Inside Katalon Community: My Take on What’s Been Happening (June Edition)

Hi everyone, it’s Thuy (Elly) again — your friendly neighborhood Katalon Community Specialist. I’ve been snooping around the forum, hunting for bugs (not the creepy-crawly kind), and keeping tabs on all the quirks, quick fixes, and clever hacks you’ve been sharing.

Here’s my monthly rundown of what broke, who tackled it, and what’s got everyone in the Katalon Community talking this time around:

🔍 What Everyone’s Debugging This Month: Chrome for Testing, Recorder & Table-Taming Tactics

Let’s talk about the Chrome chaos. When users updated to Chrome version 137, all kinds of weirdness broke loose. Web Recorder stopped working. And Chrome started acting... different.

Here’s what happened:

Chrome 137 removed support for automation flags like --load-extension, which Katalon relies on for Web Recorder and test execution. To patch it quickly, Katalon Studio v10.2.1 began bundling a special version of Chrome called Chrome for Testing — a stable release meant just for automated environments.Sounds smart, right? But there was a catch.

Chrome for Testing looks and behaves differently.
It launched silently, confusing users who were expecting regular Chrome.
Some orgs even had to whitelist it as a “new browser.”

The good news: Katalon fixed this fast.

• v10.2.2 reverts to using standard Chrome again

• Adds a workaround flag:
  --disable-features=DisableLoadExtensionCommandLineSwitch

• Web Recorder is back to normal

So if you're still running into Chrome hiccups or seeing “Chrome for Testing” pop up unexpectedly, make sure you’ve updated to v10.2.2 and you're not on Chrome 137 without the patch.

✨ Meanwhile, Recorder and Web tables …

📹 Recorder Glitch — In-app Recorder issues after v10.2.1 are confirmed and will be fixed soon. For now, move WebUI.openBrowser(GlobalVariable.G_SiteURL) out of the test case and add Chrome args (e.g. --remote-allow-origins=*, window-size=1920,1080) under Project Settings > Desired Capabilities > Web UI > Chrome.

🔐 DemoAUT Link Issue Fixed — The deprecated https://demoaut.katalon.com link, which caused HTTPS errors, is now resolved in v10.2.2. You can safely use the original demo site again without switching to alternatives.🌐 Dynamic Web tables — Top tips: use XPath indexing, WebUI.findWebElements(), or custom keywords to locate table data reliably.

 📚 Read More: How handle a dynamic webtable in Katalon Studio, and what are the ways we can access the table

🙌 Community Shoutouts: The People Behind the Progress

In the world of dev tools, it’s not always the loudest voices that make the biggest difference. Sometimes it’s the folks working behind the scenes — reading deeply, responding thoughtfully, and showing up day after day.

They don’t just drop answers and disappear. They stick around, ask good questions, give better ones, and keep the whole thing moving forward.

This month, I’m celebrating four standout contributors who made the Katalon Community a better place — not by shouting the loudest, but by showing up when it mattered.

1. Kazurayam — The Observer Who Really Shows Up

567 posts read. That’s not a typo. Kazurayam’s steady presence in the forum means context is never lost — and it shows in every thread he joins.

2. Monty — The One with the Fix

Monty dropped three accepted solutions this month — each one clear, actionable, and super helpful.

3. Simon Si — The One Who Sparked a Crowd

Simon kicked off a discussion that racked up 156 views and 15 replies — this month’s most active thread. It resonated because it hit a real pain point, and he stayed with it through the replies.

4. Dineshh — The One Who Keeps Showing Up

54 posts and topics this month. That’s serious consistency. Whether it’s reporting bugs, raising questions, or sharing screenshots — Dineshh’s activity helps keep the forum alive and responsive.

💬 What the Outside World Thinks: Voices from Gartner Peer Insights

Last month, we received 23 reviews from our community users across industries, here are some highlight from their voice:

Katalon Studio: A Powerful, User-Friendly, and Versatile Automation Platform

22/23 consistently mentioned Katalon Studio as a strong contender in the test automation landscape, offering a compelling blend of user-friendliness, comprehensive functionality, and increasingly, AI-powered capabilities. Users highlight its "overall superb" experience and its ability to significantly contribute to testing efforts.

Product's Unique Stand:

100% reviews agrees that Katalon Studio's most significant unique selling proposition is its "all-in-one platform" approach. It provides integrated support for "web, mobile, API, and desktop testing in a single tool, making it versatile and convenient for QA teams." This broad coverage, combined with its "low-code interface with built-in keywords," sets it apart, making it "accessible to both beginners and experienced testers." The platform's commitment to innovation is also evident in its "growing integration of AI to speed up test creation and improve accuracy," with "AI powered features" helping with "test creation, maintenance, and flakiness detection, improving efficiency and test reliability." Its "Test suite facility, test suite collection and the report facility" are also highly valued.

23/23 Users showing Confidence When Using the Product:

A recurring theme in the reviews is the high level of user confidence and satisfaction. Users describe Katalon as "very user friendly," with one reviewer stating, "a layman user can understand the automation flows here and they can automate the testing of their applications easily, the ui is brilliant and outstanding." This ease of use fosters confidence, enabling teams to "significantly contributed to our testing efforts." Even with challenges in specific areas like desktop automation, the "overall experience was superb," indicating a robust and reliable tool.

Buying Reasons:

Businesses are acquiring Katalon Studio to achieve tangible improvements. Key purchasing drivers include the desire to "improve customer relations/service," "improve business process outcomes," and "improve business process agility." The decision-making process is primarily driven by "product functionality and performance" and the presence of a "strong user community," indicating that the product delivers on its promises and is backed by a supportive ecosystem.

While some users note potential areas for improvement like "performance with Large Test Suites" and "limited customization" compared to open-source alternatives, the overall sentiment remains overwhelmingly positive, with Katalon Studio being recognized as a "powerful and user-friendly test automation platform."