# Testing Gladstone Go Before Go-Live

HTML version: [Testing Gladstone Go Before Go-Live](https://support.gladstonesoftware.cloud/gooperator/testing-gladstone-go-before-go-live)

## Problem
Before going live with Gladstone Go, you need to set up a test environment, test Go Book, Go Join, emails and payments end to end, get sign-off, and monitor the first weeks of live use.

## Resolution

### Build and set up the test

1. **Follow the build order**
   - Create subscriptions and price products (Plus2) and set their price level and status (GMC).
   - Complete the Operator settings (see [Gladstone Go Operator Configuration Overview](gladstone-go-operator-configuration-and-cross-product-impact.md)).
   - Create tag groups and map memberships (see [Setting Up Go Join Tag Groups and Mapping Memberships](gladstone-go-join-tag-groups-buttons-and-membership-mapping.md)).
   - Finalise templates and communication jobs, keeping jobs in **test** (see [Gladstone Go and 360 Email Templates](gladstone-go-email-templates-and-communication-jobs.md)).
   - Configure payment (Gladstone Pay) and address/bank validation.
   - Ask Gladstone for a live-to-test copy and test end to end.
   - The full order is in [Go Configuration Build Order Across Products](go-configuration-build-order-across-products.md).

2. **Prepare the test environment**
   - Use the **test** Go Book and Go Join links (the URL contains "test"). Ask Gladstone for a **live-to-test** copy after config is finished. Later live changes need another copy; changes in live do not flow to test automatically.
   - Emails are often **switched off in test** after a live-to-test copy, so real customers are not emailed from test data. Ask Gladstone Support to enable them for testing. Until then, password-reset and welcome emails will not arrive. Always assume a test email may be delivered.
   - Use your own email address for test customers. It is stored as the **Home** email and becomes the login. Never invent addresses: emails can be sent from test and a made-up address may belong to someone real.
   - Switch off address and bank validation (GB Group/Loqate) in **test** Operator settings if copied from live; otherwise joining can fail or use credits.

3. **Get a test card**
   - Use a test card on the test environment (ask Gladstone). Its expiry must use month **12** with a future year.
   - A mock "authorise" step appears that customers will not see; choose *authorised* for a successful payment.
   - Test-card payments fail above about **£49**, so test DD memberships whose first (pro-rata) payment is under that. Otherwise make a real low-value purchase on live and refund it in GladstonePay. Never use test card details on live.

### What to test

4. **Test Go Book**
   - Find a class, check availability and when the next session opens, try booking while logged out (you are prompted to log in or create an account), and join a waiting list if enabled.

5. **Test Go Join for each member type and duration**
   - Buttons and descriptions read correctly.
   - The membership appears for the right path (see [Troubleshooting: Subscription Not Showing on Gladstone Go](troubleshooting-subscription-not-showing-on-gladstone-go.md) if not).
   - Extra questions (user fields) appear on the right memberships.
   - T&Cs are mandatory and marketing opt-in is optional.
   - The pro-rata, recurring and contract-total breakdown is correct.
   - Payment completes and the DD guarantee and mandate appear.

6. **Test emails, the exit pop-up and the account page**
   - **Emails**: welcome (with password link), purchased membership, DD mandate, booking confirmation, class (waiting-list) alert and linked member invitation.
   - **Exit pop-up** wording and delay when leaving the join flow idle.
   - **Account page**: set a password, log in, book with the membership, and see bookings, basket and class alerts.

7. **Check the records in Plus2/360**
   - Check the resulting price level, status, subscription and correspondence.

8. **Run the full end-to-end scenarios**
   - A new customer joins and pays successfully.
   - An existing customer buys another membership from their account.
   - **Duplicate detection**: join as yourself, then try again with the same email and date of birth; Go should say an account seems to exist and offer to log in.
   - Password reset where several accounts share one email, including two people with the same name.
   - A promotion code on Go Join, and the same discount in 360.
   - RCP succeeds and entitlement continues; RCP fails, a debt is raised and access is restricted as intended; the customer clears the debt and access is restored (see [Testing Recurring Card Payments](../gladstone360/testing-recurring-card-payments.md)).
   - A DD rejection file runs through the configured wizard and sends the right email (and SMS if used).
   - A full class accepts an alert-list entry, and a cancellation triggers the alert email only to people on that list.
   - An alert-list place that clashes with an existing booking (check the existing booking is not removed).
   - Overlapping bookings are blocked (exact-time and partial overlaps).
   - Daily and activity-specific booking limits work, including across primary and linked accounts.
   - A parent/guardian becomes primary payee for a junior.
   - A shared (group) membership enforces its link limit.
   - Book for others.
   - A party booking at several price levels.
   - A block booking is created, edited and cancelled; its invoice is approved, issued and paid by Pay by Link and at the 360 POS.
   - Privacy, terms, support, logo, social, call-to-action and deep links work.
   - Emails render correctly on desktop and mobile.

### Pre go-live housekeeping

9. **Check departments and prices**
   - Set the correct **department and cost centre** on every price product (resource "Z" products do not matter), so reporting and the finance extract are right from day one.
   - Check each price product's prices and which price levels can buy it.
   - Let reception and back office settle into payments for a couple of weeks before opening online class booking, and give members notice of the change.

### Go-live approval and early monitoring

10. **Get sign-off**
    - Record test evidence and any unresolved defects.
    - Get sign-off from the owners of operations, payments, memberships, customer communications and data protection.

11. **Go live**
    - Switch approved communication jobs and customer journeys from test to live.

12. **Monitor the first weeks**
    - Watch the first payment run, first rejection file, first alert-list emails and first online joins, and reconcile transactions, memberships, debts, bookings and messages.
    - Keep a manual fallback process available while things settle.

    | Frequency | Check |
    |---|---|
    | Daily | Failed RCP transactions, new debts, failed communication jobs |
    | Each payment batch | Submission, receipt, exceptions and notification delivery |
    | Each rejection file | Processed records match the file; follow-up queue |
    | Weekly | Alert-list performance, booking conflicts, duplicate records, support issues |
    | Monthly | Subscription state, entitlement, payment, debt and course enrolment |
    | After any configuration change | Repeat the affected end-to-end tests |

## Notes

- Address lookup (GB Group) validates postcodes and can validate phone numbers. It is not normally used in test because lookups cost credits.
- Training recordings saved to Gladstone Drive are usually deleted after about two weeks, so download any you want to keep.
- **Common problems found in testing**:
  - Typos in activity **descriptions** (for example, "Group exercise class" vs "classes") create separate groups on Go Book. Keep descriptions identical.
  - Hyperlinks in tag descriptions only work in the **Facilities** tag group, not member types or durations. An enhancement request can be raised.
  - The operator trading name placeholder may not fill in on the DD confirmation email. Type the name in directly, and check punctuation in the DD guarantee text.
  - Use a typed **signature block** (site name, email, phone) rather than placeholders, so details are always right.
  - Booking buttons that look too similar (available vs unavailable) can be improved by Gladstone adjusting the theme's button palette.
  - Help email/phone for Go Book and Go Join swapped: check both sets on the test site.
  - Membership not showing: missing Purchase via web or site tick, missing GMC price level/status, duplicate tag path, or cache.
  - "Unable to add member": too many price levels ticked on the price product.
  - Emails not arriving: emails disabled in test, or no business rule or communication job for the template.
  - Report screenshots of system errors to Gladstone support.
- Suggestions for product changes go through the **product enhancement request form**, with screenshots. It goes straight to the product team.
- **Coming features**: a **Renew** button for fixed-term memberships (annual, six-month), starting the new term when the current one ends; online cancellation of paid bookings and memberships; SMS and push notifications; access-control passes for guests a member has booked in (digital pass).
- Moving existing members onto new subscriptions and price levels is covered in [Moving Existing Members to a New Price Structure](moving-existing-members-to-a-new-price-structure.md).
- Related: [Setting Up Go Join Tag Groups and Mapping Memberships](gladstone-go-join-tag-groups-buttons-and-membership-mapping.md); [Gladstone Go and 360 Email Templates](gladstone-go-email-templates-and-communication-jobs.md); [Gladstone Go Operator Configuration Overview](gladstone-go-operator-configuration-and-cross-product-impact.md); [Troubleshooting: Subscription Not Showing on Gladstone Go](troubleshooting-subscription-not-showing-on-gladstone-go.md); [Recurring Card Payments (RCP)](../gladstone360/recurring-card-payments-rcp.md).