Learn Testing: A New Course on Web Test Automation
web.dev has added a new course to its series: Learn Testing. Written by Sam Thorogood, a former startup CTO and ex-Google engineer, the course aims to make test automation more approachable for developers who still rely heavily on manual testing.
Research from the MDN Web Developer Needs Assessment shows that many developers spend significant time on manual tests, often because standing up a proper test setup feels cumbersome. The course addresses that by covering the full testing landscape: test types, environments, deciding what's worth testing, and writing your own component tests.
What the Course Covers
The initial chapters focus on the fundamentals of test automation. As with other web.dev courses like Learn HTML, Learn Performance, or Learn Accessibility, the material is designed to work both as a sequential lesson plan and as a reference you can point colleagues to. The structure allows you to jump into specific topics without needing to start from the beginning.
Sam Thorogood's background in running a startup informs the practical approach—the course deals with the realities of building robust applications, not just idealized test setups. The goal is to show that writing tests is worth the effort and can save time in the long run.
Availability and Next Chapters
The first chapters are available now, with more planned for release over the coming months. Feedback is welcome via the issue tracker or by reaching out to @ChromiumDev on X. You can start the course at web.dev/learn/testing.
