---
title: Tests and Honeybadger
description: Test Honeybadger's Ruby gem integration with your application using the included test backend.
url: https://docs.honeybadger.io/lib/ruby/getting-started/tests-and-honeybadger/
---

It is possible to test Honeybadger’s integration with your application using the included test backend.

The test backend replaces the default server backend with a stub that records error notices rather than sending them, allowing all but the HTTP notification itself to be verified. Alternatively, you could use something like [WebMock](https://github.com/bblimke/webmock) to perform a similar test using the “server” backend.

## Configuring the test backend

To use the test backend, set the `backend` configuration option to “test” in honeybadger.yml for your test environment only:

```yaml
api_key: "PROJECT_API_KEY"
test:
  backend: test
```

You can also use the *HONEYBADGER\_BACKEND* environment variable to configure the test backend. Note that you must also configure your API key for the test to succeed.

## Writing the integration test

The test backend can be used in any testing framework to test any code which reports an error with `Honeybadger.notify`. A common scenario is to test the Rails-integration which reports exceptions in a Rails controller automatically.

The following example uses RSpec to test error notification in a Rails controller.

First, create the controller:

app/controllers/honeybadger\_test\_controller.rb

```ruby
class HoneybadgerTestController < ApplicationController
  ERROR = RuntimeError.new("testing reporting an error to Honeybadger")


  def index
    raise ERROR
  end
end
```

Next, create a route. For security, it’s a good idea to enable the route only in the test environment:

config/routes.rb

```ruby
  # ...
  get '/test/honeybadger' => 'honeybadger_test#index' if Rails.env.test?
```

Finally, create the integration test:

spec/features/honeybadger\_spec.rb

```ruby
require 'rails_helper'


describe "error notification" do
  it "notifies Honeybadger" do
    expect {
      # Code to test goes here:
      expect { visit '/test/honeybadger' }.to raise_error(HoneybadgerTestController::ERROR)


      # Important: `Honeybadger.flush` ensures that asynchronous notifications
      # are delivered before the test's remaining expectations are verified.
      Honeybadger.flush
    }.to change(Honeybadger::Backend::Test.notifications[:notices], :size).by(1)
    expect(Honeybadger::Backend::Test.notifications[:notices].first.error_message).to eq('testing reporting an error to Honeybadger')
  end
end
```

---

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