Getting Started

Set up your TestKase account, create your first project, and learn how to navigate the platform — from signup to your first test execution.

Overview

TestKase is a modern test management platform that helps QA teams plan, organize, execute, and track their software testing efforts. Whether you're managing manual test cases, running test cycles with assigned testers, tracking defects, mapping requirements to test coverage, or generating analytics reports — TestKase provides a centralized workspace for your entire QA lifecycle.

This guide walks you through the entire onboarding process: creating your account, setting up your first project, understanding the dashboard, and configuring your workspace. By the end, you'll have a fully functional testing environment ready for your team.

Full test lifecycle

Test cases, cycles, plans, requirements, defects — all in one place

27+ built-in reports

Execution analytics, coverage tracking, trends, and AI-powered insights

Team collaboration

4 roles with granular permissions, tester assignment, and invitation flow

Powerful integrations

Jira/GitHub/GitLab sync, CI/CD reporting, webhooks, and REST API

Create Your Account

Signing up for TestKase takes under a minute. Here's the full process:

Navigate to the Sign Up page from the TestKase homepage.
Enter your full name, email address, and choose a password (minimum 8 characters, must include a number and a special character).
Click Create Account.

Step 2 — Verify Your Email

Check your inbox for a verification email from TestKase (subject: "Verify your email address").
Click the Verify Email button in the email. The link expires after 24 hours.
You'll be redirected to the login page with a confirmation message.

If you don't see the verification email within a few minutes, check your spam/junk folder. You can request a new verification email from the login page by clicking "Resend verification email."

Step 3 — Log In

Enter your email and password on the Login page.
On your first login, you'll be prompted to either create a new organization or accept a pending invitation to join an existing organization.

If a teammate has already invited you to their organization, you'll see the invitation waiting for you after login. Accept it to join their workspace immediately — no need to create a separate organization.

Create Your First Project

Projects are the top-level container for all your testing artifacts in TestKase. Every test case, cycle, plan, requirement, defect, and report belongs to a project. Most teams create one project per application or product they're testing.

From the organization dashboard, click the Create Project button (top-right).
Enter a project name (e.g., "Web App v2.0", "Mobile App", "API Platform").
Add an optional description explaining what this project covers.
Click Create. You'll be redirected to the project dashboard.

Naming convention tip: Use descriptive names that distinguish between products, platforms, or major versions. For example: "PaymentGateway - Backend", "CustomerPortal - Web", "MobileApp - iOS". This makes it easy to identify projects when you have multiple active ones.

Once inside your project, you'll see the main navigation tabs across the top and a sidebar with settings options. The project is initially empty — the next sections explain each area and how to start populating it.

Quick Start Checklist

Follow this checklist to get your project fully operational. Each step links to the relevant documentation:

~~Create your account and verify your email~~
~~Create your first project~~
Create folders to organize your test cases
Write your first test cases with detailed steps
Create a test cycle and add test cases to it
Execute tests and track Pass/Fail/Blocked status
Invite teammates and assign roles
Set up integrations (Jira, webhooks, CI/CD)
Review reports and analytics

The TestKase interface has three main navigation levels: the organization dashboard, the project dashboard, and the settings sidebar.

Organization Dashboard

This is your landing page after login. It shows all projects in your organization as cards with quick-access links. From here you can:

View and open any project.
Create new projects.
Switch between organizations using the organization switcher in the top-left corner (if you belong to multiple organizations).
Access organization-level settings (billing, team management).

Project Dashboard

Once inside a project, the top navigation bar provides access to the six main tabs: Test Cases, Test Cycles, Test Plans, Requirements, Defects, and Reports. The left sidebar shows project-specific settings and integrations.

Use the breadcrumb trail at the top of any page to navigate back to parent views.
Click the TestKase logo at any time to return to the organization dashboard.
The active tab is highlighted in blue in the top navigation to show your current location.

Project Tabs

Each project has six main tabs accessible from the top navigation. Here's what each tab contains and when you'll use it:

Tab	Purpose	Key Actions
Test Cases	Create, organize, and manage your test repository	Create cases, add steps, organize in folders, import/export CSV, bulk operations
Test Cycles	Plan and execute rounds of testing	Create cycles, add cases, assign testers, execute tests, track progress
Test Plans	Group cycles and cases into high-level plans	Create plans, link cycles and cases, view aggregated progress
Requirements	Define what needs to be tested	Create requirements, organize in folders, link to test cases and defects
Defects	Track bugs found during testing	Log defects, set priority/status, link to test cases and requirements
Reports	Analyze testing data with charts and tables	View execution, coverage, trend, defect, team, and AI-powered reports

Typical workflow: Most teams start with the Test Cases tab to build their test repository, then create Test Cycles for each sprint or release, execute tests and log Defects, and finally review Reports for release decisions. Requirements and Test Plans add traceability and planning layers on top of this core workflow.

Settings & Configuration

The settings sidebar (accessible via the gear icon in the project view) gives you access to all configuration options. Here's what each section does and when you'll need it:

Setting	What It Does	When to Set Up
Custom Fields	Add up to 10 custom fields (text, dropdown, date, number) to test cases	Before creating test cases, if your workflow needs extra data fields
Team & Permissions	Invite users, assign roles (Owner/Admin/User/Guest), configure granular permissions	When onboarding team members
Notification Integration	Set up webhook notifications to Slack, Discord, Teams, Google Chat, or custom endpoints	When you want real-time alerts for test activities
Jira Integration	Connect Jira, GitHub, or GitLab for requirement and defect syncing	When you want to sync issues with your project management tool
CI/CD Integration	Set up the @testkase/reporter CLI to push automated test results from pipelines	When you have automated tests in CI/CD pipelines
API Keys	Generate Personal Access Tokens for API access and CI/CD authentication	Before setting up CI/CD integration or building custom integrations
AI Features	Enable AI test case generation, chat assistant, and AI-powered reports	When you want to leverage AI to accelerate testing

Organizations & Projects

TestKase uses a two-level hierarchy: Organizations contain Projects. Understanding this structure helps you organize your testing effectively.

Organizations

An organization represents your company or team.
All billing, user management, and AI credits are managed at the organization level.
Users are invited to the organization, then given access to specific projects.
You can belong to multiple organizations (e.g., if you consult for different companies).

Projects

A project represents a product, application, or testing scope.
All test cases, cycles, plans, requirements, defects, and reports are scoped to a project.
Each project has its own custom fields, integrations, and permission configuration.
There is no limit on the number of projects per organization.

Best practice: Create separate projects for distinct products or major components (e.g., "Frontend App", "Backend API", "Mobile App"). Avoid putting everything into a single project, as it makes folder organization, reporting, and team permissions harder to manage at scale.

Tips & Shortcuts

Here are some tips to help you work more efficiently in TestKase:

Bulk selection: In test case and cycle table views, use the header checkbox to select all items on the current page, or use individual checkboxes for specific selections.
Quick search: Most list views have a search bar at the top — use it to filter by title, ID, or labels.
Pagination: Large datasets are paginated. Use the page controls at the bottom of tables to navigate, or change the page size to show more items.
Sidebar folders: In Test Cases and Requirements, the left sidebar shows your folder tree. Click a folder to filter the list to only items in that folder.
Inline editing: Many fields in table views (like execution status, assignee) can be changed directly without opening the detail view.

Next Steps

Now that you're set up, explore these guides to build out your testing workflow:

Test Cases — Build your test repository Test Cycles — Plan and execute test runs User Permissions — Invite your team Reports — Analyze your testing data Jira Integration — Sync with your issue tracker Automation — Automate test reporting

FAQ

▶Can I import test cases from another tool like TestRail or Zephyr?

Yes. TestKase supports CSV import for test cases. Export your test cases from your current tool as CSV, then use the CSV Import feature to bring them into TestKase. The import wizard lets you map columns from your CSV to TestKase fields.

▶How many users can I add to my organization?

The number of users depends on your subscription plan. Check the pricing page for details. You can always upgrade your plan to add more users.

▶Can I try TestKase for free?

Yes. TestKase offers a free plan that includes core features with limited users and projects. You can upgrade at any time to unlock additional features, users, and AI capabilities.

▶Is my data secure?

Yes. TestKase uses industry-standard encryption for data in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest. Your data is stored securely and is never shared with third parties. For AI features, data is processed securely and not used for model training.

▶Can I use TestKase for automated testing?

TestKase is primarily a test management platform, not a test execution tool. However, it integrates with your automated testing through the Automation — your CI pipeline runs the automated tests, and the @testkase/reporter CLI pushes results back to TestKase test cycles.