user-simulation-test

description	Rules and patterns for simulating real user behavior in E2E tests. Covers UI interactions, API flows, and scenario-based testing strategies.
name	user-simulation-test
allowed-tools	["Read","Grep","Glob","Bash","Task","mcp__plugin_playwright_playwright__*"]

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

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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:

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")

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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

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

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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

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

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

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

Recovery Actions

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

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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")