✅ Traceability Matrix Template

📘 What It Tracks

Column	Description
Requirement ID	Unique ID of the business/functional requirement
Requirement Description	A short summary of what the system should do
Test Case ID	The corresponding test case(s) that validate the requirement
Test Case Description	Summary of what is tested
Status	Pass / Fail / Not Executed
Bug ID (if any)	Link to defect if test failed
Remarks	Any relevant notes or blockers

📋 Traceability Matrix Example (Tabular Format)

Requirement ID	Requirement Description	Test Case ID	Test Case Description	Status	Bug ID	Remarks
REQ-001	User can log in with valid creds	TC-001	Login with valid credentials	✅ Pass	–	–
REQ-002	User can update profile name	TC-012	Update profile with new name	✅ Pass	–	–
REQ-003	User can change password	TC-015	Password update with valid inputs	❌ Fail	BUG-102	Fails silently – under fix
REQ-004	System sends verification email	TC-020	Verify email sent on signup	⏳ Not Executed	–	Pending email service config
REQ-005	Unauthorized users cannot access dashboard	TC-028	Access control validation	✅ Pass	–	Covers both UI + API

🧰 When Should You Use a Traceability Matrix?

In regulated industries (e.g., healthcare, finance, aerospace)
During audit/compliance (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001, FDA)
For large enterprise QA efforts with multiple stakeholders
To provide end-to-end visibility across dev, test, and business teams

📝 Traceability Matrix Template (Markdown Format)

# 📌 Requirements Traceability Matrix

## Project: [Project Name]
## Release: [v1.5.0]
## Prepared By: [Your Name]
## Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]

| Requirement ID | Requirement Description            | Test Case ID | Test Case Description              | Status       | Bug ID  | Remarks                          |
|----------------|------------------------------------|--------------|------------------------------------|--------------|---------|----------------------------------|
| REQ-001        | [Login Functionality]              | TC-001       | Test login with valid credentials  | ✅ Pass       | –       | –                                |
| REQ-002        | [Profile Update]                   | TC-012       | Update name & email                | ✅ Pass       | –       | –                                |
| REQ-003        | [Password Reset]                   | TC-015       | Change password with valid input   | ❌ Fail       | BUG-102 | Fix in progress                  |
| REQ-004        | [Email Verification]               | TC-020       | Send email on registration         | ⏳ Not Executed | –    | Email service config incomplete  |
| REQ-005        | [RBAC Enforcement]                 | TC-028       | Access denied for unauthorized user| ✅ Pass       | –       | Includes API-level checks        |

🎯 Tips for Using the Traceability Matrix Effectively

Use consistent IDs for both requirements and test cases (e.g., REQ-001, TC-001)
Update status dynamically during test execution (Pass/Fail/Blocked/Not Executed)
Include bug IDs when a test case fails
Link to Jira/Xray/TestRail for traceability in tools
Group by modules or sprints for larger projects