First-time setup

Introduction

What first-time setup does

First-time setup runs exactly once per Testver instance. It establishes two things the app cannot start without: which kind of testing you do (so Testver shows the right surfaces) and who the super admin is (the first account, which can sign in and manage everyone else). Everything else — AI providers, projects, teammates — can be added afterwards at your own pace.

Note

The first account you create is the super admin — the top administrator. It owns the system-level settings and is the only account that can create other Admins. It can invite others, change roles, read the Audit Log, and manage org-level Settings. Choose its credentials carefully.

Who does this

The person installing Testver — typically a QA lead or whoever stood up the server. You only do this once. After the admin exists, everyone else simply signs in; they never see this wizard.

Testver Cloud workspaces land here too

A new Testver Cloud workspace is a plain Testver install, so its first run is this same page. Open it with the Open & set up button on your dashboard’s Cloud page — the link carries a one-time key that unlocks setup; opening the workspace without it shows This workspace can only be set up from its setup link instead. Once the administrator exists the key is retired and the workspace opens straight to sign-in.

Before you begin

Make sure the Testver UI is actually running and open in your browser. If it is not, follow Install Testver first.

You need	Detail
Testver running	The UI open at http://localhost:3700 (or your team’s hosted URL).
A username, display name, email & password in mind	The super admin login you will use every day — all four are required.
(Optional) a Testver account	Not part of the wizard — you connect it afterwards to use Testver AI.

The setup wizard

The wizard has two steps, shown with a small step indicator at the top: Testing focus and Super admin account.

Step 1 — Choose your testing mode

Pick the kind of automation this instance is for. Your choice controls which surfaces (Runner, Recorder, Schedules, AI Assistant) Testver shows you, so the UI isn’t cluttered with tools you don’t need.

Mode	Best for	Notes
Web Testing	Browser automation	Supports all major web frameworks — Playwright, Selenium, Cypress, and more. Run tests locally, on a server, or in the cloud.
Mobile Testing (Beta)	Android & iOS apps	Supports all major Appium frameworks for Android and iOS. Runs on your local devices and emulators, or on cloud device grids.

Select a tile and click Next (it stays disabled until a tile is selected).

Tip

This is not a permanent decision. You can switch modes any time later from Settings → General, so if you’re unsure, pick the one you’ll use most first.

Later, the App Mode card in Settings → General shows Web and Mobile (Beta) and when the mode was last changed.

Step 2 — Create the super admin account

Fill in the super admin account form. A recap chip at the top shows the mode you picked in Step 1 (for example Web Testing selected) with a Change link if you want to go back; Back does the same. A note under it reminds you that this account becomes the super admin — it owns system-level settings and is the only account that can create admins.

Field	Required?	Guidance
Username	Required	What you’ll sign in with. Lowercase, no spaces. Cannot be changed later.
Display Name	Required	What other users see next to your username (e.g. Admin User).
Email	Required	Used for password resets and notifications where configured.
Password	Required	At least 6 characters (the field shows Min. 6 characters). Use something considerably stronger than the minimum — this is the account that can manage every other user.
Confirm Password	Required	Must match the password exactly.

Click Create Super Admin Account. Testver creates the super admin, signs you in, and takes you to the dashboard. Setup is now complete.

After setup: recommended next steps

These are optional but make Testver far more useful. None of them are part of the wizard — you do them from the dashboard once you’re signed in.

Connect an AI provider

Many of Testver’s best features — AI Assistant, AI Test Gen, AI Record — need a Large Language Model. Connect one from Settings → LLM.

Tip

You can skip this entirely. Testver works for manual test management without any AI provider — come back and connect one whenever you’re ready.

You have two kinds of provider to choose from: Testver for cloud AI, or a local model running on your own machine.

Cloud AI — Testver. Testver is the only cloud provider you connect. There are no third-party model accounts to create, no per-vendor API keys to manage, and no decision to make about which model to use: Testver supplies a frontier model already selected and tuned for test automation work.

To connect it, click Testver at the bottom of the sidebar and connect your account on the Connections tab (the Testver card in Settings → LLM has a Connect in Testver → Connections button that takes you there). Once connected, the Testver card in Settings → LLM shows which account it is connected as and your plan credits, with a Manage in Testver → Connections link — connecting and disconnecting live on the Testver page; the card only shows the status and the model settings.

Tip

This is the recommended path for almost everyone. Connecting Testver is a single step, and you get a model that’s already the right choice for the job.

Local providers (free, no key, nothing leaves your machine) — Testver auto-detects these at their default URLs; just add a model and click Test Connection:

• Ollama — install, then run ollama pull llama3 and ollama serve.
• LM Studio — install, load a model, click Start Server.

Local providers are configured by administrators. If you’re not an admin, Testver is the only provider you’ll see.

After a provider connects, pick it as the default with the star on its card (the default carries a Default badge). You can switch any time from the AI Assistant or Settings.

Note

Choose Testver when you want the strongest results with no setup, and a local model when cost or data residency matters more than raw capability — nothing you send to Ollama or LM Studio leaves your machine.

Your project

Testver works on the folder you started it from: run testver serve inside your test project’s root folder (the one containing package.json or your test files — see Install Testver). There is no Open Project button in the UI.

Testver scans the folder, detects the framework, and lists your tests in the Test Explorer. If you add or move test files, use Rescan project in the header.

Verifying everything works

A quick checklist to confirm you’re fully set up:

• You can see the dashboard and the left sidebar of screens.
• Your display name / avatar appears top-right.
• If you connected AI: opening the AI Assistant shows it ready (not “no provider configured”).
• If you started Testver in your test project: the Test Explorer lists your test files and the header shows the detected framework.

Inviting your team

Once you’re the super admin, add the rest of your team from Admin → Users:

1. Click Add User.
2. Set a username, display name, email, an initial password and a role (the dialog starts on Tester). All four fields are required.
3. Share the credentials securely; ask them to change the password from Profile → Change password on first sign-in.

See the Users guide for the full role breakdown (Super admin / Admin / Tester / Viewer).

Tips & best practices

• Use a real, memorable super admin password — it’s the master key to the instance. Don’t reuse a throwaway.
• Keep the admin group small. Create most teammates as Testers; reserve Admin for one or two people.
• You can change the testing mode later in Settings → General, so don’t overthink Step 1.
• Connect a local LLM (Ollama / LM Studio) for zero-cost AI if you’d rather keep every prompt on your own machine. Admin-only.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause & fix
I see a login screen, not the wizard	An admin already exists. Sign in instead, or have the admin reset your access.
Opening Testver keeps sending you to the setup wizard	No super admin was created yet — complete the wizard. If it loops, confirm the server can write its data store.
Next is disabled on Step 1	You haven’t selected a mode tile. Click Web Testing or Mobile Testing first.
”Passwords do not match”	The confirm field differs from the password. Re-type both carefully.
AI connection fails	For Testver, confirm your account is connected and has remaining credits (both are shown on the Testver card). For a local provider, make sure Ollama or LM Studio is running first.
Project scan finds no tests	Testver was started in the wrong folder. Start testver serve from the project root (where package.json / your specs live), not a parent directory.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change the testing mode after setup?

Yes — Settings → General. It only controls which surfaces are shown, not your data.

Is the AI provider mandatory?

No. Manual test management works without it. AI-powered features need a provider, which you can connect at any time.

Which AI providers can I choose from?

Two kinds: Testver — the managed cloud provider, and the only cloud option — and local models via Ollama or LM Studio. You don’t bring your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or xAI key; Testver supplies the cloud model itself. Local providers are configured by administrators, so non-admin users will see Testver as their provider.

What if I pick the wrong person as admin?

The super admin account can’t be disabled, deleted or given another role from Users, and its username can’t change. Sign in as it and use Edit user to change the display name and email and Reset password to set a new password; the super admin can also create the right person as an Admin.

Does first-time setup run on every machine?

No — it runs once per Testver instance. Teammates connecting to the same instance just sign in.

Related

• Install Testver — get the UI running (do this first).
• Sign in — the daily login flow after setup.
• A 5-minute tour — find your way around the whole UI.
• Users — invite teammates and assign roles.
• Settings — connect the Testver AI provider and configure the instance.