Isolation level of automated BDD scenarios?

Question

What isolation level should you be aiming for when automating your scenarios? Should they be completely isolated, as with proper unit tests (ie using mocks etc), or are they more akin to integration tests?

Answer 1

Scenarios are typically on the level of integration tests.

Ideally scenarios are used in communication with the customer, or at least use the terms and language of the customer. A passing scenario provides concrete evidence that the software does what the customer wants. The customer does not care about individual components, but about the system as a whole.