Testing feels like homework until your users find the bugs first. This guide shows you how to build a testing strategy that actually prevents production disasters without turning development into a slog. You will learn which tests matter, which tools are simple enough to stick with, and how to catch the bugs that embarrass you in front of users.
Supabase helps because it is just Postgres at the core with an integrated suite of tools. You can run a full local stack, write tests against real Postgres schema and policies, and promote changes the same way you ship code. Start simple and layer more as your app grows.
Most developers write the wrong tests first. Unit tests feel productive because they are fast to write and always pass. But they miss the bugs that actually break your app in production.
Integration tests do the heavy lifting. They check that your database, API routes, auth, and third-party calls work together. These catch the "works on my machine" issues that unit tests miss entirely.
Start with integration tests on your core features. Add unit tests only for complex logic like price calculations, date handling, and data transforms where bugs are expensive. Save end-to-end tests for critical user flows like login, checkout, and content creation. Visual tests are optional unless pixel-perfect UI is your main value proposition.
