In TestRail, test plans manage and execute multiple test runs for projects using multiple test suites or testing across different configurations such as browsers, operating systems, or devices. (Read more about Project types here.)
By grouping test runs under a single test plan, you can coordinate complex testing scenarios, monitor progress more effectively, and keep your testing elements organized.
Setting Up a New Test Plan
To create a new test plan, navigate to your desired project’s dashboard, and click Test Runs & Results in the left-hand sidebar, where you will find all your existing test runs and test plans.
Then, below Test Runs & Results, click Add Test Plan, opening the test plan creation form to begin configuring your new plan.
You can enter a Name for your plan. You can also add a Reference ID to external tickets, or optionally associate the plan with a Milestone by selecting one from the dropdown, and add a Description for further context on your plan (you can add images or tables if you desire as well on the upper right side of the description box). This helps link your test plan to broader project goals or release timelines.
Setting Start and End dates
You can also optionally define a Start Date and End Date when creating or editing a test plan. These fields help provide visibility into the intended testing window for the plan.
Key details
- Optional fields: Start and end dates are not required to save a test plan.
- Editable while active: You can only update these fields while the test plan is in an active state. Once marked as completed or closed, the fields become read-only.
- Inheritance from milestones: If the test plan is associated with a milestone, it will inherit the milestone's dates unless specific dates are defined in the plan. Plan-level dates take precedence over milestone dates.
- Warnings: If the plan’s end date exceeds the associated milestone’s end date, or if any included test run exceeds the plan’s end date, you’ll receive a warning. These messages do not prevent saving.
- Manual completion required: Test plans will not automatically complete when the end date passes. You must manually mark the plan as completed.
- Visibility in reports and audit logs: The new fields are tracked in audit logs and available in relevant plan-level reports. They are also accessible via the API.
- These fields are also available when creating or editing test runs inside a test plan. The same inheritance and warning rules apply across runs, plans, and milestones to help maintain consistency and visibility.
Click Add Test Plan if you are done, however you can also add test runs to your plan or rerun an existing plan, if you want after configuring everything.
Adding test runs to the plan
Test runs are core components of a test plan, since they define which test cases will be executed and under which conditions (for more information on test runs, click here).
Click Add Test Run(s) to create one or more runs. For each run you can define the set of test cases to include (all cases or selected ones), and assign testers if applicable.
You also have the option to add Configurations, such as different browsers or environments allowing you to run the same set of test cases across multiple platforms without duplicating work. Click OK when you are done.
Rerun an existing test plan
You can also rerun an existing active test plan. This option simply takes and already active test plan and reproduces it the same way for the new one.
Click Rerun Test Plan to see all the active test plans in your project. Once you click Rerun Test Plan on the new prompt, you can select the tests that you want to include and also copy the assigned testers for each one. Click OK when you are done.
Saving the Plan
After setting everything up and confirming all relevant details, click Add Test Plan at the bottom of the form to save your plan. The new test plan will appear in your Test Runs & Results view, where you can monitor execution, track progress, and make changes as needed.