Importing and Exporting Data
How to export and import environments, environment variables, database configurations, test data profiles, and global variables in ContextQA using JSON or Excel, including duplicate handling and downl
Who is this for? Testers, SDETs, and QA managers who need to move test data between workspaces, back it up, seed a new environment, or bulk-edit values outside ContextQA.
You can export and import everything in the Environment Data Management workspace — environments, environment variables, database configurations, test data profiles, and global variables. Export a surface to download its data as a file, edit or archive it, then import a file to load values back in. Both directions support two file formats:
JSON — best for version control, scripting, and moving data between tools.
Excel (
.xlsx) — best for editing values in a spreadsheet before importing.
Prerequisites
You have a workspace with at least one environment.
You are a workspace member with permission to edit data (Editor or Admin role).
Supported surfaces
You can export from — and, where noted, import into — each of these surfaces:
Environments
Environments tab
Yes
Yes (creates a new environment)
Environment variables
An environment's Variables section
Yes
Yes
Database configurations
An environment's Data base configurations section
Yes
Yes
Test data profiles
Test Data Profiles tab
Yes
Yes
Global variables
Global Data tab
Yes
Yes
Exporting data
Export downloads the selected data as a JSON or Excel file. Depending on the surface, you can export everything, export only the items you select, or narrow the export to specific content.
Export all items on a surface
Open the surface you want to export — for example, the Global Data tab.
Click Export all.
Select a format: Export as JSON or Export as Excel.
ContextQA generates the file and your browser downloads it.
Export only selected items
Global variables, test data profiles, and database configurations support selective export:
Select the checkbox next to each item you want to export. Your selection persists as you move between pages, and a bottom action bar shows the running count.
Click Export in the action bar.
Select a format, then confirm. ContextQA exports only the selected items.
Choose what an environment export includes
When you export a single environment or the Environments tab, the wizard adds a What to include step. Select one of:
All
Every variable and database configuration in the environment (downloaded as a .zip).
Variables
Environment variables only.
Database configurations
Database connection configurations only.
Selecting two or more environments exports them together in a single file.
If a surface has nothing to export, ContextQA reports that there is no data to download instead of producing an empty file.
Importing data
Import reads a JSON or Excel file and loads its values into the surface. Every import runs through a short wizard: upload the file, choose how to handle duplicates, and review a result summary.
Download a template first
If you are building an import file from scratch, start from a template so your columns and keys match what ContextQA expects. On the Global Data import wizard, select the JSON or Excel template option to download a sample file, fill in your values, and import it back.
Import a file
Open the surface you want to import into and click Import.
On the file step, upload a
.jsonor.xlsxfile.On the duplicate-handling step, select a strategy (see the following table).
Submit the import. ContextQA processes the file and shows a result summary.
Handle duplicates
When an imported item matches an existing one by name, ContextQA applies the strategy you select:
Override
Updates existing items that match by name and adds new ones.
Global variables, environment variables, database configurations
Replace all
Clears every existing item on the surface, then imports the file's items.
Environment variables, database configurations
Ignore
Keeps existing items and skips any duplicates in the file.
Global variables, environment variables, database configurations
Replace all deletes the surface's current items before importing. This cannot be undone. Export a backup first if you might need the existing values.
Review the import result
After the import runs, the wizard shows a result step with:
A status message from ContextQA.
Succeeded, Failed, and Total counts.
A per-row list of any errors, so you can correct the source file and import again.
The list behind the wizard refreshes automatically, so the imported values appear as soon as you close the wizard.
Import notes by surface
Global variables and environment variables — Password-type values are shown masked in the wizard preview.
Database configurations — Imported configurations start as Not verified yet. Run Verify on each one to confirm connectivity before your tests use it.
Environments — Importing on the Environments tab creates a new environment and seeds it from the uploaded JSON or Excel files, rather than merging into an existing environment.
Troubleshooting
The import finished but some rows failed Open the result step and read the per-row error list. Fix the flagged rows in your source file — a common cause is a missing required column or a value that does not match the column's data type — then import the corrected file again.
A database configuration shows "Not verified yet" after import Imported configurations are never auto-verified. Open the configuration and run Verify to test the connection.
Export downloaded a .zip instead of a single file Exporting an environment with All selected bundles its variables and database configurations into a .zip. Choose Variables or Database configurations in the What to include step to download a single file.
Nothing downloaded when I clicked Export The surface has no data to export. Add at least one variable, profile, or configuration and try again.
Related pages
Environment Data Management — manage environments, profiles, and global variables
Test Data Management — variable reference syntax and data-driven testing
Database Steps — use imported database configurations in test steps
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