Why Decouple?
UI tests are notoriously flaky due to changes in layout, timing issues, and browser inconsistencies. By testing business logic and data flows at the service layer, you reduce reliance on the UI and gain more stable, reliable tests.
Service-level tests execute much faster than UI tests. Decoupling allows you to validate core functionality quickly without waiting for the UI to load or render.
When a test fails, it's easier to pinpoint the issue if the UI and service layers are tested independently. This isolation helps teams debug faster and more effectively.
Changes in the UI (e.g., button renaming or layout shifts) won’t break your service-level tests. This reduces the maintenance burden and allows teams to evolve the UI without fear of breaking core functionality tests.
The Architecture
A typical web application consists of:
Instead of testing through the UI, we target the internal APIs directly. This allows us to validate core functionality without relying on the UI.
Decoupling, Not Discarding: UI Testing Still Matters
While our approach emphasises decoupling the service and UI layers, it's important to clarify that we are not eliminating UI testing. Instead, we are strategically separating concerns to improve test efficiency and maintainability.
By testing internal APIs independently, we gain:
However, UI testing remains essential for validating:
Our framework allows us to run UI and service tests independently or together, depending on the scenario. For example:
This layered approach ensures we maintain comprehensive coverage without compromising on speed or reliability.
✅ In short: We’ve decoupled the layers to test them more effectively—but we haven’t suppressed or replaced UI testing. We still run full end-to-end tests where it makes sense.
This layered approach ensures we test the right things at the right level, reducing redundancy and increasing confidence in our releases.
Using Robot Framework for API Automation
Robot Framework is a keyword-driven test automation framework that’s widely used for acceptance testing and robotic process automation (RPA). It’s highly extensible and supports REST API testing through libraries like:
How It Works: Automating Internal APIs
Instead of interacting with the UI (which can be slow and flaky), Robot Framework directly calls internal APIs to:
This allows you to test the core functionality without relying on the frontend.
Here’s a simplified example in RobotFramework -
Decoupling the UI and service layers in your test automation strategy is a game-changer. By focusing on internal API testing, you gain speed, reliability, and clarity—making your test suite a true enabler of quality and agility.
Start small, iterate often, and watch your test automation evolve into a powerful asset for your team.