# Refactoring Should NOT Touch Your Acceptance Tests

DevFeed: [Refactoring Should NOT Touch Your Acceptance Tests](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/refactoring-should-not-touch-your-acceptance-tests-26189.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://journal.optivem.com/p/refactoring-should-not-touch-your-acceptance-tests>)

Author: Valentina Jemuović

Published: 2026-09-03T06:00:37Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Optivem Journal](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/optivem-journal.md>)

Topics: [Refactoring](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/refactoring.md>), [Pull Request](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/pull-request.md>), [test](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/test.md>)

Tags: [change](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/change.md>), [dsl](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/dsl.md>), [refactor](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/refactor.md>), [refactoring](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/refactoring.md>), [test](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/test.md>), [tests](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/tests.md>)

## AI overview

The article argues that a refactoring pull request should not change acceptance tests or their DSL, because doing so changes behavior rather than merely restructuring code.

## Source excerpt

A "refactor" PR that changes the acceptance test or the DSL isn't a refactor -- it's a behavioral change