Impact Levels
ASTA allows you to configure impact levels for both rules and flows to help prioritize and categorize test results. Impact levels provide a way to classify the severity of issues found during testing, making it easier to focus on the most critical problems first.
Impact Level Categories
ASTA supports four impact levels, each representing a different severity of issues:
| Impact Level | Description | Use Case Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Issues that prevent core functionality from working | Authentication failures, payment processing errors, data loss scenarios |
| Serious | Issues that significantly impact user experience | Navigation problems, form submission failures, broken workflows |
| Moderate | Issues that affect functionality but have workarounds | UI inconsistencies, minor validation issues, performance degradation |
| Minor | Issues that are cosmetic or have minimal impact | Styling problems, typos, minor accessibility issues |
Configuring Impact Levels
Impact levels for rules and flows are configured through the editor interface. In the Rules and Flows editor, you'll find a dropdown selector next to the title and validity indicator where you can select the appropriate impact level for your rule or flow.
The impact level is set at the rule or flow level and applies to all scenarios and steps within that rule or flow. You don't need to modify the text itself - the impact configuration is handled through the editor's UI controls.
Impact Level Logging and Reporting
When ASTA runs tests, it logs the impact level of each issue found:
- Test Logs: Each test result includes the impact level in the detailed logs
- Reports: Test reports categorize results by impact level
- CI/CD Integration: Impact levels are used in quality gates and notifications
Quality Gates
Impact levels are particularly useful in CI/CD pipelines where you can set quality gates based on impact:
- Block deployment if any Critical issues are found
- Require review if more than 10 Serious issues are found
- Generate warnings for Moderate and Minor issues
Notification Systems
When integrated with notification systems (Slack, Teams, etc.), impact levels help prioritize alerts:
- Critical: Immediate notification to development team
- Serious: Notification to project managers
- Moderate/Minor: Summary reports in daily/weekly updates
Best Practices
Choosing Impact Levels
- Critical: Reserve for issues that completely break functionality
- Serious: Use for issues that significantly impact user workflows
- Moderate: Apply to issues that affect user experience but don't block core functionality
- Minor: Use for cosmetic issues and minor improvements
Impact Level Strategy
- Start Conservative: Begin with higher impact levels and adjust based on team feedback
- Review Regularly: Periodically review and adjust impact levels based on actual business impact
- Team Alignment: Ensure your team agrees on what constitutes each impact level
- Documentation: Document your impact level criteria for consistency across the team
Impact Level Examples
Critical Impact Examples
- User cannot log in to the application
- Payment processing fails completely
- Data is lost or corrupted
- Application crashes on core functionality
Serious Impact Examples
- Navigation menus don't work properly
- Form submissions fail with valid data
- Search functionality returns no results
- User cannot complete primary workflows
Moderate Impact Examples
- UI elements are misaligned but functional
- Validation messages are unclear
- Performance is slower than expected
- Some features are harder to use than intended
Minor Impact Examples
- Typos in user interface text
- Color contrast could be improved
- Icons are slightly misaligned
- Help text could be more descriptive
Integration with Testing Strategy
Impact levels help you:
- Prioritize Bug Fixes: Focus on Critical and Serious issues first
- Plan Releases: Determine which issues can be deferred
- Allocate Resources: Assign appropriate team members to different impact levels
- Track Progress: Monitor improvement in issue severity over time
- Set Expectations: Communicate clearly with stakeholders about issue priorities
By using impact levels effectively, you can ensure that your testing efforts focus on the most important issues while maintaining visibility into all aspects of application quality.