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Azure DevOps Services | Azure DevOps Server | Azure DevOps Server 2022
Create manual test cases to check that each deliverable meets your users' needs. Manual test cases define individual steps that testers perform, including shared steps across test cases. To test different data, specify parameters for the test steps. Organize your test cases by adding them to test plans and test suites, and then assign testers to run the tests.
For more information, see Share steps between test cases, Repeat a test with different data, and Test objects and terms.
Note
Test iterations support data-driven scenarios, not workflow-driven scenarios. As a best practice, if you have two test scenarios where the workflows differ, create separate test cases. For more information, see FAQs for manual testing.
Prerequisites
| Category | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Access levels | - At least Basic access, with permissions to view work items under the corresponding Area Path. - To add test plans and test suites, delete test artifacts, and define test configurations: Basic + Test Plans access. Or, one of the following Visual Studio subscriptions: - Enterprise - Test Professional - MSDN Platforms |
| Permissions | - To add or modify test plans, test suites, test cases, or other test-based work item types: Edit work items in this node permission set to Allow under the corresponding Area Path. - To modify test plan properties such as build and test settings: Manage test plans permission set to Allow under the corresponding Area Path. - to create and delete test suites, add and remove test cases from test suites, change test configurations associated with test suites, and modify a test suite hierarchy (move a test suite): Manage test suites permission set to Allow under the corresponding Area Path. |
For more information, see Manual test access and permissions.
Create test cases
If you haven't already, create a test plan and requirement-based test suites.
Select a requirement-based test suite and select New Test Case.
Note
The test suite shown here comes from a User Story work item in the team's backlog board. When you add a test case to this kind of suite, you automatically link the test case to the backlog item. To create test cases this way, open the context menu for the work item and choose Add test.
Enter a title and select Click or type here to add a step.
Add test steps that describe the action to perform and the expected results. You can add attachments to any step. Repeat until you add all the steps for the test.
For more information, see Share steps and Copy or clone stories, issues, and other work items.
Assign configurations to test cases
You can specify configurations, such as different operating systems, web browsers, and other variations for your tests.
Select the test suite, select More options > Assign configurations, and in the dialog box, select your configurations.
You can also assign configurations to individual test cases. Select one or more test cases > select More options > Assign configuration.
Make your changes and then Save.
For more information, see Test different configurations.
Caution
- Configuration inheritance: Changing configurations at a child suite breaks inheritance from its parent suites. The change still propagates down to lower child suites, unless a child suite already overrides it.
- Hidden test points: Unassigning a configuration hides its related test points. To restore them, reassign the configuration.
Reorder test cases
How you reorder test cases depends on the suite type:
| Suite type | How to reorder |
|---|---|
| Static suite | Drag and drop test cases into the desired order in the test case list. |
| Requirement-based suite | Backlog priority determines the order. To change it, reorder the backlog items in the backlog view. |
| Query-based suite | Query sort criteria determine the order. To change it, modify the query's sort columns. |
Reorder test steps
When you edit a test case, you can reorder test steps to adjust the sequence of actions:
- Select a test step, and then use the up and down arrows to move it to the desired position.
- You can also select multiple steps and move them together.
Tip
If several test cases share the same steps, consider using shared steps to keep them in sync. When you update a shared step, the change applies to all test cases that reference it.
Add existing test cases to a test suite
Add existing test cases to a test suite by using the following steps.
Select a test suite. From the New Test Case menu, select Add existing test cases.
Add search clauses, as needed, and then select Run query.
When you find the test cases you want, select them and choose Add test cases.
Tip
You can create a test case that automatically links to a requirement - User Story (Agile), Product Backlog Item (Scrum), Requirement (CMMI), or Issue (Basic) - when you create a test from the board. For more information, see Add, run, and update inline tests.
Use the Grid view to edit test cases
Follow these steps to copy and paste test cases into the Grid view.
Select the Grid View icon.
Select one to several test cases, and then select Edit test case(s) in grid.
Add, delete, or clear rows.
To add multiple test cases to the test suite, select Add test cases using grid.
- In the List view, use the column options to select the fields in the test case work item.
You can view and edit these fields when you switch to the Grid view.
Use Excel to copy information into a Grid view
You can copy test cases and test steps from an existing Excel worksheet. Copy the columns from Excel that you want to use for the title, action, and expected results fields. This action doesn't copy column formatting, other than multiline, from the worksheet. Paste these columns into the Grid view, edit if necessary, and save them.
You can copy data from the Grid view and paste it into your Excel worksheet. This action doesn't copy test step formatting, other than multiline, into the worksheet.
Note
Don't use the Teams plugin for Excel to add or update test case work items. Excel can't parse the format that stores test steps, and this limitation can affect test case work item formatting.
Assign testers
Assign test cases so that different testers can run them. You can assign all test cases in a test suite to multiple testers, which is useful for acceptance testing.
Testers need Basic + Test Plans access to run tests from Azure Test Plans.
In the context menu for a test suite, select Assign testers to run all tests.
The Select testers to run all the tests in suite dialog box opens.
Add or remove testers from the list. After you select the testers, select Send email and edit the message so they know that tests are ready for them to run.
The email contains a link that testers can open to see the list of assigned tests.
Assign an individual test case to a tester.
In the Execute tab for a test suite, select a test, and then open the context menu.
Select Assign tester. Search for and select a tester.
Manage test cases
You can open a test case to view it or edit it.
- To open a test case in a test suite, in the Define tab, double-click the name of the test case.
- In the Execute tab, select a test case, open its context menu, and select Edit test case.
You can link a test case to test suites, requirements, and bugs. To see linked items, in the Define tab, open the context menu for a test case, and select View Linked Items.
Bulk edit test cases
You can edit more than one test case at a time. Select several test cases in a test suite and select Edit test case(s).
Select a Field and enter a Value. Select Add new field to add another field-value pair.
Use tags for test cases
You can tag test cases and view only the ones with specific tags. For example, tag all the tests related to signing in so that you can rerun these tests if a bug is fixed for that page. You can filter on that tag from the Test Plans web portal.
To add new tags to work items, have at least Basic access and have the project-level Create new tag definition permission set to Allow. For more information, see Add work item tags.
You can add and edit tags when you edit a test case, or bulk edit tags in the Grid view. You can also create suites based on queries when you use tags.
Rename or remove test cases
You can rename or remove test cases from a test suite.
Rename a test case: Open the test case from the context menu, and then edit the name.
Remove a test case: From the context menu for the test case, select Remove.
To permanently delete test plans and test suites, be a member of the Project Administrators group or have the Area Path node-level Manage test plans or Manage test suites permission set to Allow. To manage or delete test artifacts, you must also have your access level set to Basic + Test Plans or Visual Studio Enterprise. For more information, see Delete test artifacts in Azure Boards.