QA Testing for Vibecoded Marketplace Apps

The listing lifecycle — create, edit, publish, search, view — is the backbone of any marketplace. Testers verify the entire flow from a seller's perspective: can they create a listing with all required fields, upload images, set pricing, and publish it? Then they switch to a buyer's perspective and verify the listing appears correctly in search results, category pages, and direct URLs. AI-generated marketplaces frequently have discrepancies between what a seller enters and what a buyer sees.

Search and filtering are critical for marketplace usability. Testers verify that search returns relevant results, that filters narrow results correctly, and that sorting options work as labeled. They also test edge cases like listings with missing images, zero-priced items, or descriptions containing special characters that might break rendering.

Marketplace transactions involve at least three parties — buyer, seller, and platform — and the payment flow must handle all three correctly. Testers walk through the complete purchase flow: buyer selects an item, makes payment, seller receives notification and payment, platform collects its fee. AI-generated payment integrations often handle the initial charge but fail on commission splits, refund distribution, or payout scheduling.

Dispute and refund flows are particularly important. Testers verify that buyers can request refunds, that sellers can respond, and that the platform's dispute resolution process works end to end. They also check what happens when edge cases occur — a seller cancels after payment, a buyer requests a partial refund, or a payment method expires mid-transaction.

Marketplaces depend on trust systems — reviews, ratings, verification badges, and reputation scores. Testers verify that reviews can only be left by actual buyers, that ratings calculate and display correctly, and that seller verification processes work. AI-generated trust systems often have loopholes like allowing users to review their own listings or displaying average ratings that do not match the individual review scores.

Role-based access is another critical area. Testers verify that sellers can only manage their own listings, that buyer purchase history is private, and that admin functions are not accessible to regular users. They also test role transitions — what happens when a buyer becomes a seller, or when an account is suspended — to ensure the platform handles these state changes gracefully.