Shift-left testing is an approach to software testing and system testing in which testing is performed earlier in the lifecycle. It is the first half of the maxim "Test early and often." It was coined by Larry Smith in 2001.

What does shift left mean to IT operations?

Shift Left is a practice intended to find and prevent defects early in the software delivery process. The idea is to improve quality by moving tasks to the left as early in the lifecycle as possible. Shift Left testing means testing earlier in the software development process.

What is shift left vs shift right?

The Shift Left testing approach uses the 'test early and often' mantra to perform testing earlier in the lifecycle(thereby moving left on the project timeline). Whereas, the Shift Right approach in DevOps testing enables you to test in production, and prepare for the undefined, unknown, and unexpected.