compatibility-testing
Cross-browser, cross-platform, and cross-device compatibility testing ensuring consistent experience across environments. Use when validating browser support, testing responsive design, or ensuring platform compatibility.
What this skill does
# Compatibility Testing
## Browser engine
Browser-driven checks (viewport emulation, responsive validation, cross-browser screenshots) should go through the **qe-browser** fleet skill (`.claude/skills/qe-browser/`). Vibium is installed by `aqe init`. Quick reference:
```bash
# Viewport emulation per breakpoint
vibium viewport 375 667 # mobile
vibium viewport 768 1024 # tablet
vibium viewport 1920 1080 # desktop
# Full device emulation (user-agent, DPR, touch)
vibium emulate-device "iPhone 15"
# Visual diff per viewport
for vp in "375 667 mobile" "768 1024 tablet" "1920 1080 desktop"; do
read w h name <<< "$vp"
vibium viewport $w $h
node .claude/skills/qe-browser/scripts/visual-diff.js --name "homepage-$name"
done
```
Cross-browser (Firefox/Safari) still requires Playwright or a cloud device farm today — Vibium's BiDi backend is Chrome-only at v26.3.x.
<default_to_action>
When validating cross-browser/platform compatibility:
1. DEFINE browser matrix (cover 95%+ of users)
2. TEST responsive breakpoints (mobile, tablet, desktop)
3. RUN in parallel across browsers/devices
4. USE cloud services for device coverage (BrowserStack, Sauce Labs)
5. COMPARE visual screenshots across platforms
**Quick Compatibility Checklist:**
- Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge (latest + N-1)
- Mobile Safari (iOS), Mobile Chrome (Android)
- Screen sizes: 320px, 768px, 1920px
- Test on actual target devices for critical flows
**Critical Success Factors:**
- Users access from 100+ browser/device combinations
- Test where users are, not where you develop
- Cloud testing reduces 10 hours to 15 minutes
</default_to_action>
## Quick Reference Card
### When to Use
- Before release
- After CSS/layout changes
- Launching in new markets
- Responsive design validation
---
## Cross-Browser with Playwright
```javascript
// playwright.config.ts
import { defineConfig, devices } from '@playwright/test';
export default defineConfig({
projects: [
{ name: 'chromium', use: { ...devices['Desktop Chrome'] } },
{ name: 'firefox', use: { ...devices['Desktop Firefox'] } },
{ name: 'webkit', use: { ...devices['Desktop Safari'] } },
{ name: 'mobile-chrome', use: { ...devices['Pixel 5'] } },
{ name: 'mobile-safari', use: { ...devices['iPhone 12'] } }
]
});
// Run: npx playwright test --project=chromium --project=firefox
```
---
## Cloud Testing Integration
```javascript
// BrowserStack configuration
const capabilities = {
'browserName': 'Chrome',
'browser_version': '118.0',
'os': 'Windows',
'os_version': '11',
'browserstack.user': process.env.BROWSERSTACK_USER,
'browserstack.key': process.env.BROWSERSTACK_KEY
};
// Parallel execution across devices
const deviceMatrix = [
{ os: 'Windows', browser: 'Chrome' },
{ os: 'OS X', browser: 'Safari' },
{ os: 'Android', device: 'Samsung Galaxy S24' },
{ os: 'iOS', device: 'iPhone 15' }
];
```
---
## Agent-Driven Compatibility Testing
```typescript
// Cross-platform visual comparison
await Task("Compatibility Testing", {
url: 'https://example.com',
browsers: ['chrome', 'firefox', 'safari', 'edge'],
devices: ['desktop', 'tablet', 'mobile'],
platform: 'browserstack',
parallel: true
}, "qe-visual-tester");
// Returns:
// {
// combinations: 12, // 4 browsers × 3 devices
// passed: 11,
// differences: [{ browser: 'safari', device: 'mobile', diff: 0.02 }]
// }
```
---
## Agent Coordination Hints
### Memory Namespace
```
aqe/compatibility-testing/
├── browser-matrix/* - Browser/version configurations
├── device-matrix/* - Device configurations
├── visual-diffs/* - Cross-browser visual differences
└── reports/* - Compatibility reports
```
### Fleet Coordination
```typescript
const compatFleet = await FleetManager.coordinate({
strategy: 'compatibility-testing',
agents: [
'qe-visual-tester', // Visual comparison
'qe-test-executor', // Cross-browser execution
'qe-performance-tester' // Performance by platform
],
topology: 'parallel'
});
```
---
## Related Skills
- [mobile-testing](../mobile-testing/) - Mobile-specific testing
- [visual-testing-advanced](../visual-testing-advanced/) - Visual regression
- [accessibility-testing](../accessibility-testing/) - Cross-platform a11y
---
## Remember
**Cover 95%+ of your user base.** Use analytics to identify actual browser/device usage. Don't waste time on browsers nobody uses.
**With Agents:** Agents orchestrate parallel cross-browser testing across cloud platforms. `qe-visual-tester` catches visual inconsistencies across platforms automatically.
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