Smoke Test
A small set of checks confirming that critical functionality works well enough for deeper testing.
Plain English
A fast check that the build is not obviously broken.
In context
Smoke tests protect testing and release workflows by detecting basic failures early.
Example
“Run the smoke test before starting full regression testing.”
When you'll hear this
- deployment
- build validation
- release review
Common misunderstanding
Passing a smoke test does not prove the whole product is correct.
Also known as
build verification test
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-25
