DEV Community

Mohammad Waseem
Mohammad Waseem

Posted on

Overcoming Geo-Blocked Features Testing with Python: A Lead QA Engineer’s Approach

#python #qa #geolocation

Overcoming Geo-Blocked Features Testing with Python: A Lead QA Engineer’s Approach

Testing geo-restricted features presents unique challenges, especially when documentation is sparse or outdated. As a Lead QA Engineer, I faced the task of verifying geo-blocked functionalities—such as region-specific content restrictions or access limitations—without the luxury of comprehensive guides or explicit tooling support. This post details a strategic approach using Python, built on leveraging IP-based geolocation APIs and proxy management to simulate different regions, ensuring thorough testing.

The Problem

In modern applications, features like content licensing, regional pricing, or legal compliance often require geo-restrictions. Validating these features requires testing from multiple geographic locations. When documentation is lacking, and the only available information is system behavior or user reports, a systematic, automated approach is essential.

The Solution Framework

The core idea is to route test requests through different geographic proxies and verify the application's behavior from each region. Python offers robust libraries and APIs to facilitate this process. Key steps include:

  • Identifying proxy or VPN service providers with regional endpoints
  • Automating requests through these proxies
  • Parsing the application’s responses for correct regional behavior

Implementation Strategy

1. Setting Up Proxies for Different Regions

A common approach is to use proxy services such as ProxyRack or GeoSurf, which provide endpoints in various countries. For demonstration, assume we have access to a list of proxies:

proxies = {
    'US': 'http://us-proxy.example.com:8080',
    'UK': 'http://uk-proxy.example.com:8080',
    'IN': 'http://in-proxy.example.com:8080'
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

2. Routing Requests Through Regional Proxies

Python’s requests library supports proxies seamlessly:

import requests

def test_feature(region, proxy_url):
    url = 'https://example.com/geo-restricted-content'
    proxies = {
        'http': proxy_url,
        'https': proxy_url,
    }
    try:
        response = requests.get(url, proxies=proxies, timeout=10)
        return response.text
    except requests.RequestException as e:
        print(f"Error testing region {region}: {e}")
        return None

# Example usage
for region, proxy in proxies.items():
    content = test_feature(region, proxy)
    if content:
        # Perform validation on content
        if 'Content Restricted' in content:
            print(f"Region {region}: Content is correctly restricted.")
        else:
            print(f"Region {region}: Content not restricted as expected!")
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

3. Autonomous Geolocation Verification

To verify that the requests originate from the intended regions, integrate IP geolocation APIs such as ipinfo.io or ip-api.com:

def verify_ip_geolocation(ip):
    response = requests.get(f"http://ip-api.com/json/{ip}")
    data = response.json()
    country_code = data.get('countryCode')
    return country_code

# Extract IPs from proxies or responses and verify
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

4. Combining for End-to-End Validation

By combining proxy routing and geolocation checks, we can automate comprehensive regional testing:

for region, proxy in proxies.items():
    content = test_feature(region, proxy)
    if content:
        ip_response = requests.get('https://api.ipify.org?format=json', proxies=proxies)
        ip = ip_response.json()['ip']
        country_code = verify_ip_geolocation(ip)
        print(f"Request from region {region}, detected as {country_code}")
        # Validate content based on geo-detection
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Final Thoughts

This approach is powerful for testing geo-restricted features without proper documentation, as it provides control over regional simulation and verification. While it requires proxy access and configuration, it offers a flexible, scriptable way to ensure compliance and user experience consistency across regions.

Automating such testing processes can significantly improve coverage and confidence in geo-sensitive features, especially when dealing with legacy systems or poor documentation environments. Always consider legal and ethical implications when using proxies or VPNs for testing.

References

🛠️ QA Tip

To test this safely without using real user data, I use TempoMail USA.

Top comments (0)