Regression Testing Template for Jira: A Practical Checklist

Regression testing is your release safety net

Regression testing is the part of software testing that keeps your existing functionality stable when new changes ship. You can add a new feature, fix a bug, refactor code, update UI, or change an API. Something unrelated can still break. That’s why QA teams run regression tests as a regular checkpoint in the testing process and do not use them as a one-off “extra step.”

A strong regression testing template helps you stay consistent without turning every release into a week-long testing cycle. The point is to validate the most important workflows, prioritize risk areas, and capture test results in a way stakeholders can trust.

Our QA team describes it simply: before a release, you re-run the critical flows your users rely on the most, so you can confirm that new code changes didn’t introduce regressions in existing features. That mindset is the foundation of this template.

In this guide, you’ll get:

• A practical regression testing checklist template you can reuse in Jira.
  
• Guidance on choosing between checklists vs test cases (test steps and expected results).
  
• A lightweight approach to test coverage, metrics, and continuous improvement, so your regression suite stays effective as your product grows.

What is regression testing?

Regression testing is a repeatable check of existing functionality after new changes go live in your codebase. These changes can be new features, bug fixes, refactoring, dependency updates, or API changes. The goal is simple: confirm that what used to work still works in the current build.

Teams typically run regression tests at key points in the testing lifecycle:

• before a release as part of release readiness
  
• after a risky merge into the main branch
  
• after a hotfix, when stakeholders want fast validation
  
• after infrastructure or configuration changes in the test environment
  

A practical regression testing approach focuses on high-risk areas and most-used workflows. QA teams rarely test every edge case every time. Instead, they prioritize test scenarios that reflect real user behavior across core modules.

One thing we see in practice: regression scope grows as the product grows. As our QA put it, “new functionality gets added to the regression scope over time.” That’s why a regression testing template matters. It keeps your test cases, test data, and expected results consistent across testing cycles.

Sanity check before regression 

Run a short “sanity check” first. It answers one question: is the build stable enough to test?
If login fails or core screens don’t load, stop and fix that before spending effort on the full regression test plan.

What should a regression testing template include?

A good regression testing template is not about “test everything” but is focused more on testing the right scenarios consistently. The goal is to protect existing functionality from unexpected breakage after new features, bug fixes, or code changes.

At a minimum, your template should cover:

1) Scope (what you test and why)
Start from the most-used workflows and the highest risk areas (core application functions, critical modules, permissions, integrations, API behavior). This is where regression test cases bring the most value.

“In most cycles we test the most common user flows and mostly happy paths. Regression has to protect what users rely on.” — QA insight

2) Test environment and test data
Specify where you run tests (staging, pre-prod), what accounts/roles you use, and what “ready” means (fresh build, required config, stable test data). This avoids wasted testing efforts caused by environment noise.

3) A clear checklist of test scenarios
Keep items phrased as actions with expected results, even if you don’t write full test scripts. Example pattern:
“Create X ? verify Y appears ? refresh ? verify state persisted.”
This keeps test execution consistent across QA teams and team members.

4) A lightweight “retest” loop
When something fails, the workflow should be explicit: log bug ? fix ? rerun the affected regression test case(s) ? confirm test results ? mark validated.

5) A simple test report output
Define what you record at the end: pass/fail summary, key issues found, what was skipped, and release recommendation. Stakeholders don’t need raw detail, they need decision-ready signal.

One important reality check: the regression scope changes over time. As you ship new features, you gradually add the most important scenarios into the template, so test coverage grows without turning the process into a week-long bureaucracy.

Regression testing template checklist 

Use this as your regression test plan template for each release, sprint, or batch of code changes. It’s built for QA teams running both manual testing and automated testing (CI/CD or ad-hoc), and it keeps test execution and validation visible in one Jira workflow.

1) Define scope, risk areas, and test objectives

• Confirm what’s shipping: new features, bug fixes, refactors, config changes
  
• List the risk areas (modules most likely affected by this release)
  
• Choose the regression test cases you’ll run (critical flows first)
  
• Decide coverage level: “critical only” vs “full regression” for this cycle
  
• Agree on expected results and “go / no-go” criteria (who approves)
  

2) Prepare test environment and test data

• Confirm test environment build/version and any feature flags
  
• Prepare test accounts, roles, and permissions required for validation
  
• Refresh or seed test data (users, records, sample content)
  
• Check key integrations if your product relies on them (API connections, webhooks)
  
• If you run automated checks: confirm the pipeline/test suite is green and up to date
  

3) Run regression test execution

• Run the prioritized regression test scenarios (happy paths first)
  
• For each scenario: record outcome (Pass / Fail / Blocked) and attach evidence when needed
  
• Log defects as Jira issues and link them to the parent regression work item
  
• Track testing progress with checklist statuses so stakeholders can see what’s left in real time

4) Retest and targeted regression after fixes

• Retest failed scenarios after bug fixes and code changes are merged
  
• Run a targeted regression for affected modules (avoid rerunning everything blindly)
  
• Watch for regressions around dependencies and shared components
  
• Update test results and confirm closure criteria are met

5) Test report and release decision

• Summarize results: pass/fail counts, high-priority defects, remaining blockers
  
• Capture key metrics (cycle duration, defect density, repeat failures)
  
• Share the test report link (often in Confluence) and confirm final decision with stakeholders

Example of the regression checklist template 

If you’re testing a checklist-based app (like Smart Checklist), your regression scope often maps to modules:

• Work with checklist (add/edit items, statuses, reorder, delete)
  
• Details + due dates (add/edit, different date formats)
  
• Mandatory items (mark/unmark + mandatory items validation)
  
• Headers/structure (collapse/expand, progress behavior)
  
• Templates (create/import/default assignment)
  
• Linked templates (update once ? reflected across linked issues)
  
• Search/JQL (find issues by checklist content/status)
  
• Automation touchpoints (template assignment triggers, field-based conditions)

Epic: Regression Testing — Smart Checklist

Issue 1: Checklist on Issue View (Core flows)

Issue 2: Mandatory items

Issue 3: Headers

Issue 4: Checklist templates

Issue 5: Linked templates

Issue 6: Template categories

Issue 7: Template assignment (General vs Advanced conditions)

Issue 8: Search, assigned items, boards, and history

Add checklists to your Jira tasks

• Add and edit items
• Make recurring templates
• Automate them with your conditions
• Tag colleagues, add deadlines
• View a progress bar

Try it free

How to run a regression cycle in Jira using this template

A practical way to manage regression testing in Jira is to treat it like a small project with clear ownership, a visible workflow, and traceable test execution.

Start with one Epic per release or testing cycle (for example, Regression testing — vX.Y). Then create a small set of Jira issues that map to your scope. Each issue carries one checklist (like the ones we just prepared), so testers can execute test scenarios and mark progress in real time.

Here’s a simple structure that matches the Smart Checklist flow:

• Epic: Regression testing — vX.Y (or Sprint N)
  
  • Task: Work with checklist (core flows)
    
  • Task: Mandatory items
    
  • Task: Headers
    
  • Task: Templates + Linked templates
    
  • Task: Search/JQL + history
    
  • (optional) Task: Automation + workflow validators (only if the release touches these modules)
    

During test execution, keep it lightweight:

• Use checklist item statuses to show testing progress (for example: To Do ? In Progress ? Done).
  
• Assign owners at the issue level (QA team members) and, if needed, assign specific checklist items when a step requires a second set of eyes.
  
• When you find a bug, log it as a separate Jira issue and link it to the parent regression task. After bug fixes, use a short retest pass on the affected modules only, rather than rerunning the entire regression test plan.
  

This approach also scales well as your product grows. Your regression test cases will expand over time as new features become “existing functionality” and move into the standard scope. The template stays the same; you simply add or refine the checklist items inside the relevant module issue.

Regression testing checklist vs. test cases

Most teams end up using a mix of both. The key is matching the format to your product maturity, QA capacity, and the risk level of the release.

Use a checklist when you need speed and consistency

A checklist works best when your QA team already understands the product and can validate functionality using compact prompts.

This is how many teams run regression in agile cycles: you keep a stable checklist of core workflows and verify them every testing cycle. It’s also the easiest format to keep updated as the product grows.

Good fit for:

• Fast releases and frequent bug fixes
  
• Smaller QA teams
  
• Manual testing where you rely on expert intuition
  
• Keeping testing progress visible to the team
  

Use detailed test cases when you need repeatability and precision

Test cases are better when you need each test step explicitly: preconditions, test data, exact actions, and expected results. This becomes important when QA is less familiar with the product, when the workflow is complex, or when the stakes are high (regulated environments, payments, security-sensitive changes).

Good fit for:

• Larger QA teams (including new testers)
  
• Complex workflows with many edge cases
  
• Highly regulated or high-risk releases
  
• Building a long-term test management system
  

A practical way to position this in the template: treat the checklist as your “regression test plan at a glance,” and link out to detailed test cases only for the most critical flows or risk areas.

How to define your regression test plan 

A good regression test plan is a prioritization exercise, not a wish list.

Start with 3 layers of test coverage:

1) Core user journeys (your “must-pass” suite)
These are the workflows most users execute in real life. In our QA session, the default approach was simple: simulate normal user behavior and validate the happy paths first, because that’s what breaks customer trust fastest.

2) Risk areas (what could realistically regress)
Add targeted checks based on what changed:

• new features that touch shared components
  
• changes in permissions/roles
  
• changes in formatting/parsing (rich text, markdown-like input, special characters)
  
• automation, validators, and transitions
  
• integrations (Jira Automation, Jira Service Management, CI/CD, API)
  

3) Known edge cases (based on real incidents)
These don’t need to be huge. Add only the edge cases that were previously reported by users or found in production.

A useful mindset from our QA: regression scope grows over time. Each “new feature” eventually becomes “existing functionality,” and a couple of its test scenarios should be added to the regression checklist for future cycles.

A good regression testing template helps QA teams validate existing features after code changes, bug fixes, and new releases without turning every cycle into a full test suite rewrite. Use Jira issues to track ownership and testing progress, then use a checklist template to keep test execution consistent, visible, and easy to repeat across releases.

Add checklists to your Jira tasks

• Add and edit items
• Make recurring templates
• Automate them with your conditions
• Tag colleagues, add deadlines
• View a progress bar

Try it free

FAQ: Regression testing template

What is regression testing?
Regression testing checks that existing functionality still works after new changes, bug fixes, or updates. It helps protect software quality before release.

What should a regression test plan include?
A focused list of high-priority test cases and test scenarios that cover critical workflows, core modules, and risk areas. Add expected results when the team needs more guidance.

Are regression test cases always manual testing?
No. Many QA teams mix manual testing and automated testing. Automated tests usually cover stable, critical flows, while manual test execution is used for broader coverage and real-world validation.

How do I keep regression testing effective as the product grows?
Prioritize core workflows, add new checks gradually, and split the regression checklist into modules when it becomes too large. Keep edge cases separate unless they’re high risk.

How do you track regression testing progress in Jira?
Keep regression in one Jira issue (small scope) or one Epic with several issues (large scope). Use checklist templates inside issues so team members can mark progress in real time.

What’s the difference between a checklist and detailed test cases?
A checklist is a compact “what to verify” list. Detailed test cases include step-by-step actions, test data, and expected results. Teams often use checklists for routine regression cycles and test cases for complex or regulated workflows.

When should I add new items to the regression checklist?
After releasing new features, add a small number of high-signal checks that represent the most common usage paths or the riskiest changes.

Article by Viktoriia Golovtseva

Content Marketing Manager at TitanApps. I turns complex tech products into clear stories and build content & marketing workflows, bringing higher ROI for tech companies. For 10 years, I’ve been helping B2B SaaS companies across content strategy, content operations, and product marketing, supporting go-to-market (GTM) programs, product adoption, and cross-functional execution. My sweet spot sits where product, marketing, and community meet.