Glossary
The ongoing effort required to keep automated tests working as the application under test evolves. Industry data: 60-70% of test automation budgets go to maintenance.
Teams spend 20+ hrs/week updating selectors, fixing flaky tests, and adapting to UI changes. A global fintech: 23 hrs/week on test updates alone. The maintenance burden kills test automation initiatives within 3 months.
data-testid attributes, Page Object Models, self-healing tools (Mabl, Testim), quarantining flaky tests, or deleting and rewriting.
Intent-based browser steps avoid CSS selector maintenance. Visual interaction uses confidence checks and records a trace for review.