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What Is a Ghost Inspector? Overview & Features

Enter Ghost Inspector: a game-changing automated testing tool designed to streamline the testing process, boost efficiency, and enhance the overall quality of digital experiences.

 

Whether you’re a seasoned developer, a design enthusiast, or a QA professional, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and insights needed to elevate your testing game and deliver flawless digital products. 

 

So, let’s dive in and explore the world of automated testing with Ghost Inspector!

Table of contents

What's Ghost Inspector?

Ghost Inspector is a tool for testing websites and web apps automatically, without needing to write any code. It lets you create tests that mimic what real users do in a web browser to make sure everything functions correctly.

 

Launched in 2014, Ghost Inspector aims to make website and web app testing easy and accessible. It’s designed so that anyone on your team can use it, not just tech experts. By automating tests, it helps teams ensure their products work smoothly from end to end.

Who can benefit from Ghost Inspector?

Ghost Inspector is perfect for a wide range of users who want to ensure their website or web app is top-notch without needing advanced skills. Small businesses and web development agencies find it particularly useful for keeping their online presence smooth. They often need to test critical functions like shopping carts, payment flows, and contact forms to maintain customer satisfaction.

 

But Ghost Inspector isn’t just for small players. Big corporations, including Fortune 500 companies with sizable teams, also rely on us. They might have thousands of tests running constantly, ensuring every aspect of their massive applications stays in tip-top shape.

What challenges does Ghost Inspector tackle?

What challenges does Ghost Inspector tackle_

How do managed services differ from staff augmentation?

Traditionally, setting up automated tests demanded extensive training and coding expertise, often resulting in fragile scripts that quickly became obsolete. Ghost Inspector revolutionizes this process by offering a user-friendly test recorder and a codeless test editor, making automated testing accessible to all without the need for lengthy training.

Comprehensive Testing Features

Ghost Inspector doesn’t just ensure your website functions correctly; it goes the extra mile. Alongside functional testing, our screenshot comparison feature conducts visual testing to verify that your website maintains its intended appearance. Additionally, we offer accessibility testing and the ability to schedule tests or trigger them upon deployment—all within one comprehensive product.

Eliminating Technical Hurdles

Previously, automated browser testing involved integrating various tools and managing multiple packages, which could be technically challenging. With Ghost Inspector, those concerns vanish. You don’t have to fret about coding, Docker image management, or storing screenshots—our hosted service handles everything seamlessly for you.

What's Next for Ghost Inspector?

Since its inception in 2014, Ghost Inspector has constantly evolved. We’ve introduced new browser versions, geolocations, integrations, and a host of useful features. Looking ahead, here’s what’s in store for the coming year:

Screenshot Comparison Steps

Currently, our tests perform screenshot comparisons at the end of each test. However, we’re introducing a new feature that allows tests to conduct screenshot comparisons at various points throughout the test steps. This will provide more granular insights into visual changes during testing.

Enhanced QA Management Integrations

We’re expanding our integrations with QA management tools such as Jira and TestRails. For teams deeply entrenched in the Jira ecosystem, these integrations offer complementary functionalities to Ghost Inspector, streamlining test management processes.

Improved Accessibility Testing

Our accessibility testing feature, launched in 2021, has been well-received by our customers. In 2023, we’re committed to enhancing and expanding this feature to further support our users in creating accessible web experiences.

 

These updates reflect our ongoing commitment to providing innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our users and ensure a seamless testing experience.

Ghost Inspector Features Overview

Let’s take a closer look at the key features of Ghost Inspector and how they can help you effectively test your website or web app:

Test Recording Extension

Ghost Inspector offers a test recording extension for both Chrome and Firefox browsers. This streamlined recorder allows you to record your actions while testing in your own browser. Once recorded, you can turn these actions into repeatable, automated tests in your Ghost Inspector account. After capturing steps, assertions, and screenshots, simply save your test and run it on the Ghost Inspector platform with just a click.

Visual Testing via Screenshot Comparison

Ensuring your website not only functions correctly but also looks the way it’s supposed to is crucial. Ghost Inspector’s visual testing feature automatically takes a screenshot at the end of each test and compares it to the last passing screenshot to detect any differences. Any changes are flagged for your review, making it easy to catch visual bugs.

Parallel Test Running by Default

Ghost Inspector is designed for speed. By default, our system runs tests in parallel, without any additional charges for concurrency levels. This allows you to run large test suites against your application and see the results in minutes rather than hours.

Data-driven Testing Using Spreadsheets

Testing your website with various inputs is essential. Ghost Inspector’s data-driven testing feature enables you to upload spreadsheets of data and run tests with them. Each row in the spreadsheet triggers a copy of the test, substituting the provided values for variables in the test steps. This allows you to test with multiple data sets and catch edge case bugs effectively.

Customizable Browsers, Screen Sizes, and Geolocations

Your website is accessed by users worldwide using different browsers, screen sizes, and locations. Your tests should reflect this diversity too. Ghost Inspector lets you customize browser versions, screen sizes, and geolocations for your tests. Our system runs a copy of the test for every combination you select, ensuring comprehensive testing across various environments.

Ghost Inspector vs The Competition

Ghost Inspector stands out from the competition for several reasons. Firstly, it offers a user-friendly product with an extensive feature set, all at very affordable pricing. Unlike other providers who might make you jump through hoops to see their prices, Ghost Inspector offers a transparent approach. You can sign up for a free trial and start testing within minutes. Moreover, all plans include every feature, and the pricing is structured to be less than $0.01 per test run, making it accessible to all.

Ghost Inspector Integrations

In terms of integrations, Ghost Inspector covers a wide range of other testing products. Our integration documentation includes almost every continuous integration service available, including popular ones like Jenkins, GitHub, Bitbucket, CircleCI, and more. Even if your preferred service isn’t listed, we provide a flexible API along with a CLI tool for custom integration.

 

Beyond continuous integration tools, we also seamlessly integrate with various alerting platforms such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and PagerDuty. Additionally, we support generic webhooks for further flexibility. And for those using WordPress, we even offer a dedicated plugin for smoother integration.

Ghost Inspector Pricing

Ghost Inspector offers a variety of pricing plans tailored to different needs, each including a monthly allowance of test runs and member seats. Starting at $99 per month, our Small plan provides 10,000 test runs monthly along with 5 member seats, offering ample testing capacity right from the start.

 

There are no restrictions on the number of tests you can create or the domains you can test on. Each test run is simply deducted from your monthly allotment whenever a test is executed, which involves launching a browser and carrying out the test’s steps. You have the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time, and discounts are available for annual purchases.

Conclusion

Ghost Inspector offers a comprehensive solution for automated testing, catering to a wide range of users from small businesses to large enterprises. With its user-friendly interface, extensive feature set, and affordable pricing plans, Ghost Inspector simplifies the testing process and ensures the smooth functioning of websites and web applications. Whether you’re a developer, designer, or part of a QA team, Ghost Inspector empowers you to create and run tests efficiently, helping you deliver high-quality digital experiences to your users.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, absolutely! Ghost Inspector offers a free trial that allows you to explore the platform and its features before committing to a plan. Simply sign up for a trial account and start testing your website or web app within minutes.

No, there are no restrictions on the number of tests you can create with Ghost Inspector. You can create as many tests as you need to ensure comprehensive coverage of your website or web application.

Yes, Ghost Inspector allows you to run tests on multiple domains without any limitations. Whether you have one website or multiple, you can test them all using Ghost Inspector.

If you exceed your monthly test run allotment, you have the option to upgrade your plan to accommodate additional test runs. Alternatively, you can wait until the next billing cycle when your test run allotment resets.

Yes, Ghost Inspector offers discounts for annual purchases. By opting for an annual subscription, you can save on your overall subscription costs compared to monthly billing.

Ghost Inspector is a tool that helps you test your websites and web applications without needing to write any code. It lets you create and run automated tests in your web browser to make sure everything on your site works correctly.

When you use Ghost Inspector, it simulates what a real person would do when using your website. It clicks on buttons, fills out forms, and navigates through pages, just like a human would. This helps you catch any bugs or issues before your users encounter them.

Ghost Inspector is used by teams who want to make sure their websites and web applications are functioning properly. It’s helpful for developers, testers, and anyone involved in quality assurance.