Baseline testing is used to establish a trusted reference point that reflects stable and acceptable system behavior. This reference can include functional outcomes, performance benchmarks, or reliability indicators, and it becomes the standard against which future builds or releases are evaluated.
In continuous delivery environments, baseline testing plays a critical role in understanding the impact of frequent changes. By comparing current test results with a known baseline, teams can quickly detect regressions, performance degradation, or unexpected side effects introduced by new code, configuration changes, or infrastructure updates.
Baseline testing is often combined with automated regression and performance testing to ensure consistency across releases. When the baseline is updated thoughtfully—such as after a major feature release or stability milestone—it helps teams track progress without losing sight of quality expectations.
Overall, baseline testing enables data-driven release decisions, reduces risk during rapid deployments, and supports predictable software evolution by ensuring that improvements do not compromise existing functionality or performance.