---
title: Import a test plan overview
description: Learn how to import a test plan, how the import process works, and potential errors.
---

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# Import a test plan overview

## Learn how to import a test plan, how the import process works, and potential errors.

This article applies to **Pro**, **Teams**, and **Legacy** editions. 

Importing a test plan serves as a convenient method for creating features, phases, and teams within your project. This process streamlines the setup of your testing environment, making it easier to manage and organize your testing activities.

### Creating a Test Plan Import Sheet

To begin, you'll need to acquire a Centercode test plan import sheet template.

1. From within your project, click the **Management** menu
2. Select **Test plan**
3. In the top right, click **Import test plan via file**
4. Click **Download the template** to get started!

![](https://t.gyazo.com/teams/centercode/a071e8e83bbfb78548981e569c2f1052.png)

**NOTE:** When filling out your test plan template, do **NOT** make any alterations to the template sheet. This includes adding, removing, or rearranging columns (resizing columns or rows is fine). This can cause errors when uploading your completed test plan template!

### Uploading a Test Plan

Once you've completed your test plan template sheet, click **Select a file** (or drag the file into the file upload area) to upload your test plan.

### Override Phase Schedule in Test Plan File

When importing a test plan, you have the option to select the **Override phase schedule in test plan file** checkbox.

This option affects how phases are created within the imported test plan.

![](https://help.centercode.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowledge%20Base%20Resources/Knowledge%20Base%20Import/577d8b95f5d5825e61f5ef82bdda96b4.png?width=670&height=333&name=577d8b95f5d5825e61f5ef82bdda96b4.png)

- When you select **Override phase schedule in test plan file**, you will be prompted to specify the phase length, which can be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Additionally, you can choose the start date for the phases.
- If you do not select this option *and the imported test plan file does not contain phase information*, all items will be placed into a single one-month phase starting the next day. This phase will be named **Imported Phase**.

### Import Set Processing

When importing a test plan, the system scans the file for specific row headings. The import process starts with the first sheet in the file and sequentially processes all sheets.

Here's how the import set processing works:

- **Scanning and processing:** The import process scans each sheet to identify matching sets. When a matching set is found, it processes the set's data and then proceeds to the next sheet.

- **Multiple matching sets:** It's possible that multiple sheets may contain the same heading set. In this case, each sheet with a matching set will be processed. For example, you might have different sheets for each phase in your test plan.
- **Feature and Phase matching**: If a feature import set does not include a phase column, but the sheet matches a phase name in a phase import set, that phase name will be used for the imported features.

**View [this](https://centercode.gyazo.com/64ad38603228ae1a0d9e62d99a11d553) example of completed sets within the test plan template.** 

### Potential Errors for Your Import Test Failure Page

During the import process, you might encounter configuration errors from your template. To prevent common errors, Centercode checks for specific criteria to validate your data.

Here are the potential errors you may encounter:

![](https://help.centercode.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowledge%20Base%20Resources/Knowledge%20Base%20Import/46fb75dce598294b839b265016b9ab17.png?width=670&height=340&name=46fb75dce598294b839b265016b9ab17.png)

**Teams Sheet**

- "Type" field must be one of these values: Applicants, Participants, Internal Members, Project Managers

**Phase/Features With Phases Sheet** 

- "Type" field must be one of these values: Onboarding, Engagement, Closure
- Start Date: Requires a valid date value in the format MM/DD/YYYY
- End Date: Requires a valid date value in the format MM/DD/YYYY
- Adjust your new phase dates so they don’t overlap with the phases already scheduled
- Phase: Requires a valid value
- Description: Requires a valid value
- For Value, select one of these options: Very Low, Low, Neutral, High, Very High
- For Effort, select one of these options: Very Low, Low, Medium, High, Very High
- For Satisfaction, choose yes or no
- Optional: A yes or no value is required
- Phase Does Not Exist

### "Importing" a test plan via AI test plan creation

Another avenue you can use to "import" a non-Centercode test plan sheet would be to use the Centercode AI test plan generation tool and feed it all the relevant test plan documents you have. [Read more here!](https://help.centercode.com/en/creating-a-test-plan-using-ai?hsLang=en)

### Notes:

- Centercode currently only supports the Centercode test plan template for import.
- When filling out your test plan template, do **NOT** make any alterations to the template sheet. This includes adding, removing, or rearranging columns (resizing columns or rows is fine). This can cause errors when uploading your completed test plan template!
- To download the test plan template, you'll select the *"Download the template"*  hyperlink to retrieve the blank spreadsheet within the **Import a test plan** page.

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