Critical Paths Skill

Critical Paths Skill

Test must-work user journeys defined in project configuration. Critical paths are essential flows that must always function correctly.

What is a Critical Path?

A critical path is a user journey that:

• Must work for the site/app to be usable
• Represents core business functionality
• Would cause significant harm if broken
• Should be tested before every deployment

Examples of Critical Paths

Site Type	Critical Paths
E-commerce	Purchase flow, Account creation, Cart
SaaS	Signup, Login, Core feature usage
Content	Navigation, Search, Article viewing
Banking	Login, Transfer, Balance check

Path Definition Schema

Full Schema

{
  "paths": [
    {
      "name": "string (required)",
      "description": "string (required)",
      "persona": "persona-id (required)",
      "priority": "critical|high|medium|low (optional, default: high)",
      "timeout": "number in seconds (optional, default: 120)",
      "steps": [
        {
          "action": "navigate|task|verify|wait|input",
          "...action-specific fields"
        }
      ],
      "onFailure": "continue|stop (optional, default: continue)"
    }
  ]
}

Step Actions

navigate

Navigate to a URL path.

{
  "action": "navigate",
  "to": "/path",
  "waitFor": "load|networkidle (optional)"
}

task

Perform a task using the persona's behavior.

{
  "action": "task",
  "do": "description of task to perform",
  "timeout": 30
}

verify

Verify something exists or is true.

// Verify element exists
{ "action": "verify", "element": "description of element" }

// Verify text appears
{ "action": "verify", "text": "exact text to find" }

// Verify URL matches
{ "action": "verify", "url": "/expected-path" }

// Verify URL contains
{ "action": "verify", "urlContains": "confirmation" }

wait

Wait for a condition.

// Wait for seconds
{ "action": "wait", "seconds": 2 }

// Wait for element
{ "action": "wait", "for": "element description" }

// Wait for navigation
{ "action": "wait", "for": "page load" }

input

Enter specific data into a field.

{
  "action": "input",
  "field": "field description or selector",
  "value": "value to enter"
}

Execution Logic

Path Execution

function executePath(path, baseUrl):
  results = { steps: [], status: 'pending' }

  loadPersona(path.persona)
  startTime = now()

  for step in path.steps:
    stepResult = executeStep(step, baseUrl)
    results.steps.append(stepResult)

    if stepResult.status == 'fail':
      results.status = 'fail'
      results.failedAt = step
      captureScreenshot()
      if path.onFailure == 'stop':
        break
      else:
        return results

  results.status = 'pass'
  results.duration = now() - startTime
  return results

Step Execution

function executeStep(step, baseUrl):
  switch step.action:
    case 'navigate':
      navigate(baseUrl + step.to)
      return { status: 'pass' }

    case 'task':
      success = performTaskAsPersona(step.do)
      return { status: success ? 'pass' : 'fail' }

    case 'verify':
      found = verifyCondition(step)
      return { status: found ? 'pass' : 'fail' }

    case 'wait':
      waitForCondition(step)
      return { status: 'pass' }

    case 'input':
      fillField(step.field, step.value)
      return { status: 'pass' }

Priority Handling

Execution Order

1. Critical paths first
2. High priority second
3. Medium priority third
4. Low priority last

Failure Impact

Priority	On Failure	Report Level
critical	Major alert	CRITICAL
high	Alert	ERROR
medium	Warning	WARNING
low	Note	INFO

Report Generation

Data Structure

const pathReport = {
  summary: {
    total: 3,
    passed: 2,
    failed: 1,
    skipped: 0
  },
  results: [
    {
      name: 'purchase-flow',
      status: 'pass',
      duration: 45,
      steps: [
        { action: 'navigate', status: 'pass', duration: 2 },
        { action: 'task', status: 'pass', duration: 15 },
        // ...
      ]
    },
    {
      name: 'password-reset',
      status: 'fail',
      duration: 15,
      failedAt: { step: 4, action: 'task', error: 'Button not clickable' },
      screenshot: 'path-password-reset-fail.png'
    }
  ],
  actionRequired: [
    {
      priority: 'high',
      path: 'password-reset',
      issue: 'Form submission broken',
      recommendation: 'Check submit button handler'
    }
  ]
};

Report Sections

1. Summary: Pass/fail counts
2. Results: Each path's outcome
3. Failures: Detailed failure information
4. Action Required: Prioritized fix list
5. Screenshots: Evidence of failures

Integration with CI/CD

Fail-Fast Mode

When --fail-fast is enabled:

• Stop testing after first failure
• Report what was tested so far
• Mark remaining paths as skipped
• Useful for quick validation

Exit Status Interpretation

All pass + no critical failures = SUCCESS
Any critical failure = FAILURE
Only non-critical failures = WARNING (could be configurable)

Template Path Definitions

E-commerce

{
  "paths": [
    {
      "name": "guest-purchase",
      "description": "Guest checkout flow",
      "persona": "impulse-buyer",
      "priority": "critical",
      "steps": [
        { "action": "navigate", "to": "/" },
        { "action": "task", "do": "find a product" },
        { "action": "task", "do": "add to cart" },
        { "action": "task", "do": "go to cart" },
        { "action": "task", "do": "proceed to checkout" },
        { "action": "task", "do": "fill shipping info" },
        { "action": "verify", "element": "payment form" }
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "product-search",
      "description": "Search for products",
      "persona": "comparison-shopper",
      "priority": "high",
      "steps": [
        { "action": "navigate", "to": "/" },
        { "action": "task", "do": "search for a product" },
        { "action": "verify", "element": "search results" },
        { "action": "task", "do": "click a result" },
        { "action": "verify", "element": "product details" }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

SaaS Application

{
  "paths": [
    {
      "name": "signup-to-dashboard",
      "description": "New user onboarding",
      "persona": "genz-digital-native",
      "priority": "critical",
      "steps": [
        { "action": "navigate", "to": "/signup" },
        { "action": "task", "do": "complete registration" },
        { "action": "verify", "urlContains": "dashboard" },
        { "action": "verify", "element": "welcome message" }
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "login-flow",
      "description": "Existing user login",
      "persona": "busy-executive",
      "priority": "critical",
      "steps": [
        { "action": "navigate", "to": "/login" },
        { "action": "input", "field": "email", "value": "test@example.com" },
        { "action": "input", "field": "password", "value": "testpass123" },
        { "action": "task", "do": "submit login" },
        { "action": "verify", "element": "dashboard or main app" }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Best Practices

1. Start small: Define 2-3 critical paths first
2. Be specific: Clear step descriptions help the agent
3. Match personas: Use personas that would actually do this journey
4. Update regularly: Keep paths in sync with features
5. Test the tests: Run paths manually to verify they make sense
6. Prioritize correctly: Reserve "critical" for truly essential flows