In this article
Before you could only run a test on the entire automation in Albato. Now we have a new Testing Steps tool that allows you to run a test on each individual step and view Samples of incoming data. This simplifies setup and helps you verify functionality faster.
What are samples?
Samples are examples of real data that the system receives when testing a trigger or an action. For example, in a step "New website submission" a sample might include the client's name, email address, and phone number submitted through the form. In a step "Create a task in CRM" the sample might contain the task title, date, and priority.
These samples are saved for that step of the automation and used to test the next steps. You can update the existing sample or select a new one at any time.
Why you need samples:
- Validate the flow of the following steps. Saved samples are used for the next steps in the automation.
- Configure fields. You can see actual values (e.g., customer name or email) to set up data mapping.
- Save time. No need to wait for new events to test the next steps — just select a saved sample.
How testing steps work
- Each step, whether a trigger or an action, has a Run a test button.
- Albato sends a request and retrieves up to five Samples of data. Select one Sample and run a test on that step. For example, when you test the "New Email" trigger, Albato gets data from Gmail and shows up to five recent emails. To see how the email data goes to the next step, just pick one email from the Sample list.
With the received data, you can:
- Test actions on real data and view the values when filling in fields, such as "Email subject", email address, "Text", or "Date".
- Use this data to test the next steps.
To learn how to use our new Testing Steps tool to run tests on each individual step and view Samples of incoming data, check out the full video on our YouTube channel.
Testing triggers
There are two testing methods based on the trigger type.
API triggers
Albato requests data from the last 24 hours (or hour) and extends the period if there are no events. If there is still no data, you will see a message informing you that no events were found and testing is not possible at the moment.
Webhook triggers
For real events (you’ll see a modal window), you have to manually perform the event such as fill out a form, submit a quiz, create a deal in the CRM. In this case, the system receives only one data item, unlike with API triggers and data migration, where it retrieves five. During data migration, Albato sends a request to the client’s service and receives five samples.
Testing actions
Select a Sample from previous automation steps to use when filling in the fields.
You can view the test result or see an error message from the service.
Things to keep in mind
- Tests are not included in transactions and are not recorded in the log.
- You can test the entire automation as before.
- Albato saves only one selected data sample. Only this sample will be displayed later when mapping fields.
- You can switch Samples at any time.
- When testing a trigger (the first step), filters are not applied. To test your filters, run a test on the entire automation.
Test result statuses
| Status | Description |
| Successful with data | Request completed successfully and data was received (Samples available). |
| Successful without data | Request completed successfully, no errors, connection established, but there is no data in the trigger or action. |
| Test not executed | An error occurred on the partner side or internally. The service’s error message is displayed. |
You can now test individual steps in your automation and see the data samples each step generates. This makes setup easier and helps you verify that everything works as expected.
If you have any issues, contact support via the live chat on our website.
