# Quickstart Guide

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**Who is this for?** Anyone new to ContextQA — developers, QA engineers, and product managers who want to run their first automated test without writing any code.
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This guide takes you from a blank slate to a passing automated test in five minutes. You will sign in to ContextQA, create a test case using the AI assistant, execute it against a live URL, and review the step-by-step results including screenshots and video. No code is required at any point.

## Prerequisites

* A ContextQA account (sign up at [accounts.contextqa.com/onboard](https://accounts.contextqa.com/onboard))
* The URL of a web application you want to test
* A clear idea of one user flow to automate (e.g., login, search, form submission)

***

## Step 1: Sign In

Navigate to [accounts.contextqa.com/onboard](https://accounts.contextqa.com/onboard) in your browser.

![ContextQA login page with sign-in form containing email and password fields and a Login button](https://4255556216-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FKlyaXxb76z3Dn47TrZkU%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-42aaa33083cad405d9c7592b91706a2b605e087b%2F01-create-test-case-step-01-login-page.jpg?alt=media)

Enter your **email address** and **password**, then click **Sign In**. If your organization uses single sign-on, click the SSO button and authenticate through your identity provider.

After signing in you will land on the ContextQA dashboard. The left sidebar contains the main navigation icons for all platform areas.

![ContextQA dashboard after login showing left sidebar navigation, test case metrics, and activity trend panels](https://4255556216-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FKlyaXxb76z3Dn47TrZkU%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-4cad5853153a687dc5f662001fcee5ddd3147bf1%2Flogin-flow-step-02-dashboard.jpg?alt=media)

***

## Step 2: Navigate to Test Development

In the left sidebar, click the **pencil / test icon** (Test Development). This opens the test authoring area where all test cases, suites, and data profiles live.

If you have just created your account you will see an empty workspace. If your team has existing tests they will be listed here.

![ContextQA Test Development page showing the test cases list with test steps editor and configuration panels](https://4255556216-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FKlyaXxb76z3Dn47TrZkU%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-f73aa1fb3ab96508511f86ca5a2b31184ca50082%2F01-create-test-case-step-02-test-created.jpg?alt=media)

***

## Step 3: Create a Test Case

Click the **+** button in the top-right area of the Test Cases panel. A menu appears with creation options.

Select **Start with AI Assistance**.

![ContextQA AI Assistance dialog for test case creation with fields for Application URL and Task Description](https://4255556216-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FKlyaXxb76z3Dn47TrZkU%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-42aaa33083cad405d9c7592b91706a2b605e087b%2Fcreate-tc-step-01-login-page.jpg?alt=media)

A dialog opens where you will configure the AI-generated test.

***

## Step 4: Enter the URL and Task Description

Fill in two fields:

**Application URL** Enter the full URL of the page where the test should begin. For example:

```
https://yourapp.com/login
```

**Task Description** Write a plain-English description of the user flow you want to test. Be specific — name the fields, the expected outcomes, and any values to use. For example:

```
Login with username test@example.com and password secret123,
verify the dashboard loads and the welcome message is displayed
```

**Tips for writing effective task descriptions:**

* Include exact field labels or button names as they appear in the UI ("Click the Sign In button", not "Click login")
* Always include at least one verification step ("verify", "confirm", "check that")
* Mention exact test data values (email addresses, passwords, search terms)
* Keep each task focused on a single user flow — separate flows into separate test cases

Click **Generate**. The AI analyzes your description and creates a structured sequence of steps. Step generation typically takes 5–15 seconds.

***

## Step 5: Run the Test

Once the steps are generated, the test case editor opens showing the full step list. Review the steps to confirm they match your intent.

Click the **Run** (▶) button in the top toolbar to execute the test immediately.

ContextQA queues the execution and opens the live execution viewer. You will see:

* **Left panel** — the list of steps with real-time pass/fail status indicators
* **Right panel** — a live screenshot of the current browser state as each step runs
* **Bottom panel** — network requests captured in real time

![ContextQA live execution viewer showing step-by-step pass/fail indicators, live browser screenshot, and network request captures](https://4255556216-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FKlyaXxb76z3Dn47TrZkU%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-4cad5853153a687dc5f662001fcee5ddd3147bf1%2Flogin-flow-step-02-dashboard.jpg?alt=media)

The test runs sequentially, step by step. A green checkmark appears as each step passes. If a step fails, a red indicator appears and the AI immediately begins root cause analysis.

Execution time depends on the number of steps and network speed of the application under test. A typical 5–10 step test completes in under 60 seconds.

***

## Step 6: View the Results

When execution completes, click **View Report** (or **View Detailed Report**) in the execution summary banner.

The results page shows:

* **Execution summary** — overall pass/fail status, duration, browser used, environment
* **Step-by-step breakdown** — each step with its pass/fail status and the screenshot captured at that exact moment
* **Video recording** — full playback of the browser session
* **Network log** — every HTTP request and response captured during the run
* **Console log** — browser console entries (errors, warnings, info messages)
* **Root cause analysis** — if any step failed, the AI explains what went wrong and suggests a fix

![ContextQA execution results page showing step-by-step breakdown with screenshots, video recording, and root cause analysis sections](https://4255556216-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FKlyaXxb76z3Dn47TrZkU%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-f73aa1fb3ab96508511f86ca5a2b31184ca50082%2F01-create-test-case-step-02-test-created.jpg?alt=media)

***

## What Happens Next

You have just created and run your first automated test. From here you can:

* **Add more test cases** to build out your test suite
* **Organize test cases into a Test Suite** for grouped execution
* **Create a Test Plan** to configure browser targets, environments, and schedules
* **Enable self-healing** so minor UI changes don't break your tests
* **Set up a CI/CD integration** to run tests automatically on every pull request

## Tips & Best Practices

* **Start with a happy path** — automate the most critical user flow first (login, core feature, checkout). Expand to edge cases once the happy path is stable.
* **One flow per test case** — keep each test case focused on a single scenario. Short tests are easier to debug when they fail.
* **Always include verifications** — a test that only clicks through screens without asserting outcomes will pass even when the application is broken. Add at least one "verify" step per test case.
* **Use meaningful names** — name test cases after the user action and expected outcome, e.g., "Login with valid credentials — dashboard visible" rather than "Test 1".
* **Use the step editor to refine** — after AI generation, review each step. You can edit, reorder, or delete steps in the step editor before running.

## Troubleshooting

**The AI did not generate steps / generation timed out** Check that the URL is publicly accessible from ContextQA's execution servers. If your application is behind a VPN or firewall, you may need to allowlist ContextQA's IP ranges (see Administration → Network Configuration).

**The test failed on step 1 (navigation)** Confirm the URL is correct and the application is online. Try opening the URL in a private browser window to rule out authentication or cookie issues.

**Steps were generated but they don't match my application** Edit the task description to be more specific. Name the exact buttons, headings, and form fields as they appear in your application. Then click Regenerate.

**The execution is stuck in "Queued" status** Your workspace may have reached its concurrent execution limit. Wait for other running tests to finish, or contact support to increase your concurrency allocation.

## Related Pages

* [Interactive Demo](https://learning.contextqa.com/getting-started/interactive-demo) — see ContextQA in action with guided walkthroughs
* [Browse by Role](https://learning.contextqa.com/documentation-by-role/by-role) — find the documentation path for your role
* [Core Concepts](https://learning.contextqa.com/getting-started/core-concepts)
* [Creating Test Cases](https://learning.contextqa.com/web-testing/creating-test-cases)
* [Test Steps Editor](https://learning.contextqa.com/web-testing/test-steps-editor)
* [Running Tests](https://learning.contextqa.com/execution/running-tests)
* [Platform Architecture](https://learning.contextqa.com/getting-started/architecture-overview)

***

## Execution Evidence

The following recordings are from live ContextQA executions of the login and test creation flows:

{% hint style="info" %}
**Create your first test in 5 minutes — no code required.** [**Start Free Trial →**](https://app.contextqa.com/register) — Or [**Book a Demo →**](https://contextqa.com/book-a-demo/) to see ContextQA with your application.
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