Gherkin Steps

When preparing your CSV file, you can define your test steps in two ways: using classic steps or Gherkin-style steps. The choice depends on how your test cases are currently written and how you want them to appear in Qase.

Before you begin, take a moment to review your existing steps. If they are simple instructions, you’ll likely use classic steps. If they follow a structured format with keywords like Given, When, and Then, then you’re working with Gherkin steps.

The key difference when using Gherkin vs. Classic steps is that you must specify the type in the steps_type column either classic or gherkin.

For classic steps, start by entering classic in the steps_type column.

Next, fill in the following columns:

Each step should be written on a new line and numbered in sequence (1, 2, 3, …).

The key thing to keep in mind is that steps_actions is mandatory if you're adding steps to your test case. For every step action, you can optionally add corresponding data and expected results.

You cannot add steps_result or steps_data without a matching step action. Every result or data entry must be tied to an action.

The system matches them using the sequence number. For example, step 1 in steps_actions will be linked to sequence 1 in steps_results and steps_data.

It’s perfectly fine to leave steps_data or steps_results empty for any step if they are not needed.

Here’s an example of an incorrect way to add steps, notice how there are entries for data or results for a sequence number that doesn’t have a corresponding action.

Here’s the corrected version, where each step action has matching data and/or results for the same sequence.

Note: This example uses the V1 format. If your steps include line breaks, commas, or other special cases mentioned earlier, you’ll need to use the V2 format instead.

Each step’s content needs to be enclosed in double quotes. The steps_type remains the same (you’ll still use classic), but the values in steps_actions, steps_result, and steps_data must all be wrapped in double quotes, like this:

Add gherkin in the steps_type column, and then write your Gherkin steps in the steps_actions column.

When defining Gherkin steps, there’s no need to add steps_result or steps_data separately. In Gherkin, each step already explains what it does using keywords like Given, When, and Then. For example, a Then step usually describes the expected result, so adding it again isn’t necessary.

If you want to add actions, data, and expected results separately, you should use classic steps instead.

Nothing changes here, you don’t need to enclose your Gherkin steps in double quotes in the V2 format. They can be added the same way as in V1.