Importing Test Cases into Qtest from CSV: A Step‑by‑Step Guide

Desired Outcome

Export a set of test cases from an external source and load them into Qtest’s Test Repository as fully‑functional test cases, with each step correctly ordered and all metadata preserved.

Prerequisites

CSV Format Requirements

Qtest’s CSV import recognises a limited set of column headers. Headers are case‑sensitive and must match exactly. The most common mandatory fields are:

Header	Qtest Field	Notes
Test Case Name	Test case title	Required for new cases
Test Steps	Step description	Required for each step
Preconditions	Pre‑condition text	Optional, but useful
Step Number	Step sequence	Required for step ordering
Priority	Case priority	Optional
Owner	Case owner	Optional
Test Case ID	Existing ID (for updates)	Leave blank to create new

All text must be UTF‑8 encoded. Avoid non‑ASCII characters that can break parsing. Line breaks inside cells should be escaped with double quotes (e.g., "Step description with\nline break").

Environment

• Qtest instance (v5.x or later) with Test Repository access.
• Browser with JavaScript enabled; the import wizard runs in the web UI.
• Spreadsheet editor (Excel, LibreOffice, Google Sheets) to clean and format the CSV.

Procedure

1. Prepare the CSV file
   • Open the spreadsheet editor and paste your data.
   • Ensure the header row matches the table above.
   • Remove any leading/trailing spaces and verify UTF‑8 encoding.
   • Save the file as test_cases.csv.
2. Launch the Import Wizard
   • Navigate to Test Repository > Import in the Qtest UI.
   • Click Upload CSV and select your file.
3. Map columns
   • The wizard will auto‑detect headers. Verify each mapping; if a header is missing, click Map Manually to choose the correct field.
   • Confirm that Test Case ID is set to New unless you intend to update existing cases.
4. Validate and Import
   • Click Validate. Qtest will highlight rows with missing mandatory fields.
   • Correct any errors in the spreadsheet, re‑save, and re‑upload.
   • When validation passes, click Import to start the upload.

Validation Checks

• Rows missing Test Case Name or Test Steps trigger a Validation Error and halt import.
• Duplicate Test Case ID values will update existing cases; verify IDs before running.
• Large files (>10,000 rows) may time out; split into smaller batches if necessary.
• Case sensitivity: headers must match exactly; otherwise, columns may be ignored silently.

Recovery & Troubleshooting

1. Import fails
   • Check the Import Activity feed for error messages.
   • Review the CSV for malformed rows or unsupported characters.
   • Use the View Sample button in the wizard to see the parsed data.
2. Partial import
   • Qtest imports all valid rows and logs failures. Inspect the log for skipped rows.
   • Correct the problematic rows and re‑import only those rows.
3. Existing ID conflict
   • If you inadvertently include an ID that exists, Qtest updates that case. To avoid accidental overwrites, delete the Test Case ID column for new imports.

Post‑Import Verification

1. Open the Test Repository and locate the newly created test cases by searching the Test Case Name or by the Import Activity timestamp.
2. Open one of the imported cases and expand the Test Steps pane. Verify that steps are in numerical order and that the expected results match the CSV.
3. Run a quick execution of the test case to ensure all steps execute without errors.
4. Check the Activity Log for the import record; the status should read Success and contain the number of cases imported.

Limitations & Best Practices

• Qtest does not support importing attachments or custom fields via CSV; use the API for those scenarios.
• Always keep a backup of the original CSV before editing.
• Use the sample template provided by Qtest (accessible from the Import Wizard) as a starting point.
• For large projects, consider splitting the import into modules (e.g., by feature area) to reduce risk of timeouts.
• After import, review the Test Repository hierarchy to confirm that parent folders were created or matched correctly.

Example CSV Snippet

Test Case ID,Test Case Name,Step Number,Step Description,Expected Result,Preconditions,Priority,Owner
,,1,Open login page,Login page loads,NA,High,John Doe
,,2,Enter username,Username entered,NA,High,John Doe
,,3,Enter password,Password entered,NA,High,John Doe
,,4,Click login,Home page loads,NA,High,John Doe