diff --git a/packages/server/src/automations/tests/steps/executeQuery.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/automations/tests/steps/executeQuery.spec.ts
index 64dd808b85..dff3580b7e 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/automations/tests/steps/executeQuery.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/automations/tests/steps/executeQuery.spec.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
 } from "../../../integrations/tests/utils"
 import { Knex } from "knex"
 import { generator } from "@budibase/backend-core/tests"
+import { createAutomationBuilder } from "../utilities/AutomationTestBuilder"
 
 const descriptions = datasourceDescribe({
   exclude: [DatabaseName.MONGODB, DatabaseName.SQS],
@@ -41,39 +42,34 @@ if (descriptions.length) {
       })
 
       it("should be able to execute a query", async () => {
-        let res = await setup.runStep(
-          config,
-          setup.actions.EXECUTE_QUERY.stepId,
-          {
-            query: { queryId: query._id },
-          }
-        )
-        expect(res.response).toEqual([{ a: "string", b: 1 }])
-        expect(res.success).toEqual(true)
+        const { steps } = await createAutomationBuilder(config)
+          .onAppAction()
+          .executeQuery({ query: { queryId: query._id! } })
+          .test({ fields: {} })
+
+        expect(steps[0].outputs.response).toEqual([{ a: "string", b: 1 }])
+        expect(steps[0].outputs.success).toEqual(true)
       })
 
       it("should handle a null query value", async () => {
-        let res = await setup.runStep(
-          config,
-          setup.actions.EXECUTE_QUERY.stepId,
-          {
-            query: null,
-          }
-        )
-        expect(res.response.message).toEqual("Invalid inputs")
-        expect(res.success).toEqual(false)
+        const { steps } = await createAutomationBuilder(config)
+          .onAppAction()
+          // @ts-expect-error - intentionally passing null
+          .executeQuery({ query: { queryId: null } })
+          .test({ fields: {} })
+
+        expect(steps[0].outputs.response).toStartWith("Error:")
+        expect(steps[0].outputs.success).toEqual(false)
       })
 
       it("should handle an error executing a query", async () => {
-        let res = await setup.runStep(
-          config,
-          setup.actions.EXECUTE_QUERY.stepId,
-          {
-            query: { queryId: "wrong_id" },
-          }
-        )
-        expect(res.response).toBeDefined()
-        expect(res.success).toEqual(false)
+        const { steps } = await createAutomationBuilder(config)
+          .onAppAction()
+          .executeQuery({ query: { queryId: "wrong_id" } })
+          .test({ fields: {} })
+
+        expect(steps[0].outputs.response).toStartWith("Error:")
+        expect(steps[0].outputs.success).toEqual(false)
       })
     }
   )
diff --git a/packages/server/src/automations/tests/steps/sendSmtpEmail.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/automations/tests/steps/sendSmtpEmail.spec.ts
index 6ab0f32b65..7452239dfa 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/automations/tests/steps/sendSmtpEmail.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/automations/tests/steps/sendSmtpEmail.spec.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ function generateResponse(to: string, from: string) {
   }
 }
 
-import * as setup from "../utilities"
+import { createAutomationBuilder } from "../utilities/AutomationTestBuilder"
 
 describe("test the outgoing webhook action", () => {
   const config = new TestConfiguration()
@@ -60,13 +60,14 @@ describe("test the outgoing webhook action", () => {
       ...invite,
     }
     let resp = generateResponse(inputs.to, inputs.from)
-    const res = await setup.runStep(
-      config,
-      setup.actions.SEND_EMAIL_SMTP.stepId,
-      inputs
-    )
-    expect(res.response).toEqual(resp)
-    expect(res.success).toEqual(true)
+
+    const { steps } = await createAutomationBuilder(config)
+      .onAppAction()
+      .sendSmtpEmail(inputs)
+      .test({ fields: {} })
+
+    expect(steps[0].outputs.response).toEqual(resp)
+    expect(steps[0].outputs.success).toEqual(true)
     expect(workerRequests.sendSmtpEmail).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
     expect(workerRequests.sendSmtpEmail).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
       to: "user1@example.com",
@@ -75,7 +76,11 @@ describe("test the outgoing webhook action", () => {
       contents: "testing",
       cc: "cc",
       bcc: "bcc",
-      invite,
+      invite: {
+        ...invite,
+        startTime: invite.startTime.toISOString(),
+        endTime: invite.endTime.toISOString(),
+      },
       automation: true,
       attachments: [
         { url: "attachment1", filename: "attachment1.txt" },
diff --git a/packages/server/src/automations/tests/utilities/index.ts b/packages/server/src/automations/tests/utilities/index.ts
index 400713dcbc..44f6d3b8ca 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/automations/tests/utilities/index.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/automations/tests/utilities/index.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,7 @@
 import TestConfiguration from "../../../tests/utilities/TestConfiguration"
-import { context } from "@budibase/backend-core"
-import { BUILTIN_ACTION_DEFINITIONS, getAction } from "../../actions"
-import emitter from "../../../events/index"
+import { BUILTIN_ACTION_DEFINITIONS } from "../../actions"
 import env from "../../../environment"
-import {
-  Automation,
-  AutomationActionStepId,
-  AutomationData,
-  Datasource,
-} from "@budibase/types"
+import { Automation, AutomationData, Datasource } from "@budibase/types"
 import { Knex } from "knex"
 import { getQueue } from "../.."
 import { Job } from "bull"
@@ -41,36 +34,6 @@ export async function runInProd(fn: any) {
   }
 }
 
-export async function runStep(
-  config: TestConfiguration,
-  stepId: string,
-  inputs: any,
-  stepContext?: any
-) {
-  async function run() {
-    let step = await getAction(stepId as AutomationActionStepId)
-    expect(step).toBeDefined()
-    if (!step) {
-      throw new Error("No step found")
-    }
-    return step({
-      context: stepContext || {},
-      inputs,
-      appId: config ? config.getAppId() : "",
-      // don't really need an API key, mocked out usage quota, not being tested here
-      apiKey,
-      emitter,
-    })
-  }
-  if (config.appId) {
-    return context.doInContext(config?.appId, async () => {
-      return run()
-    })
-  } else {
-    return run()
-  }
-}
-
 /**
  * Capture all automation runs that occur during the execution of a function.
  * This function will wait for all messages to be processed before returning.