How to Test Your MVP Before Launch: Complete Guide
You've built your MVP. Now make sure it actually works before real users try it.
🎯 Key Takeaways
- 6-step MVP testing: Monitoring, core flows, browsers, performance, security, user feedback.
- With AI tools like Rihario, you can test in under an hour.
- Watch for: broken forms, mobile layout issues, slow loading, payment bugs.
- Automated testing catches 90% of issues—real user feedback catches the rest.
Why Test Your MVP?
Your MVP is your first impression. If the signup form breaks, the checkout fails, or the site is painfully slow, users won't give you a second chance. Testing catches these issues before your real users do.
The good news: you don't need a QA team or weeks of manual testing. Modern AI tools can automate most of this.
The 6-Step MVP Testing Checklist
Set Up Basic Monitoring First
Before testing, add error tracking (Sentry, LogRocket) and analytics (Plausible, PostHog). This way, when real users arrive, you'll catch issues automatically.
⏱️ 15 minutesTest Your Core User Flows
Identify the 3-5 most critical paths: signup, login, main feature usage, payment (if applicable). Test each one end-to-end. With Rihario, describe the flow in plain English and let AI run it.
⏱️ 30 minutesCheck Cross-Browser Compatibility
Your MVP needs to work on Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and mobile browsers. At minimum, test Chrome desktop and iOS Safari. AI testing tools can run all browsers simultaneously.
⏱️ 15 minutes with automationRun Performance Tests
Use Lighthouse or Rihario's built-in performance testing. Check Core Web Vitals: LCP (loading), FID (interactivity), CLS (stability). Aim for LCP under 2.5 seconds.
⏱️ 10 minutesDo a Basic Security Scan
Check for obvious vulnerabilities: XSS, SQL injection, exposed API keys. AI testing tools include basic security scanning. For sensitive MVPs, consider a proper security audit.
⏱️ 15 minutesGet Real User Feedback
Have 5-10 real people (not friends who'll be nice) try your MVP. Watch them use it. Where do they get confused? What breaks? This catches issues automated tests miss.
⏱️ 1-2 hoursThe Fastest Way: AI Testing
You can do steps 2-5 automatically with Rihario:
- Paste your MVP URL
- Describe what to test: "Test signup, login, and the main dashboard"
- Select browsers (Chrome, Safari, mobile)
- Click run—results in 3 minutes
You get functional testing, performance scores, security checks, and accessibility results in one report.
Common MVP Issues to Watch For
- Broken forms – Validation errors, submit buttons not working
- Mobile layout issues – Buttons too small, text overflow, horizontal scroll
- Slow loading – Large images, too many JavaScript bundles
- Payment failures – Stripe/payment integration bugs
- Email not sending – Verification, password reset, notifications
- Auth bugs – Login sessions, OAuth flows, logout issues
Launch Confidently
Testing your MVP doesn't have to take days. With AI tools, you can catch 90% of issues in under an hour. The remaining 10% comes from real user feedback after launch.
Ready to test? Try Rihario free and test your MVP before you launch.