Before hitting that “Deploy” button, it’s easy to get caught up in checklists, dashboards, and last-minute questions from stakeholders.
But when everything’s moving fast, the real question becomes:
“What should I focus on to feel confident this product is ready to release ?”
It’s a familiar feeling for most QA folks—because let’s be honest, this is the moment it feels like we’re being paid for, right?
Whether you’re part of a large Agile team or flying solo on a smaller product, there are things QA can do to bring clarity, surface risks, and support a smart go/no-go decision.
This list cuts through the noise and highlights five QA actions that actually move the needle in those final pre-release moments.
1. Perform Final Smoke Testing
- What to check: Confirm that the application is stable enough to proceed by testing essential functionality—like login, homepage loading, and key workflows.
- Why it’s essential: Ensures you’re not wasting time digging into broken builds.
- How to execute: Run quick passes through key areas. You’re not looking for minor bugs—just making sure the foundation holds.
- Example: Verify that users can log in, access their dashboard, and switch between major modules without errors before moving on to deeper testing.
2. Conduct Sanity Testing on Recent Changes
- What to check: Focus on the latest bug fixes, changes, or newly added features.
- Why it’s essential: Quickly validates that what was supposed to be fixed, actually was—without creating new issues.
- How to execute: Target testing on affected areas, especially where recent code merges or fixes were made.
- Example: If developers fixed a payment form crash, you’d test checkout flows specifically—ensuring it works smoothly, handles failed payments, and doesn’t break the order summary UI.
3. Run Final Regression Testing
- What to check: Confirm that previously working features haven’t been broken by new changes.
- Why it’s essential: Protects the core experience your users rely on.
- How to execute: Use your regression suite or focus manual testing on high-traffic flows and edge cases.
- Example: Run automated tests for user login, search, navigation, and checkout. Manually test common workflows with different user roles or data sets that automation might miss.
4. Validate System Readiness with Exploratory Testing
- What to check: Go beyond scripts—hunt for unexpected behaviors, UX flaws, or overlooked logic gaps.
- Why it’s essential: Automation won’t find what it wasn’t told to look for.
- How to execute: Set time-boxed sessions targeting high-risk areas or recent code changes. Use diverse inputs and off-path user flows.
- Example: Try submitting forms with emojis, changing language mid-checkout, or navigating with a weak internet connection—anything that mimics real-world chaos.
5. Compile Feedback and Secure Stakeholder Approval
- What to check: Summarize the state of the product, highlight known issues, and offer a clear recommendation.
- Why it’s essential: Enables product owners and teams to make an informed call, not just a gut one.
- How to execute: Build a release readiness report that covers test results, defect severity, unresolved risks, and confidence level. Then meet with key stakeholders to review and decide.
- Example: Include charts on test pass rates, known blockers, and performance notes—followed by a short sync with product managers or leads to confirm release status.
Why This List Works
- Clear Workflow – The sequence builds from stability to sign-off, following the natural rhythm of a QA cycle.
- Universal Applicability – These checks work for every project, whether you’re doing e-commerce, healthcare, or SaaS.
- Efficiency and Focus – Cuts distractions by focusing on what matters most in crunch time.
🔍 Important Note: QA doesn’t own the final “go/no-go” decision—that belongs to stakeholders.
Our responsibility is to clearly communicate the current quality of the product, the scope of testing done, and any known risks. A good QA team enables others to make informed decisions with eyes wide open.
💬 Let’s wrap it up
What’s your go-to QA move before a release?
Drop it in the comments—I’d love to see how others handle the final stretch.