Practical tips for getting started with Behaviour-Driven Development

Start Small and Focus on Key Behaviours

Begin with a few high-priority features and define the most important behaviours for each. Don’t try to write scenarios for every detail right away—focus on behaviours that are most critical to the user experience and business goals. As you become more comfortable with BDD, you can expand to cover additional behaviours.
Collaborate Actively with Stakeholders

BDD relies on collaboration, so involve stakeholders, product owners, and testers in the process. Use initial meetings to gather feedback and refine scenarios together. Ask stakeholders for input on what they expect from the feature and how they envision it functioning, then translate these insights into BDD scenarios. Open communication early on can help you create more meaningful tests and avoid misunderstandings.
Write Scenarios in Simple, Clear Language

Use straightforward, human-readable language to write your scenarios. The Given-When-Then format should describe the behaviour in terms that non-technical team members can understand. Avoid technical jargon, and keep each scenario focused on one behaviour. Well-written scenarios help bridge the gap between technical and non-technical team members, making it easier for everyone to understand and validate the feature.
Focus on One Scenario at a Time

Tackle one scenario at a time and work through it completely before moving on to the next. This allows you to focus on the specifics of each behaviour, helping you ensure that each part of the feature functions as expected. Trying to implement multiple scenarios simultaneously can lead to confusion and make it harder to track down issues if something doesn’t work as intended.
Use BDD Tools to Automate Your Scenarios

Familiarise yourself with BDD tools like Cucumber or SpecFlow to automate your scenarios. These tools support the Given-When-Then format and make it easier to manage scenarios in a format that’s both executable and human-readable. Use the tools to link scenarios to specific code, allowing you to run tests automatically and validate each behaviour as development progresses.
Avoid Overly Detailed Scenarios

BDD scenarios are most effective when they describe the “what” of behaviour rather than the “how.” Avoid including implementation details in scenarios, as this can make them more complex and harder to understand. Instead, focus on what the user or system should experience, leaving the underlying implementation flexible. Scenarios should be high-level descriptions of expected outcomes rather than step-by-step instructions.
Organise Scenarios into Logical Groups

Keep scenarios organised by grouping them by feature or user story. This organisation helps make scenarios easier to navigate and ensures that they reflect the system’s structure. Well-organised scenarios also make it easier to communicate progress to stakeholders and track development of different features.
Keep Scenarios Short and Focused on Expected Outcomes

Aim for each scenario to address one clear behaviour or outcome. Short, focused scenarios are easier to understand, test, and maintain. They also help prevent overlapping behaviours, which can cause confusion. For instance, a scenario that tests a successful login should not also check for incorrect password handling—these should be two separate scenarios.
Review and Refine Scenarios Regularly

As requirements evolve, revisit and refine scenarios to reflect new insights or changing priorities. BDD is iterative, so keep your scenarios up-to-date and ensure they accurately represent the current expectations. Regular review sessions with stakeholders help ensure that scenarios stay relevant and aligned with business goals.
Use Mocks for External Dependencies

If your scenarios involve dependencies like databases or external services, use mocks or stubs to simulate these dependencies. This keeps your BDD tests fast and reliable, especially for scenarios that need to be run frequently. Tools like Moq (in .NET) can help you set up mocks easily, allowing you to focus on the behaviour without setting up complex infrastructure.