What is the difference between Smoke Testing and Sanity Testing?

Smoke Testing:

• Purpose: Verify basic/critical functionality works
• Scope: Broad but shallow - covers major features
• When: After receiving a new build
• Goal: Determine if build is stable enough for detailed testing
• Coverage: Wide coverage, minimal depth
• Execution: Usually automated
• Example: Can users login? Can they navigate? Can they logout?

Sanity Testing:

• Purpose: Verify specific functionality after changes
• Scope: Narrow but deep - focuses on specific area
• When: After minor bug fixes or small changes
• Goal: Verify the fix works and related functionality is intact
• Coverage: Narrow coverage, more depth
• Execution: Usually manual
• Example: If password reset was fixed, test all password-related features

Key Differences

Aspect	Smoke Testing	Sanity Testing
Scope	Wide & Shallow	Narrow & Deep
Documentation	Documented	Usually not documented
Execution	Automated	Manual