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Creating Test Cases

Create ContextQA test cases with AI assistance, file import, browser recording, or manual authoring, then verify the saved test in the editor.

Quick answer

Create ContextQA test cases with AI assistance, file import, browser recording, or manual authoring, then verify the saved test in the editor. Follow the documented prerequisites and steps, then verify the expected result before using the workflow in a shared or production process.

What this page covers

Who is this for? QA engineers, testers, and developers who want to create web test cases using any of the four creation methods available in ContextQA.

Overview

ContextQA provides a unified three-step creation dialog with four methods: AI Assistance, Import Files, Record & Play, and Create manually. Use this page when you need to create a test case and verify it in the test case editor.

Recorder versus extension testing: Record & Play uses the ContextQA recorder capability to capture a web flow. Testing a browser extension that belongs to the application under test is a separate environment setup: the extension build must be installed in a compatible managed browser, and its permissions and cross-surface workflow must be validated. See Complex web and authentication workflows.

Opening the creation panel

1

Navigate to test development

Open https://app.contextqa.com and sign in to your workspace. Select Test Cases from the left sidebar to open the test cases list.

2

Select New Test Case

Select New Test Case in the page header. The Create Test Case dialog opens at step 1.

3

Select a creation method

The panel presents a method selection screen with up to four options (availability depends on your plan and feature flags):

Method
Description
Button Label

AI Assistance

Provide a description and let ContextQA generate test cases automatically

Start with AI Assistance

Import Files

Upload requirements or test files to generate test cases

Import Files

Record & Play

Record your actions in the browser while ContextQA captures each step

Start Recording

Manual

Define the case and its steps yourself

Create manually

After selecting a method, the dialog shows step 2 with the available starting action. Select Back to return to the preceding step.

The Import Files option requires the relevant upload feature to be enabled on your plan. The Record & Play option requires the recorder capability.

Creation methods in detail

AI-assisted test generation

Describe your test scenario in plain English. ContextQA's AI generates all steps, locators, and assertions automatically.

Fields:

Field
Required
Description

Prerequisites

No

Select existing test cases to run before this test. Available on paid plans.

URL

Yes

The starting URL for the test (must begin with http:// or https://). Hidden when prerequisites are selected or when targeting mobile.

Description

Yes

A plain-English description of the test scenario.

Select Target Platform

Yes

Choose Web Application or Mobile. Mobile is available when mobile execution is enabled on your plan.

Example description:

Log in with the fictional documentation account, navigate to the
Products page, search for "wireless headphones", and verify that
at least one product appears in the search results.

Advanced settings (optional):

Expand the Advanced Settings section to configure AI behavior:

Setting
Options
Default

Enable AI Smartness

Organization Default, Expert, Fast, Strict

Organization Default

AI Action

Organization Default, Create Steps, Dynamic Steps, Action

Organization Default

Knowledge Base

Select a knowledge base to provide application context

None

Environments

Select a target environment

None

Click Generate & Execute Test Case to create and run the test case. If the Generate From Crawl feature is enabled on your plan, you can click Generate From Crawl to create test cases by crawling the target URL.

The AI agent parses your description into discrete steps, generates locators for each element, handles dynamic content and waits automatically, and captures screenshots and video during execution.

Best for: Complex multi-page flows, form submissions, checkout workflows

Import test cases or requirements

Upload files to generate test cases automatically. Three modes are available:

Mode selection:

Mode
Description

Import Test Cases

Upload an Excel spreadsheet (.xlsx, .xls) containing test case definitions

Import Requirements

Upload requirements documents (XLSX, CSV, TXT, PDF) or video files (MP4, MOV, WEBM, MPEG, MKV) to generate test cases from specifications

Import from Jira

Browse and select Jira tickets to generate test cases from ticket descriptions and acceptance criteria

The Import from Jira mode is available when Jira is configured from Integrations & Plugins → Bug Reporting → Jira → View Details → Config. See Jira Integration for setup instructions.

Select Target Platform:

Platform
Availability

Web Application

Always available

Mobile

Always available

API

Available in Import Requirements mode only

Publish mode:

Select how imported test cases are published:

Mode
Description

Auto Publish

Generated test cases are saved and published immediately

Required Approval

Generated test cases are saved in a pending state and require manual review and approval before publishing

Test case types:

Select which types of test cases the AI generates. Toggle individual types on or off, or click All Types to include every type:

Type
Description

Positive

Validates expected behavior with valid inputs

Functional

Verifies feature functionality against requirements

Negative

Tests error handling with invalid inputs

Edge

Covers boundary and unusual scenarios

Field Validation

Checks input field constraints and formatting

End to End

Validates complete user workflows

Boundary Value

Tests at the limits of acceptable input ranges

Optional configuration:

Option
Description

Create Test Suite

Automatically create a test suite containing the imported test cases. Enter a suite name.

Create Test Plan

Create a test plan for the imported cases. Enter a plan name. Automatically enables test suite creation.

Execute Test Plan

Run the test plan immediately after import. Available when Create Test Plan is enabled.

Context fields (optional):

Before uploading files, you can provide additional context to improve AI test generation:

Field
Description

Name

A descriptive name for the requirement (e.g., "Login flow requirements")

Additional information

Goals, notes, or context about the requirements that help the AI generate more accurate test cases

File upload — Import Test Cases mode:

Upload .xlsx or .xls files. A Download Sample Format link is available to get the expected spreadsheet structure.

File upload — Import Requirements mode:

You can upload up to 10 files per upload. Accepted file types depend on the target platform:

Accepted file types depend on the target platform:

  • Web / Mobile: documents (.xlsx, .xls, .docx, .csv, .txt, .pdf), image files (.png, .jpg, .jpeg, .webp, .gif), or video files (.mp4, .mov, .webm, .mpeg, .mkv)

  • API: .json files

Attach UI mockups, screenshots, wireframes, or screen-flow documents along with your requirements. Visual context helps the AI generate more relevant and complete test cases.

When uploading requirements, the import follows a guided multi-step flow:

  1. Inputs — Upload your files, add context, and configure platform, publish mode, and optional settings

  2. Analysis — ContextQA analyzes the uploaded documents and extracts testable requirements

  3. Clarifications — The AI may ask follow-up questions about ambiguous requirements. Answer them to improve test case accuracy.

  4. Generate — Test cases are generated from the analyzed requirements

  5. Review — Review the generated test cases before saving

The Import Test Cases mode uses a shorter flow: Inputs → Generate → Review.

Import from Jira mode:

When you select Import from Jira, the flow adds a Jira ticket picker step:

  1. Inputs — Configure platform, publish mode, context fields, and optional settings, then click Continue to Jira Tickets

  2. Pick Jira Tickets — Search for tickets by key (e.g., PROJ-123) or text, browse results with infinite scroll, and select one or more tickets. Enable Include linked tickets to automatically pull in sub-tasks and epic children (up to 50 linked tickets). Click Continue to Review when your selection is complete.

  3. Analysis — ContextQA reads the selected ticket descriptions, acceptance criteria, and linked content to extract testable requirements

  4. Clarifications — Answer any AI follow-up questions

  5. Generate — Test cases are generated from the Jira ticket content

  6. Review — Review the generated test cases before saving

Figma integration:

When the Figma feature is enabled, select Figma as the source instead of file upload. Enter a Figma file URL (matching the pattern https://www.figma.com/file/..., https://www.figma.com/proto/..., or https://www.figma.com/design/...).

Click Create Test Cases to start the generation process.

When importing requirements, the AI may ask clarification questions before generating test cases. After generation, you can review AI analysis, coverage gaps, and metadata from the Requirements Details page. See Requirements Management for the full workflow.

Best for: Migrating existing test libraries, generating tests from requirements documents, importing from Jira tickets, creating tests from design files

Watch the Excel test-case import walkthrough or the requirements-to-tests walkthrough.

Browser recording

Record your actions in the browser while ContextQA captures each interaction as a test step.

This method requires the ContextQA Recorder Chrome extension. If the extension is not detected, the panel displays installation instructions with a link to the Chrome Web Store.

When the extension is installed:

Field
Required
Description

Prerequisites

No

Select existing test cases to run before this test

URL

Yes

The starting URL for recording. Shows your open browser tabs as suggestions.

Click Create Test Case to start recording. ContextQA opens the target URL with the recorder active. Navigate and interact with your application normally — the recorder captures each click, text entry, and navigation as a step. Click Stop Recording to finalize.

When the extension is not installed:

  1. Click the link to install the ContextQA Recorder from the Chrome Web Store

  2. Enable the extension in incognito mode

  3. Close and reopen the creation panel

Best for: UI exploration, click-heavy workflows, onboarding flows

Watch the Record & Play walkthrough.

Manual test case creation

Create a case directly in the dialog, then define its steps in the full builder.

  1. Select Create manually at step 1.

  2. Select Open step builder at step 2.

  3. At step 3, enter the required Name.

  4. Optionally set Priority, Type, Status, Prerequisites, Labels, advanced options, and Description.

  5. Select Create Test Case.

  6. Confirm the editor opens and the Test Case created successfully notification appears.

Form fields:

Field
Required
Description

Name

Yes

Descriptive test case name

Priority

No

Select from available priority levels

Type

No

Select the test case type

Status

No

Draft, Ready, In Review, Approved, Obsolete, or Rework. Default: Ready

Prerequisites

No

Select existing test cases to run before this test

Labels

No

Add labels for organization and filtering

Testcase Timeout

No

Maximum execution time in minutes (1–40). Default: 20

Description

No

Rich text description of the test case

Test data options:

Field
Description

Test Data Profile

Select a data profile for parameterized testing

Data Driven

Enable to run the test across multiple data sets from the selected profile

Data Set

When not data-driven, select a specific data set from the profile

Iteration From / To

When data-driven, define the range of data set iterations

Additional toggles:

Toggle
Description

Mobile Testing

Switch the test case type from web to mobile

Extension Used

Mark whether the ContextQA Chrome extension is used

Avoid auto wait for steps

Disable automatic wait insertion between steps

Select Show Advanced Options to review additional execution settings when needed. Select Create Test Case to save the case and open its details page.

Best for: Precise control over test metadata, data-driven testing configuration, complex assertions

Verify a manually created test case

After creation, confirm that the details page shows the new name and the Test Steps, Relationships, and Version History tabs. The side panel should show Test Case, Variables, Used in Test, and Run History. Return to Test Cases and search by the new title or assigned TC- identifier to verify list placement.

Verify the test from the list

  1. Return to Test Cases.

  2. Enter the test's TC- identifier or a distinctive part of its title in Search by ID or Title.

  3. Confirm that the row shows the expected Type, Priority, Result, Status, and Labels.

  4. Switch between List and Modular view when you need a different way to browse the collection.

  5. Use Filter to narrow a large test library instead of relying on naming alone.

A successful creation is not complete verification. Run the saved test once and review its steps, console, network activity, screenshot, video, and trace before promoting it into a shared suite.

Run a documentation-safe verification

When the test exists only to produce product documentation evidence, keep it separate from valuable regression tests:

  1. Prefix the title with DOC- and include the feature and expected outcome—for example, DOC — Test Cases — Open list and verify controls.

  2. Use fictional data and a non-production environment.

  3. Reuse a stable login prerequisite instead of copying credentials into steps.

  4. Add a viewport-safe verification that names only controls visible together on the page.

  5. Run the test and wait for a final passed or failed status.

  6. Open View Run Results and review all evidence before using it in documentation.

  7. Record the test ID and run ID in the documentation task.

  8. Delete the disposable test from the active list after the evidence is approved. Do not edit or delete the source regression test when you created the documentation test by duplication.

For every capability on the live execution and completed result screens, see Execution and test results.

Mobile platform selection

When you select Mobile as the target platform (from the AI Assistance or Import Files tabs), a mobile device setup screen appears before starting execution.

Concurrency indicators appear in the header showing parallel execution slots and queue status.

Field
Required
Description

Select Platform

Yes

Choose iOS (IPA) or Android (APK)

Select Device

Yes

Pick a device from the available device pool (options load based on selected platform)

App Build

Yes

Select the app build to test. If no builds are found, click Go to Upload Page to upload one first.

Desired Capabilities

No

Review and edit key-value capability pairs. Some fields (like app_url and os_type) are read-only.

Click Start Execution to launch the mobile test. If maximum concurrency is reached, ContextQA queues the test and you can click Skip and continue to close the dialog while the test waits in the queue.

For more details on mobile test setup, see the Mobile Testing section.

Verifying generated test cases

After AI generates test cases (from the AI Assistance or Import Files methods), a verification screen displays the results.

Each generated test case shows:

  • Title with an internal ID badge (e.g., TC-1)

  • Description of the test scenario

  • Steps with detailed actions

  • Expected Result for the test case

  • Source badges indicating where the test case was derived from

Actions available:

  • Click Save on an individual test case to save it to your project

  • Click Save All Test Cases to save all generated test cases at once

  • Click Cancel to discard the generated test cases

If any test cases were skipped during generation, a Skipped Test Cases section appears with the reason each case was skipped.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to create a test case?

Creation time varies with workflow complexity, the selected authoring method, and the application under test. Review every generated or recorded step before publishing the test case.

Can I import existing test cases from spreadsheets?

Yes. Select Import Files in the creation dialog, choose Import Test Cases mode, and upload an .xlsx or .xls file. Download the sample format to see the expected column structure. ContextQA maps your spreadsheet columns to test case fields automatically.

What browsers and devices are supported?

ContextQA supports all major browsers for test execution:

  • Chrome (desktop + headless)

  • Firefox

  • Safari (macOS)

  • Edge

  • Mobile Chrome / Safari (via device emulation)

For real-device mobile testing, see the Mobile Testing section.

Are screenshots and videos stored automatically?

ContextQA can attach screenshots, video, and trace evidence to a run result when recording is enabled and the execution type supports those artifacts. Open the completed result and check the Screenshots, Video, and Trace tabs before relying on the evidence. Availability and retention can depend on workspace configuration, permissions, and policy.

Can I run the same test case across multiple environments?

Yes. ContextQA supports environment-based test execution. You can define multiple environments (Development, Staging, Production) and run any test case against any environment by selecting it at execution time. Environment-specific variables (base URLs, credentials, API keys) are managed separately so your test cases remain portable.

How does self-healing work if my application changes?

ContextQA's AI Configuration (self-healing) continuously monitors element locators. When an element changes — for example, a button moves or an ID changes — the AI automatically finds the updated element using visual context, text content, and semantic analysis. The system flags failed locators for review and heals them with one click. See Self-Healing Tests for configuration details.

What are the AI Smartness modes?

AI Smartness controls how the AI generates test steps:

  • Expert — The AI takes more time to analyze the application and produces thorough, detailed steps

  • Fast — The AI prioritizes speed and generates steps quickly with less analysis

  • Strict — The AI follows your description exactly with minimal interpretation

  • Organization Default — Uses the AI Smartness setting configured by your organization administrator

What is the difference between Auto Publish and Required Approval?

When importing test cases via the Import Files method, you can choose a publish mode:

  • Auto Publish saves and publishes generated test cases immediately — they are ready to run right away.

  • Required Approval saves generated test cases in a pending state. A team member must review and approve each test case before it becomes available for execution. This is useful for teams that require peer review of test content.

Best practices

Name tests descriptively — Use the format [Page] - [Action] - [Expected Result] (e.g., Login Page - Valid Credentials - Dashboard Loads). This makes test results immediately understandable.

Start with happy-path tests — Create and validate your positive test cases first, then add negative scenarios (invalid inputs, error states) once the base flow is verified.

Avoid hard-coded waits — Don't use Wait 5 seconds steps. Instead, use Wait for element or Wait for network idle actions. ContextQA's AI handles timing automatically.

Related documentation

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