---
id: coverage.create-benchmark
title: Create a benchmark
summary: Create the durable Benchmark workspace in which you will define coverage, select Cases, and create reproducible Snapshots.
kind: task
product_area: coverage_engineering
status: stable
updated: 2026-08-23
canonical: /docs/coverage-engineering/create-a-benchmark
---

# Create a benchmark

## Prerequisites

Write one sentence describing the behavior claim the Benchmark should support. You should also know the target system, the intended reviewers, and where candidate Cases will come from. You do not need a finished Case set to create the Benchmark.

### Task steps: Create and prepare a benchmark

1. Open the Benchmark selector in the project navigation.
2. Select **Create New Benchmark**.
3. Enter a name that identifies the target behavior or decision boundary, then select **Create Benchmark**.
4. Open the new Benchmark and describe its purpose before curating evidence.
5. Open **Coverage Management → Get Started** to define the benchmark denominator and coverage guidance.
6. Use **Coverage Management** and **Benchmark Datasets** to prepare, review, and select Cases. Keep candidate material distinct from the selected Dataset.
7. Create a Dataset Snapshot only when the selected Cases are ready to become an immutable evidence boundary.

## Object and state changes

Creating a Benchmark establishes its identity and workspace; it does not create a complete Benchmark Version. The initial description is empty in the current creation flow, and the default name is **New Benchmark** when no name is supplied. Rename and describe it before teammates depend on it.

A Benchmark can evolve through coverage planning and Case selection. A Snapshot is the point at which a particular evidence set becomes reproducible. A Run belongs to a Benchmark Version; it is not the Benchmark itself.

## Name benchmarks for durable interpretation

Prefer a name such as **Support assistant — refund eligibility** over **August test**. Dates and change markers belong in Snapshots, Benchmark Versions, or version notes. The Benchmark name should remain meaningful as the Case set improves.

## Success criteria

- The Benchmark has a durable name and an explicit behavior claim.
- Its owner can explain the target system and intended decision.
- Coverage planning identifies what must be represented before Snapshot creation.
- Candidate Cases are not treated as selected benchmark evidence by default.

## Common failure modes

- Naming the Benchmark after a date or experiment rather than its durable behavior claim.
- Treating creation as though a complete Benchmark Version or Snapshot now exists.
- Selecting convenient Cases before defining the intended coverage boundary.
- Starting Runs before selected Cases and governed standards are ready.

{% example-demo title="Support escalation benchmark" %}
An AI engineer creates **Support assistant — escalation decisions**. The description says the Benchmark tests whether the assistant escalates high-risk cases while resolving routine ones. The team plans risk, account tier, and source-authority coverage, then curates Cases from the Case Pool. Only after review does the team create its first Snapshot.
{% /example-demo %}

## Source confidence

Code-backed: the Benchmark selector and creation modal define the current creation path; Coverage Management Get Started and Benchmark Datasets define the immediate next work. A newly created Benchmark is a durable workspace, not ready evaluation evidence.

## Related reference pages

{% related-card-grid title="Continue the workflow" %}
- [Benchmarks](/docs/coverage-engineering/benchmarks)
- [Plan benchmark coverage](/docs/coverage-engineering/plan-benchmark-coverage)
- [Case Pool](/docs/coverage-engineering/case-pool)
- [Benchmark Snapshots](/docs/coverage-engineering/benchmark-snapshots)
{% /related-card-grid %}

## Related troubleshooting pages

{% related-card-grid title="Diagnose benchmark setup" %}
- [Unbalanced coverage](/docs/troubleshooting/unbalanced-coverage)
- [Unclear Cases](/docs/troubleshooting/unclear-cases)
- [Benchmark run troubleshooting](/docs/troubleshooting/benchmark-runs)
{% /related-card-grid %}