Streamlining Authentication Flows with Go: A Senior QA Engineer’s Automation Journey

#go #qa #automation

Implementing automated tests for authentication flows can be a complex challenge, especially when documentation is sparse or outdated. In this post, I will share insights and practical approaches I adopted as a Lead QA Engineer to automate auth flows using Go, focusing on the strategies, tools, and code snippets that helped me succeed.

The Challenge: Lack of Documentation

Without proper documentation, understanding the authentication mechanisms—be it OAuth2, JWT, Basic Auth, or custom protocols—becomes a guessing game. My first step was to gather as much context as possible through logs, network traffic captures, and interviews with developers familiar with the auth system.

Choosing Go for Automation

Go’s fast execution, built-in concurrency support, and ease of creating HTTP clients make it ideal for automating complex flows. Its static typing and straightforward syntax improve maintainability, especially important when working without detailed guides.

Building the Core Authentication Test

The key to effective automation is to simulate real user behaviors. Here’s a simplified example of logging in with a JWT token, handling cookies, and verifying access tokens:

package main

import (
    "bytes"
    "encoding/json"
    "fmt"
    "io/ioutil"
    "net/http"
)

func main() {
    loginURL := "https://example.com/api/auth/login"
    credentials := map[string]string{
        "username": "testuser",
        "password": "testpass",
    }
    payload, _ := json.Marshal(credentials)

    req, err := http.NewRequest("POST", loginURL, bytes.NewBuffer(payload))
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
    req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")

    client := &http.Client{}
    resp, err := client.Do(req)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    body, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
    if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
        fmt.Println("Login failed:", string(body))
        return
    }

    var result map[string]interface{}
    json.Unmarshal(body, &result)

    token := result["access_token"].(string)
    fmt.Println("Received Token:", token)

    // Proceed to access protected resource
    testAuth(token)
}

func testAuth(token string) {
    req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://example.com/api/protected/resource", nil)
    req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer " + token)
    client := &http.Client{}
    resp, err := client.Do(req)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    body, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
    if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusOK {
        fmt.Println("Access granted:", string(body))
    } else {
        fmt.Println("Access denied:", string(body))
    }
}

This script performs a login by sending credentials, extracts the JWT token from the response, and then uses it to access a secured endpoint. It’s modular, adaptable, and allows testing various scenarios by changing the credentials or endpoints.

Creating Robust Test Flows

To extend this into comprehensive test suites, I incorporated features like:

Refresh token handling
Invalid credential testing
Session expiry simulations
Multi-factor authentication flows wrapped in separate functions

Leveraging Environment Variables and Configuration Files

Without documentation, hardcoding values is risky. Use environment variables or configuration files to manage endpoints, credentials, and tokens securely.

import "os"

var loginEndpoint = os.Getenv("LOGIN_URL")
var apiToken = os.Getenv("API_TOKEN")

Final Thoughts

Automating authentication flows without proper documentation is challenging but manageable with a structured approach. Focus on understanding the underlying protocols, simulate real user scenarios, and maintain clear, configurable codebases. Go’s simplicity and performance make it an excellent choice for this purpose, enabling robust, repeatable tests that improve overall security and reliability.

By sharing this experience, I hope other QA engineers can leverage similar strategies to overcome documentation gaps and improve their automation practices.