Practices
Shift-left Testing
Checking work as soon as it is written, through automated tests, static analysis and early review, so more defects are found while they are still quick to fix.
Part of Quality & Security
Shift-left testing means checking work as close as possible to the moment it is written. Tests, static analysis and reviews of testability become part of everyday development instead of a phase near the end.
Why earlier is cheaper
A defect found while the developer still has the change in mind usually takes minutes to fix. Found in a release-candidate test cycle, the same defect means a fix, a rebuild, a retest and often a new release date. In production it becomes an incident that affects users.
How we use it
On our projects, automated tests are written alongside the code and run on every change, with static analysis and dependency scanning in the same pipeline from the start. Testers review requirements for testability while they are being written, so each one has a clear way to be checked. They also join design discussions, where some defects can be prevented before any code exists.
Testing that still belongs before release
Exploratory testing, performance testing under realistic load and end-to-end checks are still needed before a release. Shifting left means fewer defects reach those stages, so they usually take less time.