Top 10 QA Skills Every Developer Should Install in 2026
The definitive ranked list of the best QA testing skills for AI coding agents. Covers E2E, unit, API, performance, accessibility, visual, contract testing, and more.
Finding the best QA skills in 2026 can feel overwhelming. AI coding agents like Claude Code, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot are remarkably capable at writing application code, but they often struggle with the nuanced craft of software testing. That is exactly why we built QASkills.sh -- the first curated directory of QA testing skills purpose-built for AI agents.
This guide ranks the top 10 QA skills every developer should have, based on real-world impact, framework adoption, community demand, and testing coverage breadth.
At a Glance: The Top 10 Compared
| Rank | Skill | Slug | Type | Language | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Playwright E2E | playwright-e2e | E2E, Visual | TypeScript/JS | Web app E2E testing |
| 2 | Jest Unit Testing | jest-unit | Unit | TypeScript/JS | JavaScript unit tests |
| 3 | Pytest Patterns | pytest-patterns | Unit, Integration | Python | Python testing |
| 4 | API Testing REST Assured | api-testing-rest-assured | API | Java | Java API validation |
| 5 | Cypress E2E | cypress-e2e | E2E | JS/TS | Developer-friendly E2E |
| 6 | k6 Performance | k6-performance | Performance | JavaScript | Load testing |
| 7 | Accessibility Axe | accessibility-axe | Accessibility | TypeScript | WCAG compliance |
| 8 | Visual Regression | visual-regression | Visual | TypeScript | Catching visual bugs |
| 9 | Contract Testing Pact | contract-testing-pact | Contract | TS/Java | Microservice contracts |
| 10 | Selenium Advanced POM | selenium-advanced-pom | E2E | Java | Enterprise Selenium |
1. Playwright E2E -- The Gold Standard
The most installed skill on QASkills.sh. Teaches your AI agent Page Object Model, auto-waiting locator priority (getByRole > getByLabel > getByTestId), custom fixtures, auth state reuse, network interception, cross-browser config, trace viewer debugging. If you install only one skill, make it this one.
npx @qaskills/cli add playwright-e2e
2. Jest Unit Testing -- JavaScript Testing Foundation
Covers Arrange-Act-Assert, module mocking, manual mocks, spying, fake timers, snapshot testing, custom matchers, async patterns, and 80% coverage thresholds. Tests behavior not implementation.
npx @qaskills/cli add jest-unit
3. Pytest Patterns -- Python Testing Powerhouse
Fixtures with scopes, fixture factories, yield teardown, @pytest.mark.parametrize, custom markers, conftest organization, pytest-mock, coverage via pyproject.toml. Makes every test idiomatic pytest.
npx @qaskills/cli add pytest-patterns
4. API Testing REST Assured -- Java API Validation
REST Assured's BDD-style Given-When-Then syntax, reusable request/response specifications, POJO serialization, JSON schema validation, authentication flows, and comprehensive negative testing.
npx @qaskills/cli add api-testing-rest-assured
5. Cypress E2E -- Developer-Friendly E2E
Custom commands (cy.login()), network intercept (cy.intercept), fixture-based test data, cy.session for auth caching, component testing patterns. Interactive test runner with time-travel debugging.
npx @qaskills/cli add cypress-e2e
6. k6 Performance -- Load and Stress Testing
Five test types (smoke, load, stress, spike, soak), threshold-based pass/fail, scenario modeling with multiple VU groups, custom metrics (Trend, Rate, Counter, Gauge), data-driven testing, CI integration with exit codes.
npx @qaskills/cli add k6-performance
7. Accessibility Axe -- WCAG Compliance
axe-core integration with Playwright, WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA rules, page-level and component-level scanning, severity categorization, custom rule configuration, CI-friendly reporting. Accessibility is no longer optional in 2026.
npx @qaskills/cli add accessibility-axe
8. Visual Regression -- Catching Visual Bugs
Playwright's toHaveScreenshot, visual diff thresholds, responsive testing across viewports, baseline management, dynamic content masking, animation handling. Catches CSS regressions functional tests miss.
npx @qaskills/cli add visual-regression
9. Contract Testing Pact -- Microservice Contracts
Consumer-driven contracts, Pact Broker integration, provider verification, "can I deploy?" checks, webhook-triggered verification, multi-language support. Prevents integration bugs without slow E2E suites.
npx @qaskills/cli add contract-testing-pact
10. Selenium Advanced POM -- Enterprise Selenium
Three POM patterns (Basic, Improved, Page Factory), retry mechanisms, Allure reporting with screenshots, Apache POI Excel data-driven testing, TestNG configuration, Selenoid grid for parallel containerized execution.
npx @qaskills/cli add selenium-advanced-pom
How to Choose the Right Skills
Start With Your Language
- JavaScript/TypeScript: Playwright E2E + Jest Unit
- Python: Pytest Patterns
- Java: REST Assured + Selenium Advanced POM
Layer Your Testing Pyramid
- Unit tests (base): Jest, Pytest -- fast, isolated logic verification
- API/Integration (middle): REST Assured, Contract Testing Pact
- E2E tests (top): Playwright, Cypress -- critical user flows
- Cross-cutting: Performance, accessibility, visual regression
Consider Your Domain
- Public-facing web app? Accessibility Axe is essential
- Microservices? Contract Testing Pact prevents integration nightmares
- Preparing for launch? k6 Performance validates capacity
- Design-heavy product? Visual Regression catches CSS bugs
Install Multiple Skills
npx @qaskills/cli add playwright-e2e
npx @qaskills/cli add jest-unit
npx @qaskills/cli add k6-performance
npx @qaskills/cli add accessibility-axe
Browse and search with npx @qaskills/cli search or visit qaskills.sh/skills. Filter by category or explore by agent: Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, and 25+ more.
Get Started Today
Every skill installs in seconds with a single command. No configuration, no API keys, no subscription. Install your first skill now:
npx @qaskills/cli add playwright-e2e
Then explore the full directory at qaskills.sh/skills. Your AI agent -- and your test coverage -- will thank you.
Written by Pramod Dutta, founder of The Testing Academy and QASkills.sh.