Share steps between test cases

Azure Test Plans | Azure DevOps Server 2020 | Azure DevOps Server 2019 | TFS 2018-2015

Many manual tests require performing an identical sequence of steps and test data. For example, logging in to a web app or saving form data are common steps performed in several test sequences. With the use of Shared Steps and Shared Parameters work items, you can minimize the creation of test steps and data that you need to enter and manage. Shared Steps define a sequence of steps that can be referenced by many different test cases. Similarly, Shared Parameters define a set of test data that can be referenced by many different test cases. These work item types are explicitly linked with the Test Cases/Shared Steps and Reference By/References link types as shown in the following image.

Diagram shows Shared Steps connected to Test Case, which is also connected to Shared Parameters.

This article describes how to define and use Shared Steps. To learn how to define and reference Shared Parameters, see Repeat a test with different data.

Prerequisites

  • You must connect to a project. If you don't have a project yet, create one.

  • You must be added to a project. To get added, Add users to a project or team.

  • To view test-related work items, you must have Basic access or higher and permissions to view work items under the corresponding Area Path.

  • To add test plans and test suites, manual test cases, delete test artifacts, and define test configurations you must have Basic + Test Plans access level or have one of the following Visual Studio subscriptions:

  • To add or edit test-related artifacts, you must have the following permissions:

    • To add or modify test plans, test suites, test cases, or other test-based work item types, you must have 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, you must have 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), you must have Manage test suites permission set to Allow under the corresponding Area Path.

To learn more, see Manual test access and permissions.

Note

If you're new to using Azure Test Plans, review Navigate Test Plans to understand how to use the user interface to access select functions.

Create shared steps

To create shared steps, follow these steps:

  1. Select Test Plans to view your test plans. Select Mine or All or Filter by title to find a particular test plan. Select the plan to see test cases.

  2. Double click a test case to edit it. Under Steps, select several steps and then select the Create shared steps icon.

  3. In the Create shared steps dialog box, type a name for these shared step, and then select Create.

    Screenshot shows the Create Shared Steps dialog box with a name entered.

    Your title appears in place of the selected steps:

    Screenshot shows a work item that contains the new shared step.

  4. Select Save & Close to save the work item.

If you reopen the work item, you can select the shared step to open a new shared steps work item you created.

Screenshot shows the new work item with the shared steps.

While you're editing a test case, select a sequence of steps that you want to share:

Create shared steps

The steps you selected are replaced with a link to the new shared steps work item:

Resulting test case with a shared step.

You can edit shared steps at any time. Any changes you make appear in every test case where you use the shared steps.

You can use parameters in shared steps. For more information about parameters, see parameters.

You provide values for the parameters in the test cases that use the shared steps. You don't have to provide values in the shared steps definition. However, you can provide one default row of values. These values are used when you create an action recording of a standalone shared step.

Insert shared steps into other test cases

You can add shared steps to other test cases.

  1. Double-click test case to edit it. Under Steps, select the Insert shared steps icon.

    Screenshot shows the Insert shared steps icon in a test case.

  2. The Insert shared steps dialog box opens. Select Run query to find the steps you want to insert.

    Screenshot shows the query to run to find shared steps.

  3. Select shared steps and insert them.

Now you can use the shared steps in another test case:

Use shared steps in test cases.

A query opens. Run it to find the steps you want to insert:

Run the query to find shared steps

Mark shared steps when running a test

When you run a test, you can either mark the whole shared sequence as passed or failed, or mark each step separately:

Screenshot shows Test Runner with shared steps that you can mark as a unit or individually.

When you run a test, you can either mark the whole shared sequence as passed or failed, or mark each step separately:

Shared steps in Test Runner.