Cost-saving playbook
Concrete settings that drop the credit cost of a test without sacrificing reliability. Memory on, the cheapest segmentation mode that still works, and a checklist for auditing existing tests.
If your credit usage is climbing faster than your test count, you're probably leaving free wins on the table. This page is a checklist of concrete settings — every recommendation traces back to a specific toggle or mode documented elsewhere in the manual.
The three high-leverage levers
1. Leave Position Memory on for stable taps
Default is on; if you've turned it off, ask why. The toggle's own description spells out the right rule: "Only enable for elements with stable, fixed positions (e.g., navigation buttons)." Most taps in a typical test qualify.
See Position Memory.
2. Leave Assert Memory and List Bounds Memory on
Both default on. The downside of leaving them on for a non-stable target is essentially nil — a memory miss costs the same as having had memory off.
See Assert Memory & List Bounds Memory.
3. Pick the cheapest segmentation mode that still works
The AI Segmentation picker only appears in Tap and Scroll editors. Three modes, from cheapest to most expensive:
- None — on-device detection only.
- Auto — reuses a cached result when the screen still matches, refreshes when it doesn't.
- Force Fresh — full resolution on every run.
Try None first. If on-device detection finds your target, you spend nothing on segmentation for that step. If None misses, switch to Auto. Reserve Force Fresh for debugging — it's the most expensive mode.
Audit checklist for existing tests
Run through any test that's costing more than you'd expect:
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Are all stable Tap steps' Position Memory toggles on?
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Are all Visual Assert steps' Assert Memory toggles on (unless the screen genuinely changes between runs)?
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Are all Scroll steps' List Bounds Memory toggles on?
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Are any Tap or Scroll steps stuck on Force Fresh when None or Auto would work?
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Are any Tap steps on Auto when None would work just as well?
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Is Run Count set higher than necessary on any Run Test step?
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Is self-healing set to
Full TestwhenPer Stepwould do?
What about per-test cost analytics?
Per-test cost is available in both the Mavster macOS app and the web app's project analytics view. Use it to identify the highest-cost tests first — focusing the playbook on the top quartile of spend usually returns most of the savings.
