A QA ENGINEER'S TOOLKIT??

As a QA Engineer, having the right tools can significantly improve productivity and streamline daily tasks. Below are some browser extensions I frequently use for testing and debugging:

1. Fake Filler: This extension is a huge time-saver when testing forms. It automatically populates input fields with dummy data, making it ideal for stress-testing forms without having to manually input details repeatedly. It's especially useful for repetitive form tests and helps you simulate multiple test cases quickly.
2. SelectorsHub - XPath Helper: SelectorsHub simplifies the process of writing and testing XPath and CSS selectors. With auto-suggestions for selectors, it helps QA engineers locate elements within complex DOM structures, greatly improving efficiency when writing automated test scripts.
3. BlazeMeter: BlazeMeter is a robust performance testing extension that lets QA engineers create and run load and functional tests directly in the browser. Supporting JMeter, Selenium, and other testing frameworks, it’s ideal for testing APIs, websites, and mobile apps on a large scale.
4. Page Ruler: Page Ruler allows you to measure elements on a webpage by drawing rulers across the page. It helps verify the dimensions, padding, and margins of elements, making it an excellent tool for ensuring UI elements are aligned as per design specifications.
5. WhatFont: WhatFont enables QA engineers to quickly identify fonts used on a webpage. It's particularly useful for verifying font consistency and ensuring design specifications are met during UI testing.
6. Lighthouse: Built into Chrome DevTools, Lighthouse is a comprehensive website auditing tool. It provides detailed reports on a website’s performance, accessibility, SEO, and more. It’s an excellent resource for ensuring websites meet high-quality standards.
7. Check My Links: This simple yet effective tool scans web pages for broken links. As a QA engineer, ensuring that all links are functioning properly is a critical task, and this extension makes the process quick and easy.
8. Window Resizer: Window Resizer allows you to test your website’s responsiveness by resizing the browser window to different screen resolutions. This is an essential tool for ensuring websites look and function well across various devices, from mobile phones to desktops.
9. Bug Magnet: Bug Magnet offers quick access to pre-set options for common testing scenarios like boundary values, special characters, and internationalization. It’s especially helpful for testing edge cases in web applications.
10. WAVE Evaluation Tool: WAVE helps identify accessibility issues in web content by highlighting elements that don’t meet accessibility standards. It’s a useful tool for ensuring compliance with WCAG guidelines.
11. ColorZilla: ColorZilla lets you pick colors directly from a webpage, making it easier to verify whether UI elements adhere to design guidelines. Its color history feature is also helpful for comparing shades across different pages.
12. Screenshoter – Screenshot Tool: This tool allows you to capture full-page or partial screenshots of web pages, making it easier to document bugs or issues. It also lets you annotate screenshots before sharing, which is useful for communicating findings to developers.
13. JSONView: JSONView formats raw JSON data into a readable format when testing APIs. It’s particularly helpful for validating API responses and troubleshooting data flow between frontend and backend services.
14. Monosnap: Monosnap is a versatile tool for capturing screenshots and recording screencasts with annotations. It allows QA engineers to easily document bugs, issues, and workflows with visual clarity and share them quickly with development teams.
15. Jam: Jam is a collaboration tool that allows QA engineers to report bugs directly from the browser, complete with screenshots, annotated videos, and console logs. It automatically captures technical details like browser information and device data, making it easy to submit actionable bug reports. This is especially useful for teams working in agile environments, ensuring fast feedback loops.

These tools help streamline testing, enhance productivity, and ensure more effective communication of issues—making your QA processes faster and more efficient.