Test Groups
Developing a mini-app isn’t just about code. It’s a complex, multi-scenario process involving developers, testers, managers, designers, and more. And at some point, it becomes clear: a single working environment isn’t enough.
You need staging. You need canary. You need access for a specific user. You need different behavior across different clients. And you need all of that without duplicating the app itself. That’s exactly why test groups were introduced in Platformer.
Test groups are a powerful mechanism that lets you flexibly control which link should be used, on which client, and for which user. You define the rules—the system does the rest.
Priority
Test groups have the highest priority when selecting a link. If a user is part of a test group, app privacy settings are ignored.
HTTP Links
You may use HTTP links in test groups, but only for development purposes. These apps cannot use Platformer’s features. Their use in production is not recommended.
Development Mode
You're developing an app and want to view the latest version running on your local server (localhost or an external dev URL)? There’s no need to create a separate app with a custom link.
Just:
- Go to the “Test Groups” section in the app settings.
- Create a new group.
- Specify the desired link, the platforms it applies to, and add yourself to the group.
- Enable the group.
Now, when you open your mini-app on the specified platform, you’ll automatically see your latest build from the development server.
Granting Access
Your app is private, and you don’t want to add every tester as a manager? Use test groups!
Add the necessary user to a group, specify the default app link—and they’ll get access without being part of the team. It’s convenient, flexible, and transparent.
Environment Separation
Test groups elegantly emulate different environments: production, staging, canary, or anything else. Create a separate group for each, assign the corresponding link—and switch between them simply by toggling your group membership.
Debugging and Diagnostics
Not sure which link a specific user will see on a specific platform? Open the URL Viewer—it visually shows which logic is applied and why the user sees a particular version of the app.
Test groups are a tool not only for developers but for entire teams that need control, flexibility, and scalability. With them, Platformer becomes a truly manageable ecosystem.