Validatorby emableGlossary
Simulated testers, defined
Simulated testers, also called synthetic users, are AI-driven behavioural profiles that use a product the way different kinds of people would, so teams can find where real users would get stuck.
Definition
A simulated tester has a profile (for example age, experience, digital skill, patience and privacy concern), a goal and a life context. It works through a product step by step, in a real browser, and records what it sees, where it hesitates and where it gives up. The result is a set of observed problems, ranked by how many testers hit them.
How they differ from related ideas
- Personas: a persona is a static description on a slide. A simulated tester acts on your product.
- Chatbot interviews: a chatbot answers questions about a product. A simulated tester uses the product.
- Scripted tests: automated tests check that a path works. Simulated testers differ in behaviour, so they find the paths nobody scripted.
- Human usability testing: real people reveal motivation and context that simulated testers cannot. Simulated testers are faster to repeat, so they fit before and between human studies.
Related terms
Behavioural profile, test group, edge-case run, replay, retest. In Validator, a person on the team reviews every report, and important findings are replayed before you see them.
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