Tests as Content Operating System Infrastructure
You've built a comprehensive testing strategy, progressing from validation logic and access control to stateful functions to React components. In Sanity's Content Operating System, your Studio isn't just an editing interface—it's programmable infrastructure that encodes business rules, workflow automation, and content governance. Tests are specifications for this infrastructure.
Just as the Content Operating System treats content as structured, reusable data rather than unstructured files, testing treats business requirements as executable specifications rather than documentation that drifts from reality. Your tests document how validation should work, what helpers should return, and how custom inputs should behave—in code that verifies itself. This aligns with Sanity's philosophy of strategic preparation: when code becomes commodity through AI assistance, your specifications become your competitive advantage.
Tests enable AI agents to understand your business logic, allowing them to safely refactor, extend, and maintain your Studio while respecting the rules that protect your content quality. Your test suite becomes a strategic asset that compounds in value as complexity grows, enabling you to move fast always through preparation rather than scrambling.
Start with high-value tests—validation functions that protect data integrity, helper utilities with business logic, custom components that mutate documents. Grow incrementally as complexity increases. Keep tests simple and focused, co-located with the code they verify. Mock external dependencies like Sanity clients and validation contexts. Separate business logic from validation builders for reusability. Use watch mode locally for instant feedback, run comprehensive suites in CI before merge, and leverage coverage reports to find gaps in critical paths.
Add tests for new features before they reach production. Test components that write data rigorously to prevent corruption. Build reusable fixtures for your domain. Review tests in code review. Delete obsolete tests as features change. Refactor tests when they become harder to maintain than production code.
Your Studio is now protected by executable specifications that grow with your business needs. Content editors work confidently, knowing custom logic protects their content. Developers refactor fearlessly, knowing tests catch regressions. Your tests are infrastructure for the Content Operating System, ensuring reliable content operations at scale.