Purpose: Learn what it means when a feature, carrier or integration is marked as beta.
When a new carrier, integration or feature is introduced to Sendcloud, it goes through a process called beta testing before it's released for all users. Before we release to beta, everything is fully tested by our in-house quality assurance engineers to ensure they are working fully as intended. If you happen to experience any bugs or errors during this phase, we encourage you to reach out to us with your feedback.
What is beta testing?
Beta testing allows us to pre-release new functionalities to our users to trial under real conditions. We use this testing period to iron out the last little details, and run everything through usability testing to reduce the potential for our users to encounter bugs or errors.
The kind of releases that often go into beta include:
- Features - the latest new functionalities, product updates and improvements to the platform itself;
- Carriers - new shipping methods or carriers that we introduce to our platform; and
- Integrations - introductions of new e-commerce platforms, WMS systems and marketplaces that want to partner with us, allowing more e-commerce retailers to connect their e-commerce business to Sendcloud.
Open or closed beta testing
Closed testing is when we release the update to a select group of users via our Sendcloud Customer Outreach Programme (SCOPE). We want to be sure that new features are thoroughly tested to limit the chance that you'll encounter any disruptions to your workflow. Sometimes you'll see a message in the Help Center that a feature is only available in beta.
Open testing is when we release the feature, carrier or integration to all users, but under the beta tag:
An example of a carrier in beta:
An example of a new feature in beta:
Can I use beta carriers, integrations and features?
Yes, you can! Anything with the beta tag that appears in your Sendcloud account is open for you to use as part of open beta testing. Even if you're not a member of SCOPE, you can begin using them straight away. We only ask that you report back to us any issues, bugs or errors that you encounter.
How can I share feedback during the beta stage?
You can create a support ticket directly from your Sendcloud account and describe the issue you encounter to us. Sometimes we might ask you to provide some kind of visual evidence, so we have a more accurate description of the error you're encountering.
Sometimes, our team will actively ask you for your feedback via email campaigns or surveys.
Even if you're not part of SCOPE, you can actively start using open beta features, carriers and integrations as soon as they're available in your Sendcloud account. We ask that you report any issues, bugs or errors you encounter when using them.
How long does beta testing last?
That depends on the kind of release, and how many issues are being reported. When we think a new functionality, integration or carrier has been fully tested and new issues stop being reported, we fully release the feature and remove the beta flag.