Link Cycles & Test Cases
Link test cycles and individual test cases to your test plan for comprehensive coverage tracking.
Link Test Cycles
The primary way to populate a test plan is by linking existing test cycles. Linking a cycle does not copy or move it — it creates a reference so the plan can display the cycle's execution data alongside other linked items. The cycle itself remains fully independent and accessible from the Test Cycles tab as usual.
How to Link Cycles
- Open the test plan by clicking its name in the plan list.
- Click the Link Test Cycles button in the plan toolbar. A dialog opens showing all available test cycles in the project.
- Browse or search the cycle list. You can filter by name to quickly find the cycles you need. Cycles that are already linked to this plan are visually indicated so you can avoid duplicates.
- Select one or more cycles by checking the checkbox next to each. You can select multiple cycles in a single operation for efficient bulk linking.
- Click Link to add the selected cycles to the plan. The cycles appear immediately in the plan's linked-cycles section with their current execution progress.
What Linking Means
- Reference, not copy: Linking creates a reference to the cycle. The cycle's test cases, assignments, and statuses are not duplicated. The plan reads the cycle's live data.
- Bi-directional sync: Any execution updates made within the cycle (from the Test Cycles tab) are automatically reflected in the plan's aggregated progress, and vice versa.
- Multi-plan membership: A cycle can be linked to multiple plans simultaneously. For example, a "Core Regression" cycle might be linked to both the "v3.0 Release Plan" and the "Sprint 14 Plan".
Unlinking Cycles
To remove a cycle from the plan, click the Unlink button on the cycle's row within the plan. Unlinking removes the reference only — the cycle itself, its test cases, execution statuses, and history are completely unaffected. You can re-link the same cycle later if needed.
Unlinking a cycle removes its execution data from the plan's aggregated progress metrics. If the plan is being used for release-readiness decisions, ensure you intend to exclude that cycle's results before unlinking.
Bulk linking workflow: If you are setting up a release plan with many cycles, use the search filter to find cycles by naming convention (e.g., search for "v3.0" to find all cycles named with that version prefix), then select all matching cycles at once.
Link Test Cases
In addition to linking entire test cycles, you can link individual test cases directly to a plan. This is useful for tests that do not belong to any specific cycle but still need to be tracked as part of the plan's overall scope — for example, ad-hoc exploratory tests, one-off verification checks, or newly created cases that have not yet been assigned to a cycle.
How to Link Test Cases
- Open the test plan.
- Click the Link Test Cases button. A folder tree picker dialog opens, mirroring the structure of your test case library.
- Browse the folder tree to navigate to the test cases you want. Expand folders and sub-folders to find specific cases. You can also use the search bar at the top of the picker to filter by test case name.
- Select individual test cases by checking their checkboxes, or select an entire folder to include all test cases within it (including nested sub-folders).
- Click Link to add the selected test cases to the plan. They appear in the plan's standalone test cases section.
Standalone Cases vs. Cycle Cases
It is important to understand the distinction between test cases linked directly to a plan (standalone cases) and test cases that are part of a linked cycle:
| Aspect | Standalone Cases (linked to plan) | Cycle Cases (via linked cycle) |
|---|---|---|
| How they arrive | Linked directly using the "Link Test Cases" button | Included automatically when a cycle is linked to the plan |
| Execution context | Executed within the plan itself | Executed within their cycle (reflected in the plan) |
| Assignment | Assigned within the plan view | Assigned within the cycle; reflected in the plan |
| Progress contribution | Counted in the plan's aggregated progress bar | Counted via the cycle's progress, which rolls up into the plan |
| Removal | Unlinked individually from the plan | Removed by unlinking the entire cycle from the plan |
Use standalone case linking for exploratory tests or one-off checks that do not fit neatly into any cycle. For structured, repeatable test runs, add the cases to a cycle and link the cycle to the plan instead.
Duplicate handling: If a test case is already part of a linked cycle, you can still link it directly to the plan as a standalone case. However, its execution data will be tracked separately in each context. To avoid confusion, it is generally best to let cycle-based cases contribute to the plan through their cycle rather than double-linking them.