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Scheduled tests run automatically at specified intervals, enabling continuous monitoring, regression testing, and deployment validation without manual intervention. Combine scheduling with environments to test across multiple deployments automatically.

Scheduling a test suite

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Creating a Schedule

1

Select Test or Test Plan

Choose what to schedule:
  • Individual test
  • Test suite
  • Test plan (for comprehensive testing)
2

Choose Schedule Frequency

Select how often to run:
  • Hourly - Run every 1-23 hours
  • Daily - Run once per day at a specified time
  • Weekly - Run on selected days of the week
  • Monthly - Run on specific dates each month
3

Configure Environments

Select which environments to test:
  • Single environment (e.g., Production monitoring)
  • Multiple environments (e.g., Dev + Staging regression)
  • Different schedules for different environments
See Environments for configuration.
4

Set Browser Configuration

Choose browsers and devices:
  • Desktop browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox)
  • Mobile browsers
  • Custom viewports
5

Select Scenarios

For tests with data tables:
  • Run all scenarios
  • Select specific scenarios
  • Environment-specific scenarios
6

Configure Notifications

Set up alerts for:
  • All runs
  • Failures only
  • Success after failure
The first scheduled run occurs approximately one hour after creation. Subsequent runs follow your specified schedule.

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Schedule Frequency Options

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Hourly

Run tests every 1-23 hours:
  • Use cases: Production monitoring, rapid feedback loops
  • Example: Every 2 hours for critical path monitoring

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Daily

Run once per day at a specific time:
  • Use cases: Nightly regression, daily smoke tests
  • Example: Every day at 2 AM for full regression suite

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Weekly

Run on selected days of the week:
  • Use cases: Regular comprehensive testing, pre-release validation
  • Example: Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 8 PM

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Monthly

Run on specific dates each month:
  • Use cases: Monthly compliance checks, extensive regression
  • Example: 1st and 15th of each month
Schedule tests during off-peak hours to avoid impacting production systems and to get results before your team starts work.

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Environment-Specific Scheduling

Create different schedules for different environments: 
Example Schedule Strategy:
├── Production
│   └── Critical Path Tests: Every 30 minutes
├── Staging
│   ├── Full Regression: Daily at 2 AM
│   └── Smoke Tests: Every 2 hours
└── Development
    └── Feature Tests: On every deploy (CI/CD)

Environment selection in schedule configuration

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Scheduled Tests Dashboard

The Scheduled Tests page provides comprehensive management:

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Overview

  • All active schedules
  • Schedule status (active, paused, failed)
  • Next execution times
  • Recent run history
  • Success/failure trends

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Schedule Management

  • Pause Schedule - Temporarily stop execution
  • Edit Schedule - Modify frequency or configuration
  • Duplicate Schedule - Copy to create similar schedules
  • Delete Schedule - Remove schedule permanently

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History and Analytics

  • Execution history with results
  • Pass/fail trends over time
  • Environment-specific statistics
  • Performance metrics

Week view showing scheduled test runs

Day/Month view for detailed planning

List view showing all schedules

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Schedule Configuration Options

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Run Configuration

  • Environments - Which deployments to test
  • Browsers - Desktop and mobile browsers
  • Scenarios - Specific test scenarios to run
  • Parallel Execution - Run multiple environments simultaneously

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Notification Settings

Configure alerts via:
  • Slack - Post to channels
  • Email - Send to team members
  • Linear/Jira - Create tickets for failures
  • Webhooks - Custom integrations
See Integrations for setup.

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Retry Configuration

  • Retry on Failure - Automatically retry failed tests
  • Retry Attempts - Number of retries (1-3)
  • Retry Delay - Time between retries
Be cautious with retries for tests that modify data (e.g., creating orders) to avoid duplicate side effects.

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Pausing and Resuming Schedules

Temporarily stop a schedule without deleting it:
1

Navigate to Scheduled Tests

Find the schedule you want to pause.
2

Pause Schedule

Click the pause button or use the actions menu.
3

Resume When Ready

Click resume to restart the schedule. The next run will be calculated from the resume time.
Common reasons to pause:
  • During maintenance windows
  • When environment is unavailable
  • During major deployments
  • For debugging or test updates

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Best Practices

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1. Schedule Strategically

Production Monitoring 
Frequency: Every 30 minutes
Environment: Production only
Tests: Critical user journeys
Browsers: Primary browser (Chrome)
Notifications: Immediate on failure
Nightly Regression 
Frequency: Daily at 2 AM
Environments: Development, Staging
Tests: Full regression suite
Browsers: All supported browsers
Notifications: Daily summary
Pre-Deployment Validation 
Frequency: Before each deployment (CI/CD)
Environment: Staging
Tests: Smoke tests + critical paths
Browsers: Primary browsers
Notifications: Block deployment on failure

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2. Choose Appropriate Frequencies

  • High-frequency (every 30min - 2hr): Critical production monitoring
  • Daily: Regression suites, comprehensive testing
  • Weekly: Full browser matrix, extensive scenarios
  • Monthly: Compliance checks, archival testing

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3. Environment Isolation

  • Use separate schedules for production vs pre-production
  • Different notification channels per environment
  • More conservative testing in production

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4. Manage Test Data

  • Ensure test data is available at scheduled times
  • Use data cleanup scripts for pre-production
  • Avoid tests that depend on time-sensitive data

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5. Monitor Schedule Health

  • Review pass/fail trends regularly
  • Investigate consistently failing tests
  • Update schedules as application changes
  • Remove obsolete schedules
Start with conservative schedules and increase frequency as you gain confidence in test stability.

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Common Scheduling Patterns

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Continuous Production Monitoring

Monitor critical paths around the clock:
  • Schedule: Every 30 minutes
  • Environment: Production
  • Tests: Login, Search, Checkout
  • Notifications: Immediate alerts on failure

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Nightly Regression Suite

Comprehensive testing overnight:
  • Schedule: Daily at 2 AM
  • Environments: Dev, Staging, Production
  • Tests: All test suites
  • Browsers: Chrome, Safari, Mobile
  • Notifications: Morning summary email

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Pre-Release Validation

Validate before deployment:
  • Schedule: On-demand via CI/CD
  • Environment: Staging
  • Tests: Smoke tests + regression
  • Notifications: Block release on failure

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Weekly Deep Testing

Extensive testing weekly:
  • Schedule: Sundays at midnight
  • Environments: All environments
  • Tests: Full test plan with all scenarios
  • Browsers: All browsers and devices
  • Notifications: Weekly report

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Managing Multiple Schedules

When you have many schedules:
  1. Use Naming Conventions
    • [ENV] - [FREQUENCY] - [PURPOSE]
    • Example: Prod - Hourly - Critical Path
  2. Organize by Environment
    • Filter schedules by environment
    • Color-code by priority
    • Group related schedules
  3. Document Schedule Purpose
    • Add descriptions to schedules
    • Note owner and contact
    • Link to related test plans
  4. Review Regularly
    • Monthly schedule audit
    • Remove unused schedules
    • Update frequencies as needed

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Schedule Conflicts and Dependencies

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Handling Overlapping Schedules

When multiple schedules might overlap:
  • Spur queues tests automatically
  • Tests run when resources are available
  • View queue status in real-time

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Test Dependencies

For tests with dependencies:
  • Use test suites to maintain order
  • Consider test plans for complex flows
  • Avoid circular dependencies
Scheduled tests respect test dependencies within test suites, ensuring proper execution order.

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Troubleshooting

Check:
  • Schedule is not paused
  • Environment is accessible
  • No required configuration is missing
  • Schedule time is correct (check timezone)
Likely causes:
  • Time-dependent test logic
  • Environment state changes
  • Data cleanup issues
  • Resource contention
Solution: Review test assumptions and environment state
Check:
  • Timezone settings
  • Daylight saving time adjustments
  • Schedule frequency configuration
Solution: Verify timezone in user settings
Check:
  • Notification settings in schedule
  • Integration configuration (Slack, email)
  • Notification filters (e.g., failures only)
Solution: Test notifications with manual run first

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Scheduling with Test Plans

For comprehensive automated testing, use Test Plans with scheduling: Benefits:
  • Run multiple test suites together
  • Test across all environments simultaneously
  • Comprehensive browser coverage
  • Unified results and notifications
Example: 
Test Plan: "Nightly Regression"
Schedule: Daily at 2 AM
Includes:
  - Authentication Suite (All environments)
  - Core Features Suite (Staging + Production)
  - Payment Suite (Staging only)
Browsers: Chrome Desktop, Mobile Safari
Notifications: Slack #qa-results
Test Plans are ideal for scheduled testing because they provide comprehensive coverage and easier management than individual test schedules.

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Viewing Scheduled Test Results

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Recent Runs

View recent scheduled executions:
  • Run timestamp
  • Pass/fail status
  • Duration
  • Environment tested
  • Quick access to detailed results

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Historical Analysis

Track trends over time:
  • Success rate by environment
  • Common failure patterns
  • Performance trends
  • Browser-specific issues

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Failure Investigation

When a scheduled test fails:
  1. Review failure screenshot and error
  2. Check if it’s environment-specific
  3. Compare with manual run results
  4. Investigate recent deployments or changes

Scheduled test results dashboard

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Next Steps

Need help designing an effective testing schedule? Contact us at sneha@tryspur.dev for consultation on your testing strategy.