1.5Test Case Maintenance

Writing test cases is only half the job. Maintaining them is the other half.

Signs Your Test Cases Need Updating

• The feature was redesigned but the test cases still reference the old UI
• Steps reference environments or URLs that no longer exist
• Test data (specific user accounts, product IDs) has been cleaned up
• New edge cases were discovered in production but never added to the suite

Maintenance Practices

1. Review test cases during sprint refinement — if a story modifies an existing feature, flag the related test cases for update.
2. Tag test cases with feature areas — makes it easy to find all tests related to "checkout" or "user management."
3. Archive, do not delete — if a feature is removed, move the test cases to an archive folder rather than deleting them. They may be useful for regression if the feature returns.
4. Version your test cases — if using files (Markdown, spreadsheets), keep them in source control. If using a tool, use the tool's versioning feature.