User Simulation Test Rules

Core Principle

Test as users do, not as developers think.

Simulate complete user journeys including:

•UI interactions (clicks, inputs, drag-drop, scrolls)
•Form submissions with realistic data
•Multi-step workflows with wait states
•Error scenarios and edge cases

Test Type Selection

Project Type	Primary Test	Secondary Test	Tools
Web Frontend	Playwright E2E	API Mock	browser_* MCP tools
API Backend	HTTP Sequence	Unit Tests	curl/httpie + project runner
Full Stack	Integration E2E	API + UI	Playwright + API calls
CLI Tool	Script Execution	Unit Tests	Bash + project runner

Scenario Structure

Every test scenario must include:

yaml

Scenario:
  name: string           # Descriptive name
  description: string    # What this tests
  preconditions: []      # Required state before test
  steps: Step[]          # User actions in sequence
  assertions: []         # Expected outcomes
  cleanup: []            # Post-test cleanup actions

Detailed templates: Read("references/scenario-templates.md")

UI Interaction Patterns

Click & Input

Action	Playwright Tool	Notes
Click button	`browser_click`	Use ref from snapshot
Type text	`browser_type`	Set slowly=true for key handlers
Fill form	`browser_fill_form`	Batch field updates
Select option	`browser_select_option`	For dropdowns
Press key	`browser_press_key`	Enter, Escape, etc.

Advanced Interactions

Action	Playwright Tool	Use Case
Drag & Drop	`browser_drag`	File upload, reordering
Hover	`browser_hover`	Tooltips, menus
Wait for text	`browser_wait_for`	Loading states
Take screenshot	`browser_take_screenshot`	Visual verification

API Testing Patterns

HTTP Sequence Test

yaml

APISequence:
  - name: "Login"
    method: POST
    endpoint: /api/auth/login
    body: { email, password }
    extract: { token: "response.data.token" }

  - name: "Create Resource"
    method: POST
    endpoint: /api/resources
    headers: { Authorization: "Bearer ${token}" }
    body: { ... }
    assertions:
      - status: 201
      - response.data.id: exists

Test Data Strategy

Realistic Data Generation

Field Type	Strategy	Example
Email	Pattern + timestamp	`test_${timestamp}@example.com`
Name	Fake names	Korean/English name generators
Phone	Pattern	`010-XXXX-XXXX`
Address	Realistic fake	Valid format, fake data
Payment	Test cards	Stripe/Toss test numbers

Data Isolation

•Always use test-specific data prefixes
•Clean up created data after tests
•Use separate test database/environment when possible

Wait Strategies

Situation	Strategy	Tool
Page load	Wait for element	`browser_wait_for` text
API response	Wait for network idle	`browser_network_requests`
Animation	Fixed delay	`browser_wait_for` time
Loading spinner	Wait for disappear	`browser_wait_for` textGone

Assertion Patterns

UI Assertions

yaml

UIAssertions:
  - type: text_visible
    value: "Success message"

  - type: element_exists
    selector: "[data-testid='result']"

  - type: url_contains
    value: "/dashboard"

  - type: no_console_errors
    level: error

API Assertions

yaml

APIAssertions:
  - type: status_code
    expected: 200

  - type: response_time
    max_ms: 2000

  - type: json_path
    path: "$.data.items"
    condition: "length > 0"

Error Handling

Graceful Degradation

•Screenshot on failure - Capture visual state
•Console log capture - Get browser errors
•Network request dump - See failed API calls
•State preservation - Keep test state for debugging

Recovery Actions

yaml

OnFailure:
  - capture_screenshot
  - capture_console_logs
  - capture_network_requests
  - preserve_browser_state  # Don't close immediately

Test Categories

Category	Frequency	Coverage
Smoke	Every change	Critical paths only
Regression	Pre-release	Full user journeys
Integration	Feature complete	Cross-service flows
Load	Scheduled	Performance under stress

Test patterns: Read("references/test-patterns.md")