An automated testing system is described for efficient testing of software applications. Locators are used by the test to find user interface elements in an application's graphical user interface during testing. If during a test a user interface element is not found, which may be due to a changed locator during code refactoring, the system finds the user interface element based on the element's type and on previously stored information about the element. Such information can be a snapshot image of the element, the coordinates of the element's location, dimensions of the element, or other information. Once the missing element is found, a new locator for the element is read and the test is performed using the new locator.