Introduction to QANode

QANode is a test automation platform that allows you to create, run, and manage automated tests through a visual flow editor based on nodes. With an intuitive drag-and-connect interface, you can build complex test scenarios without writing code — QANode, through its extensibility with custom nodes, is prepared to run any type of test.

What is QANode?

QANode was designed for QA teams, developers, and test engineers who need a modern, visual tool for test automation. The platform covers the main testing areas:

Web Automation

Test user interfaces using Playwright, the most modern automation framework on the market. QANode offers specialized nodes for different levels of control:

• Smart Web Flow — Recommended web automation with smart recording, context, expected checks, and assisted recovery
• Web Flow — Automation based on CSS selectors, XPath, data-testid, and text
• Smart Locators — Automation with semantic locators (getByRole, getByLabel, getByPlaceholder, etc.)

They support Chromium, headless mode, screenshot capture, session reuse, and Chrome extension recording.

API Testing

Execute HTTP requests with full support for:

• GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE methods
• Bearer, Basic, and API Key authentication
• Custom headers and request body
• Integration with saved credentials

Database

Connect and validate data in:

• PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle — with a visual query builder or direct SQL
• MongoDB — with find, insert, update, delete, and aggregation pipeline operations

Reusable Components

Create subflows with inputs and outputs to reuse common logic across scenarios, such as login, test-data setup, shared validations, or helper queries.

Infrastructure

Execute remote commands via SSH with support for multiple steps, password or private key authentication, and output capture.

Extensibility

Create custom nodes in any programming language (Node.js, Python, Java, C#, Go, etc.) through the HTTP provider system. (Community Edition supports JavaScript only)

Key Features

Architecture

QANode is composed of four main components:

┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐
│  Frontend    │    │  API Server  │    │   Worker     │
│  (React)     │◄──►│  (Fastify)   │◄──►│  (Executor)  │
│  Vite + TS   │    │  REST API    │    │  Playwright  │
└─────────────┘    └──────┬───────┘    └─────────────┘
                          │
                   ┌──────▼───────┐
                   │  PostgreSQL   │
                   │  (Prisma ORM) │
                   └──────────────┘

• Frontend — User interface in React with TypeScript, built with Vite
• API Server — REST server in Fastify with JWT authentication
• Worker — Execution engine that processes flows and controls Playwright
• PostgreSQL — Relational database for data storage (via Prisma ORM)

Desktop Version

The desktop version packages all components into a single Electron application, including an embedded PostgreSQL. Just install and use — no infrastructure configuration required.

Community Edition vs Enterprise

This documentation covers the Community Edition, which is free. The table below summarizes the differences:

Next Steps

• Installation — Set up QANode in your environment
• Quick Start — Create your first test in minutes
• Core Concepts — Understand the platform structure