What is setup and teardown in testing?

Updated May 6, 2026

Short answer

Setup prepares test environment; teardown cleans it.

Deep explanation

Used to initialize resources before tests and release them after execution.

Real-world example

Resetting test database in API tests.

Common mistakes

  • Not cleaning up resources.

Follow-up questions

  • What happens if teardown is skipped?
  • Where is setup defined?

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