Step 1 of 5
Map every user path
You test what you have mapped - build the complete path inventory.
Map every user path in this app. Produce a table organized by persona/state (new visitor, logged-out, new user, returning user, admin if exists): each path as a numbered sequence of actions (e.g. 'land on home -> search X -> open result -> start action -> complete'). Include: all happy paths, alternate paths (back buttons, cancels, edits), and error paths (invalid input, missing data, unauthorized access). Number every path for tracking.
Expected after this step
A numbered inventory of happy, alternate, and error paths per persona.
Should not happen
- ✕Testing only the happy path
- ✕Skipping logged-out/fresh-account perspectives
- ✕Marking paths passed from code reading
- ✕Fixing bugs without re-running the failed path
Verify before continuing
Do not move on until every check is true. The complete button stays locked until then.
Do not continue if…
- !Testing only the happy path
- !Skipping logged-out/fresh-account perspectives
- !Marking paths passed from code reading
- !Fixing bugs without re-running the failed path
If the AI messes this up
Use this when the AI fakes progress or breaks the feature. It forces a real fix.
The map only lists happy paths. Add for every feature: the cancel/back variation, the invalid-input variation, and the wrong-state variation (logged-out, empty account).