Single Page Applications (SPAs) load content dynamically without reloading the page. This creates challenges for automation. Your test scripts need to handle delayed elements, changing URLs, and JavaScript-driven changes to the DOM.

First, make sure your tool supports JavaScript-heavy apps. Playwright and Cypress are built with this in mind. Selenium works too, but you need to manage waits carefully.

Always use explicit waits to ensure that elements are loaded before interaction. Avoid relying on fixed delays. Instead, wait for something specific: a visible element, a change in text, or a class added to the DOM.

Use browser dev tools to track network requests and UI changes. You’ll notice that SPAs update different parts of the screen without loading new pages. This means locators need to be flexible, and scripts need to track state correctly.

Testing SPAs isn’t harder—it just requires you to be more precise. If you treat it like a traditional page load, your tests will fail. Focus on UI state, wait intelligently, and keep your selectors stable.