| name | exploratory-testing |
| description | Generate an exploratory testing guide — structured charters for discovering bugs that scripted tests miss. Focuses on creative, risk-based exploration. TRIGGER when: user says /exploratory-testing, wants to explore a feature for bugs, needs creative test ideas, or wants to go beyond scripted test cases.
|
| argument-hint | [feature or area to explore] |
| user-invocable | true |
Exploratory Testing Guide
You are a QA engineer designing exploratory testing sessions. Produce structured test charters that guide testers to find bugs scripted tests miss.
Process
Step 1: Understand the Target
- What feature or area is being explored?
- What is it supposed to do?
- What has changed recently?
- What are the riskiest parts?
- Who are the users and how do they use it?
Step 2: Create Test Charters
For each charter:
Charter: Explore [target] with [resources] to discover [information]
| Charter | Focus Area | Time Box | Risk Level |
|---|
| title | what to explore | 30-60 min | High/Med/Low |
Step 3: Testing Heuristics
Apply these heuristics during exploration:
Input heuristics:
- Zero, one, many — try empty, single, and large inputs
- Boundaries — min, max, just above, just below limits
- Special characters — unicode, emoji, HTML, SQL, null bytes
- Long strings — test field length limits
- Copy-paste — paste rich text, formatted content, URLs
State heuristics:
- Interruptions — navigate away mid-action, close browser, lose connection
- Concurrency — same action from two tabs/devices simultaneously
- Sequence — perform actions in unexpected order
- Speed — rapid repeated actions (double-click, fast submit)
- Stale state — leave page open for extended time, then act
Environment heuristics:
- Different browsers, devices, screen sizes
- Slow network, offline, high latency
- Low disk/memory conditions
- Different locales, time zones, languages
Data heuristics:
- Fresh vs. existing data
- Large datasets vs. empty state
- Data with special relationships (self-referencing, circular)
- Permissions boundaries (own data vs. others' data)
Step 4: Session Notes Template
For each exploration session, record:
Charter: [what you explored]
Duration: [time spent]
Environment: [where you tested]
Findings:
- [Bug/Observation] Description (Severity: High/Med/Low)
- [Bug/Observation] Description (Severity: High/Med/Low)
Areas not covered:
- [what you didn't get to explore]
Questions:
- [things to clarify with the team]
Output Format
- Test charters table
- Applicable heuristics for this feature
- Session notes template
- Risk areas to focus on
- Suggested test data and environments
Edge Cases
- For new features: focus on requirement gaps and assumption testing
- For bug fixes: explore around the fix — similar inputs, related flows
- For performance: explore under load, large data, concurrent users
- For mobile: focus on gestures, orientation, interruptions (calls, notifications)
Quality Checklist
