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Create and manage test plans

Azure DevOps Services | Azure DevOps Server | Azure DevOps Server 2022

Create test plans and test suites to track manual testing for sprints or milestones. By using this approach, you can see when the testing for a specific sprint or milestone is complete. For more information about manual testing, see What is Azure Test Plans?

Share work items across your test experience

As you build your product, create test cases and update them at any time. For each development cycle, create a test plan and import existing test cases. To organize testing, divide test cases into separate test suites within the plan.

A typical test cycle works like this:

  1. Create a test plan for the sprint or milestone.
  2. Assign test configurations and assign testers to cover the required test matrix.
  3. Testers run the tests until the product meets exit criteria.
  4. For the next cycle, create a new test plan and import the same test cases.

Because test plans reference test cases, updates to a test case automatically reflect in all plans and suites that use it. To create an independent baseline instead, copy or clone the test cases.

Prerequisites

Category Requirements
Project access Project member
Access levels At least Basic access to view test-related work items. Users with Stakeholder access can't access Azure Test Plans.

To add test plans and test suites, delete test artifacts, or define test configurations, you need Basic + Test Plans access or a Visual Studio subscription: Enterprise, Test Professional, or MSDN Platforms.
Permissions Area Path:
- Edit work items in this node: Add or modify test plans, test suites, test cases, or other test-based work items.
- Manage test plans: Modify test plan properties such as build and test settings.
- Manage test suites: Create and delete test suites, add and remove test cases from test suites, change test configurations, and move test suites.

Project-level:
- Manage test configurations and Manage test environments: Manage test configurations or test environments.
- Permanently delete work items: Permanently delete test-based work items.

For more information, see Manual test access and permissions.

Tip

You can use AI to help with this task later in this article, or see Enable AI assistance with Azure DevOps MCP Server to get started.

Create a test plan

In general, you create test plans to test requirements. Before you create a test plan, define your backlog of requirements.

  1. Sign in to your Azure DevOps project and select Test Plans > Test Plans.

    Screenshot of opening the list of test plans page.

  2. Select + New Test Plan.

    Screenshot of creating a new test plan.

  3. Enter a name for the test plan, verify that the area path and iteration are set correctly, and then select Create.

    Screenshot of adding test plan details.

    The test plan is created and you can start adding test suites and test cases.

Rename a test plan

To rename a test plan, use the following steps:

  1. Select Test Plans.

  2. Next to the test plan name, select More Actions > Edit.

    Screenshot shows option to edit a test plan.

  3. Change the name and then select Save & Close.

    You can also update the area path, iteration, and other test plan settings from this dialog.

Delete a test plan

To delete a test plan, use the following steps:

  1. Select Test Plans.

  2. Next to the test plan name, select More Actions > Delete.

  3. The Delete test artifacts dialog box explains exactly what gets deleted. Enter the test plan ID to confirm that you want to delete, and then select Delete.

    Screenshot shows delete test artifacts dialog box.

Note

Deleted test plans are moved to the Test Plan Recycle Bin and can be restored within 14 days by using the REST API. For more information, see Restore deleted test plans and test suites using REST API.

Use AI to manage test plans

If you configure the Azure DevOps MCP Server, you can use AI assistants to manage your test plans and suites by using natural language prompts.

Example prompts for test plan management

Task Example prompt
Create a test plan Create a new test plan in <Contoso> project called '<Sprint 5 Regression Tests>'
List test plans List all test plans in <Contoso> project
Create a test suite Create a static test suite called '<Checkout Flow>' under test plan <12345>
Query test cases in a suite Show all test cases in test suite <67890> in project <Contoso>
Find untested areas List test suites in test plan <12345> that have no test cases assigned
Check test plan coverage Show all requirement-based test suites in test plan <12345> and their associated work items
Compare sprint plans List test suites in test plan <12345> and test plan <54321> side by side
Find unlinked test cases Show test cases in project <Contoso> that aren't in any test suite
Audit test plan readiness List test cases in test plan <12345> that have State = <Design> and no test steps defined

Tip

If you're using Visual Studio Code, agent mode is especially helpful for troubleshooting complex test planning scenarios.

  • To avoid using stale or cached data from previous queries, add to your prompt, "Do not use previously fetched data."

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