Import / Export

Introduction

What is the Import & Export screen?

The Import & Export screen is a single page (reached at /import-export) where you move test cases in and out of Testver. It is split into three stacked sections from top to bottom: Export Test Cases, Import Test Cases, and Import from Third-Party Tools or local files. Everything on the page is about test cases — there is no separate flow on this screen for defects or other record types, despite the broad tagline.

Think of it like the File → Export and File → Import menus in a desktop office app. You pick what you want to take out (a folder of test cases, or all of them), choose a file format, preview the result, and download it. To bring data back in, you hand Testver a file or paste some text, point it at a target folder, and it creates the test cases for you.

Note

In one sentence: this screen exports your test cases to JSON or CSV files and imports test cases back from files, pasted text, or exports produced by other tools.

Who this guide is for

• QA engineers and testers who want a backup of their test cases or need to move them between projects.
• Teams migrating into Testver from another test-management tool such as TestRail, Zephyr, Xray, PractiTest, or qTest.
• Leads and managers who want to share a snapshot of test coverage with someone who does not have a Testver login, by sending them a CSV or JSON file.
• Anyone who prefers preparing test cases in a spreadsheet or text editor and loading them in bulk rather than typing each one into the app.

Key terms

Term	What it means here
Export	Pulling test cases out of Testver into a downloadable file (JSON or CSV).
Import	Loading test cases into Testver from a file, pasted text, or another tool’s export.
Test case	A single testable scenario with a title, priority, type, optional preconditions, steps, and tags.
Step	One action inside a test case, with an action, an expectedResult, and optional testData.
Folder	A node in your test-case folder tree. Used to scope an export and to choose where imports land.
JSON	A structured text format. Testver exports an array of test-case objects and imports the same shape.
CSV	A comma-separated spreadsheet format. One row per test case; multiple steps packed into a cell, separated by a pipe (|).
Field mapping	How a source tool’s columns/fields (e.g. Summary, Priority) line up with Testver’s fields (e.g. title, priority).
Preview	A read-only look at the data — the export preview pane, or the parsed-test-case table before a third-party import.
AI Assistant (API mode)	The chat-driven assistant that can read an uploaded export file, map fields, and create test cases for you. Used for third-party imports on this screen.
Third-party tool	An external test-management product (TestRail, Zephyr, Xray, PractiTest, qTest) whose export files Testver can understand.

How it works

Each of the three sections works independently:

• Export calls Testver’s export service for the chosen folder (or all folders), returns the matching test cases, and renders a live preview. You then convert that preview to JSON or CSV in the browser and download it.
• Import reads your file or pasted text in the browser, auto-detects whether it is JSON or CSV, parses it into test-case objects, and sends them to the import service to be created under your chosen target folder.
• Third-party import is currently delivered through the AI Assistant: clicking the button opens the assistant in API mode with a ready-made prompt, and you upload your export file inside the chat for the AI to parse and create.

Note

There is a built-in five-tool import wizard (Select Tool → Upload File → Preview & Map → Complete) in the code, but it is turned off by a feature flag (SHOW_THIRD_PARTY_WIZARD = false). With the flag off, the third-party section shows the AI Assistant card instead of the wizard. This guide documents the AI Assistant card, which is what you will actually see, and notes the wizard where relevant.

Getting Started

Opening Import & Export

1. From the left sidebar, open the test-management area and choose the Import / Export entry (route /import-export).
2. The page loads with three sections stacked vertically. No data loads automatically — the export preview stays empty until you click Export.
3. Scroll down to reach the Import Test Cases and Import from Third-Party Tools or local files sections.

The screen layout

Area	Where	What it does
Export Test Cases	Top section	Pick a folder and a format (JSON/CSV), run the export, preview it, then copy or download.
Import Test Cases	Middle section	Upload or paste JSON/CSV data, choose a target folder, and create the test cases.
Import from Third-Party Tools or local files	Bottom section	Hand an export file from another tool to the AI Assistant, which parses and imports it for you.
Success toast	Floating, top-right	A green confirmation (e.g. “Export completed”, “N test cases imported”) that appears for about 3 seconds after an action succeeds.
Format hint cards	Inside the Import section	Two side-by-side reference cards showing an example JSON shape and an example CSV shape.

At a glance

• Folder dropdowns list your whole folder tree, indented to show nesting depth.
• The export preview is capped at the first 5,000 characters and labelled as a truncated preview — the full content is still what gets downloaded.
• The import format toggle (Upload File vs Paste Data) and a small “data loaded” badge tell you whether Testver sees your input as JSON or CSV and how large it is in KB.
• Drag-and-drop is supported on the upload area; the drop zone highlights green while you hover a file over it.

Importing Test Cases

The two ways to import

You can import test cases — each with a title, priority, type, optional preconditions, an ordered list of steps, and tags. Two paths exist on this screen:

• The Import Test Cases section accepts JSON and CSV directly in the browser (either uploaded as a file or pasted as text).
• The third-party section hands a wider range of files (including XML and Excel exports from other tools) to the AI Assistant for parsing.

Supported file formats

Format	Where it is accepted	Notes
JSON	Import Test Cases (upload/paste); AI Assistant	An array of test-case objects, or a single object (auto-wrapped into an array). The native importer auto-detects JSON when the input starts with [ or {.
CSV	Import Test Cases (upload/paste); AI Assistant	One row per test case. Steps are packed into cells and separated by a pipe (|). Detected when input does not start with [ or {.
.txt	Import Test Cases (upload only)	Accepted by the file picker (accept=“.json,.csv,.txt”); its contents are treated as JSON or CSV by the same auto-detection.
XML	AI Assistant (and the hidden wizard)	Used by TestRail and Zephyr exports. Not parsed by the native paste/upload importer — route it through the AI Assistant.
Excel (.xlsx / .xls)	AI Assistant (and the hidden wizard)	Used by Zephyr and qTest exports. Not handled by the native paste/upload importer — route it through the AI Assistant.

Note

The native Import Test Cases drop zone advertises .json and .csv only. XML and Excel belong to the third-party flow.

Uploading a file or pasting data

1. In the Import Test Cases section, choose an input mode with the toggle: Upload File or Paste Data.
2. If you chose Upload File, click the drop zone to pick a .json, .csv, or .txt file, or drag the file onto it. The zone turns green and reads Drop file here while a file hovers over it.
3. If you chose Paste Data, paste a JSON array or CSV block into the text box. The placeholder shows both shapes as a reminder.
4. Confirm the green JSON data loaded / CSV data loaded badge appears with the detected type and size in KB.
5. Pick a Target Folder from the dropdown. Leaving it on Root (No folder) imports into the root.
6. Click Import Test Cases. The button shows a spinner while it runs.
7. Read the result banner below the controls (see validation), and use Clear to reset the input and result if you want to load something else.

Tip

Testver decides between JSON and CSV purely from the first non-space character: a leading [ or { means JSON, anything else is parsed as CSV. If a JSON file fails to import, check that it really starts with a bracket or brace.

Field mapping (JSON keys and CSV columns)

For the native importer, the field names you provide map directly to Testver’s fields. In JSON, use these keys; in CSV, use these column headers.

Testver field	JSON key	CSV column header	Default if missing
Title	title	Title (or Name / Test Case)	Row is skipped if there is no title
Priority	priority	Priority	medium
Type	type	Type	functional
Tags	tags (array)	Tags (comma-separated)	empty
Preconditions	preconditions	Preconditions	empty
Step action	steps[].action	Steps (Action) (pipe-separated)	empty
Step expected result	steps[].expectedResult	Steps (Expected Result) (pipe-separated)	empty
Step test data	steps[].testData	Steps (Test Data) (pipe-separated)	empty

In CSV, the three step columns are zipped together position-by-position: the first pipe segment of each becomes step 1, the second becomes step 2, and so on. A step is only created when its action or expected-result segment has content.

[{
  "title": "Verify login",
  "priority": "high",
  "type": "functional",
  "steps": [
    { "action": "Go to login", "expectedResult": "Page loads" }
  ],
  "tags": ["auth", "smoke"]
}]
Title,Priority,Type,Tags,Steps (Action),Steps (Expected Result),Steps (Test Data)
"Verify login","high","functional","auth, smoke","Go to login | Enter creds | Click submit","Page loads | Fields shown | Dashboard"," | user@test.com | "

Import results and validation

When you import, the result is shown in a coloured banner directly under the import controls:

Outcome	What you see
Nothing parsed	Red banner reading No valid test cases found in input — usually a JSON/CSV shape problem or rows with no title.
Parse error	Red banner with the error message (for example, malformed JSON).
Success	Green banner: N test cases imported successfully, plus a success toast top-right.
Partial success	Green banner with the imported count, followed by a red bulleted list of per-row errors returned by the server.

Caution

The native importer does not show a pre-import preview table — it parses and creates in one step. Review your file before importing, because there is no “confirm” stage between parsing and creating in this flow.

Importing from third-party tools

The bottom section, Import from Third-Party Tools or local files, is currently powered by the AI Assistant. It carries an API mode badge and explains that the assistant can read an export file from tools like TestRail, Zephyr, Xray, PractiTest, and qTest — or from any other tool, or your own local test-case files — and create the test cases for you.

1. Read the two summary cards: Supported export formats (CSV, XML, JSON) and What the AI does for you (detects the source format, maps fields, normalizes priority/type, and reports per-row errors).
2. Click Import with AI Assistant. This opens the AI Assistant in API mode with a pre-filled import prompt and navigates you to the /ai screen.
3. In the chat, upload your export file (CSV, XML, JSON, or Excel).
4. Let the assistant parse the file, map fields, normalize values to Testver’s schema, and create the test cases via the test-management tools.
5. Review the assistant’s report: it states how many test cases were created and flags any rows that needed manual review.

Tip

The card’s own advice: the AI works best when columns and tags are clearly named in your export (e.g. Test Case Name, Priority, Steps). For very large exports (1000+ test cases), split the file into chunks of about 500 per upload for the smoothest run.

About the third-party import wizard

Caution

The dedicated five-tool import wizard is turned off in the current build by the feature flag SHOW_THIRD_PARTY_WIZARD = false. You will see the AI Assistant card instead. The table below documents the wizard’s parser support, which still runs underneath the AI flow and would return if the flag were flipped back to true.

Tool	Formats	Where to export it from
TestRail	CSV, XML	Test Cases → Export → CSV or XML
Zephyr	XML, Excel	Tests → Export → XML or Excel
Xray	CSV, JSON	Issues → Export → CSV or JSON (from Jira/Xray)
PractiTest	CSV	Tests → Export → CSV
qTest	Excel	Test Design → Export → Excel

The parsers behind these tools normalize incoming values to Testver’s schema: priorities such as P1/blocker/highest become critical, P2/major become high, normal/moderate become medium, and minor/trivial/lowest become low. Section, folder, label, module, and reference fields are folded into tags, and numbered step text is split into individual steps.

Exporting Test Cases

What gets exported

You export test cases, either for a single folder you choose or for All Folders. Each exported test case carries its title, priority, type, tags, preconditions, and steps (each step’s action, expected result, and test data).

Export formats

Format	Button	Shape
JSON	JSON	Pretty-printed array of test-case objects (2-space indented).
CSV	CSV	Header row plus one row per test case. Columns: Title, Priority, Type, Tags, Preconditions, Steps (Action), Steps (Expected Result), Steps (Test Data). Multiple steps are joined with a pipe (|); all values are quoted and inner quotes are doubled.

Export options

Control	Choices	Effect
Folder	All Folders or any folder in your tree	Scopes which test cases are exported.
Format	JSON / CSV toggle	Switches the preview and the downloaded file type. You can flip it after exporting without re-running.
Export button	—	Runs the export and fills the preview. Shows a spinner while running.
Copy	—	Copies the current preview text to your clipboard; the link briefly reads Copied!.
Download JSON/CSV	—	Saves the full content to a file named test-cases-export-<timestamp>.<ext>.

Running an export

1. In the Export Test Cases section, choose a Folder (or leave it on All Folders).
2. Pick a Format — JSON or CSV.
3. Click Export. A success toast confirms Export completed and the preview pane appears.
4. Check the summary line above the preview: it shows the test-case count, the approximate size in KB, and the active format.
5. Switch the Format toggle if you want the other format — the preview updates instantly without re-exporting.
6. Click Copy to grab the text, or Download JSON / Download CSV to save the file.
7. The downloaded file is named test-cases-export-<timestamp>.json or .csv.

Note

The preview pane only renders the first 5,000 characters and appends a “(truncated preview)” marker for large exports. The downloaded file always contains everything — the cap is display-only.

Common Tasks (How Do I…?)

I want to…	Do this
Back up all my test cases	Export section → All Folders → JSON → Export → Download JSON.
Export just one folder to a spreadsheet	Export section → pick the folder → CSV → Export → Download CSV.
Quickly copy export text to share	Export → Export → Copy (the link reads Copied!).
Import test cases from a JSON file	Import section → Upload File → drop the .json → choose Target Folder → Import Test Cases.
Import from a spreadsheet I exported as CSV	Import section → Upload File (or Paste Data) → load the CSV → choose folder → Import Test Cases.
Paste test cases directly	Import → Paste Data → paste JSON/CSV → choose folder → Import Test Cases.
Migrate from TestRail / Zephyr / Xray / qTest	Third-party section → Import with AI Assistant → upload the export in the chat.
Import an XML or Excel export	Use the AI Assistant button — the native importer handles only JSON/CSV.
Start over after a bad import	Click Clear in the Import section to reset the input and result.

Tips & Best Practices

• Export before you import. A quick All Folders → JSON → Export → Download gives you a restore point in case an import goes wrong.
• Match the headers exactly for CSV imports — Title, Priority, Type, Tags, Steps (Action), Steps (Expected Result), Steps (Test Data). The importer also accepts Name or Test Case for the title column.
• Use the pipe (\|) to separate multiple steps inside a single CSV cell; the three step columns are zipped together by position.
• Give every row a title. Rows without a title are silently dropped during native import.
• Round-trip with the same format. A CSV you export from Testver re-imports cleanly because the column names and the pipe convention match.
• Send XML/Excel and unusual exports to the AI Assistant rather than fighting the native JSON/CSV importer.
• Name your source columns clearly (e.g. Priority, Steps) so the AI Assistant maps fields accurately, and split very large exports into ~500-case chunks.

Troubleshooting & FAQ

Symptom	Likely cause / fix
No valid test cases found in input	The parsed result was empty — rows had no title, or the CSV headers do not match. Check the title column and headers.
A red parse-error banner	Malformed JSON (e.g. a trailing comma) or a CSV that does not split cleanly. Validate the file and try again.
My JSON imported as CSV (or vice-versa)	Detection is based on the first character. Make sure JSON input starts with [ or {; otherwise it is treated as CSV.
Steps did not come through on a CSV import	Use the exact Steps (Action) / Steps (Expected Result) / Steps (Test Data) headers and separate steps with |.
Some rows imported, others errored	The green banner shows the count and lists per-row errors underneath — fix those rows and re-import just them.
My XML / Excel file will not upload in the Import section	The native importer only accepts JSON/CSV/.txt. Use Import with AI Assistant for XML and Excel.
The download is missing rows compared to the preview	It is not — the on-screen preview is capped at 5,000 characters, but the downloaded file is complete.
I don’t see the five-tool import wizard	It is intentionally disabled by a feature flag in this build; the AI Assistant card replaces it. Behaviour is expected, not a bug.
Where did the test cases land?	In the Target Folder you selected (or the root if you left it on Root (No folder)).

Related

• Test Cases — where imported cases land.