--- sourceDocument: Australia Build or modify applications sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/application-development Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia Build or modify applications ft:clusterId : - cadev bundleId : - cadev workflow : - Development, Data, and Analytics --- # Building and running automated tests with the Automated Test Framework # Building and running automated tests with the Automated Test Framework {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated March 12, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 1 minute to read Basic tasks in the Automated Test Framework. To build and run any test, you always perform certain operations: * [Create a new automated test](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/ZYxeKt9phdlcGEVMlldxFQ "Create a named automated test containing a series of steps to execute.") * [Add steps to an automated test](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/hCmKrxeCcQB_M6pHxXCAPg "Create a series of steps for an automated test to run in a specified order.") * [Run an automated test](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/yA5AzP3JsX7LRKLVKNwZbg "After creating an automated test, run it on a non-production instance.") * [View the progress of automated tests](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/frTA14M9W~tYBBIKUobmWA "When an automated test is running, view its progress in the Run Test progress dialog.") * [View test results and automated test results](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/qraSKQDrIv0X_Two6fpl~w "View test results from completed test and test suite runs. Carefully consider the results of automated test runs and perform any corrective actions required to resolve any revealed issues.") {#atf-build-overview__uf3_s2c_fy} You perform other operations often, but not necessarily for every test. * For tests involving form steps, you might need to [View results screenshots from an automated test](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/qraSKQDrIv0X_Two6fpl~w "View test results from completed test and test suite runs. Carefully consider the results of automated test runs and perform any corrective actions required to resolve any revealed issues."). * For some tests, you might need to know about [Passing data from one automated test step to another](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/RANmzRxTRMGarT6iFPPWrA "Some automated test steps create data that you can use as an input to a subsequent step."). * Some steps frequently occur in the same sequence in many different tests, so you can [Add a predefined list of steps (template) to an automated test](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/DioicS1kdSPLhNVByT5Lgg "With test templates you can add a predefined list of steps to a test. Any list of steps that follows a set pattern makes a good candidate for a template."). {#atf-build-overview__ul_a23_yms_kfb} * **[Create a new automated test](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/ZYxeKt9phdlcGEVMlldxFQ)** Create a named automated test containing a series of steps to execute. * **[Copy automated test](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/mZQAw88bLiQpBED9IfcR2g)** Copy an existing test, which you can then re-name and modify. * **[Run an automated test](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/yA5AzP3JsX7LRKLVKNwZbg)** After creating an automated test, run it on a non-production instance. * **[Implementing breakpoints](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/9THPSccIlipT_DwX5a2CRQ)** Breakpoints allow you to pause your test at any step of a test run in order to troubleshoot and test authoring. * **[View test results and automated test results](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/qraSKQDrIv0X_Two6fpl~w)** View test results from completed test and test suite runs. Carefully consider the results of automated test runs and perform any corrective actions required to resolve any revealed issues. * **[Identify and resolve client errors](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/VgV0Z8XlXscnhtiqlHWatQ#identify-and-resolve-client-errors)** Identify client errors and resolve them in client-side scripts. * **[UI test steps](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/3lKmEtmiNQ6VLw3md5Y19Q)** Test user interfaces by mimicking user actions and interacting with the visible components of a page. * **[Server test steps](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/TOl9P7rBFxveAp1vQ_qccA)** Test business logic and background processes by performing operations on the server. * **[Attachment test steps](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/h_a7j2fbxzYvrqaW7Ba57Q)** Test an attachment-dependent business rule by uploading an attachment either from a form or from a server-side API call. For example, you can have a business rule that doesn't let you close an incident without an attachment such as a screenshot. * **[List UI actions test steps](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/MKXXqdybgdBZp7iSWnbx3Q)** Select a UI action from a list to perform different actions on a list or a related list. * **[Parameterized tests](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/oFHHxi6ug9vNBEUYuGLctQ)** Run a test multiple times with different test data for each run. Create parameters to store test data for each test run. * **[Allowed client errors](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/tiPKHsTQbi3xLMnkbtbxeQ)** Add known client errors to the allowed client errors list to allow tests and steps to continue running when a specific error occurs. Set the report level to specify what the Automated Test Framework does when the error occurs in future tests. * **[View the progress of automated tests](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/frTA14M9W~tYBBIKUobmWA)** When an automated test is running, view its progress in the Run Test progress dialog. * **[Passing data from one automated test step to another](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/RANmzRxTRMGarT6iFPPWrA)** Some automated test steps create data that you can use as an input to a subsequent step. **Related concepts** * [Building and running automated test suites](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/HszHcqEsFhIuYBqc0uy7qg "Run a group of tests in a specific order to test an application or a group of related features.") * [Cancelling automated tests and test suites](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/xqXimBX7cajxdQaD7Z6hwg#atf-cancelling "You can cancel automated tests and automated test suites that are running or are queued to run.") **Related tasks** * [Auto-generate ATF tests](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/1oWUCJSOpTO8L1rnAAWl0A "Auto-generate ATF tests by selecting the auto-generate option either from the Auto-generate Tests module or Tests/Suites modules.")