Optimizing Test Automation: Writing Reusable and Readable Scenarios with Gherkin

By Judie Luc, Test Lead at Groove Technology

I’ve always believed that testing isn’t just about finding bugs—it's about building quality into the software from the start. As a Test Lead, I’ve spent years experimenting with various tools and methodologies, trying to strike the perfect balance between speed, efficiency, and accuracy in our testing processes. Among all the tools I’ve worked with, Cucumber, and more specifically, Gherkin syntax, stands out as a game-changer for one simple reason: it brings everyone—testers, developers, product owners—onto the same page. Literally.

Writing reusable and readable scenarios with Gherkin might seem like a simple concept, but in practice, it’s an art form. There are pitfalls to avoid, lessons to learn, and strategies that can significantly improve both your testing process and your collaboration with the development team. In this blog, I’ll share not just the theory, but what I’ve personally experienced and learned over time—things you won’t find in just any QC manual.

01. How Gherkin Changed My Approach to Testing

Early in my career, I was frustrated by the disconnect between different teams. Test cases written by the QC team would often be misunderstood by developers or overlooked by product owners. There was a clear communication gap, and it was costing us valuable time. This was when I started experimenting with Gherkin and realized its potential to bridge that gap.

Gherkin, for those unfamiliar, is a simple language used to write test cases in plain English. The syntax is straightforward and meant to be understood by non-technical team members. But don't let its simplicity fool you—when done right, it can completely transform how you work with development and product teams.

Here’s how Gherkin looks in action:

I still remember the first time I presented a Gherkin-based test scenario to our product owner. She was able to immediately understand what was being tested, and that changed everything. Now, we had product stakeholders directly engaged in the testing process, making sure our test cases were aligned with business requirements.

02. The Real Power of Gherkin: Readability and Reusability

2.1 Gherkin Bridges the Communication Gap

The biggest benefit Gherkin brought to our team wasn’t just technical—it was collaboration. Imagine a development process where the business team, developers, and testers are all speaking the same language. That’s what Gherkin allows. You’re not just writing tests—you’re writing behavioral specifications that anyone can understand. This clarity eliminates the back-and-forth that used to plague us.

In one of our projects, we worked with a large logistics platform. The product owner was non-technical but very hands-on with feature design. By using Gherkin, we were able to translate complex business logic into simple test scenarios that both our product owner and the development team understood. The product owner could easily validate the tests before we even started coding, ensuring that what we were testing was exactly what she expected.

This is what I love about Gherkin: you write tests that double as documentation. They describe the behavior of the system in a way that’s meaningful to everyone involved, which drastically reduces misunderstandings.

2.2 Reusability: Let Your Tests Work for You

At first glance, Gherkin’s syntax may look basic. But don’t underestimate it—it’s a huge timesaver when it comes to writing reusable test scenarios.

Here’s a practical example. We had a project where we needed to validate user authentication across different parts of an application. Initially, we wrote separate tests for each section: role-based login, managing purchase orders, and managing shipments. But we quickly realized that 80% of the test steps were identical—steps like navigating to the login page and entering valid credentials.

With Gherkin, we took those common steps and reused them across all test scenarios. Suddenly, our test suite was shorter, easier to maintain, and less prone to errors.

Let me walk you through a simplified version:

Notice how the login process is reused across multiple scenarios. This is a real-world example of how Gherkin allows you to avoid repeating yourself, making your tests more efficient and manageable.

Reusability isn’t just about convenience—it’s about scaling your testing efforts without ballooning complexity. When you’re handling large-scale systems with hundreds of features, this kind of efficiency is invaluable.

03. Lessons Learned: The Challenges of Using Gherkin

It would be misleading to say Gherkin is perfect. Like any tool, it has its challenges, especially when your team is first adopting it. I’ve encountered my fair share of roadblocks, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t share those with you.

3.1 Ambiguity: The Plain Language Trap

One of Gherkin’s strengths is also one of its biggest challenges: it’s written in plain language. This can sometimes lead to ambiguity, especially if the scenarios aren’t well-defined.

In one project, we wrote a scenario like this:

Sounds simple, right? But what does “creates a new shipment” really mean? Does the user fill out all required fields manually? Or upload a shipment template? Or perhaps use an automated system to generate the shipment? It turned out the development team interpreted it one way, and the testers another.

Solution:

To avoid this, we started standardizing how we write scenarios. We created a style guide that specifies exactly how actions should be described. For example, instead of saying “creates a new shipment,” we would specify “enters shipment details into the Shipment Booking page” or “uploads a shipment template”. This small change eliminated a lot of confusion.

3.2 Overhead for Small Teams

If you’re working with a small team or on a tight deadline, the initial setup and learning curve for Gherkin can feel like a lot of overhead. Writing scenarios in Gherkin takes longer upfront than just diving into manual testing or writing basic unit tests.

In one of our smaller projects, the team struggled with the extra time it took to write well-structured Gherkin scenarios. We started questioning if it was worth the effort.

Solution:

In those situations, I advise starting with high-priority features. Focus your Gherkin scenarios on the critical paths—the workflows that absolutely have to be tested thoroughly, like login or payment processing. Over time, as you build up a reusable library of steps, you’ll find that the investment starts paying off.

3.3 Too Much Focus on Feature-Level Tests

Gherkin is fantastic for high-level feature testing, but it’s not designed for lower-level testing like unit tests. If you rely solely on Gherkin for all your testing, you risk overlooking more granular issues.

I’ve made this mistake before—writing detailed feature tests while neglecting unit tests. The result? A bug that should have been caught early slipped through because we weren’t testing the smaller components.

Solution:

Don’t make Gherkin your only testing tool. Complement it with unit tests, integration tests, and even exploratory testing. At Groove Technology, we’ve adopted a multi-layered approach to testing. Gherkin handles the behavior-driven scenarios, while unit tests catch the smaller, more technical issues.

04. Best Practices for Writing Gherkin Scenarios That Deliver

After years of working with Gherkin, I’ve developed a few key practices that I follow religiously to ensure our test scenarios are not only readable but also reusable and scalable.

4.1 Write Scenarios Like a User Story

Think of each Gherkin scenario as a mini user story. It should describe a clear, specific behavior from the user’s perspective. This keeps the focus on behavior, not implementation details.

4.2 Reuse Steps Wherever Possible

Take advantage of Gherkin’s ability to reuse steps. If you’re finding yourself writing the same “Given” or “When” steps across multiple scenarios, it’s a sign that those steps can be reused to make your tests more efficient.

4.3 Standardize Scenario Writing

Avoid ambiguity by defining a clear style guide for writing Gherkin scenarios. This helps ensure that all team members, whether they are technical or non-technical, interpret the scenarios in the same way.

05. Final Thoughts: Using Gherkin to Elevate Your Test Automation

When used correctly, Gherkin can transform how you approach test automation. It’s more than just a tool—it’s a way to enhance collaboration, reduce ambiguity, and optimize your testing workflow. For me, it has significantly improved both the quality and speed of our testing at Groove Technology.

But like any tool, its effectiveness depends on how well it’s used. My advice? Start small, focus on high-priority features, and always involve your entire team in writing and reviewing scenarios. With Gherkin, you’re not just writing tests—you’re ensuring that everyone, from product owners to developers, is aligned on what needs to be delivered.

If you have any questions or want to learn more about how we’ve implemented Gherkin in our projects, feel free to reach out.

Judie Luc is a Test Lead at Groove Technology, specializing in test automation and ensuring collaboration between teams to deliver high-quality software.