{"id":316,"date":"2024-07-31T14:36:15","date_gmt":"2024-07-31T06:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/testrail.51component.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/31\/how-to-report-on-traceability-and-test-coverage-in-jira\/"},"modified":"2024-07-31T14:36:15","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T06:36:15","slug":"how-to-report-on-traceability-and-test-coverage-in-jira","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/testrail.51component.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/31\/how-to-report-on-traceability-and-test-coverage-in-jira\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Report on Traceability and Test Coverage in Jira"},"content":{"rendered":"

Test coverage and traceability<\/a> are two of the most important metrics to track when testing. This post will cover how to show test coverage, manage requirements traceability, and create a traceability report in Jira.<\/p>\n

To create test coverage or traceability reports, you need to have requirements or user stories and test artifacts like test cases, tests, and defects.<\/p>\n

Many teams using Jira try writing test cases as subtasks in issues or creating custom issue types for testing. However, Jira is not designed for test management and doesn\u2019t include built-in test coverage or traceability reporting.<\/p>\n

In this post, we\u2019ll use TestRail<\/a>, a dedicated test management tool that integrates with Jira<\/a>, to create test coverage and traceability reports for user stories tracked in Jira.<\/p>\n

Step 1:<\/strong> Identify and review product requirements in Jira<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Most teams tracking requirements or development tasks in Jira use issue types like epics or user stories. Your team may write detailed descriptions of the functions or capabilities the final product should have or define them as informal, general explanations of a software feature from the end user\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n

The first step in creating a test coverage or traceability report is identifying which user stories have been prioritized for your next sprint or release and need to be tested.<\/p>\n

Step 2:<\/strong> Write test cases for each requirement<\/h2>\n


\n <\/p>\n

When writing test cases for each requirement, there are a few options:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Write test cases as sub-tasks on an issue in Jira<\/li>\n
  2. Create a custom testing issue type or use a Jira add-on<\/li>\n
  3. Use a dedicated test case management tool<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    For reporting on test coverage or traceability, the fastest way is to use a test management tool with built-in coverage and traceability reporting.<\/p>\n

    As you write your test cases, make sure to link any requirements from your external tool. In TestRail, for example, you can copy\/paste a Jira issue ID for your user stories or requirements into the References field on test cases or test results artifacts to indicate that the test is related and provide two-way visibility between the two platforms.<\/p>\n

    Step 3: <\/strong>Create a test coverage report<\/h2>\n


    \n <\/p>\n

    If you write your test cases as Jira issues or sub-tasks, creating a test coverage report is a manual effort. The fastest way to create a coverage report in this scenario is to copy the issue IDs for your user stories into a spreadsheet. Then, create a second column to list the IDs for each test case issue you\u2019ve created and linked to each user story. You can use spreadsheet functions to count how many user story IDs have corresponding test case issue IDs and how many do not, and create a chart if desired.<\/p>\n

    For detailed steps to quickly create a coverage report in TestRail, check out TestRail\u2019s test coverage report documentation<\/a> or watch this video How To Set Up Test Coverage with Jira<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Step 4: <\/strong>Run tests and log defects in Jira<\/h2>\n


    \n <\/p>\n

    Once you have created enough test cases to adequately cover your full application, you can start running tests. <\/p>\n

    As you run your tests, it is important to link any defects you discover to ensure full traceability. In TestRail, when you add a test result in a run or plan, you can use the Defects field to link a defect or bug report from Jira or even create a new issue in Jira automatically by pushing a defect from TestRail.<\/a><\/p>\n

    Step 5: <\/strong>Create a requirements traceability report<\/h2>\n


    \n <\/p>\n

    Finally, once you have logged some test results or are trying to check whether a release is ready to deploy, you can generate a traceability report. <\/p>\n

    How to manually create a traceability matrix<\/h3>\n

    If you are creating a traceability report manually, you will likely use a requirements traceability matrix (RTM) with an Excel spreadsheet or Google Sheets. An RTM can show the following:<\/p>\n