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A test case is a reusable unit of testing work. Instead of describing what you want every time you launch a run, you save the scenario once and run it whenever you need it—after a deploy, before a release, or as part of a test suite. Find your test cases under Library → Test Cases in the project sidebar.

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Two ways to write a test case

When you click New test case, choose the style that fits the scenario:

Step-by-step

Spell out each action as an explicit step. Best when you know exactly what should happen and want repeatable, predictable coverage.

High-level intent

Describe the goal in plain language and let Scout figure out the steps. Best for flows that change often or when you care about the outcome, not the clicks.

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Writing the instruction

Every test case starts with a Title (e.g. Login flow). From there the fields depend on the mode you picked.

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Step-by-step cases

FieldRequiredWhat it’s for
StepsYesThe ordered actions Scout performs, one per line — e.g. “Open the login page”, “Enter valid credentials”, “Click Submit”.
PreconditionsOptionalState that must be true before the steps run — e.g. “User must be logged in”.
Expected resultsOptionalWhat you expect to be true afterward — e.g. “Dashboard is visible”.
Test dataOptionalA JSON object Scout can reference during the run — e.g. {"email": "demo@example.com"}.
A step-by-step case needs at least one step to be valid.

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Intent cases

For an intent case, you write a single Intent describing the goal:
“Verify a user can reset their password from the login page.”
Scout interprets the intent, plans the steps, and adapts as it explores—so the case keeps working even when your UI shifts. Preconditions and test data are still available if you want to pin down context.
Reach for intent when you’re testing an outcome (“a user can check out with a saved card”) and step-by-step when the exact sequence matters (“the wizard advances only after every required field is filled”).

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Running a test case

Test cases run in the Test Runner. Open it, set your Target URL, load the case from your library, and click Run. Scout spins up a browser, executes the case, and reports pass or fail with the supporting evidence. You can also re-run a case directly from the Test Cases list once it has a recorded script (see below).

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Deterministic replay with Playwright

The first time a step-by-step case passes in the Test Runner, Scout automatically records a deterministic Playwright script of exactly what it did. After that, the case shows a Re-run with Playwright action in the list.
  • Re-run with Playwright replays the saved script verbatim—no AI, fully repeatable, fast. Ideal for regression checks.
  • View script opens the recorded script, and Download saves it so you can run it in your own pipeline.
A script is only recorded on a passing run. If a case has never passed, the replay and view-script actions stay disabled until it does.

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Managing test cases

From the Test Cases list you can Edit, Delete, and see each case’s Last run time at a glance. Editing a case applies to all future runs; deleting one removes it permanently but leaves any suites it belonged to intact.