, test design, test execution, and test result interpretation as mutually supportive activities that run in parallel throughout the project.

Key characteristics:

  • Learning-driven: Understanding the system while testing it
  • Context-dependent: Adapts to what you find
  • Skill-intensive: Relies on tester expertise and critical thinking
  • Simultaneous: Design and execution happen together
  • Time-boxed: Often structured in focused sessions

Exploratory vs Scripted Testing

Scripted testing:

1. Write test cases
2. Review test cases
3. Execute test cases
4. Report results

Advantages:
- Repeatable
- Measurable coverage
- Good for regression
- Junior testers can execute

Disadvantages:
- Slow to adapt
- Misses unexpected scenarios
- Can be mindless execution

Exploratory testing:

1. Charter/Mission → Test → Learn → Adapt → Test → Learn...

Advantages:
- Finds surprising bugs
- Adapts in real-time
- Engages tester creativity
- Fast feedback

Disadvantages:
- Harder to measure
- Requires skilled testers
- Less repeatable
- Can seem unstructured

Reality: These aren’t opposing approaches—they’re complementary. The best testing strategies use both.

When to Use Exploratory Testing

Ideal scenarios:

  • New features: Understanding unfamiliar functionality
  • Short timelines: Need to find bugs quickly
  • Vague requirements: When specifications are incomplete
  • After automation: Finding what scripts miss
  • Critical user paths: Ensuring real-world usability
  • Regression investigation: Understanding why automated tests fail
  • Security testing: Looking for vulnerabilities creatively
  • Usability evaluation: Experiencing the user journey

Not ideal for:

  • Compliance testing requiring audit trails
  • Exact repeatability requirements
  • Scenarios automation handles well
  • When testers lack product knowledge

Session-Based Test Management (SBTM)

What Is SBTM?

Session-Based Test Management is a structured approach to exploratory testing that provides measurability and accountability while preserving the tester’s freedom to explore.

Core concepts:

  • Charter: The mission or goal for the session
  • Session: A time-boxed period of uninterrupted testing (usually 45-120 minutes)
  • Debriefing: Review of what happened during the session
  • Metrics: Tracking time and coverage

The Session Charter

A charter defines what you’re testing, why, and how.

Charter format:

Explore [area]
With [resources]
To discover [information]

Examples:

Charter 1:
Explore: Payment processing workflow
With: Various credit card types and amounts
To discover: Validation, error handling, and edge cases

Charter 2:
Explore: User profile settings
With: Different user roles and permissions
To discover: Access control issues and data integrity problems

Charter 3:
Explore: File upload functionality
With: Various file types, sizes, and edge cases
To discover: Security vulnerabilities and handling of malformed files

Charter 4:
Explore: Search functionality
With: Different query types (partial, exact, special characters)
To discover: Performance issues and relevance problems

Good charter characteristics:

  • Specific enough to focus testing
  • Broad enough to allow exploration
  • Time-appropriate for session length
  • Clear mission that guides but doesn’t constrain

Charter anti-patterns:

- ❌ Too vague: "Test the application"
- ❌ Too specific: "Verify login button is blue"
- ❌ Too broad: "Find all bugs in the system"
- ❌ No focus: "Click around and see what happens"

✓ Just right: "Explore authentication with various credential combinations to discover security vulnerabilities"

Planning a Session

Before the session:

1. Define charter
   - What are you testing?
   - What questions do you want answered?
   - What risks concern you?

2. Gather resources
   - Test data
   - Tools
   - Environment access
   - Documentation

3. Set time box
   - Usually 60-90 minutes
   - Short enough to maintain focus
   - Long enough to get into flow

4. Minimize interruptions
   - Block calendar
   - Silence notifications
   - Set expectation of focus time

During the Session

The testing cycle:

1. Start with charter
2. Explore and test
3. Notice something interesting
4. Investigate deeper
5. Find a bug or learn something new
6. Document briefly
7. Continue exploring
8. Follow new threads
9. Return to charter if drifting too far
10. Note ideas for future sessions

Time allocation (typical 90-minute session):

Session setup:    5 minutes
Testing:          75 minutes
Bug reporting:    5 minutes
Note taking:      5 minutes (throughout)

Real-time note-taking:

Keep a testing log:
- What you're testing
- What you observe
- Questions that arise
- Ideas for further testing
- Bugs found
- Time spent

Example log:
10:00 - Started session: Payment processing charter
10:05 - Testing valid credit card flow - works as expected
10:15 - Trying invalid card numbers - error messages clear
10:20 - Question: What happens with expired cards?
10:25 - Bug found: Expired card processed anyway! Logged as BUG-123
10:35 - Testing payment amounts - negative numbers...
10:37 - Bug: Negative amount creates credit! BUG-124
10:45 - Exploring refund workflow...

After the Session: Debriefing

Session report should include:

Charter: [What you were testing]
Duration: [Actual time spent]
Test notes: [What you did, what you found]
Bugs found: [List with IDs]
Issues: [Blockers or concerns]
Questions: [Things you're unsure about]
New charters: [Ideas for future sessions]
Coverage: [What was tested vs not tested]

Example session report:

SESSION REPORT

Charter: Explore payment processing with various credit card scenarios
to discover validation and security issues

Duration: 90 minutes

Areas Tested:
- Valid credit card processing (Visa, MasterCard, Amex)
- Invalid card number handling
- Expired card handling
- Different payment amounts (small, large, decimals)
- Special characters in cardholder name
- Concurrent payments

Bugs Found:
- BUG-123: Expired credit cards are accepted and processed
- BUG-124: Negative payment amounts create credits
- BUG-125: XSS vulnerability in cardholder name field

Issues:
- Test environment was slow, affecting productivity
- Couldn't test international cards (blocked in test env)

Questions:
- What's the expected behavior for $0.00 transactions?
- Should we handle cards expiring this month differently?

New Charter Ideas:
- Explore payment processing with international credit cards
- Investigate refund workflow edge cases
- Test concurrent payment scenarios under load

Coverage:
Tested: Basic happy path, error cases, security (as discussed in [Non-Functional Testing: Beyond Functionality](/blog/non-functional-testing-guide)) basics
Not tested: Performance at scale, all international card types

Notes:
Focus was on security and validation. Found critical issue
with expired cards. Recommend prioritizing BUG-123 fix.

SBTM Metrics

Track metrics to show value:

1. Session time breakdown:

Total session time: 90 minutes
- Test execution: 70 minutes (78%)
- Bug investigation: 10 minutes (11%)
- Setup/admin: 10 minutes (11%)

2. Coverage tracking:

Areas in charter: 5
Areas tested: 4
Areas not tested: 1
Coverage: 80%

3. Productivity metrics:

Sessions completed: 20
Bugs found: 15
Critical bugs: 3
Time to first bug: Average 15 minutes

4. Learning indicators:

Questions raised: 45
Charters generated from sessions: 12
Documentation gaps identified: 8

Tour-Based Testing

What Are Tours?

Tours are predefined patterns or themes for exploring an application, like a tour guide showing you different aspects of a city. Each tour focuses on a particular perspective or type of testing.

The Tourist Metaphor

Imagine you’re visiting a new city:

  • Business District Tour: See where work happens
  • Entertainment District Tour: Experience nightlife and fun
  • Historical Tour: Learn the city’s story
  • Back Alley Tour: Find hidden and less polished areas

Similarly, software tours explore different aspects of an application.

Types of Tours

Business District Tours (User-Focused)

1. Guidebook Tour

Follow the "official" paths—use the application exactly as documented
in user guides and tutorials.

Purpose: Verify documentation accuracy
Questions to ask:
- Do the documented steps work?
- Are screenshots up to date?
- Are instructions clear?
- Does actual behavior match described behavior?

Example: E-commerce site
- Follow the "How to make your first purchase" guide
- Try the "How to return an item" tutorial
- Execute the "How to track your order" instructions

2. Money Tour

Follow the paths that make money or deliver primary value.

Purpose: Test critical business functionality
Focus on:
- Revenue-generating features
- Core value propositions
- Features customers pay for
- Conversion funnels

Example: Subscription service
- Sign up flow → Payment → Access premium features
- Upgrade to higher tier
- Renewal process
- Referral program

3. Landmark Tour

Test the most prominent, visible, or marketed features.

Purpose: Verify headline features work
Focus on:
- Features in marketing materials
- Items on the main navigation
- Advertised capabilities
- Demo scenarios

Example: Project management tool
- Board view (if that's the flagship feature)
- Real-time collaboration
- Mobile app sync
- Integrations with popular tools

4. FedEx Tour

Follow data through the system—from input to output, through all
processing steps.

Purpose: Test data flow and integrity
Track:
- Data creation
- Data transformation
- Data storage
- Data retrieval
- Data export

Example: CRM system
- Create contact → Assign to sales rep → Add to campaign →
  Track interactions → Generate report → Export data

Entertainment District Tours (User Experience)

5. Supermodel Tour

Focus on the user interface and visual presentation.

Purpose: Evaluate aesthetics and visual design
Look for:
- Visual consistency
- Alignment and spacing
- Color scheme
- Typography
- Responsive design
- Accessibility

Example:
- Check all buttons have consistent styling
- Verify responsive behavior at different screen sizes
- Test dark mode
- Validate color contrast
- Check for visual bugs (overlapping text, cut-off images)

6. Scottish Pub Tour

Try every menu, button, and feature you can find.

Purpose: Verify all interactive elements work
Test:
- Every button
- Every link
- Every menu item
- Every form field
- Every keyboard shortcut

Example: Settings page
- Click every tab
- Toggle every switch
- Save every configuration
- Test every dropdown option

7. Couch Potato Tour

Test with minimal effort—lazy user behavior.

Purpose: See what happens with minimal input
Try:
- Skipping optional fields
- Using defaults everywhere
- Accepting all defaults
- Taking the path of least resistance

Example: Account setup
- Skip profile picture
- Use default settings
- Don't fill optional fields
- Accept recommended options

Historical District Tours (Backwards Compatibility)

8. Back Alley Tour

Go to less visible, older, or rarely used features.

Purpose: Find neglected areas
Focus on:
- Legacy features
- Admin panels
- Settings pages
- Error pages
- Help documentation
- Deprecated features still accessible

Example:
- Old import/export functionality
- Legacy report generators
- Compatibility modes
- Admin debugging tools

9. Museum Tour

Test with old data, old formats, old browsers, old devices.

Purpose: Verify backwards compatibility
Test with:
- Old file formats
- Data from previous versions
- Older browsers
- Legacy devices
- Historical data

Example:
- Import files created years ago
- Use IE11 or older browser
- Test on iPhone 6
- Load account with 10-year history

Seedy District Tours (Negative Testing)

10. Saboteur Tour

Try to break things intentionally.

Purpose: Find security and stability issues
Try:
- SQL injection attempts
- XSS attempts
- Buffer overflows
- Invalid inputs
- Authentication bypasses

Example:
- Enter JavaScript in text fields
- Use ' OR '1'='1 in inputs
- Upload executable as image
- Manipulate URLs
- Tamper with cookies

11. Obsessive-Compulsive Tour

Repeat the same action many times.

Purpose: Find issues with repetition
Test:
- Rapid clicking
- Multiple submissions
- Many items in cart
- Thousands of records
- Very long text

Example:
- Click save button 100 times rapidly
- Add 1000 items to list
- Enter 10,000 character text
- Create 50 browser tabs

12. Wrong Turn Tour

Take every wrong path possible.

Purpose: Test error handling
Try:
- Wrong credentials
- Invalid inputs
- Expired sessions
- Missing parameters
- Broken links
- 404 pages

Example:
- Login with wrong password
- Submit form with all invalid data
- Navigate to non-existent URLs
- Let session expire mid-workflow
- Remove required URL parameters

Extreme Testing Tours

13. All-Nighter Tour

Run long-duration tests.

Purpose: Find time-dependent issues
Test:
- Leave app open for hours
- Run overnight processes
- Test at exact midnight
- Cross time zones
- Daylight saving transitions

Example:
- Leave session active for 24 hours
- Schedule reports at midnight
- Test timezone changes
- Run batch processes overnight

14. Garbage Collector’s Tour

Fill the system with junk and see what breaks.

Purpose: Test resource management
Create:
- Dummy accounts
- Junk data
- Large files
- Many records
- Full storage

Example:
- Upload maximum file size
- Create thousands of test records
- Fill up allowed storage
- Max out all limits

Using Tours Effectively

Combining tours:

Session 1: Money Tour + FedEx Tour
→ Test critical business flow and data integrity

Session 2: Supermodel Tour + Museum Tour
→ Test UI consistency across old browsers

Session 3: Saboteur Tour + Wrong Turn Tour
→ Security and error handling deep dive

Tour adaptation:

Customize tours for your application:
- Mobile app? Add "One-Handed Tour" (thumb reach only)
- API? Add "Contract Tour" (test API contracts)
- Dashboard? Add "Data Viz Tour" (test all charts)
- Form-heavy? Add "Tab Key Tour" (navigate by keyboard only)

Heuristics for Exploratory Testing

What Are Heuristics?

Heuristics are rules of thumb, shortcuts, or thinking aids that help testers know where to look and what to test. They’re not guarantees—they’re educated guesses based on experience.

Testing Heuristics

CRUD Heuristic

Test Create, Read, Update, Delete operations for all entities.

For every data object, test:
✓ Creating new instances
✓ Reading/viewing instances
✓ Updating/modifying instances
✓ Deleting/removing instances

Also test:
- Create without required fields
- Create duplicate
- Read non-existent
- Update with invalid data
- Update non-existent
- Delete and try to access
- Delete and recreate with same ID

Goldilocks Heuristic

Test too little, too much, and just right.

For every quantity or value:
- Too small: 0, 1, minimum
- Too large: maximum, maximum+1, infinity
- Just right: typical value

Examples:
- File upload: 0 bytes, 1 byte, max size, max+1
- Text field: empty, 1 char, max length, max+1
- List: 0 items, 1 item, many items, max items
- Price: $0, $0.01, $9999.99, negative, non-numeric

SFDIPOT Heuristic

Structure, Function, Data, Interfaces, Platform, Operations, Time

Structure: Architecture, code organization
Function: What features do
Data: Information flow and storage
Interfaces: UI, API, integrations
Platform: OS, browser, device
Operations: Install, upgrade, configure
Time: Timing, sequences, scheduling

Boundaries Heuristic

Errors love boundaries—test at edges.

Common boundaries:
- Min/max values
- First/last items
- Beginning/end of time periods
- Empty/full
- Logged in/logged out
- Connected/disconnected

Examples:
- First day of month/year
- Last record in database
- Exactly at midnight
- Maximum file size
- Empty cart vs full cart

Consistency Heuristic

Things that should match, should match.

Check consistency across:
- Different pages/screens
- Different browsers/devices
- Different user roles
- Different languages
- Different states

Examples:
- Is "Submit" button always "Submit" or sometimes "Send"?
- Do all date fields use same format?
- Are error messages consistent in style?
- Does the mobile app match web app?

CRUD + SCAN Heuristic

Beyond basic CRUD, also test:
Search
Copy
Archive
Navigate

For each entity:
- Search for it
- Copy/duplicate it
- Archive/soft delete it
- Navigate to/from it

Oracles: How to Know If Something Is Wrong

An oracle is a principle or mechanism to recognize a problem.

Common oracles:

1. Specification oracle:

Compare behavior to documented requirements.
Problem: Specs may be wrong or incomplete.

2. Comparable product oracle:

Compare to competitor or previous version.
Example: "Gmail allows 25MB attachments, we should too"

3. Consistency oracle:

Expect similar things to behave similarly.
Example: If Save is Ctrl+S in one dialog, it should be everywhere.

4. History oracle:

This worked before, so it should still work.
Example: Regression testing uses this oracle.

5. User expectations oracle:

What would a reasonable user expect?
Example: Clicking X should close window.

6. Statutes and standards oracle:

Legal requirements, industry standards (WCAG, GDPR, etc.)
Example: Must meet accessibility standards.

Documenting Exploratory Testing

Why Document?

Benefits:

  • Enables knowledge sharing
  • Provides evidence of testing
  • Supports bug reproduction
  • Identifies coverage gaps
  • Facilitates hand-offs
  • Creates learning repository

What to Document

Minimum viable documentation:

1. Charter/Goal
2. What was tested
3. What was found
4. What wasn't tested
5. Questions raised

Comprehensive documentation:

1. Session details (date, time, duration, tester)
2. Charter
3. Test areas and coverage
4. Test data used
5. Environment details
6. Observations and notes
7. Bugs found (with IDs)
8. Questions and ideas
9. Risks identified
10. Follow-up charters

Documentation Formats

1. Mind Maps

Visualize exploration paths and findings.

Central node: Feature/area being tested
Branches: Different aspects tested
Leaves: Specific tests and findings

Tools: XMind, MindMeister, FreeMind

Example structure:
            Payment Processing
                 /      |      \
            Valid    Invalid   Edge Cases
             /          |          \
       Visa,MC,Amex  Format  $0, Negative
         |            |          |
       Works!    Good errors   BUG!

2. Session Sheets

Structured template for note-taking.

MISSION: [Charter]
START TIME: [Time]
DURATION: [Minutes]
TESTER: [Name]

NOTES:
[Time] - [Action taken]
[Time] - [Observation]
[Time] - [Bug found]

BUGS: [List with IDs]
QUESTIONS: [Open items]
COVERAGE: [What was/wasn't tested]

3. Screen Recordings

Record exploration sessions.

Benefits:
- Complete record
- Bug reproduction
- Training material
- Review and learning

Tools: OBS, Loom, SnagIt, Camtasia

When to record:
✓ Security testing
✓ Complex bug reproduction
✓ Training new testers
✓ When stakeholders want to see testing
✗ Every session (too much data)

4. Annotated Screenshots

Visual bug reports and notes.

Tools: Snagit, Skitch, Annotate, CloudApp

Include:
- Arrows pointing to issues
- Text annotations
- Red boxes around problems
- Steps to reproduce
- Expected vs actual

5. Test Notes in Code

For technical testing, document in comments or docs.

Example:
/*
 * EXPLORATORY TEST SESSION: API Authentication
 * Date: 2025-09-30
 * Charter: Test JWT token edge cases
 *
 * Findings:
 * - Expired tokens correctly rejected
 * - Malformed tokens handled gracefully
 * - BUG: Token with modified payload accepted (BUG-456)
 *
 * Not tested:
 * - Token refresh flow
 * - Concurrent sessions
 */

Exploratory Testing Checklists

Pre-Session Checklist

Environment:
- [ ] Test environment accessible
- [ ] Test data available
- [ ] Tools ready (browser, debugger, etc.)
- [ ] Clean state (or known state)

Preparation:
- [ ] Charter defined
- [ ] Time allocated
- [ ] Interruptions minimized
- [ ] Documentation template ready

Knowledge:
- [ ] Recent changes understood
- [ ] Requirements reviewed
- [ ] Previous bugs reviewed
- [ ] User personas in mind

During-Session Checklist

Testing:
- [ ] Following charter loosely
- [ ] Taking notes as you go
- [ ] Noticing patterns
- [ ] Following hunches
- [ ] Questioning assumptions
- [ ] Logging bugs immediately
- [ ] Taking screenshots of issues

Mindset:
- [ ] Staying curious
- [ ] Asking "what if?"
- [ ] Being skeptical
- [ ] Thinking like a user
- [ ] Thinking like an attacker
- [ ] Noticing inconsistencies

Post-Session Checklist

Documentation:
- [ ] Session notes completed
- [ ] Bugs logged with details
- [ ] Screenshots attached
- [ ] Questions documented
- [ ] Coverage noted

Follow-up:
- [ ] New charters identified
- [ ] Stakeholders informed
- [ ] Critical bugs escalated
- [ ] Lessons learned captured

Housekeeping:
- [ ] Test data cleaned up (if needed)
- [ ] Environment reset (if needed)
- [ ] Tools closed
- [ ] Metrics updated

General Testing Heuristics Checklist

Variations:
- [ ] Tested with different data
- [ ] Tested with different users
- [ ] Tested in different states
- [ ] Tested on different platforms

Boundaries:
- [ ] Minimum values
- [ ] Maximum values
- [ ] Empty/null
- [ ] First/last

Errors:
- [ ] Invalid inputs
- [ ] Missing inputs
- [ ] Wrong sequence
- [ ] Interruptions

Performance:
- [ ] Large data sets
- [ ] Slow connections
- [ ] Long running operations
- [ ] Concurrent users

Security:
- [ ] Authentication bypass attempts
- [ ] Authorization violations
- [ ] Input injection
- [ ] Data exposure

Best Practices for Exploratory Testing

1. Balance Structure and Freedom

✓ Have a charter, but don't be rigid
✓ Take notes, but don't stop exploring
✓ Follow hunches, but track coverage
✓ Be creative, but stay focused

2. Think Like Multiple Personas

Test as:
- A new user (confused, following tutorials)
- An expert user (keyboard shortcuts, power features)
- A malicious user (trying to break security)
- A careless user (clicking without reading)
- A business stakeholder (value delivered?)

3. Pair Exploratory Testing

Benefits:
- Two perspectives
- Real-time discussion
- One tests, one documents
- Knowledge sharing
- More bugs found

Roles:
- Driver: Controls keyboard/mouse, executes tests
- Navigator: Suggests ideas, takes notes, questions
Switch roles every 20-30 minutes

4. Use Tools to Amplify Testing

Essential tools:
- Developer tools (Chrome DevTools, Firefox Dev Tools)
- Proxy tools (Charles, Fiddler, Burp Suite)
- Screenshot tools (Snagit, ShareX)
- Note-taking (Evernote, Notion, markdown editors)
- Screen recording (OBS, Loom)
- Test data generators
- Mind mapping tools

5. Learn Continuously

After each session:
✓ What did you learn about the product?
✓ What did you learn about testing?
✓ What would you do differently?
✓ What new questions emerged?
✓ What patterns did you notice?

6. Track and Report Value

Metrics that matter:
- Bugs found (especially critical ones)
- Questions answered
- Risks identified
- Coverage achieved
- Time invested

Communicate:
- Share interesting findings
- Highlight critical bugs immediately
- Propose new charters based on discoveries
- Educate team on what you learned

7. Alternate Approaches

Vary your testing approach:
- Monday: Tours-based
- Tuesday: Heuristics-focused
- Wednesday: Persona-driven
- Thursday: Integration-focused
- Friday: Creative/experimental

Prevents:
- Testing tunnel vision
- Boredom
- Diminishing returns

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Pitfall 1: Aimless Wandering

Problem: “I’m just clicking around with no purpose.”

Solution:

  • Always start with a charter
  • Set a timer
  • Have a focus question
  • Use tours as structure

Pitfall 2: Not Documenting

Problem: “I found bugs but didn’t write them down.”

Solution:

  • Document as you go, not at the end
  • Use templates to make it quick
  • Take screenshots immediately
  • Voice record notes if typing is slow

Pitfall 3: Shallow Testing

Problem: “I only tested happy paths.”

Solution:

  • Use heuristics to guide deeper testing
  • Ask “what could go wrong?”
  • Test error cases explicitly
  • Follow the Saboteur tour

Pitfall 4: Ignoring Context

Problem: “I found a bug that’s actually expected behavior.”

Solution:

  • Understand requirements first
  • Ask questions before reporting
  • Know your oracles
  • Consider user intent

Pitfall 5: Not Tracking Time

Problem: “I spent 4 hours on one thing.”

Solution:

  • Use time-boxes
  • Set alarms
  • Track time spent
  • Move on when diminishing returns

Pitfall 6: Testing in Isolation

Problem: “No one knows what I’m testing.”

Solution:

  • Share session plans
  • Debrief regularly
  • Report findings quickly
  • Collaborate with developers

Conclusion

Exploratory testing is both an art and a skill. It requires:

  • Curiosity to ask questions
  • Skepticism to question assumptions
  • Creativity to imagine scenarios
  • Discipline to document findings
  • Adaptability to change direction
  • Intuition developed through experience

The beauty of exploratory testing is that it scales with your skill—a junior tester following tours and heuristics will find bugs, while an expert tester with deep product knowledge will find critical, subtle issues that scripted tests would never catch.

Start small:

  1. Run a 60-minute session with a clear charter
  2. Use one tour or heuristic as a guide
  3. Document what you find
  4. Learn from the experience
  5. Repeat, improve, refine

Over time, you’ll develop an instinct for where bugs hide, which questions to ask, and how to make every minute of testing count.

Remember: Exploratory testing doesn’t replace scripted testing—it complements it. Use both approaches strategically to build comprehensive test coverage that’s both systematic and insightful.

Further Reading

  • “Explore It!” by Elisabeth Hendrickson
  • “Lessons Learned in Software Testing” by Cem Kaner, James Bach, Bret Pettichord
  • “Testing Computer Software” by Cem Kaner
  • James Bach’s blog: satisfice.com
  • Michael Bolton’s blog: developsense.com
  • Rapid Software Testing methodology