Preview environments are temporary, isolated environments created for specific feature branches or pull requests. They allow you to test changes in a production-like environment before merging code into your main branch.

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What are Preview Environments?

Preview environments are dynamically created environments that:

  • Deploy your application with the latest changes from a specific branch
  • Provide a unique URL for testing the changes
  • Are automatically cleaned up after the feature is merged or the branch is deleted
  • Enable stakeholders to review and test features before they go live

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Creating Preview Environments

1

Navigate to Environment Settings

Go to Settings → Environments in your project dashboard.

2

Create Preview Environment

Click “Add Environment” and select “Preview Environment” as the type. Configure the environment with your preview deployment URL pattern.

3

Configure URL Pattern

Set up the URL pattern to match your preview deployment system (e.g., https://feature-branch-name.preview.yourapp.com).

4

Set Lifecycle Rules

Configure automatic cleanup rules and expiration settings for the preview environment.

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Integration with API

You can trigger test runs against preview environments using the Start Run API. The API allows you to override environment configurations per application when starting a test run.

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Integration with CI/CD

Use the QA.tech GitHub Action to automatically test preview environments. The action supports:

  • Dynamic URL configuration - Override environment URLs using applications_config
  • Multiple application testing - Test frontend, backend, and other apps simultaneously
  • Blocking mode - Wait for test completion before proceeding
  • PR-based deployments - Automatic testing on pull requests
  • Custom deployment integrations - Works with Vercel, Netlify, AWS, and other platforms

For complete setup examples and configuration options, see the GitHub Action documentation.