What is Smoke Test? — UK Software Development Guide
Direct Answer
A smoke test is a quick, preliminary test of a newly deployed build to verify that the most critical functions of the system are working correctly. The name comes from hardware testing where a device would be switched on — if smoke appeared, it failed the most basic test. In software, a smoke test checks: can the application start? Can users log in? Can the most important pages load? A smoke test failing means the build should be rolled back immediately.
Smoke-test in the UK
Smoke tests are a mandatory part of ClickMasters' deployment pipeline for client systems. After every deployment (to staging or production), automated smoke tests run before traffic is switched to the new version: authentication works, critical API endpoints respond, database connections succeed, third-party integrations (Stripe, HMRC, NHS APIs) are reachable. If smoke tests fail, the deployment is automatically rolled back. For FCA-regulated FinTechs and NHS systems: automated smoke tests that include payment flow and clinical data access verification are essential pre-deployment quality gates.
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