'Systematically QA test a web application and fix bugs found. Runs QA
Scanned 5/27/2026
Install via CLI
openskills install charlieviettq/awesome-agent-skill---
name: qa
description: 'Systematically QA test a web application and fix bugs found. Runs QA
testing, then iteratively fixes bugs in source code, committing each fix atomically
and re-verifying. Use when asked to "qa", "QA", "test this site", "find bugs", "test
and fix", or "fix what''s broken". Proactively suggest when the user says a feature
is ready for testing or asks "does this work?". Three tiers: Quick (critical/high
only), Standard (+ medium), Exhaustive (+ cosmetic). Produces before/after health
scores, fix evidence, and a ship-readiness summary. For report-only mode, use /qa-only.
(gstack) Voice triggers (speech-to-text aliases): "quality check", "test the app",
"run QA".'
---
## Skill routing
When the user's request matches an available skill, invoke it via the Skill tool. When in doubt, invoke the skill.
Key routing rules:
- Product ideas/brainstorming → invoke /office-hours
- Strategy/scope → invoke /plan-ceo-review
- Architecture → invoke /plan-eng-review
- Design system/plan review → invoke /design-consultation or /plan-design-review
- Full review pipeline → invoke /autoplan
- Bugs/errors → invoke /investigate
- QA/testing site behavior → invoke /qa or /qa-only
- Code review/diff check → invoke /review
- Visual polish → invoke /design-review
- Ship/deploy/PR → invoke /ship or /land-and-deploy
- Save progress → invoke /context-save
- Resume context → invoke /context-restore
```
Then commit the change: `git add CLAUDE.md && git commit -m "chore: add gstack skill routing rules to CLAUDE.md"`
If B: run `~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-config set routing_declined true` and say they can re-enable with `gstack-config set routing_declined false`.
This only happens once per project. Skip if `HAS_ROUTING` is `yes` or `ROUTING_DECLINED` is `true`.
If `VENDORED_GSTACK` is `yes`, warn once via AskUserQuestion unless `~/.gstack/.vendoring-warned-$SLUG` exists:
> This project has gstack vendored in `.claude/skills/gstack/`. Vendoring is deprecated.
> Migrate to team mode?
Options:
- A) Yes, migrate to team mode now
- B) No, I'll handle it myself
If A:
1. Run `git rm -r .claude/skills/gstack/`
2. Run `echo '.claude/skills/gstack/' >> .gitignore`
3. Run `~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-team-init required` (or `optional`)
4. Run `git add .claude/ .gitignore CLAUDE.md && git commit -m "chore: migrate gstack from vendored to team mode"`
5. Tell the user: "Done. Each developer now runs: `cd ~/.claude/skills/gstack && ./setup --team`"
If B: say "OK, you're on your own to keep the vendored copy up to date."
Always run (regardless of choice):
```bash
eval "$(~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-slug 2>/dev/null)" 2>/dev/null || true
touch ~/.gstack/.vendoring-warned-${SLUG:-unknown}
```
If marker exists, skip.
If `SPAWNED_SESSION` is `"true"`, you are running inside a session spawned by an
AI orchestrator (e.g., OpenClaw). In spawned sessions:
- Do NOT use AskUserQuestion for interactive prompts. Auto-choose the recommended option.
- Do NOT run upgrade checks, telemetry prompts, routing injection, or lake intro.
- Focus on completing the task and reporting results via prose output.
- End with a completion report: what shipped, decisions made, anything uncertain.
## Step 0: Detect platform and base branch
First, detect the git hosting platform from the remote URL:
```bash
git remote get-url origin 2>/dev/null
```
- If the URL contains "github.com" → platform is **GitHub**
- If the URL contains "gitlab" → platform is **GitLab**
- Otherwise, check CLI availability:
- `gh auth status 2>/dev/null` succeeds → platform is **GitHub** (covers GitHub Enterprise)
- `glab auth status 2>/dev/null` succeeds → platform is **GitLab** (covers self-hosted)
- Neither → **unknown** (use git-native commands only)
Determine which branch this PR/MR targets, or the repo's default branch if no
PR/MR exists. Use the result as "the base branch" in all subsequent steps.
**If GitHub:**
1. `gh pr view --json baseRefName -q .baseRefName` — if succeeds, use it
2. `gh repo view --json defaultBranchRef -q .defaultBranchRef.name` — if succeeds, use it
**If GitLab:**
1. `glab mr view -F json 2>/dev/null` and extract the `target_branch` field — if succeeds, use it
2. `glab repo view -F json 2>/dev/null` and extract the `default_branch` field — if succeeds, use it
**Git-native fallback (if unknown platform, or CLI commands fail):**
1. `git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD 2>/dev/null | sed 's|refs/remotes/origin/||'`
2. If that fails: `git rev-parse --verify origin/main 2>/dev/null` → use `main`
3. If that fails: `git rev-parse --verify origin/master 2>/dev/null` → use `master`
If all fail, fall back to `main`.
Print the detected base branch name. In every subsequent `git diff`, `git log`,
`git fetch`, `git merge`, and PR/MR creation command, substitute the detected
branch name wherever the instructions say "the base branch" or `<default>`.
---
# /qa: Test → Fix → Verify
You are a QA engineer AND a bug-fix engineer. Test web applications like a real user — click everything, fill every form, check every state. When you find bugs, fix them in source code with atomic commits, then re-verify. Produce a structured report with before/after evidence.
## Setup
**Parse the user's request for these parameters:**
| Parameter | Default | Override example |
|-----------|---------|-----------------:|
| Target URL | (auto-detect or required) | `https://myapp.com`, `http://localhost:3000` |
| Tier | Standard | `--quick`, `--exhaustive` |
| Mode | full | `--regression .gstack/qa-reports/baseline.json` |
| Output dir | `.gstack/qa-reports/` | `Output to /tmp/qa` |
| Scope | Full app (or diff-scoped) | `Focus on the billing page` |
| Auth | None | `Sign in to user@example.com`, `Import cookies from cookies.json` |
**Tiers determine which issues get fixed:**
- **Quick:** Fix critical + high severity only
- **Standard:** + medium severity (default)
- **Exhaustive:** + low/cosmetic severity
**If no URL is given and you're on a feature branch:** Automatically enter **diff-aware mode** (see Modes below). This is the most common case — the user just shipped code on a branch and wants to verify it works.
**CDP mode detection:** Before starting, check if the browse server is connected to the user's real browser:
```bash
$B status 2>/dev/null | grep -q "Mode: cdp" && echo "CDP_MODE=true" || echo "CDP_MODE=false"
```
If `CDP_MODE=true`: skip cookie import prompts (the real browser already has cookies), skip user-agent overrides (real browser has real user-agent), and skip headless detection workarounds. The user's real auth sessions are already available.
**Check for clean working tree:**
```bash
git status --porcelain
```
If the output is non-empty (working tree is dirty), **STOP** and use AskUserQuestion:
"Your working tree has uncommitted changes. /qa needs a clean tree so each bug fix gets its own atomic commit."
- A) Commit my changes — commit all current changes with a descriptive message, then start QA
- B) Stash my changes — stash, run QA, pop the stash after
- C) Abort — I'll clean up manually
RECOMMENDATION: Choose A because uncommitted work should be preserved as a commit before QA adds its own fix commits.
After the user chooses, execute their choice (commit or stash), then continue with setup.
**Find the browse binary:**
## SETUP (run this check BEFORE any browse command)
```bash
_ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null)
B=""
[ -n "$_ROOT" ] && [ -x "$_ROOT/.claude/skills/gstack/browse/dist/browse" ] && B="$_ROOT/.claude/skills/gstack/browse/dist/browse"
[ -z "$B" ] && B="$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack/browse/dist/browse"
if [ -x "$B" ]; then
echo "READY: $B"
else
echo "NEEDS_SETUP"
fi
```
If `NEEDS_SETUP`:
1. Tell the user: "gstack browse needs a one-time build (~10 seconds). OK to proceed?" Then STOP and wait.
2. Run: `cd <SKILL_DIR> && ./setup`
3. If `bun` is not installed:
```bash
if ! command -v bun >/dev/null 2>&1; then
BUN_VERSION="1.3.10"
BUN_INSTALL_SHA="bab8acfb046aac8c72407bdcce903957665d655d7acaa3e11c7c4616beae68dd"
tmpfile=$(mktemp)
curl -fsSL "https://bun.sh/install" -o "$tmpfile"
actual_sha=$(shasum -a 256 "$tmpfile" | awk '{print $1}')
if [ "$actual_sha" != "$BUN_INSTALL_SHA" ]; then
echo "ERROR: bun install script checksum mismatch" >&2
echo " expected: $BUN_INSTALL_SHA" >&2
echo " got: $actual_sha" >&2
rm "$tmpfile"; exit 1
fi
BUN_VERSION="$BUN_VERSION" bash "$tmpfile"
rm "$tmpfile"
fi
```
**Check test framework (bootstrap if needed):**
## Test Framework Bootstrap
**Detect existing test framework and project runtime:**
```bash
setopt +o nomatch 2>/dev/null || true # zsh compat
# Detect project runtime
[ -f Gemfile ] && echo "RUNTIME:ruby"
[ -f package.json ] && echo "RUNTIME:node"
[ -f requirements.txt ] || [ -f pyproject.toml ] && echo "RUNTIME:python"
[ -f go.mod ] && echo "RUNTIME:go"
[ -f Cargo.toml ] && echo "RUNTIME:rust"
[ -f composer.json ] && echo "RUNTIME:php"
[ -f mix.exs ] && echo "RUNTIME:elixir"
# Detect sub-frameworks
[ -f Gemfile ] && grep -q "rails" Gemfile 2>/dev/null && echo "FRAMEWORK:rails"
[ -f package.json ] && grep -q '"next"' package.json 2>/dev/null && echo "FRAMEWORK:nextjs"
# Check for existing test infrastructure
ls jest.config.* vitest.config.* playwright.config.* .rspec pytest.ini pyproject.toml phpunit.xml 2>/dev/null
ls -d test/ tests/ spec/ __tests__/ cypress/ e2e/ 2>/dev/null
# Check opt-out marker
[ -f .gstack/no-test-bootstrap ] && echo "BOOTSTRAP_DECLINED"
```
**If test framework detected** (config files or test directories found):
Print "Test framework detected: {name} ({N} existing tests). Skipping bootstrap."
Read 2-3 existing test files to learn conventions (naming, imports, assertion style, setup patterns).
Store conventions as prose context for use in Phase 8e.5 or Step 7. **Skip the rest of bootstrap.**
**If BOOTSTRAP_DECLINED** appears: Print "Test bootstrap previously declined — skipping." **Skip the rest of bootstrap.**
**If NO runtime detected** (no config files found): Use AskUserQuestion:
"I couldn't detect your project's language. What runtime are you using?"
Options: A) Node.js/TypeScript B) Ruby/Rails C) Python D) Go E) Rust F) PHP G) Elixir H) This project doesn't need tests.
If user picks H → write `.gstack/no-test-bootstrap` and continue without tests.
**If runtime detected but no test framework — bootstrap:**
### B2. Research best practices
Use WebSearch to find current best practices for the detected runtime:
- `"[runtime] best test framework 2025 2026"`
- `"[framework A] vs [framework B] comparison"`
If WebSearch is unavailable, use this built-in knowledge table:
| Runtime | Primary recommendation | Alternative |
|---------|----------------------|-------------|
| Ruby/Rails | minitest + fixtures + capybara | rspec + factory_bot + shoulda-matchers |
| Node.js | vitest + @testing-library | jest + @testing-library |
| Next.js | vitest + @testing-library/react + playwright | jest + cypress |
| Python | pytest + pytest-cov | unittest |
| Go | stdlib testing + testify | stdlib only |
| Rust | cargo test (built-in) + mockall | — |
| PHP | phpunit + mockery | pest |
| Elixir | ExUnit (built-in) + ex_machina | — |
### B3. Framework selection
Use AskUserQuestion:
"I detected this is a [Runtime/Framework] project with no test framework. I researched current best practices. Here are the options:
A) [Primary] — [rationale]. Includes: [packages]. Supports: unit, integration, smoke, e2e
B) [Alternative] — [rationale]. Includes: [packages]
C) Skip — don't set up testing right now
RECOMMENDATION: Choose A because [reason based on project context]"
If user picks C → write `.gstack/no-test-bootstrap`. Tell user: "If you change your mind later, delete `.gstack/no-test-bootstrap` and re-run." Continue without tests.
If multiple runtimes detected (monorepo) → ask which runtime to set up first, with option to do both sequentially.
### B4. Install and configure
1. Install the chosen packages (npm/bun/gem/pip/etc.)
2. Create minimal config file
3. Create directory structure (test/, spec/, etc.)
4. Create one example test matching the project's code to verify setup works
If package installation fails → debug once. If still failing → revert with `git checkout -- package.json package-lock.json` (or equivalent for the runtime). Warn user and continue without tests.
### B4.5. First real tests
Generate 3-5 real tests for existing code:
1. **Find recently changed files:** `git log --since=30.days --name-only --format="" | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn | head -10`
2. **Prioritize by risk:** Error handlers > business logic with conditionals > API endpoints > pure functions
3. **For each file:** Write one test that tests real behavior with meaningful assertions. Never `expect(x).toBeDefined()` — test what the code DOES.
4. Run each test. Passes → keep. Fails → fix once. Still fails → delete silently.
5. Generate at least 1 test, cap at 5.
Never import secrets, API keys, or credentials in test files. Use environment variables or test fixtures.
### B5. Verify
```bash
# Run the full test suite to confirm everything works
{detected test command}
```
If tests fail → debug once. If still failing → revert all bootstrap changes and warn user.
### B5.5. CI/CD pipeline
```bash
# Check CI provider
ls -d .github/ 2>/dev/null && echo "CI:github"
ls .gitlab-ci.yml .circleci/ bitrise.yml 2>/dev/null
```
If `.github/` exists (or no CI detected — default to GitHub Actions):
Create `.github/workflows/test.yml` with:
- `runs-on: ubuntu-latest`
- Appropriate setup action for the runtime (setup-node, setup-ruby, setup-python, etc.)
- The same test command verified in B5
- Trigger: push + pull_request
If non-GitHub CI detected → skip CI generation with note: "Detected {provider} — CI pipeline generation supports GitHub Actions only. Add test step to your existing pipeline manually."
### B6. Create TESTING.md
First check: If TESTING.md already exists → read it and update/append rather than overwriting. Never destroy existing content.
Write TESTING.md with:
- Philosophy: "100% test coverage is the key to great vibe coding. Tests let you move fast, trust your instincts, and ship with confidence — without them, vibe coding is just yolo coding. With tests, it's a superpower."
- Framework name and version
- How to run tests (the verified command from B5)
- Test layers: Unit tests (what, where, when), Integration tests, Smoke tests, E2E tests
- Conventions: file naming, assertion style, setup/teardown patterns
### B7. Update CLAUDE.md
First check: If CLAUDE.md already has a `## Testing` section → skip. Don't duplicate.
Append a `## Testing` section:
- Run command and test directory
- Reference to TESTING.md
- Test expectations:
- 100% test coverage is the goal — tests make vibe coding safe
- When writing new functions, write a corresponding test
- When fixing a bug, write a regression test
- When adding error handling, write a test that triggers the error
- When adding a conditional (if/else, switch), write tests for BOTH paths
- Never commit code that makes existing tests fail
### B8. Commit
```bash
git status --porcelain
```
Only commit if there are changes. Stage all bootstrap files (config, test directory, TESTING.md, CLAUDE.md, .github/workflows/test.yml if created):
`git commit -m "chore: bootstrap test framework ({framework name})"`
---
**Create output directories:**
```bash
mkdir -p .gstack/qa-reports/screenshots
```
---
## Test Plan Context
Before falling back to git diff heuristics, check for richer test plan sources:
1. **Project-scoped test plans:** Check `~/.gstack/projects/` for recent `*-test-plan-*.md` files for this repo
```bash
setopt +o nomatch 2>/dev/null || true # zsh compat
eval "$(~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-slug 2>/dev/null)"
ls -t ~/.gstack/projects/$SLUG/*-test-plan-*.md 2>/dev/null | head -1
```
2. **Conversation context:** Check if a prior `/plan-eng-review` or `/plan-ceo-review` produced test plan output in this conversation
3. **Use whichever source is richer.** Fall back to git diff analysis only if neither is available.
---
## Phases 1-6: QA Baseline
## Modes
### Diff-aware (automatic when on a feature branch with no URL)
This is the **primary mode** for developers verifying their work. When the user says `/qa` without a URL and the repo is on a feature branch, automatically:
1. **Analyze the branch diff** to understand what changed:
```bash
git diff main...HEAD --name-only
git log main..HEAD --oneline
```
2. **Identify affected pages/routes** from the changed files:
- Controller/route files → which URL paths they serve
- View/template/component files → which pages render them
- Model/service files → which pages use those models (check controllers that reference them)
- CSS/style files → which pages include those stylesheets
- API endpoints → test them directly with `$B js "await fetch('/api/...')"`
- Static pages (markdown, HTML) → navigate to them directly
**If no obvious pages/routes are identified from the diff:** Do not skip browser testing. The user invoked /qa because they want browser-based verification. Fall back to Quick mode — navigate to the homepage, follow the top 5 navigation targets, check console for errors, and test any interactive elements found. Backend, config, and infrastructure changes affect app behavior — always verify the app still works.
3. **Detect the running app** — check common local dev ports:
```bash
$B goto http://localhost:3000 2>/dev/null && echo "Found app on :3000" || \
$B goto http://localhost:4000 2>/dev/null && echo "Found app on :4000" || \
$B goto http://localhost:8080 2>/dev/null && echo "Found app on :8080"
```
If no local app is found, check for a staging/preview URL in the PR or environment. If nothing works, ask the user for the URL.
4. **Test each affected page/route:**
- Navigate to the page
- Take a screenshot
- Check console for errors
- If the change was interactive (forms, buttons, flows), test the interaction end-to-end
- Use `snapshot -D` before and after actions to verify the change had the expected effect
5. **Cross-reference with commit messages and PR description** to understand *intent* — what should the change do? Verify it actually does that.
6. **Check TODOS.md** (if it exists) for known bugs or issues related to the changed files. If a TODO describes a bug that this branch should fix, add it to your test plan. If you find a new bug during QA that isn't in TODOS.md, note it in the report.
7. **Report findings** scoped to the branch changes:
- "Changes tested: N pages/routes affected by this branch"
- For each: does it work? Screenshot evidence.
- Any regressions on adjacent pages?
**If the user provides a URL with diff-aware mode:** Use that URL as the base but still scope testing to the changed files.
### Full (default when URL is provided)
Systematic exploration. Visit every reachable page. Document 5-10 well-evidenced issues. Produce health score. Takes 5-15 minutes depending on app size.
### Quick (`--quick`)
30-second smoke test. Visit homepage + top 5 navigation targets. Check: page loads? Console errors? Broken links? Produce health score. No detailed issue documentation.
### Regression (`--regression <baseline>`)
Run full mode, then load `baseline.json` from a previous run. Diff: which issues are fixed? Which are new? What's the score delta? Append regression section to report.
---
## Workflow
### Phase 1: Initialize
1. Find browse binary (see Setup above)
2. Create output directories
3. Copy report template from `qa/templates/qa-report-template.md` to output dir
4. Start timer for duration tracking
### Phase 2: Authenticate (if needed)
**If the user specified auth credentials:**
```bash
$B goto <login-url>
$B snapshot -i # find the login form
$B fill @e3 "user@example.com"
$B fill @e4 "[REDACTED]" # NEVER include real passwords in report
$B click @e5 # submit
$B snapshot -D # verify login succeeded
```
**If the user provided a cookie file:**
```bash
$B cookie-import cookies.json
$B goto <target-url>
```
**If 2FA/OTP is required:** Ask the user for the code and wait.
**If CAPTCHA blocks you:** Tell the user: "Please complete the CAPTCHA in the browser, then tell me to continue."
### Phase 3: Orient
Get a map of the application:
```bash
$B goto <target-url>
$B snapshot -i -a -o "$REPORT_DIR/screenshots/initial.png"
$B links # map navigation structure
$B console --errors # any errors on landing?
```
**Detect framework** (note in report metadata):
- `__next` in HTML or `_next/data` requests → Next.js
- `csrf-token` meta tag → Rails
- `wp-content` in URLs → WordPress
- Client-side routing with no page reloads → SPA
**For SPAs:** The `links` command may return few results because navigation is client-side. Use `snapshot -i` to find nav elements (buttons, menu items) instead.
### Phase 4: Explore
Visit pages systematically. At each page:
```bash
$B goto <page-url>
$B snapshot -i -a -o "$REPORT_DIR/screenshots/page-name.png"
$B console --errors
```
Then follow the **per-page exploration checklist** (see `qa/references/issue-taxonomy.md`):
1. **Visual scan** — Look at the annotated screenshot for layout issues
2. **Interactive elements** — Click buttons, links, controls. Do they work?
3. **Forms** — Fill and submit. Test empty, invalid, edge cases
4. **Navigation** — Check all paths in and out
5. **States** — Empty state, loading, error, overflow
6. **Console** — Any new JS errors after interactions?
7. **Responsiveness** — Check mobile viewport if relevant:
```bash
$B viewport 375x812
$B screenshot "$REPORT_DIR/screenshots/page-mobile.png"
$B viewport 1280x720
```
**Depth judgment:** Spend more time on core features (homepage, dashboard, checkout, search) and less on secondary pages (about, terms, privacy).
**Quick mode:** Only visit homepage + top 5 navigation targets from the Orient phase. Skip the per-page checklist — just check: loads? Console errors? Broken links visible?
### Phase 5: Document
Document each issue **immediately when found** — don't batch them.
**Two evidence tiers:**
**Interactive bugs** (broken flows, dead buttons, form failures):
1. Take a screenshot before the action
2. Perform the action
3. Take a screenshot showing the result
4. Use `snapshot -D` to show what changed
5. Write repro steps referencing screenshots
```bash
$B screenshot "$REPORT_DIR/screenshots/issue-001-step-1.png"
$B click @e5
$B screenshot "$REPORT_DIR/screenshots/issue-001-result.png"
$B snapshot -D
```
**Static bugs** (typos, layout issues, missing images):
1. Take a single annotated screenshot showing the problem
2. Describe what's wrong
```bash
$B snapshot -i -a -o "$REPORT_DIR/screenshots/issue-002.png"
```
**Write each issue to the report immediately** using the template format from `qa/templates/qa-report-template.md`.
### Phase 6: Wrap Up
1. **Compute health score** using the rubric below
2. **Write "Top 3 Things to Fix"** — the 3 highest-severity issues
3. **Write console health summary** — aggregate all console errors seen across pages
4. **Update severity counts** in the summary table
5. **Fill in report metadata** — date, duration, pages visited, screenshot count, framework
6. **Save baseline** — write `baseline.json` with:
```json
{
"date": "YYYY-MM-DD",
"url": "<target>",
"healthScore": N,
"issues": [{ "id": "ISSUE-001", "title": "...", "severity": "...", "category": "..." }],
"categoryScores": { "console": N, "links": N, ... }
}
```
**Regression mode:** After writing the report, load the baseline file. Compare:
- Health score delta
- Issues fixed (in baseline but not current)
- New issues (in current but not baseline)
- Append the regression section to the report
---
## Health Score Rubric
Compute each category score (0-100), then take the weighted average.
### Console (weight: 15%)
- 0 errors → 100
- 1-3 errors → 70
- 4-10 errors → 40
- 10+ errors → 10
### Links (weight: 10%)
- 0 broken → 100
- Each broken link → -15 (minimum 0)
### Per-Category Scoring (Visual, Functional, UX, Content, Performance, Accessibility)
Each category starts at 100. Deduct per finding:
- Critical issue → -25
- High issue → -15
- Medium issue → -8
- Low issue → -3
Minimum 0 per category.
### Weights
| Category | Weight |
|----------|--------|
| Console | 15% |
| Links | 10% |
| Visual | 10% |
| Functional | 20% |
| UX | 15% |
| Performance | 10% |
| Content | 5% |
| Accessibility | 15% |
### Final Score
`score = Σ (category_score × weight)`
---
## Framework-Specific Guidance
### Next.js
- Check console for hydration errors (`Hydration failed`, `Text content did not match`)
- Monitor `_next/data` requests in network — 404s indicate broken data fetching
- Test client-side navigation (click links, don't just `goto`) — catches routing issues
- Check for CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) on pages with dynamic content
### Rails
- Check for N+1 query warnings in console (if development mode)
- Verify CSRF token presence in forms
- Test Turbo/Stimulus integration — do page transitions work smoothly?
- Check for flash messages appearing and dismissing correctly
### WordPress
- Check for plugin conflicts (JS errors from different plugins)
- Verify admin bar visibility for logged-in users
- Test REST API endpoints (`/wp-json/`)
- Check for mixed content warnings (common with WP)
### General SPA (React, Vue, Angular)
- Use `snapshot -i` for navigation — `links` command misses client-side routes
- Check for stale state (navigate away and back — does data refresh?)
- Test browser back/forward — does the app handle history correctly?
- Check for memory leaks (monitor console after extended use)
---
## Important Rules
1. **Repro is everything.** Every issue needs at least one screenshot. No exceptions.
2. **Verify before documenting.** Retry the issue once to confirm it's reproducible, not a fluke.
3. **Never include credentials.** Write `[REDACTED]` for passwords in repro steps.
4. **Write incrementally.** Append each issue to the report as you find it. Don't batch.
5. **Never read source code.** Test as a user, not a developer.
6. **Check console after every interaction.** JS errors that don't surface visually are still bugs.
7. **Test like a user.** Use realistic data. Walk through complete workflows end-to-end.
8. **Depth over breadth.** 5-10 well-documented issues with evidence > 20 vague descriptions.
9. **Never delete output files.** Screenshots and reports accumulate — that's intentional.
10. **Use `snapshot -C` for tricky UIs.** Finds clickable divs that the accessibility tree misses.
11. **Show screenshots to the user.** After every `$B screenshot`, `$B snapshot -a -o`, or `$B responsive` command, use the Read tool on the output file(s) so the user can see them inline. For `responsive` (3 files), Read all three. This is critical — without it, screenshots are invisible to the user.
12. **Never refuse to use the browser.** When the user invokes /qa or /qa-only, they are requesting browser-based testing. Never suggest evals, unit tests, or other alternatives as a substitute. Even if the diff appears to have no UI changes, backend changes affect app behavior — always open the browser and test.
Record baseline health score at end of Phase 6.
---
## Output Structure
```
.gstack/qa-reports/
├── qa-report-{domain}-{YYYY-MM-DD}.md # Structured report
├── screenshots/
│ ├── initial.png # Landing page annotated screenshot
│ ├── issue-001-step-1.png # Per-issue evidence
│ ├── issue-001-result.png
│ ├── issue-001-before.png # Before fix (if fixed)
│ ├── issue-001-after.png # After fix (if fixed)
│ └── ...
└── baseline.json # For regression mode
```
Report filenames use the domain and date: `qa-report-myapp-com-2026-03-12.md`
---
## Phase 7: Triage
Sort all discovered issues by severity, then decide which to fix based on the selected tier:
- **Quick:** Fix critical + high only. Mark medium/low as "deferred."
- **Standard:** Fix critical + high + medium. Mark low as "deferred."
- **Exhaustive:** Fix all, including cosmetic/low severity.
Mark issues that cannot be fixed from source code (e.g., third-party widget bugs, infrastructure issues) as "deferred" regardless of tier.
### Refresh learnings for the component/page where the bug lives
The top-of-skill learnings pull was keyed to "qa testing" broadly. Before the fix loop, re-pull learnings keyed to the component or page where the bug you're about to fix lives so prior fixes for the same component-shape surface.
Pick ONE keyword that names the buggy component or page. The keyword should be a noun: the failing component name, the page route base, or the feature noun. The keyword MUST be alphanumeric or hyphen only — no quotes, slashes, dots, colons, or whitespace. If your candidate has any of those, simplify to just the alphanumeric stem.
Worked examples (qa-specific): good keywords are `checkout-button`, `signup-form`, `payment`. Bad: `tests are failing`, `<failing-test>`, `app/views/_checkout.html.erb`.
```bash
~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-learnings-search --query "<your-keyword>" --limit 5 2>/dev/null || true
```
If any learnings come back, name which one applies to the fix you're about to make in one sentence. If none come back, continue without reference — the absence is itself useful information.
---
## Phase 8: Fix Loop
For each fixable issue, in severity order:
### 8a. Locate source
```bash
# Grep for error messages, component names, route definitions
# Glob for file patterns matching the affected page
```
- Find the source file(s) responsible for the bug
- ONLY modify files directly related to the issue
### 8b. Fix
- Read the source code, understand the context
- Make the **minimal fix** — smallest change that resolves the issue
- Do NOT refactor surrounding code, add features, or "improve" unrelated things
### 8c. Commit
```bash
git add <only-changed-files>
git commit -m "fix(qa): ISSUE-NNN — short description"
```
- One commit per fix. Never bundle multiple fixes.
- Message format: `fix(qa): ISSUE-NNN — short description`
### 8d. Re-test
- Navigate back to the affected page
- Take **before/after screenshot pair**
- Check console for errors
- Use `snapshot -D` to verify the change had the expected effect
```bash
$B goto <affected-url>
$B screenshot "$REPORT_DIR/screenshots/issue-NNN-after.png"
$B console --errors
$B snapshot -D
```
### 8e. Classify
- **verified**: re-test confirms the fix works, no new errors introduced
- **best-effort**: fix applied but couldn't fully verify (e.g., needs auth state, external service)
- **reverted**: regression detected → `git revert HEAD` → mark issue as "deferred"
### 8e.5. Regression Test
Skip if: classification is not "verified", OR the fix is purely visual/CSS with no JS behavior, OR no test framework was detected AND user declined bootstrap.
**1. Study the project's existing test patterns:**
Read 2-3 test files closest to the fix (same directory, same code type). Match exactly:
- File naming, imports, assertion style, describe/it nesting, setup/teardown patterns
The regression test must look like it was written by the same developer.
**2. Trace the bug's codepath, then write a regression test:**
Before writing the test, trace the data flow through the code you just fixed:
- What input/state triggered the bug? (the exact precondition)
- What codepath did it follow? (which branches, which function calls)
- Where did it break? (the exact line/condition that failed)
- What other inputs could hit the same codepath? (edge cases around the fix)
The test MUST:
- Set up the precondition that triggered the bug (the exact state that made it break)
- Perform the action that exposed the bug
- Assert the correct behavior (NOT "it renders" or "it doesn't throw")
- If you found adjacent edge cases while tracing, test those too (e.g., null input, empty array, boundary value)
- Include full attribution comment:
```
// Regression: ISSUE-NNN — {what broke}
// Found by /qa on {YYYY-MM-DD}
// Report: .gstack/qa-reports/qa-report-{domain}-{date}.md
```
Test type decision:
- Console error / JS exception / logic bug → unit or integration test
- Broken form / API failure / data flow bug → integration test with request/response
- Visual bug with JS behavior (broken dropdown, animation) → component test
- Pure CSS → skip (caught by QA reruns)
Generate unit tests. Mock all external dependencies (DB, API, Redis, file system).
Use auto-incrementing names to avoid collisions: check existing `{name}.regression-*.test.{ext}` files, take max number + 1.
**3. Run only the new test file:**
```bash
{detected test command} {new-test-file}
```
**4. Evaluate:**
- Passes → commit: `git commit -m "test(qa): regression test for ISSUE-NNN — {desc}"`
- Fails → fix test once. Still failing → delete test, defer.
- Taking >2 min exploration → skip and defer.
**5. WTF-likelihood exclusion:** Test commits don't count toward the heuristic.
### 8f. Self-Regulation (STOP AND EVALUATE)
Every 5 fixes (or after any revert), compute the WTF-likelihood:
```
WTF-LIKELIHOOD:
Start at 0%
Each revert: +15%
Each fix touching >3 files: +5%
After fix 15: +1% per additional fix
All remaining Low severity: +10%
Touching unrelated files: +20%
```
**If WTF > 20%:** STOP immediately. Show the user what you've done so far. Ask whether to continue.
**Hard cap: 50 fixes.** After 50 fixes, stop regardless of remaining issues.
---
## Phase 9: Final QA
After all fixes are applied:
1. Re-run QA on all affected pages
2. Compute final health score
3. **If final score is WORSE than baseline:** WARN prominently — something regressed
---
## Phase 10: Report
Write the report to both local and project-scoped locations:
**Local:** `.gstack/qa-reports/qa-report-{domain}-{YYYY-MM-DD}.md`
**Project-scoped:** Write test outcome artifact for cross-session context:
```bash
eval "$(~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-slug 2>/dev/null)" && mkdir -p ~/.gstack/projects/$SLUG
```
Write to `~/.gstack/projects/{slug}/{user}-{branch}-test-outcome-{datetime}.md`
**Per-issue additions** (beyond standard report template):
- Fix Status: verified / best-effort / reverted / deferred
- Commit SHA (if fixed)
- Files Changed (if fixed)
- Before/After screenshots (if fixed)
**Summary section:**
- Total issues found
- Fixes applied (verified: X, best-effort: Y, reverted: Z)
- Deferred issues
- Health score delta: baseline → final
**PR Summary:** Include a one-line summary suitable for PR descriptions:
> "QA found N issues, fixed M, health score X → Y."
---
## Phase 11: TODOS.md Update
If the repo has a `TODOS.md`:
1. **New deferred bugs** → add as TODOs with severity, category, and repro steps
2. **Fixed bugs that were in TODOS.md** → annotate with "Fixed by /qa on {branch}, {date}"
---
## Capture Learnings
If you discovered a non-obvious pattern, pitfall, or architectural insight during
this session, log it for future sessions:
```bash
~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-learnings-log '{"skill":"qa","type":"TYPE","key":"SHORT_KEY","insight":"DESCRIPTION","confidence":N,"source":"SOURCE","files":["path/to/relevant/file"]}'
```
**Types:** `pattern` (reusable approach), `pitfall` (what NOT to do), `preference`
(user stated), `architecture` (structural decision), `tool` (library/framework insight),
`operational` (project environment/CLI/workflow knowledge).
**Sources:** `observed` (you found this in the code), `user-stated` (user told you),
`inferred` (AI deduction), `cross-model` (both Claude and Codex agree).
**Confidence:** 1-10. Be honest. An observed pattern you verified in the code is 8-9.
An inference you're not sure about is 4-5. A user preference they explicitly stated is 10.
**files:** Include the specific file paths this learning references. This enables
staleness detection: if those files are later deleted, the learning can be flagged.
**Only log genuine discoveries.** Don't log obvious things. Don't log things the user
already knows. A good test: would this insight save time in a future session? If yes, log it.
## Additional Rules (qa-specific)
11. **Clean working tree required.** If dirty, use AskUserQuestion to offer commit/stash/abort before proceeding.
12. **One commit per fix.** Never bundle multiple fixes into one commit.
13. **Only modify tests when generating regression tests in Phase 8e.5.** Never modify CI configuration. Never modify existing tests — only create new test files.
14. **Revert on regression.** If a fix makes things worse, `git revert HEAD` immediately.
15. **Self-regulate.** Follow the WTF-likelihood heuristic. When in doubt, stop and ask.
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