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7 Integration Testing Best Practices in 2025

Cem Dilmegani
Cem Dilmegani
updated on Jul 24, 2025

Integration testing is one of the crucial stages of the software testing process. With the growing complexity of software systems, effective integration testing becomes more critical to identify issues before they cause significant problems. There are several best practices regarding integration testing, and it can be challenging to know where to begin. 

We present the best practices for integration testing that you can incorporate into your software development process to ensure your system works efficiently and effectively.

1- Start integration testing early

Starting integration tests early in the software development process has several benefits. One of the primary advantages is that it allows you to identify and fix issues earlier in the development cycle, saving significant time and effort in the long run. 

Starting integration testing early before unit testing also provides valuable feedback on the quality and performance of the system, which can help guide development decisions. By starting integration testing early, you can get feedback on the system’s performance and make changes to improve it before it is too late in the development cycle.

2- Test in small batches

When testing large batches of code, it can be challenging to identify where the issues are located and which component is causing the problem. This makes it harder to debug and resolve the issue.

By contrast, when you test smaller batches of code, it is easier to see where the problem is and which component is causing it. This saves time and effort in the long run and can help reduce the cost of fixing issues. 

Testing small batches of code simultaneously helps isolate issues and makes debugging easier. In addition to testing in small batches, integration test plans and test cases need to be thoroughly documented to maximize the benefits of this practice.

3- Use the proper integration testing approach

Choosing the correct integration testing approach depends on various factors, such as 

  • system’s complexity,
  • availability of resources,
  • level of integration required,
  • project timeline. 

You can choose to go for Top-down, Bottom-up, Hybrid, or Sandwich integration testing approaches see them in detail here:

Feature
Top-Down
Bottom-Up
Hybrid
Sandwich
Start Point
High-level modules
Low-level modules
Middle layer or both ends
Top and bottom layers simultaneously
Main Tools Used
Stubs (simulate lower modules)
Drivers (simulate higher modules)
Both stubs and drivers
Both stubs and drivers
Integration Flow
Downward through hierarchy
Upward through hierarchy
Bidirectional
Top-down + bottom-up; meet in the middle
Early Testing Focus
High-level logic
Low-level components
Critical modules across levels
High- and low-level modules
When Middle Layer Is Tested
Later
Later
Throughout
Last
Advantages
Early detection of design flaws
Ensures strong base functionality
Balanced coverage and flexibility
Parallel testing, faster integration
Disadvantages
Low-level logic tested late
High-level logic tested late
Complex management of stubs & drivers
Coordination challenges, middle layer delayed
Best Use Case
Systems with well-defined high-level modules
Systems with critical foundational logic
Large or complex systems with flexible needs
Systems with distinct top/bottom module layers

4- Include negative testing

Many frameworks and continuous integration are utilized during the integration testing process. This is why you should not just test for expected behaviors but also for unexpected behaviors, such as invalid inputs or edge cases. This will help to identify potential security vulnerabilities or other issues that may not be obvious.

Negative testing aims to uncover defects and vulnerabilities by testing the system’s ability to handle unexpected or invalid input or conditions. Integrating negative testing into your integration testing can help identify potential issues in your software that might not be caught through positive testing alone.

5- Automate testing

Automating integration tests reduces the time and effort required to run them and ensures they are executed consistently and reliably. 

Automated integration testing enables you to run integration tests quickly and efficiently, reducing the time and effort required for manual testing. Automated tests can be run faster and more frequently, allowing you to identify and fix issues in your system early in the development process. This helps reduce the risk of issues being discovered late in the development cycle, which can be costly.

6- Include performance testing

Performance testing is a crucial step in ensuring that your system can handle the expected workload and perform efficiently. It is essential in integration testing, where the performance of multiple components working together can affect the overall system’s performance.

Including performance testing in integration testing can help you 

  • test load balancing,
  • identify performance bottlenecks,
  • validate scalability,
  • integrate monitoring tools with other testing types. 

By incorporating performance testing into your integration testing process, you can ensure your system performs efficiently and meets the expected workload.

7- Know the difference between unit and integration tests

Unit tests are typically easy to develop since they focus on discrete, tiny code sections. A unit test has a narrow scope and only evaluates a tiny portion of your program. When it fails, it’s typically simple to figure out why and make the necessary corrections.

Integration testing is more difficult, sometimes involving or requiring integration testing tools, and their range may include several software modules in addition to various hardware components. Integration tests use other components or infrastructures, such as the network, database, or file system, in contrast to unit tests, which are tightly contained and don’t use external resources.

By using the appropriate testing strategy for each stage of the development process, you can ensure that your software is thoroughly tested and of high quality.

Principal Analyst
Cem Dilmegani
Cem Dilmegani
Principal Analyst
Cem has been the principal analyst at AIMultiple since 2017. AIMultiple informs hundreds of thousands of businesses (as per similarWeb) including 55% of Fortune 500 every month.

Cem's work has been cited by leading global publications including Business Insider, Forbes, Washington Post, global firms like Deloitte, HPE and NGOs like World Economic Forum and supranational organizations like European Commission. You can see more reputable companies and resources that referenced AIMultiple.

Throughout his career, Cem served as a tech consultant, tech buyer and tech entrepreneur. He advised enterprises on their technology decisions at McKinsey & Company and Altman Solon for more than a decade. He also published a McKinsey report on digitalization.

He led technology strategy and procurement of a telco while reporting to the CEO. He has also led commercial growth of deep tech company Hypatos that reached a 7 digit annual recurring revenue and a 9 digit valuation from 0 within 2 years. Cem's work in Hypatos was covered by leading technology publications like TechCrunch and Business Insider.

Cem regularly speaks at international technology conferences. He graduated from Bogazici University as a computer engineer and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.
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Altay Ataman
Altay Ataman
Industry Analyst
Altay is an industry analyst at AIMultiple. He has background in international political economy, multilateral organizations, development cooperation, global politics, and data analysis.
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