This topic explains how to integrate TestRail with GitLab. There are currently four ways to integrate TestRail with GitLab, namely:
-
- Using defect URLs to link test results to GitLab
- Using reference URLs to link test cases to GitLab
- Using the defect plugin for GitLab to push and look up GitLab issues in the Defects field of test results
- Using the reference plugin for GitLab to look up GitLab issues in the References field of TestRail entities such as test cases, test runs, and milestones
You don’t have to use all listed integration options, and you can mix and match the integration with other tools. Configuring the integration usually only takes a few minutes. This guide explains how to configure the integration and how it works.
Defect URLs
The defect URLs are used to let TestRail know how to convert a Defect ID into a URL for your GitLab instance. There are two types of URLs: View URLs and Add URLs.
The Defect View URL is used to build a link to GitLab based on the Defect ID, so you can simply click on an ID to open the issue directly in GitLab.
The Defect Add URL is used to create a link to the issue creation screen inside GitLab. Once the URL is configured, a new Add link appears next to the Defects field in the Add Test Result dialog and the ‘Defects’ menu in TestRail’s Push Defect From Anywhere feature. This link allows you to jump to GitLab’s New Issue form to report a new bug.
If you see the ‘Add’ link, you can copy the ID of your new GitLab issue and enter it into any Defects or References field inside TestRail.
You can configure GitLab’s URLs in TestRail globally under Administration > Integration or on a per-project basis within any project’s settings. Use the following example URLs to configure the addresses:
GitLab installation Defect View Url: https://<GitLab_Space_URL>/<project>/-/issues/%id% Defect Add Url: https://<GitLab_Space_URL>/<project>/-/issues/new
Please make sure to replace <GitLab_Space_URL> and <project> with the actual values of the GitLab Space URL and the project name in GitLab you want to integrate with.
If you have the defect plugin configured, you’ll also be able to hover over the defect ID to view the issue details directly from within TestRail.
Reference URLs
The reference URLs are implemented in a very similar manner to Defect URLs described above. The primary difference is Reference URLs are used for the ‘References’ field on various TestRail entities (instead of the Defects field).
The Reference View URL is configured in the same manner as described above and allows TestRail to create a direct link to a GitLab based on an ID entered into a References field.
The Reference Add URL is also configured in the same way as the Defect Add URL. Once configured, an ‘Add’ link will appear next to each References field in your instance or project. If you use the ‘Add’ link, you can copy the ID of your new GitLab issue and enter it into any Defects or References field inside TestRail.
If you have the Reference plugin configured, you’ll also be able to hover over a Reference ID to view the issue details directly from within TestRail. Keep reading to learn how to use and configure the Defect and Reference Plugins.
Defect Plugin
Defect plugins can be used to implement a deeper bug tracker integration and TestRail comes with a ready-to-use GitLab defect plugin. To configure the defect plugin, select Administration > Integration and select GitLab in the Defect Plugin drop-down list. The next step is to configure all the necessary connection settings in the [connection] category. You can also configure the integration for a specific project by editing a project’s settings.
The Defect Plugin utilizes GitLab’s API, so valid credentials are needed to connect to the API. You can enter a single set of credentials here for all GitLab users. or you can insert User Variables to allow each TestRail user to configure their own credentials. These credentials may be a combination of an email address or username with a password or API key.
We strongly recommend configuring User Variables. You can learn more about configuring these in our User Variables documentation.
With the Defect Plugin configured, the option to push a new defect will appear in the Defect from Anywhere menu, as well as in the Add Result dialog withing a test run. This dialog allows you to create a new issue in GitLab without leaving TestRail.
Cutomizations
The GitLab defect plugin was built to work with a standard GitLab configuration. TestRail allows you to customize the fields which appear in the Push dialog as well as when hovering over Defect IDs. Preconfigured push fields and hover fields can be set to ‘on’ or ‘off’ in their respective [push.fields] and [hover.fields] sections, or change the order in which they appear by the fields in each section.
Please keep in mind some fields (such as the title field) are always enabled and may not appear in these sections due to always beings required by either TestRail or GitLab.
The GitLab Defect Plugin also supports modifying field properties as well as custom fields.
In addition to enabling, disabling, or re-organizing fields as described above, it’s also possible to change additional options per field. To do this, you would define a section for the field, such as [push.field.description], and specify additional options within this section.
[push.field.description] label=Detailed Description required=true
Please see below for a full list and explanation of the available field options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| label | Specifies the display name of the field in the Push Defect dialogue (Required for custom fields) |
| size | Specifies whether the field is displayed as a compact field (compact) or uses the full width of the dialogue (full) |
| remember | Specifies if previously selected values for this field should be remembered and restored the next time the Push Defect dialogue is opened |
| required | Specifies if this field is mandatory or optional and whether users are required to enter a value for this field in the Push Defect dialogue |
Attachments
The GitLab Defect Plugin supports submitting attachments to GitLab as well. This field can be turned on and off, but cannot be customized. To submit one or more attachments to GitLab, simply drag the attachment to the attachments or description areas of the push dialog or click on the area to choose an attachment from your file system.
To enable attachments in the push dialog, add ‘attachments=on’ to the [push.fields] section of the Defect Plugin’s settings.
Reference Plugin
Reference plugins can be used to retrieve additional information from IDs entered into the References field of TestRail entities, such as test cases, test runs, and milestones. The Reference Plugin is configured on the References tab of the integration settings, in the same manner, the Defect Plugin is configured.
The plugin supports hovering over Reference IDs but does not support a Push dialog for the References field. It is also possible to customize the fields which appear via link hovering and add custom fields, as described above.
If you have the Defect Plugin already configured for GitLab, you can simply copy your [connection] and [hover.fields] sections from the Defect Plugin into the Reference plugin configuration. Alternatively, you can choose different fields to be displayed for References and Defects.
Additional Customizations
TestRail also supports custom defect plugins. If your team uses TestRail Server, it is possible to further customize the defect plugin (or build your own) to support additional field types or other data. Please see our Defect plugins documentation for additional information.