Should an automation engineer have significant experience in manual testing?

Yes, manual testing experience is important for an automation engineer. It helps to better understand how the application works, which scenarios are critical, and how to properly formulate test cases for automation.

Manual testing develops skills in analysis, bug detection, and understanding business logic, which makes automation more effective and targeted.

Without manual testing experience, an automation engineer risks creating tests that do not cover real user scenarios or overlook important nuances.