Where Test Automation University Goes From Here

A few years ago, Anand Sundaram was trying to understand visual testing. His search led him to Applitools and to Test Automation University.

He explained why TAU made such an impression: it was like a school. You could start with the basics, move into more advanced topics, and learn at your own pace. It was different in that the content didn’t come from a single source—it brought together multiple experts, each with a different perspective.

That combination mattered. 

What Made TAU Work

Test Automation University started as an Applitools investment in the community, but it became something more because of how people used it.

It gave people in testing a way to learn that felt grounded in real work. It was not limited to a single tool or framework. It brought together voices from software engineers who had actually worked through these problems. 

Over time, it became a place where practitioners didn’t just pick up techniques—they learned how to think about testing. That focus and the supporting community are why more than 150,000 people have turned to TAU since its launch in 2019.

What’s Changing Now

We’ve heard it over and over again: Testing is evolving.

AI is a big part of that evolution, but not all of it. We’ve all seen places where AI works well and others where it falls short. It’s showing up across the lifecycle, and teams are still figuring out how to apply it, where it adds value, and how to use it in practice.

The software we work on is more complex. The pace of delivery keeps increasing. And the way testing fits into the development lifecycle is shifting along with it.

Connecting the Dots

Today’s challenge isn’t access to information. It’s knowing how to make decisions. How to apply new approaches in real systems. How to connect tools, techniques, and context into something that actually works.

There’s a lot shifting in testing right now, but it’s not always clear what actually matters. What’s harder to find is learning that helps you make sense of it—how practitioners actually think, approach problems, and build confidence.

That is the kind of learning TAU was designed to support, and it’s what makes this worth paying attention to again.

Where We Go From Here

TAU has been quiet, but we’re working to change that.

We’re reconnecting with instructors and students, and taking a closer look at where it can be most useful now. But this isn’t something we can figure out on our own. It has to be shaped by the people doing the work every day—across testing, development, and beyond.

Our goal is to listen first and build from there. How TAU evolves should come from those conversations.

Join us in the TAU Slack and take part in upcoming discussions. This is how we figure out what comes next—together.