Creating Test Cases
Create web test cases in minutes using ContextQA's unified creation panel — AI-assisted generation, file import, browser recording, or manual authoring.
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 test case creation panel with four methods: AI Assistance, Import File, Record & Play, and Manual creation. Click the + icon from the test cases list, the left sidebar, or the global add button to open the creation panel and select your method.
Opening the creation panel
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.
Select a creation method
The panel presents a method selection screen with up to four options (availability depends on your plan and feature flags):
AI Assistance
Provide a description and let ContextQA generate test cases automatically
Start with AI Assistance
Import File
Upload an Excel file, video, or Figma design to generate test cases
Import File
Record & Play
Record your actions in the browser while ContextQA captures each step
Start Recording
Manual
Create a test case with full control over metadata, fields, and configuration
Manually Create a Test Case
After selecting a method, the panel switches to the corresponding view. Use the back arrow in the top-left corner to return to the method selection screen at any time.
The Import File option requires the Upload Excel feature to be enabled on your plan. The Record & Play option requires a paid plan with the Record Playback feature enabled.
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:
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 as admin@test.com with password Test123!, 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:
Enable AI Smartness
Organization Default, Smart, 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:
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 a Jira integration is configured in Settings → Plugins → Bug Reporting → Jira. See Jira Integration for setup instructions.
Select Target Platform:
Web Application
Always available
Mobile
Always available
API
Available in Import Requirements mode only
Publish mode:
Select how imported test cases are published:
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:
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:
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:
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:
.jsonfiles
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:
Inputs — Upload your files, add context, and configure platform, publish mode, and optional settings
Analysis — ContextQA analyzes the uploaded documents and extracts testable requirements
Clarifications — The AI may ask follow-up questions about ambiguous requirements. Answer them to improve test case accuracy.
Generate — Test cases are generated from the analyzed requirements
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:
Inputs — Configure platform, publish mode, context fields, and optional settings, then click Continue to Jira Tickets
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.Analysis — ContextQA reads the selected ticket descriptions, acceptance criteria, and linked content to extract testable requirements
Clarifications — Answer any AI follow-up questions
Generate — Test cases are generated from the Jira ticket content
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
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:
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:
Click the link to install the ContextQA Recorder from the Chrome Web Store
Enable the extension in incognito mode
Close and reopen the creation panel
Best for: UI exploration, click-heavy workflows, onboarding flows
Manual test case creation
Create test cases directly within the creation panel with complete control over metadata and configuration. Select Manually Create a Test Case from the method selection screen to open the manual creation form.
Form fields:
Name
Yes
Descriptive test case name (4–250 characters)
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
Tags/Labels
No
Add tags 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:
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:
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
Click Create to save the test case and open the test case details screen.
Best for: Precise control over test metadata, data-driven testing configuration, complex assertions
Mobile platform selection
When you select Mobile as the target platform (from the AI Assistance or Import File tabs), a mobile device setup screen appears before starting execution.
Concurrency indicators appear in the header showing parallel execution slots and queue status.
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 File 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?
With AI Assistance, describing a 10-step workflow takes under 60 seconds. The AI generates and validates all steps automatically. Browser recording typically takes 2–5 minutes for a complete user journey. Manual step creation varies by complexity but most teams create 20–30 step test cases in under 10 minutes.
Can I import existing test cases from spreadsheets?
Yes. Select Import File in the creation panel, 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?
Yes. Every test execution automatically captures:
Per-step screenshots — A screenshot is taken after each step completes
Full session video — Complete recording from start to finish (WebM format)
Playwright trace — Detailed trace file with network logs, DOM snapshots, and timing (downloadable ZIP)
ContextQA stores and links all evidence directly in the execution results. No configuration required.
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:
Smart — 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 File 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
Requirements Management — Upload requirements, review AI analysis, and track coverage gaps
Debugging Test Cases — Step through execution with breakpoints and live variables
Test Steps Editor — Detailed guide to all available step actions
Version History — Track, compare, and restore previous test case versions
Managing Test Suites — Organize test cases into suites for batch execution
Self-Healing Tests — AI-powered test maintenance
Test Data Management — Variables, CSV imports, and data-driven testing
AI Test Generation — All 10 AI test generation methods
Mobile Testing — Mobile test creation and execution
Execution & Reporting — Run tests, view results, set up CI/CD
Ready to create your first test?
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