In ADO Test Case > Test Executions can i customise this window so the "Description" field is expanded or opens automatically when Test Runner starts?

Hello Matt,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A community.

Currently, there is no built-in feature or configuration setting in Azure DevOps to keep the "Description" panel expanded by default in the web Test Runner. The Test Runner is designed to launch with a minimized header to prioritize the visibility of your test steps and execution controls.

As detailed in the official documentation for Run manual tests with Azure Test Plans:

"Select one or more tests, or all the tests from a test suite. Then select Run for web application. Microsoft Test Runner opens in a new browser window."

The documentation outlines the execution flow but does not provide any configuration parameters or flags to alter the default collapsed state of the Test Runner's description layout.

Suggested Workarounds

To ensure your testers immediately see critical information without requiring extra clicks, you can use the following approaches:

• Utilize Test Steps for Prerequisites: If the description contains essential setup instructions or prerequisites, the recommended best practice is to place that text into the Action or Expected Result field of the very first test step. This guarantees it is visible immediately upon launching the runner.
• Use Shared Steps: If the same description or setup applies to multiple test cases, you can create a Shared Step containing the information and insert it as step #1 across all relevant test cases.
• Provide Feedback to the Product Team: If having this panel expanded by default is a critical workflow requirement for your team, we highly recommend raising a feature request on the Azure DevOps Developer Community. The engineering team actively monitors this portal for user feedback to prioritize future updates.

I hope this clarifies the current capabilities. Please let us know if you have any additional questions in comments.

Note: This response is drafted with the help of AI systems.