# Regression testing: meaning and examples > What regression testing means, with examples, and how to automate it with scheduled runs, watched branches and approved checks across test methods. Source: https://cueapril.com/guides/regression-testing Updated: 2026-09-30 ## What is regression testing? Regression testing re-runs checks on existing behaviour after a code change to confirm that nothing that used to work has broken. It covers the parts of the application the change could affect, as well as the new feature itself. Every change can break something that already worked. Regression testing is how a team finds out before its users do. Cue April runs approved regression checks on a schedule or when watched branches change, and keeps the evidence from every run. ## Decide what a regression run must cover. Start with the behaviour your users and your business depend on: payments, access rules, pricing and the journeys people use every day. A focused set that runs on every change is worth more than a complete suite nobody waits for. Add checks where defects have appeared before, and retire checks that no longer protect anything. ## Run regression checks automatically. Automated regression testing works best when nobody has to remember to start it. With Cue April, set an approved schedule or watch selected branches, and eligible checks start within your standing scope and budget. Repeat runs need current authority, an available runner and enough budget, and a blocked run stays visible instead of silently passing. - Run unit, API, Playwright and Gherkin suites against the tested revision. - Keep passed, failed, blocked and incomplete checks distinct. - Review the evidence from each run before the release decision. ## Turn every confirmed bug into a check. When a run finds a defect, reproduce it, fix it and keep the case. Cue April can turn an approved finding into a regression draft, including a portable Playwright regression from a verified exploratory finding. Your team reviews each draft before it joins the suite, and a fresh run verifies what the fix actually changed. ## Check that the suite would notice a fault. A regression suite that always passes may be testing too little. Mutation testing makes small, deliberate changes to the code and shows which ones the suite misses, so you can strengthen the checks that guard your riskiest code. ## Questions ### What is an example of regression testing? A team changes how discounts are rounded. The regression run re-checks the behaviour around that code: order totals, delivery charges, invoices and refunds. If delivery charges now come out a penny wrong, the regression checks catch it before release. ### What is the difference between regression testing and retesting? Retesting confirms that a specific defect is fixed. Regression testing checks that the fix, or any other change, has not broken behaviour that already worked. A careful release includes both. ### How is regression testing different from user acceptance testing? User acceptance testing asks whether the software meets the needs of the people who will use it, usually once before a release. Regression testing asks whether existing behaviour still works after a change, and it runs after every change. ### Can regression testing be fully automated? Most regression checks can be automated, and they should run on every change or on a schedule. Some judgement stays with people: deciding the expected behaviour, reviewing surprising results and making the release decision. ### How often should regression tests run? Run a fast, focused set on every code change and a broader set on a schedule, such as overnight. With Cue April, both can start automatically within the scope and budget your team approved. ## Related - [Agentic testing](https://cueapril.com/guides/agentic-software-testing): Agentic testing explained: approved intent, coordinated test methods, reproducible findings and evidence for a human release decision. - [Mutation testing](https://cueapril.com/testing/mutation-testing): Mutation testing shows which deliberate code changes your tests miss. Run Stryker mutation testing and inspect the native results and survivors. - [Pull request testing](https://cueapril.com/use-cases/pull-request-testing): Connect approved testing to GitHub pull requests. Review tested revisions, actual outcomes, findings and outstanding scope before deciding to merge.