Vague instructions like "please test my app" get vague answers. Short, concrete instructions get feedback you can compare across testers. Aim for something a tester reads in under a minute.
The five parts
- What the app does in one sentence.
- Scope: what to test now, and what is unfinished or out of scope.
- Steps: two to five concrete tasks.
- What to report: crashes, confusing moments, anything that took longer than expected, device and Android/iOS version.
- What to ignore: known bugs, placeholder content, features that are not built yet.
Rules that help
- One main task first. The thing a new user would do in the first minute.
- Use verbs and results. "Create an entry and find it again in the list" beats "test the entry feature".
- Keep it short. Every extra paragraph lowers the number of testers who read it.
- Say how to report. One place, one format.
- Provide access. If the app needs a login, include a test account.
- Ask a few specific questions instead of "any thoughts?".
Example
Example text, adapt it to your app:
App: A habit tracker that reminds you once a day. Please test: (1) Create two habits. (2) Mark one as done and check that the streak updates. (3) Turn on a reminder and close the app. Not ready yet: the settings screen and the dark theme. Please ignore them. Please tell me: anything that crashed, anything you did not understand, and which phone and Android version you used. One thing you would change first.
Mistakes to avoid
- A list of 30 test cases. Testers stop after a few.
- Mixing instructions and marketing text.
- Asking for a store rating. Store reviews are voluntary and should never be requested as part of a test.
- Changing the instructions mid-test without telling anyone.
Where it goes
Put the text where testers see it before they start: the invitation, and the "what should testers check" field if your tool has one. For the invitation itself see tester invitation message, and test your app yourself first. Background: what testers look for.