How to Migrate from TestRail to TestLink Pro: Step-by-Step Guide

Migrating from one test management platform to another can feel daunting—especially when you've built up years of test cases, suite structures, and execution history. This guide walks you through the complete process of moving from TestRail to TestLink Pro, including preparation, execution, validation, and team onboarding.

TestLink Pro includes a built-in TestRail importer that handles the heavy lifting. You don't need to manually export CSVs, map fields, or write migration scripts. But a smooth migration still requires planning, so let's cover everything from pre-migration assessment to post-migration validation.

Before You Migrate: Assessment Checklist

1. Audit Your TestRail Data

Before exporting anything, take stock of what you have:

• Test suites and sections: How many suites do you have? How are they organized? TestLink Pro supports hierarchical test case organization, so your structure will map cleanly.
• Test cases: Count your total test cases. TestLink Pro's free tier supports 1,000 test cases; the Starter plan ($19/mo) has higher limits. Make sure your plan can accommodate your data.
• Custom fields: List all custom fields you've created in TestRail. You'll need to recreate these in TestLink Pro before importing.
• Templates: Note which TestRail templates (Test Case, Test Case (Steps), Exploratory, BDD) you use. Plan how each maps to TestLink Pro's test case format.
• Attachments: Screenshots, files, and other attachments embedded in test cases need separate handling—they typically don't transfer through bulk import tools.
• Test results and history: Decide how much execution history you need to preserve. Most teams find that importing test cases is critical, while historical results are nice-to-have.
• Integrations: List your TestRail integrations (Jira, CI/CD, etc.) so you can set up equivalent connections in TestLink Pro.

2. Set Up Your TestLink Pro Account

1. Sign up at testlinkpro.com — the free tier (5 users, 3 projects, 1,000 test cases) is enough for a migration test run.
2. Create your project — match your TestRail project structure. If you have multiple TestRail projects, create corresponding projects in TestLink Pro.
3. Configure custom fields — recreate any custom fields from TestRail (priority, type, automation status, etc.) before importing data.
4. Set up integrations — connect Jira, GitHub, GitLab, ClickUp, or Azure DevOps. TestLink Pro supports 15 integrations. Getting these configured before migration means your team can start working immediately after the switch.

3. Evaluate Your Migration Scope

Decide what to migrate:

Step-by-Step Migration Process

Step 1: Export Your Data from TestRail

TestRail provides several export options. The approach depends on your data volume:

Option A: CSV/Excel Export (Small to Medium)

1. In TestRail, navigate to your test suite
2. Select the cases you want to export (or select all)
3. Click the export button and choose CSV or Excel
4. Include all relevant fields: title, section, steps, expected results, preconditions, priority, type, and any custom fields
5. Save the exported file

Option B: API Export (Large Repositories)

For large test repositories (10,000+ cases), the API is more reliable than CSV export:

# Get all test cases for a project
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -u "email:api_key" \
  "https://your-instance.testrail.io/index.php?/api/v2/get_cases/{project_id}"

TestRail's API returns test cases in JSON format with pagination. You'll need to handle pagination for large datasets (250 cases per request by default).

Option C: XML Export

TestRail also supports XML export from the test suite view. This preserves section hierarchy and is useful for structured imports.

Step 2: Prepare Your Data

Before importing into TestLink Pro, review and clean your exported data:

1. Remove obsolete test cases. Migration is a natural opportunity to prune. Delete deprecated, duplicate, or irrelevant test cases rather than carrying them forward.
2. Standardize formats. If different team members used different conventions for steps, expected results, or preconditions, normalize them now.
3. Map field values. Create a mapping between TestRail field values and TestLink Pro equivalents:
4. Priority: Critical/High/Medium/Low → map to TestLink Pro's priority scale
5. Type: Functional/Regression/Smoke/etc. → map or recreate
6. Custom fields: Note which TestLink Pro fields correspond to each TestRail custom field
7. Handle rich text. TestRail uses markdown/HTML in test case descriptions and steps. Verify that formatting transfers correctly by testing with a small batch first.

Step 3: Use the Built-in TestRail Importer

TestLink Pro includes a dedicated TestRail importer that simplifies the process:

1. Navigate to your project in TestLink Pro
2. Open the import tool — find the TestRail importer in the project settings or test case management area
3. Upload your exported data — select the CSV, Excel, or XML file exported from TestRail
4. Map fields — the importer will prompt you to map TestRail fields to TestLink Pro fields:
5. Test case title → Title
6. Section → Folder/Section in TestLink Pro
7. Steps → Test Steps
8. Expected Result → Expected Result
9. Preconditions → Preconditions
10. Priority → Priority
11. Custom fields → your configured custom fields
12. Preview the import — review a sample of mapped test cases before committing
13. Run the import — execute the import and monitor progress
14. Verify counts — confirm the imported test case count matches your source data

Step 4: Validate the Migration

Validation is the most important step. Don't skip it.

Quantitative checks:

• [ ] Total test case count matches source
• [ ] Section/folder structure matches TestRail hierarchy
• [ ] Custom field values transferred correctly
• [ ] Priority and type mappings are accurate

Qualitative checks:

• [ ] Open 10-20 representative test cases and verify content
• [ ] Check that multi-step test cases have all steps
• [ ] Verify preconditions and expected results
• [ ] Confirm rich text formatting (bold, links, tables) rendered correctly
• [ ] Check that section nesting is correct (not flattened)

Run a test execution:

• [ ] Create a test run using imported cases
• [ ] Execute 5-10 test cases manually to verify the workflow
• [ ] Confirm that results can be recorded and saved

Step 5: Re-create Test Plans and Configurations

Test plans, configurations, and milestones are typically faster to recreate than to migrate:

1. Create test plans in TestLink Pro that match your current testing workflow
2. Set up configurations (browsers, environments, platforms) if applicable
3. Create your first test run using imported test cases

Step 6: Migrate Attachments

Attachments (screenshots, documents, files) need manual handling:

1. Download attachments from TestRail — either manually for small sets, or via the API:

   # Get attachments for a test case
   curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -u "email:api_key" \
     "https://your-instance.testrail.io/index.php?/api/v2/get_attachments_for_case/{case_id}"

1. Upload to TestLink Pro — attach files to the corresponding test cases in TestLink Pro

For large attachment volumes, consider whether all attachments are still relevant. Old screenshots from deprecated features may not be worth migrating.

Step 7: Set Up Integrations

Configure TestLink Pro integrations to replace your TestRail connections:

Step 8: Onboard Your Team

Migration isn't done until your team is productive in the new tool.

Before the switch:

1. Share login credentials and project access with all team members
2. Conduct a 30-minute walkthrough covering:
3. Where to find test cases (navigation differences from TestRail)
4. How to create and execute test runs
5. How to link test cases to Jira tickets or requirements
6. How to use Spaces for documentation
7. Identify 1-2 team members as "power users" who can help others

During the first week:

1. Run your first real test cycle in TestLink Pro (not TestRail)
2. Keep TestRail accessible (read-only) for reference
3. Collect feedback from the team — note any workflow friction

After the first sprint:

1. Review the migration with your team
2. Address any missing data or workflow gaps
3. Set a date to deactivate TestRail (tip: export a final backup before canceling)

Common Migration Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Pitfall 1: Trying to Migrate Everything

Problem: Teams spend weeks trying to migrate every test result, attachment, and configuration from the last 5 years.

Solution: Migrate test cases (your intellectual property) thoroughly. For test results and history, migrate only what you'll actively reference (usually the last 3-6 months). Older history can be exported as a CSV archive and stored separately.

Pitfall 2: Not Validating Before Going Live

Problem: The team switches to TestLink Pro, discovers missing or malformed data, and has to context-switch back to TestRail.

Solution: Run a parallel period. Execute one test cycle in TestLink Pro while keeping TestRail read-only. Only decommission TestRail after your team confirms the new setup works.

Pitfall 3: Forgetting CI/CD Integration

Problem: Test cases are migrated, but the CI pipeline still reports results to TestRail. Automated results stop appearing.

Solution: Update your CI/CD configuration before the migration date. Set up CI report ingestion in TestLink Pro (JUnit, TestNG, Playwright, Cypress) and verify at least one automated run reports results correctly.

Pitfall 4: Not Mapping Custom Fields

Problem: Custom field values from TestRail don't map to anything in TestLink Pro, resulting in data loss.

Solution: Create all custom fields in TestLink Pro before running the import. Map each TestRail field to its TestLink Pro equivalent during the import step. Test with a small batch first.

Pitfall 5: Losing Section Hierarchy

Problem: Flat CSV exports lose the nested section structure that organized your test suites.

Solution: Use the XML export from TestRail, which preserves hierarchy. Or use the built-in TestRail importer, which handles section mapping during the import process.

Migration Timeline

For a typical team (500-5,000 test cases), expect this timeline:

Total: 2-3 weeks from start to full cutover, with minimal disruption to testing activities.

What You Gain After Migration

Once you're on TestLink Pro, here's what changes:

• Cost savings: If you were on TestRail Professional ($39/user/mo), switching to TestLink Pro Team ($5.50/user/mo) saves 85% per user. A 15-person team saves $6,000+ per year.
• AI-powered execution: Run Playwright tests directly from TestLink Pro—no external infrastructure required.
• Test recording: Capture browser interactions and convert them to executable tests without writing code.
• EU data hosting: Your test data is hosted in Germany, meeting GDPR and EU data residency requirements.
• Simpler pricing: No annual commitment required. The $19/mo Starter plan covers up to 10 users with flat-rate pricing.

Need Help Migrating?

If you have a large or complex TestRail instance (50,000+ test cases, extensive custom configurations, or strict compliance requirements), reach out to the TestLink Pro team for migration assistance.

Start your free migration → · Sign up free, import your TestRail data, and run your first test cycle in under an hour.

This guide was last updated in November 2026. TestRail API endpoints and export procedures may change; refer to TestRail's current documentation for the latest export instructions.