Zephyr for JIRA Tutorial: Test Management Tool (2024)

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Zephyr for JIRA is a native application that exists in JIRA and brings quality test management capabilities to any JIRA project. When Zephyr is used with JIRA, the test can be created, viewed in any JIRA project, and executed immediately or as part of a testing cycle that may be linked to other issues. The detailed testing metrics can be tracked via customizable Zephyr gadgets.

Zephyr provides multiple deployment options:

1. Zephyr for JIRA Cloud
2. Zephyr for JIRA Server
3. Zephyr for JIRA Data Center

Here you will discover, Zephyr for JIRA and the following features:

Features of Zephyr for JIRA

• Native to JIRA allowing users to test right inside JIRA
• Testing is integrated into the project cycles and it enables you to track software quality and make empowered go/no-go decisions.
• Create, Plan, and Execute Tests
• Create, view, and modify test steps and attachments for individual tests. Build test execution cycles, execute the tests, and link defects to specific tests.
• Track Quality Metrics
• Zephyr provides easy-to-use dashboard which provides testing metrics on the testing activities throughout every project.

How to use Zephyr for JIRA Test Management

To get started and logged into your Zephyr for JIRA instance, you must set up an instance of Zephyr for JIRA. Please use a free trial of Zephyr for JIRA or purchase a Zephyr for JIRA license on the Atlassian Marketplace. Ensure that the Zephyr for JIRA plugin/add-on is enabled as well.

Create a Test

Steps

1. To create a test case (issue with type ‘test‘), simply click on the ‘Create‘ button located in the top menu navigation.

2. The ‘Create Issue‘ module will appear with the following fields when creating a test case. The required fields for a test case are the following:
   1. Project – The name of the project that the test case is being placed after creation.
   2. Issue Type – The issue type for the test case (in this case, we’ll select ‘Test‘).
   3. Summary – The name/title for the test case.
   4. Reporter – The name of the individual creating the test case.

3. Once the required fields are filled out, users can scroll to the bottom of the interface and create test steps for the test case which includes the following information for each test step:
   1. Test Step – Description of the test step/action that needs to be performed for this individual step.
   2. Test Data – Any data that is required for the test step to be performed.
   3. Expected Result – The expected result after performing the actions for this individual step.

Modify and View a Test

Steps

1. To view an individual test case and modify any of the existing fields, simply click on ‘Test‘ in the top menu navigation. After clicking ‘Test‘, select the ‘Search Tests‘ option in the menu.

2. This displays the search option which provides the parameters for Zephyr’s ZQL to search all test cases. Click on the ‘Summary‘ of the test case that you want to view and modify. In this case, we’ll be selecting the “Guru99 Example Test Case“.
   1. Zephyr provides ZQL options to further filter what test cases you want to search for to view and modify.

3. This navigates us to the individual test case view where we can view the fields for the test case. From here, we can simply click on any field available to us and edit/update the fields.After updating, press the ‘Enter‘ button on the keyboard and it will autosave all the changes made to the test case.Users are able to edit the individual test steps for the test case as well as having the option to rearrange the steps to fit your needs.

Create a Test Cycle

Steps

1. To create a test cycle, click on the ‘Cycle Summary‘ tab while on the ‘Test Summary‘ page.

2. Cycles can be viewed on the left-hand side of the interface in the organized folder structure. Users can add new testing cycles by clicking on the ‘+‘ button at the top of the folder structure menu.

3. This will display the ‘Create New Cycle‘ module which allows you to complete the fields for the corresponding test cycles.Afterward, click on the ‘Save‘ button at the bottom of the interface to create the test cycle. The following fields are:
   1. Version – Shows the list of versions that exist for this project.
   2. Name – Name of the test cycle (this is a required field).
   3. Description – A description given for the test cycle.
   4. Build – This is an informational field only for further detail on the build (if any).
   5. Environment – This is an information field only for further detail on the environment (if any).
   6. From – The start date of the testing cycle.
   7. To – The end date of the testing cycle. The end date is not necessarily enforced (users can continue adding tests to the test cycle and executing them beyond this date).

4. After creating your testing cycle, you can view the test cycle in the folder structure on the left-hand side of the interface.

Add Tests to Test Cycles

Steps

1. To add test cases to your testing cycles, users must be on the ‘Cycle Summary‘ tab and then click on their test cycle that they want to add tests to.After that is complete, click on the ‘Add Tests‘ button on the right-hand side of the interface (located above the test execution table for the test cycle).

2. This will display the ‘Add Tests‘ module below. The user can then use the drop-down list to search for all the test cases that need to be added to the cycle. You can also type the ID of the test case to add it to the list of test cases to be added.After selecting all the test cases that you want to be added to the testing cycle, you must select a person in JIRA who you are assigning the added test cases to. The person assigned is the initial person to execute the added tests in the testing cycle.

• This can be changed at a later time when individually executing a test case.

Click on the ‘Add‘ button once you’ve finished selecting and assigning all your test cases.

3. This will add and assign all the selected test cases to the individual person in JIRA.A module of the progress for adding the tests will appear and after it is complete, simply click on the ‘Close‘ button at the bottom right of the module.

4. After adding your test cases, you can view the added test cases by clicking on the testing cycle and viewing them in the table.

Assign Test Executions

Steps

1. On the ‘Cycle Summary‘ page, click on the ‘E‘ button for the individual test case that you want to assign.

2. This displays the test execution for that specific test and you can assign the test execution to a different user if need be. This can be done by using the ‘Assigned To‘ drop-down list and selecting a different user.After selecting a different user, it will autosave the test execution.

Execute the Tests

Steps

1. Users can quick execute test cases by using the drop-down list in the ‘Status‘ column of the test execution table within the testing cycle. Users can also execute their test cases in further detail by clicking on the ‘E‘ button for the individual test that needs to be executed.

2. After clicking on the ‘E‘ button, users can execute the entire test case by simply changing and updating the execution status of the test case. This can be done by using the ‘Execution Status‘ drop-down list and selecting one the statuses listed. This will execute the test case.

3. Users are also able to execute not only the entire test case but the individual test steps as well. Simply scroll down until you see the Test Details sections and then click on the drop-down list in the ‘Status‘ column for the individual test step.Select and update the status of the test step and this will execute the individual test step.

View Testing Progress

Steps

1. To view your test progress of all your testing activities, simply click on ‘Dashboards‘ at the left of the top menu navigation. Then click on the existing dashboard to open up the dashboard.

2. Here, users are able to preview all the gadgets that are added to the dashboard that may be tracking their testing activities throughout their projects.You can also add more Zephyr gadgets to the dashboard to track more of your testing activities across multiple projects or testing cycles.To do this, you can click on the ‘Add Gadget‘ button located at the top right-hand side of the dashboard interface.

3. This will display the ‘Add a gadget‘ module. Here, you can search for Zephyr gadgets by typing in ‘Zephyr‘ in the search bar located at the top left of the interface.Afterward, you can view and select which Zephyr testing gadget that you’d like to add to the dashboard.After selecting which gadget, you can simply click on the ‘Add gadget‘ button for the gadget to add it to your dashboard.This will add the gadget to your dashboard to help your users track and view your testing progress across all projects for your testing activities.