Test Architect (TEA)

TEA (Test Engineering Architect) is a standalone BMAD module that delivers risk-based test strategy, test automation guidance, and release gate decisions. It provides a single expert agent (Murat, Master Test Architect and Quality Advisor) and nine workflows spanning Teach Me Testing (TEA Academy), framework setup, test design, ATDD, automation, traceability, NFR assessment, CI guidance, and test review.

Docs: https://bmad-code-org.github.io/bmad-method-test-architecture-enterprise/

Why TEA

• Risk-based testing with measurable quality gates
• Consistent, knowledge-base driven outputs
• Clear prioritization (P0-P3) and traceability
• Optional Playwright Utils, CLI, and MCP browser automation

How BMad Works

BMad works because it turns big, fuzzy work into repeatable workflows. Each workflow is broken into small steps with clear instructions, so the AI follows the same path every time. It also uses a shared knowledge base (standards and patterns) so outputs are consistent, not random. In short: structured steps + shared standards = reliable results.

How TEA Fits In

TEA plugs into BMad the same way a specialist plugs into a team. It uses the same step‑by‑step workflow engine and shared standards, but focuses exclusively on testing and quality gates. That means you get a risk‑based test plan, automation guidance, and go/no‑go decisions that align with the rest of the BMad process.

Architecture & Flow

BMad is a small agent + workflow engine. There is no external orchestrator — everything runs inside the LLM context window through structured instructions.

Building Blocks

TEA has two layers of files, and each has a specific job:

File / Scope	What it does	When it loads
src/agents/bmad-tea/SKILL.md	Murat's persona — identity, principles, critical actions, capabilities table	First — activates the TEA agent
src/agents/bmad-tea/customize.toml	Agent customization surface — menu items, persistent facts, activation hooks	During agent activation
src/workflows/testarch/<workflow>/SKILL.md	Workflow entrypoint — resolves workflow customization, picks mode, routes to the first step	When a TEA workflow is invoked
src/workflows/testarch/<workflow>/customize.toml	Workflow customization surface — activation hooks, persistent facts, optional on_complete behavior	During workflow activation
src/workflows/testarch/<workflow>/workflow.yaml	Machine-readable workflow metadata — descriptions, defaults, tool hints, output paths	Used by installer/tooling and workflow metadata lookups
instructions.md	Workflow-specific summary and operator notes	On demand
steps-c/*.md	Create steps — primary execution, 5-9 sequential files	One at a time (just-in-time)
steps-e/*.md	Edit steps — always 2 files: assess target, apply edit	One at a time
steps-v/*.md	Validate steps — always 1 file: evaluate against checklist	On demand
checklist.md	Validation criteria — what "done" looks like for this workflow	Read by steps-v
*-template.md	Output skeleton with {PLACEHOLDER} vars — steps fill these in to produce the final artifact	Read by steps-c when generating output
src/agents/bmad-tea/resources/tea-index.csv	Knowledge fragment index — id, name, tags, tier (core/extended/specialized), file path	Read to decide which shared TEA fragments to load
resources/knowledge/*.md	Reusable fragments — standards, patterns, API references	Selectively read into context based on tier + config

flowchart LR
  U[User] --> A[Agent Persona]
  A --> W[Workflow Entry: workflow SKILL.md]
  W --> S[Step Files: steps-c / steps-e / steps-v]
  S --> K[Knowledge Fragments<br/>tea-index.csv → knowledge/*.md]
  S --> T[Templates & Checklists<br/>*-template.md, checklist.md]
  S --> O[Outputs: docs/tests/reports<br/>when a step writes output]
  O --> V[Validation: checklist + report]

Loading

How It Works at Runtime

1. Trigger — Direct commands are /bmad:tea:automate (Claude/Cursor/Windsurf) and $bmad-tea-testarch-automate (Codex). Load the conversational TEA menu with $bmad-tea in Codex. TA is an agent-menu trigger available only after TEA is activated; the capabilities table in SKILL.md maps TA to the bmad-testarch-automate skill.
2. Agent loads — SKILL.md injects the persona (identity, principles, critical actions) into the context window.
3. Workflow loads — The workflow's SKILL.md becomes the entrypoint. It resolves the workflow block from customize.toml, loads persistent facts and config, decides the mode (Create / Edit / Validate), then routes to the first step file.
4. Step-by-step execution — Only the current step file is in context (just-in-time loading). Each step explicitly names the next one with a {skill-root}-anchored path. The LLM reads, executes, saves output, then loads the next step. No future steps are ever preloaded.
5. Knowledge injection — Step-01 reads tea-index.csv and selectively loads fragments by tier (core = always, extended = on-demand, specialized = only when relevant) and config flags (e.g., tea_use_pactjs_utils). This is deliberate context engineering: a backend project loads ~1,800 lines of fragments; a fullstack project loads ~4,500 lines. Conditional loading cuts context usage by 40-50%.
6. Templates — When a step produces output (e.g., a traceability matrix or test review report), it reads the *-template.md file and fills in the {PLACEHOLDER} values with computed results. The template provides consistent structure; the step provides the content.
7. Subagent isolation — Heavy workflows (e.g., automate) spawn parallel subagents that each run in an isolated context. Subagents write structured JSON to temp files. An aggregation step reads the JSON outputs — only the results enter the main context, not the full subagent history.
8. Progress tracking — Each step appends to an output file with YAML frontmatter (stepsCompleted, lastStep, lastSaved). Resume mode reads this frontmatter and routes to the next incomplete step.
9. Validation — The steps-v/ mode reads checklist.md and evaluates the workflow's output against its criteria, producing a pass/fail validation report.

Workflows vs Skills

BMad workflows and Claude Code Skills solve different problems at different scales:

Capability	Claude Code Skills	BMad Workflows
Execution	Single prompt, one shot	5-9 sequential steps with explicit handoffs
State	Stateless	YAML frontmatter tracking (stepsCompleted, lastStep) with resume
Knowledge	Whatever fits in one prompt	Tiered index (40 fragments), conditional loading by config + stack detection
Context mgmt	Everything in one shot	Just-in-time step loading, subagent isolation (separate contexts)
Output	Freeform	Templates with {PLACEHOLDER} vars filled by specific steps
Validation	None	Dedicated mode (steps-v/) evaluating against checklists
Configuration	None	module.yaml with prompted config flags driving conditional behavior
Modes	None	Create / Edit / Validate — three separate step chains per workflow

The key insight is that there is no external runtime engine — the LLM is the engine. BMad workflows are structured markdown that the LLM follows as instructions: "read this file, execute it completely, save your output, load the next file." Skills are a single tool in a toolbox; BMad workflows are a workshop with a process manual.

How workflows become commands. When you run npx bmad-method install, the installer generates tool-specific artifacts for your runtime (for example, Claude Code uses .claude/commands/, while Codex uses .agents/skills/). Those launchers bridge into the installed TEA agent or workflow package. Once invoked, the workflow's SKILL.md is the conversational entrypoint, and the step-file process takes over from there.

.claude/commands/                         # Generated by installer
├── bmad-tea.md                           # /tea → loads agent persona + menu
├── bmad-tea-testarch-automate.md         # /automate → invokes the automate workflow package
├── bmad-tea-testarch-test-design.md      # /test-design → ...
├── bmad-bmm-create-prd.md               # /create-prd → BMM workflow
└── ... (61 commands total across all installed modules)

The BMAD-METHOD source repo also has standalone .claude/skills/ (e.g., bmad-os-release-module, bmad-os-gh-triage) for its own maintenance workflows. External tools can register skills too (e.g., playwright-cli install --skills). The installer supports 10+ platforms: Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Codex, Gemini, Windsurf, Cline, and more.

Install

npx bmad-method install
# Select: Test Architect (TEA)

Note: TEA is automatically added to party mode after installation. Use /party to collaborate with TEA alongside other BMad agents.

Tool-specific invocation

Tool	Invocation style	Example
Claude Code / Cursor / Windsurf	Slash command	/bmad:tea:automate
Codex	$ skill from .agents/skills	$bmad-tea or $bmad-tea-testarch-automate

Quickstart

1. Install TEA (above)
2. Load the TEA menu with $bmad-tea if you want a conversational entrypoint.
3. Run one of the core workflows:
   • TD / /bmad:tea:test-design / $bmad-tea-testarch-test-design — test design and risk assessment
   • AT / /bmad:tea:atdd / $bmad-tea-testarch-atdd — failing acceptance tests first (TDD red phase)
   • TA / /bmad:tea:automate / $bmad-tea-testarch-automate — expand automation coverage
4. Or use in party mode: /party to include TEA with other agents

Engagement Models

• No TEA: Use your existing testing approach
• TEA Solo: Standalone use on non-BMad projects
• TEA Lite: Start with automate only for fast onboarding
• Integrated (BMad Method / Enterprise): Use TEA in Phases 3–4 and release gates

Workflows

Trigger	Slash Command	Codex Skill	Purpose
TMT	/bmad:tea:teach-me-testing	$bmad-tea-teach-me-testing	Teach Me Testing (TEA Academy)
TF	/bmad:tea:framework	$bmad-tea-testarch-framework	Scaffold test framework (frontend, backend, or fullstack)
CI	/bmad:tea:ci	$bmad-tea-testarch-ci	Set up CI/CD quality pipeline (multi-platform)
TD	/bmad:tea:test-design	$bmad-tea-testarch-test-design	System-level or epic-level test design
AT	/bmad:tea:atdd	$bmad-tea-testarch-atdd	Generate failing acceptance tests + checklist
TA	/bmad:tea:automate	$bmad-tea-testarch-automate	Expand test automation coverage
RV	/bmad:tea:test-review	$bmad-tea-testarch-test-review	Review test quality and score
TR	/bmad:tea:trace	$bmad-tea-testarch-trace	Trace requirements to tests + gate decision
NR	/bmad:tea:nfr-assess	$bmad-tea-testarch-nfr	Assess non-functional requirements

Configuration

TEA variables are defined in src/module.yaml and prompted during install:

• test_artifacts — base output folder for test artifacts
• tea_use_playwright_utils — enable Playwright Utils integration (boolean)
• tea_use_pactjs_utils — enable Pact.js Utils integration for contract testing when your project explicitly uses Pact (boolean)
• tea_pact_mcp — SmartBear MCP for PactFlow/Broker interaction when broker integration is needed: mcp, none (string)
• tea_browser_automation — browser automation mode: auto, cli, mcp, none (string)
• test_framework — detected or configured test framework (Playwright, Cypress, Jest, Vitest, pytest, JUnit, Go test, dotnet test, RSpec)
• test_stack_type — detected or configured stack type (frontend, backend, fullstack)
• ci_platform — CI platform (auto, github-actions, gitlab-ci, jenkins, azure-devops, harness, circle-ci)
• risk_threshold — risk cutoff for mandatory testing (future)
• test_design_output, test_review_output, trace_output — subfolders under test_artifacts

Knowledge Base

TEA relies on a curated testing knowledge base:

• Index: src/agents/bmad-tea/resources/tea-index.csv
• Fragments: src/agents/bmad-tea/resources/knowledge/

Workflows load only the fragments required for the current task to stay focused and compliant.

Module Structure

src/
├── module.yaml
├── agents/
│   └── bmad-tea/
│       ├── SKILL.md
│       ├── customize.toml
│       └── resources/
│           ├── tea-index.csv
│           └── knowledge/
├── workflows/
│   └── testarch/
│       ├── bmad-teach-me-testing/
│       ├── bmad-testarch-atdd/
│       ├── bmad-testarch-automate/
│       ├── bmad-testarch-ci/
│       ├── bmad-testarch-framework/
│       ├── bmad-testarch-nfr/
│       ├── bmad-testarch-test-design/
│       ├── bmad-testarch-test-review/
│       └── bmad-testarch-trace/

Extending TEA

Custom workflows are still compatible with TEA, but they are no longer implicitly absorbed into TEA core. The supported path is:

1. Package the workflow as custom content or a custom module.
2. Attach it to bmad-tea using the agent customization flow.
3. Reinstall/update BMAD so the new menu item and workflow are registered.

See Extend TEA with Custom Workflows and the BMAD customization guide at BMAD-METHOD/docs/how-to/customize-bmad.md.

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

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📦 Release Guide (for Maintainers)

Publishing TEA to NPM

TEA uses an automated publish workflow modeled after the main BMAD-METHOD repo. It supports:

• next prereleases published automatically from main
• manual stable releases on the latest dist-tag
• trusted npm publishing (no NPM_TOKEN secret)
• metadata sync for package.json, package-lock.json, and .claude-plugin/marketplace.json

Prerequisites (One-Time Setup)

1. npm Trusted Publishing:

   • In npm package settings for bmad-method-test-architecture-enterprise, configure Trusted Publishers for this GitHub repository
   • Allow publishes from the bmad-code-org/bmad-method-test-architecture-enterprise repo and the .github/workflows/publish.yaml workflow
   • GitHub Actions must be able to request an OIDC token (id-token: write), which the workflow already does

2. GitHub App Secrets for Stable Releases:

   • Add RELEASE_APP_ID
   • Add RELEASE_APP_PRIVATE_KEY
   • Install the corresponding GitHub App on this repository with contents write access
   • If main is protected, ensure the app is allowed to push the release commit and tag
   • These are used only for manual stable releases so the workflow can push the version bump commit and tag back to main

3. Verify Package Configuration:

   # Check package.json settings
   cat package.json | grep -A 3 "publishConfig"
   # Should show: "access": "public"
   if grep -Eq '"private"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*true' package.json; then
     echo '❌ package.json must not set "private": true'
   else
     echo '✅ package.json is publishable ("private": true not present)'
   fi

Release Process

Option 1: Using npm Scripts (Recommended)

From your local terminal after merging to main:

# Publish the next prerelease from current main
npm run release:next

# Publish a stable patch release
npm run release:patch

# Publish a stable minor release
npm run release:minor

# Publish a stable major release
npm run release:major

Option 2: Manual Workflow Trigger

1. Go to Actions tab in GitHub
2. Click "Publish" workflow
3. Click "Run workflow"
4. Choose the branch to release, typically main
5. Select channel:
   • next for a prerelease publish
   • latest for a stable release
6. If using latest, choose the bump type (patch, minor, major)
7. Click "Run workflow"

What Happens Automatically

The workflow performs these steps:

1. ✅ Validation: Runs the full npm test suite, including schema checks, install tests, knowledge checks, linting, markdown linting, formatting, and release metadata validation
2. ✅ Version Bump:
   • next: derives the next prerelease version and publishes it with dist-tag next
   • latest: bumps the stable version (patch, minor, or major)
3. ✅ Metadata Sync: Updates .claude-plugin/marketplace.json to match the package version before publishing
4. ✅ Publish: Publishes to npm with provenance enabled
   • next → npm publish --tag next --provenance
   • latest → npm publish --tag latest --provenance
5. ✅ Stable Release Finalization: For latest, creates a version bump commit, tags it, pushes it to main, and creates a GitHub Release

Channel Strategy

• next: prerelease channel for the newest merged changes
• latest: stable channel for intentional releases
• patch: bug fixes, no breaking changes
• minor: new features, backwards compatible
• major: breaking changes

Recommended Release Path:

1. Merge releasable work to main
2. Let next publish for early validation
3. When ready, cut a stable latest release via patch, minor, or major

Verify Publication

Check NPM:

npm view bmad-method-test-architecture-enterprise
npm view bmad-method-test-architecture-enterprise dist-tags

Install TEA:

npx bmad-method install
# Select "Test Architect (TEA)"

Test Workflows:

# In your project
tea              # Load agent
test-design      # Test workflow

Rollback a Release (if needed)

If you need to unpublish a version:

# Unpublish specific version (within 72 hours)
npm unpublish bmad-method-test-architecture-enterprise@1.13.2-next.0

# Deprecate version (preferred for older releases)
npm deprecate bmad-method-test-architecture-enterprise@1.13.2-next.0 "Use version X.Y.Z instead"

Troubleshooting

Trusted publishing failed:

• Verify npm Trusted Publishing is configured for this repository and workflow
• Verify the workflow has id-token: write
• Confirm the publish is running from the canonical repository, not a fork

"Package already exists":

• Check if package name is already taken on NPM
• Update name in package.json if needed

"Version push failed":

• Verify RELEASE_APP_ID and RELEASE_APP_PRIVATE_KEY are configured
• Verify the GitHub App is installed on this repository with contents write access
• If branch protection is enabled on main, verify the app is allowed to push the release commit and tag

"Tests failed":

• Fix failing tests before release
• Run npm test locally to verify

"Git push failed (protected branch)":

• This is not expected once the release GitHub App is configured correctly
• Verify branch protection allows the app to push the release commit and tag
• If needed, create the GitHub Release manually after resolving the app permissions

Release Checklist

Before releasing:

• All tests passing: npm test
• Documentation up to date
• CHANGELOG.md updated
• No uncommitted changes
• On main branch
• npm Trusted Publishing configured
• RELEASE_APP_ID and RELEASE_APP_PRIVATE_KEY configured
• Package name available on NPM

After releasing:

• Verify NPM publication: npm view bmad-method-test-architecture-enterprise
• Test installation: npx bmad-method install
• Verify workflows work
• Check GitHub Release created
• Monitor for issues

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Community

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License

See LICENSE.