> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.revyl.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Create a test > Create a test in the visual editor, from a recorded session, or with a coding agent. ## In the visual editor Tests can be created with the Revyl visual editor. The visual editor is where you build, run, and debug tests against a live device. The editor has four areas: - **Device Screen** (left): live view of the simulator/emulator - **Editor Panel** (center): your test steps with tabs for Editor, YAML, and Variables - **Device Logs** (right): real-time application logs captured from the device - **Test Controls** (top): device info, settings, and the **Run Steps** button ### Create a new Test From the **Tests** page, click **Create test** in the top right. Fill in the creation modal: - **Test Name**: a descriptive name for your test - **Platform**: iOS or Android - **App**: select an existing [app](/builds), or create one inline - **Build**: a branch and a build on it, starting on **All branches · Latest build**, the newest build on any of the app's branches - **Tags**: optional labels for filtering (e.g., `smoke`, `regression`) - **Advanced Settings**: AI config and YAML import (optional) Choose **Default branch** under **Build** so runs from the CLI, MCP, and CI try their Git branch first. See [New saved choices](/builds/branches#new-saved-choices). After clicking **Create test**, you land in the test editor. **Start** and **Run Steps** use the test's saved **Build** choice. **Run async with a build…** in the editor's menu runs the test once on another build and keeps the saved choice. See [Build branches](/builds/branches). ### Adding Steps Click a step type button at the bottom of the editor panel to add new steps. Each step type defines a different action or check your test performs. Step types: Instruction, Validation, Extraction, Script, Manual, Loop, Decision, Module. See [Step Type Reference](/reference/step-types) for what each type does. ### Variables Use variables to avoid hardcoding values like test accounts, URLs, or search terms directly into your steps — define them once and update them in a single place instead of editing every step that uses them. Switch to the **Variables** tab to create key-value pairs, then reference them in steps with `{{var_name}}`. For org-wide variables, see [Global Variables](/library#global-variables). ### Running your test To run your test, start the device by clicking on the device screen or clicking the `Start` button. You can then click the `Run Steps` button to run all of the steps sequentially, or click the play button by each step to run each step individually. The device logs will show what is happening live as each step is running. ### Device The device auto-connects when you open the editor. Boot times are typically 1–5 seconds on both iOS and Android (longer if you pick a non-default device target). Use **Stop device** / **Start device** to reset. For more on how sessions work, see [Sessions](/sessions). ### Step Actions **Hover over any step** to reveal quick actions: run it individually (useful for iterating on a single action without re-running the whole test), duplicate, delete, or drag to reorder. Test Editor Step Actions ### Multi-Select Click and drag across several steps to select them as a group. Selected steps highlight, and a popup toolbar lets you delete, duplicate, or drag the whole group at once — plus: - **Save as module**: turn the selection into a reusable [module](/library#modules). Revyl replaces the selected steps with a single Module step pointing at your new library entry. ### YAML All tests are saved as YAML files which makes it easy to save to repos, export into CI/CD pipelines, and edit via agents. The **YAML** tab shows the current YAML representation of your test. See [YAML Test Format](/reference/yaml-test-format) for more information. ## From a recorded session Instead of writing steps by hand, interact with the live app and let Revyl generate test steps from your actions. ![Raw device actions flow through an AI pipeline to produce structured test steps](https://docs.revyl.com/images/diagrams/session-compile.png) There are two ways to do this: [recording live](#recording-live) inside the test editor, or [compiling](#session-compile) steps from a past session's history. Both produce the same kind of output, but fit different workflows: | | Recording Live | Session Compile | |---|---|---| | **Where** | Inside the test editor | From the sessions history | | **When** | While building a test | After an exploratory session | | **Result** | Steps added to current test | New test or module created | | **Scope** | Short, focused interactions | Full sessions or time ranges | ### Recording Live Create a test and open it in the editor first, as in [Create a new Test](#create-a-new-test). #### Start the Recording 1. Start the device by clicking on the device screen or clicking the `Start` button 2. Click the **Record** button 3. Interact with the device: tap buttons, type text, swipe, navigate 4. Click **Stop** when you're done Revyl captures your actions during the recording window and sends them through the AI compile pipeline. After a few seconds, you get a set of generated steps. #### Reviewing Generated Steps After recording stops, a review panel shows each generated step with: - **Step type** (instruction, validation, manual) that you can toggle - **Description** in plain English, editable inline - **Confidence score** from the AI You can also: - **Retry with feedback** if the results aren't right ("focus on the login flow", "ignore the settings detour") - **Copy as YAML** for use in CI/CD - **Save as module** to reuse the steps across tests When you're happy with the result, click **Add to test** to insert the steps into your test at the current position. You can also **Save as module** to reuse the recorded flow. ### Session Compile Session compile takes your raw device interactions and uses AI to generate structured, natural-language test steps. Explore your app freely, then let Revyl turn that exploration into a test you can run again. #### How It Works 1. **Start a session** and interact with your app normally 2. **Stop the session** (or let it idle-timeout) 3. From the sessions history, click **Make a test** on any session that has recorded actions 4. Revyl's AI analyzes your actions, groups them into logical steps, and generates natural-language instructions 5. **Review the generated steps** in the editor as described in [Reviewing Generated Steps](#reviewing-generated-steps). #### The Compile Pipeline The compile runs through several stages: `Queued` > `Preparing` > `Summarizing` > `Merging` > `Formatting` > `Complete` Each stage shows progress. If you close the modal while it's running, a badge appears so you can come back to it. #### Partial Compile You don't have to compile the entire session. Select a time range to compile just a portion, which is useful for long exploratory sessions where only part is relevant. ### Tips - Testing via recorded sessions works best when: - You're exploring a new feature and want to turn that exploration into a regression test - A QA team member found a bug manually and wants to create a reproducible test - You want to bootstrap tests quickly without writing steps from scratch - Keep recordings short and focused on a single flow. It's easier to record login, then record checkout, than to record everything at once. - The AI works best when your actions are intentional. Avoid aimless scrolling or backtracking during a recording. - You can record multiple times and build up a test incrementally. ## With an agent - Install the [Revyl CLI](/install) - Navigate to the repo of your project - Install the necessary [Agent Skills](/agents/skills) specific to your agent. - Start your agent - Ask your agent to write Revyl tests per your specification. The agent will create a Revyl test, iterate on it, and produce a report.