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Building a Maintainable Regression Test Suite

Published on January 2026 | 11 min read
Regression Testing

Introduction

As applications grow and evolve, regression testing becomes increasingly important. Every new feature risks breaking existing functionality. A well-designed regression test suite catches these regressions early, giving teams confidence to ship features faster. In this article, I'll share strategies for building regression test suites that scale with your application.

Why Regression Testing Matters

At Cashkr, our fintech platform was constantly evolving. New payment methods, user features, and API endpoints were added regularly. Without comprehensive regression testing, we risked breaking critical payment flows that users relied on.

A well-maintained regression suite:

The Page Object Model (POM)

What is POM?

The Page Object Model is a design pattern that separates test logic from page structure. Each page or component gets its own class containing element locators and actions.

// pages/LoginPage.js
class LoginPage {
  constructor() {
    this.usernameInput = '#username'
    this.passwordInput = '#password'
    this.loginButton = '.btn-login'
    this.errorMessage = '.error-msg'
  }

  login(username, password) {
    cy.get(this.usernameInput).type(username)
    cy.get(this.passwordInput).type(password)
    cy.get(this.loginButton).click()
  }
}

Benefits of POM

Test Prioritization

The Testing Pyramid

Not all tests have equal value. Focus your regression suite on high-impact tests:

Critical Path Testing

Identify user workflows that are critical to business. These should be your top regression tests:

Example from Cashkr:
Critical paths:
• User signup and KYC verification
• Payment processing
• Balance display and transactions
• Wallet top-up

These were tested in every regression cycle. Nice-to-have features were tested less frequently.

Managing Test Data

Test Data Strategy

Good test data management prevents flaky tests and ensures repeatable results:

// fixtures/users.json
{
  "validUser": {
    "email": "test@example.com",
    "password": "Test@1234"
  },
  "invalidUser": {
    "email": "invalid",
    "password": ""
  }
}

Handling Sensitive Data

For fintech applications handling real data is critical:

Identifying and Handling Flaky Tests

Common Causes of Flakiness

Solutions

Use intelligent waits:

// Good
cy.get('.payment-success').should('be.visible')

// Avoid
cy.wait(5000) // Hard waits are unreliable

Mock external APIs: Don't rely on third-party services in tests

Isolate tests: Each test should be independent and not affect others

Optimization: Keeping Tests Fast

Parallel Execution

Run tests in parallel to reduce overall execution time. Cypress supports parallel execution across multiple machines in the cloud.

Selective Testing

Not every test needs to run on every commit:

Performance Monitoring

Track test execution metrics:

Continuous Integration and Deployment

CI/CD Integration

Regression tests should run automatically:

// .github/workflows/test.yml
name: Regression Tests
on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - run: npm install
      - run: npm run test:regression

Documentation and Maintenance

Keep Your Tests Updated

Team Knowledge Sharing

Document your testing strategy and Page Objects so team members can maintain tests easily.

Real-World Example: Regression Suite Structure

cypress/
├── e2e/
│ ├── auth/
│ │ ├── login.cy.js
│ │ └── signup.cy.js
│ ├── payments/
│ │ ├── send-money.cy.js
│ │ └── request-money.cy.js
│ └── wallet/
│ ├── balance.cy.js
│ └── transactions.cy.js
├── pages/
│ ├── LoginPage.js
│ ├── DashboardPage.js
│ └── PaymentPage.js
├── fixtures/
│ ├── users.json
│ └── testdata.json
└── support/
    └── commands.js

Key Metrics to Track

Conclusion

Building a maintainable regression test suite is an investment that pays dividends. By implementing the Page Object Model, prioritizing critical paths, managing test data effectively, and continuously optimizing your suite, you'll create a robust safety net for your application.

From my experience at Cashkr, I learned that test maintenance is as important as test creation. A well-maintained regression suite that catches real bugs is more valuable than 1000 tests that are constantly failing and ignored.

Start with your critical user journeys, build a solid foundation with the Page Object Model, then gradually expand coverage. Monitor metrics and continuously improve. Your future self and your team will thank you!