How to get started with kogiQA

1. Install kogiQA

kogiQA is a desktop application. This design enables us to provide significantly more control over the browser you are testing compared to competitors that only offer a Chrome extension or run purely inside the browser.

We provide kogiQA for macOS, Windows, and Linux. You can choose between installing it via your preferred package manager or using the standalone installer for your platform.

Install with Homebrew (macOS)

brew install --cask kogiqa

Install with WinGet (Windows)

winget install kogiQA

Install with apt (Debian/Ubuntu)

wget -O kogi-qa-latest.deb https://updater.kogiqa.com/release/kogi-qa-latest.deb
sudo apt install ./kogi-qa-latest.deb

Standalone installer

Download for macOS

Download for Windows

Download for Linux

2. Create a free account

Because kogiQA utilizes complex algorithms that cannot run efficiently on local hardware, computation is performed on our servers. We offer a generous free tier, so you should be able to test medium-sized applications without paying anything. Additionally, you do not need a credit card or other payment information to sign up.

3. Create your first test recording

To create your first test recording, log in to the kogiQA desktop app. Click the Add Test button in the bottom-left corner of the application, then type in the URL you wish to test. Tip: For this tutorial, we recommend starting with https://kogiqa.com/tutorial.

A red border will appear surrounding the page, signaling that all actions are being recorded. When creating a new test, recording starts automatically; you can control this using the buttons in the top-right corner.

While the page is recording (indicated by the red border), perform the actions you want to capture. If you are on kogiqa.com/tutorial, feel free to click the button as often as you like and enter the name of your favorite food into the input box. These actions will be added to the step list on the right side of the application. Once finished, stop the recording by clicking the Record button in the top-left corner.

Adding Validations:

To add a validation, simply select the text you want to validate, right-click, and select Validate is present from the context menu. The same can be done when clicking buttons or inputs.

More actions can be found in the bottom-right corner of the application; click them to add them to the current test.

Replaying:

Once recorded, you can replay the test by pressing the Replay button in the top-right corner. You will see a gray dot interacting with the page on your behalf. The automation engine now controls the page, indicated by a blue border surrounding the browser view.

4. Export the recording to code

To export your newly created recording to code, simply press the Code icon on the right side of the application. The panel will change to display the code behind the recording.

5. Setup a code repository for your tests

Create a new project in your editor of choice, then run npm init to create a new Node.js project. Make sure you have Node.js installed.

npm init

Next, install the kogiQA package by running the following command in the same directory. The package should appear in the dependencies section of the package.json file created by npm init.

npm install kogi

You can now paste the code you exported from the recording into a new JavaScript file, for example, index.js.

6. Get an access token

Now that your project is set up, the only thing you need is an access token.

Click the Home icon in the top-left corner of the app.
Select Settings, then API Keys.
Click Add Token.

Copy the token into your index.js file to replace the placeholder: const apiKey = "<< Get access token >>"

7. Run your automation from your code

To run the automation, open your terminal and type node index.js. You will see kogiQA enter "Live Control Mode," indicated by a blue bar at the top of the application. This confirms that your code is now controlling the browser window.

node index.js

8. Run your code using a Cloud session

kogiQA includes a cloud runner included in the same pricing as your normal actions. To run your code in the cloud, you simply change the browser argument in Browser.start from "local" to the name of the browser you prefer (e.g., "firefox").

When you run node index.js with this change, it will execute on kogiQA servers. This is useful for CI pipelines, as you can run browser automations without setting up a local browser environment.

Example: Firefox

const page = await Browser.start(apiKey, "firefox", "kogiqa.com/tutorial Test")

Example: Safari

const page = await Browser.start(apiKey, "safari", "kogiqa.com/tutorial Test")