Intermediate 15 min read

Setting Up Test Data

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to:

Use @testSetup to create shared test data once per test class
Use Test.startTest() and Test.stopTest() to reset governor limits and isolate async behavior

Prerequisites: Anatomy of a Test Class

@testSetup: shared data, once

A method annotated @testSetup runs once before each test method in the class. Because every test method runs in its own rolled-back transaction, each one sees its own fresh copy of whatever @testSetup inserted — no leftover data leaking between tests, and no repeated setup boilerplate in every method.

Test.startTest() and Test.stopTest()

Code before Test.startTest() shares governor limits with the arrange/setup phase. Code between startTest() and stopTest() gets a fresh set of limits, isolating the code actually under test. stopTest() also forces any @future, Queueable, or Batch Apex enqueued inside the block to run synchronously before continuing — essential for asserting on async side effects.

Shared setup data with a bracketed test

@isTest
private class OpportunityServiceTest {
    @testSetup
    static void makeData() {
        insert new Account(Name = 'Acme Corp');
    }

    @isTest
    static void closingAnOpportunityUpdatesTheAccount() {
        Account acc = [SELECT Id FROM Account LIMIT 1];

        Test.startTest();
        OpportunityService.closeAllFor(acc.Id);
        Test.stopTest();

        // assertions here see the results of any async work above
    }
}

@testSetup's Account is available fresh to every test method in the class; Test.startTest()/stopTest() brackets just the code being tested, and guarantees any async work inside it has finished by the time stopTest() returns.

Exercise

Write an @testSetup method that inserts a Contact with LastName 'Doe', and a test method that queries for it and asserts it exists.

Show hint

@testSetup methods must be static and return void.

APEX

My Notes

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Summary

@testSetup creates data once, with every test method getting its own fresh copy, avoiding duplicated setup code; Test.startTest()/stopTest() resets governor limits for the code under test and forces any enqueued async work to run before stopTest() returns.

← Anatomy of a Test Class Assertions and Common Patterns →

Setting Up Test Data

@testSetup: shared data, once

Test.startTest() and Test.stopTest()

Setting Up Test Data — Quick Check

My Notes

Questions about this lesson