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simonaferrara's avatar
simonaferrara
Frequent Contributor
3 days ago
Solved

Parallel testing for web tests

Hi,

is there a way to execute Test Complete web tests in parallel within the same machine, by opening the needed browser instances and execute in each one the needed test?

For example, I've got test_1 and test_2, both developed for Edge browser, and they're indipendent one from each other from functionality point of view, that is: I could execute them in parallel without any disturbance between both.

Is there a way that I can execute test_1 and test_2 with 2 browser instances in the same time?

The scope is to save time by half for tests' execution.

I'm available to try a solution both through AzureDevOps release pipeline changes or test project changes.

I've searched for documentation within Test Complete but I've found for now only information regarding executing parallel tests within different machines, but it is not my scope, since I need to execute them within the same machine.

Thanks and regards,

Simona 

 

web testing

2 Replies

  • Hassan_Ballan's avatar
    Hassan_Ballan
    Icon for Champion Level 3 rankChampion Level 3
    2 days ago

    You're correct that TestComplete supports parallel execution across multiple machines, but not within the same machine for GUI tests in the way you're describing.

    This limitation exists because functional GUI tests simulate actual user interactions, and Windows does not support multiple simultaneous interactive sessions on a single desktop. That means running two Edge browser instances in parallel under TestComplete on the same machine can lead to resource contention, focus issues, or unexpected behavior, especially since TestComplete relies on UI focus, window handles, and real user input simulation.

    So even if your tests are functionally independent, they still compete for control of the UI, which makes parallel execution on the same machine unreliable for GUI automation.

    Recommended Approach:

    To truly run in parallel while maintaining test reliability:

    • Use TestExecute on multiple machines or virtual machines as nodes.
    • Configure your pipeline (like Azure DevOps) to run test jobs in parallel across these nodes.

    This is the supported and stable way to cut test execution time without sacrificing accuracy or stability.

    If you’re open to exploring non-GUI approaches, like API-level testing or headless browser automation using WebDriver https://support.smartbear.com/testcomplete/docs/app-testing/web/supported-browsers/headless.html, those can often run in parallel on the same machine—but they won’t be full GUI tests.

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  • rraghvani's avatar
    rraghvani
    Icon for Champion Level 3 rankChampion Level 3
    3 days ago

    See https://support.smartbear.com/testcomplete/docs/testing-with/running/parallel.html and also take note of the following,

    Several functional tests cannot share a user session, therefore, only a single test can run on the workstation

    It's possible to switch between tabs in Edge to test various web pages, but you won't be able to test exactly at the same time.

    This is deprecated https://support.smartbear.com/testcomplete/docs/testing-with/deprecated/distributed/basic-concepts.html