Test Result Trends: How to Analyze Regression Testing Results Over Time in ReportPortal

Single test runs rarely tell the full story about product quality. A build can fail today and pass tomorrow – but what really matters is what happens over time. Are failures becoming more frequent? Are the same areas breaking again and again? Is product stability improving or slowly degrading?

This is where test result trends become far more valuable than isolated results.

ReportPortal is designed not just to collect test outcomes, but also to support test automation analytics, helping teams analyze regression testing results over time, identify patterns, and make better quality decisions based on real data.

Beyond a single test run

A failed test run answers only one question:

"Is something broken right now?" It does not answer:

• Is this a new problem or an old one?

• Is the product improving or getting worse?

• Are failures random, or do they follow a pattern?

When teams focus only on today’s results, they often:

• Fix symptoms instead of causes

• Accept instability as "normal"

Trends change that perspective.

How to prepare test data for accurate test execution trends

Before analyzing trends, test data must be structured correctly.

Two ReportPortal features are critical here:

1. Consistent launch names

Launch names should represent what is being tested, not when it is tested.

E2E Regression – good example E2E_Regression_2025_02_14_18_32 – bad example

Build numbers, branches, environments, and versions should be stored as attributes, not embedded in launch names. This allows ReportPortal to group launches correctly and compare them over time.

2. Attributes for context

Attributes provide structure to test results and make trend analysis possible.

Common examples:

• component: checkout

• platform: ios

• team: payments

• build: 1.14.3

With attributes in place, regressions can be analyzed by component, platform, team, or release, instead of treating all failures equally.

Tracking regression using test reporting dashboards

ReportPortal provides several widgets that act as a powerful test reporting dashboard, helping teams visualize regressions over time.

Cumulative trend chart

This widget shows how test statuses evolve from build to build.

It helps answer questions like:

• Are failures increasing with each release?

• Did a specific build introduce failures spike?

• Are fixes actually improving stability long-term?

Instead of reacting to a single bad run, teams can clearly see when quality started to decline.

Component health check

Raw failure counts don’t tell you where the problem is.

The Component Health Check shows passing rates for the areas, grouped by meaningful attributes – such as features, components, teams, priorities, etc.

This helps teams:

• See which parts of the product are unstable

• Compare how problem areas change across releases

• Focus effort where it brings the most value

Quality becomes something you can manage, not just react to.

Passing rate summary

The Passing Rate Summary widget gives a fast signal of overall stability across launches. Instead of looking at individual failures, it shows how the ratio of passed tests changes over time.

This helps teams notice:

• sudden drops in passing rate after a build or release

• gradual decline that points to hidden regressions

• improvements that confirm stabilization efforts are working

Used alongside other test reporting dashboard widgets, Passing Rate Summary acts as an early warning system – highlighting when it’s time to investigate regressions in more detail before they become critical.

Turning trends into decisions

Test result trends are not about reporting. They are about confidence.

They help teams decide:

• Is this release safe?

• Where should we invest in stabilization?

• Are our quality improvements actually working?

Why test execution trends matter for long-term product quality

Analyzing regressions over time shifts QA from reactive testing to strategic quality analysis.

With structured data, clear comparisons, and meaningful visualization, ReportPortal enables teams to:

• See quality changes early

• Understand where regressions come from

• Act before problems reach production

Test results are not just outcomes of execution – they are a story of product health. And trends are what allow teams to read that story correctly.