test-smell-detection

Detect harmful test design patterns and report severity-ranked remediation guidance.

1|Updated May 21, 2026

Search Tags:#integration testing #unit testing #test maintainability #code quality audit #test smell detection #fragile tests #research taxonomy

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/1k-off/umbraco-observability-playground --skill test-smell-detection

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: test-smell-detection
Source: https://github.com/1k-off/umbraco-observability-playground/tree/main/.agents/skills/test-smell-detection
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/1k-off/umbraco-observability-playground --skill test-smell-detection

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

It helps you systematically identify problematic test patterns that make suites fragile, misleading, or expensive to maintain, so you can regain confidence in what your tests actually validate.

Core Features & Use Cases

Research-taxonomy smell audit: Detects a set of categorized test smells aligned with the academic testsmells.org taxonomy, producing findings that are easier to prioritize and discuss.
Severity-ranked, actionable remediation: Calibrates severity for common contexts (like integration tests) and provides concrete fix guidance rather than only labels.
Deep coverage of design issues: Targets issues such as conditional logic, mystery guests (hidden dependencies), sleepy tests, assertion-free tests, eager tests, magic numbers, sensitive equality, exception handling, over-broad fixtures, and ignored/disabled tests.

Quick Start

Upload the test files or test project you want analyzed and ask the AI: "Run a deep formal test smell audit on these test files and produce a severity-ranked report with concrete remediation examples."

Frequently Asked Questions about test-smell-detection

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema

How do I detect test design smells in my unit and integration tests?▼

Test smell detection scans test methods and classes for categorized design smells like conditional logic, mystery guests, and magic numbers, producing a severity-ranked report with actionable remediation examples to improve suite reliability and maintainability.

What are common fragile test patterns that reduce suite reliability?▼

Common fragile test patterns include sleepy tests, sensitive equality, over-broad fixtures, and mystery guests. These hidden dependencies and timing issues make suites misleading and expensive to maintain, requiring a taxonomy-driven health check to identify and resolve.

Can I run a test smell audit on a full test project?▼

Yes, you can run a test smell audit on a full test project. The audit applies to unit, integration, and broader test-project scenarios, performing a taxonomy-driven health check of test structure and behavior across the provided files.

Why does my test suite have high maintainability costs and assertion-free tests?▼

High maintainability costs often stem from assertion-free tests, eager tests, and ignored or disabled tests. A formal smell audit identifies these categorized design patterns, calibrates severity for contextual cases, and provides concrete fix guidance.

What is the best way to audit test code quality for hidden dependencies?▼

The best way to audit test code quality for hidden dependencies is using a research-taxonomy smell audit aligned with the testsmells.org taxonomy. This approach systematically detects mystery guests and over-broad fixtures, producing findings that are easier to prioritize and discuss.

Does test smell detection work for integration testing contexts?▼

Yes, test smell detection works for integration testing contexts. The audit calibrates severity specifically for common integration test scenarios, ensuring the reported locations and actionable remediation guidance are appropriate for the specific test structure and behavior being analyzed.