Importing Test Cases

Test Cases

Overview

If you're migrating from a spreadsheet or another tool, you can import test cases in bulk using a CSV file rather than entering them one by one. The import maps CSV columns to test case fields and creates the cases in a single operation.

Imports are project-scoped — you import into a specific project, and the test cases appear in that project's Test Cases section.

Getting the CSV template

Always start from the official template to avoid column mismatch errors:

1Navigate to Test Cases in the project sidebar
2Click Import (top-right button)
3In the import dialog, click Download Template
4Open the template in your spreadsheet tool and fill in your test cases

CSV column reference

ColumnRequired?Notes
TitleRequiredShort name of the test case
DescriptionOptionalContext or background for the test
PreconditionsOptionalState the system must be in before testing
StepsRequiredTest steps separated by a pipe character ( | )
Expected ResultRequiredWhat a passing result looks like
PriorityOptionalHigh / Medium / Low — defaults to Medium if blank
SuiteOptionalSuite name to add the test case to. Created automatically if it doesn't exist
TagsOptionalComma-separated tag list
Steps must be written in a single cell, with individual steps separated by a pipe character: Navigate to login page | Enter email | Enter password | Click Sign In. Do not put each step in its own row — they will not be grouped correctly.

Running the import

1Navigate to Test Cases → Import
2Click Choose File and select your CSV
3The importer previews the first 5 rows — verify the column mapping looks correct
4If there are validation errors (missing required fields, unrecognised values), correct them in the CSV and re-upload
5Select how to handle duplicates: Skip (keep existing) or Import anyway
6Click Import — a progress indicator shows as cases are created
7When complete, the dialog shows a summary: cases created, cases skipped, any errors

After the import

Imported test cases land in the project's All Test Cases list. If you specified a Suite column, each case is also added to the named suite (created automatically if it doesn't exist).

Links to stories are not created during import — you'll need to add those after import, either by opening individual test cases or using the story detail view's Test Cases tab. Establishing these links is important for coverage reporting.

Troubleshooting

The import fails with a "missing required column" error

The CSV must have exactly the column headers shown in the template — spelling and capitalisation matter. Download the template from the import dialog and use it as your starting point rather than building a CSV from scratch.

Steps are all ending up in one cell

Steps must be separated by a pipe character ( | ) within a single cell. If your steps are in separate rows, they won't be recognised. Use the template to see the expected format before importing.

My test cases imported but the Suite column was ignored

Suite names are case-sensitive. If the suite already exists, the name must match exactly. Check the existing suite names before importing, or import first and then move cases manually.

I get a "duplicate title" warning

Silverile detects test cases with identical titles in the same project. You can choose to skip duplicates (keep the existing case) or import anyway (creates a second case with the same title). For large imports, review and de-duplicate the CSV first.

The import limit is preventing a bulk upload

Imports are limited to 500 test cases per file. For larger sets, split your CSV into batches of 500 and import sequentially.