Create an automated test run

Last updated: November 2026

Create an automated test run in Katalon True to run test suites immediately or on a schedule. Configure each suite separately or apply shared settings to several suites at once.

requirements

• Test artifacts are available in Katalon True. Choose one of these methods:
  • Upload a Katalon Studio project or ZIP file to a local repository: Upload test cases through ZIP upload
  • Sync a connected repository through Git integration: GitHub integration, GitLab integration, Bitbucket integration, or Azure Repos integration
• After the sync is complete, verify that your test suites or test suite collections appear in the project repository before creating the run.

Try this with Katalon AI

You can also ask Katalon AI Assistant to create an automated test run. Include the test run name, selected tests, profile, the environment configuration for each test suite, and whether the run should start now or follow a schedule, then review the generated setup before execution.

See Katalon AI Assistant.

Create an automated test run

Use UI mode to select and configure test suites from your Katalon Studio project.

1. Go to Executions > +Create > Create Automated Test Run.

2. Enter the run details:

   • Test Run Name
   • Creator (default: current user)
   • Release/Sprint: include the run in the relevant analytics.
   • Additional information: complete additional fields and add tags for reporting. See Customizable fields.

3. Click Select Tests and select test suites or test suite collections from the repository.

4. Select a Profile.

5. Configure the execution environment for your tests:

   • One suite: Click the gear icon in its row to open Select Configurations. This also works for member suites within a collection.

   • Multiple suites or collections: Select their rows and click Configure. Use the header checkbox to select all rows in the current view.

     In Edit selected test(s), set the Execution profile and Configuration on the appropriate tab. For collections, you can also set Run mode to sequential or parallel. Leave fields empty to keep existing values, then click Save. Use Undo in the confirmation message to revert the edit.

6. Click Run Now. Katalon True opens Test Run Details, where you can monitor the execution.

Choose an environment

For either configuration method, choose an environment for the selected tests:

• Desktop & Mobile Browser
  • For functional tests on web applications.
  • Choose a Cloud-hosted or Self-hosted agent, then pick OS + browser combinations (e.g., Chrome on Windows, Safari on macOS).
  • Mobile browsers offer the platform browser only: Chrome when you select an Android device, Safari when you select an iOS device.
• Mobile Native App
  • For testing Android/iOS apps.
  • Select or upload the Mobile Application first — the app drives the device list. An .apk file filters the list to Android devices; an .ipa file filters it to iOS devices. Then choose the OS version, device type, and device.
• Web Services
  • For testing APIs and backend services.
  • Uses the fixed default configuration TestCloud Linux; it is not editable.

You can assign multiple environments to a standalone test suite. Test suite collections use the settings from Katalon Studio. If you change a collection's configuration in Katalon True, it no longer synchronizes with the configuration in Katalon Studio.

Execution agent

Choose a Self-hosted agent to run tests on infrastructure you manage, or a Cloud-hosted agent to run them on Katalon's infrastructure.

Self-hosted Agents	Cloud-hosted Agents (TestCloud)
Installed on infrastructure you manage, such as a VM or private cloud. Best for secure or restricted environments, or when you need tests to run inside your own network. Supports both UI Mode (Studio artifacts) and Command Line Mode (Katalon Test Execution - Local/other frameworks).	Managed by Katalon. Scales instantly across browsers, operating systems, and devices. Best for fast setup and zero maintenance.

Rule of Thumb

• Use Cloud-hosted for convenience and scalability.
• Use Self-hosted/Katalon Runtime Engine for compliance, local dependencies, or CI/CD integrations.

Auto-select an available agent

For Self-hosted runs, Katalon True can automatically select an available agent each time the run triggers.

1. In Select Configurations, select Self-hosted, then choose Auto-select available agent from the Agent list.
2. Optionally, click + Add condition to filter by OS, Agent name, or Hostname, then click Save. An agent must match all conditions.

Each occurrence uses one matching agent. If none is active at trigger time, that occurrence is cancelled with a reason. The next scheduled occurrence checks for matching agents again.

Execution profile

Profiles (from Katalon Studio Execution Profiles) let you parameterize test data and environments:

• Store variables such as URLs, credentials, API keys.
• Allow the same test suite to run across Dev, QA, Staging, or Prod-like setups.
• Selected in UI Mode via dropdown, or passed in CLI with executionProfile.

When prompting Katalon AI Assistant to create the run, include the exact profile name you want to use.

Parallel execution

Parallel execution runs independent test cases concurrently across available Test Execution - Cloud sessions, helping reduce the total execution time for large test suites. Enable Parallelize Test Cases when your test cases do not depend on one another. For setup instructions and limitations, see Parallel test case execution.

Advanced settings

Use Advanced Settings for optional capabilities such as visual testing, selecting a Git branch or runtime version, accessing private applications, and pushing results to Azure DevOps.

Setting	When to use it
Visual Testing	Detect visual changes by comparing screenshots against a baseline.
Branch	Run tests on a specific Git branch with a Cloud-hosted Agent.
Katalon Runtime Engine Version	Select a runtime version that is compatible with your tests.
Private/Local Testing	Access applications in a private or local network.
Azure DevOps result push	Send test execution results to Azure DevOps.

• Visual Testing: Enable this option to verify that your application's UI looks correct in addition to functioning correctly. On the first run, Katalon creates a baseline screenshot collection. Future runs compare screenshots against the baseline and flag visual differences in Katalon True, where you can approve a change to update the baseline or reject it as a regression. For details, see Visual Testing.

• Branch: This setting applies only to Cloud-hosted Agents (Test Execution - Cloud). If your project is connected to a Git repository, select the branch to use for this run. The setting defaults to the integrated branch. For details, see Run tests on a specific Git branch.

• Katalon Runtime Engine Version: Select the version required for compatibility with your tests.

• Private/Local Testing: Enable this option to connect tests to private or local environments. Then:

  • Select a specific Cloud Execution Tunnel, or use Auto-selected tunnel to select an available tunnel automatically. Private tunnels take priority over shared tunnels.

  • If your tests make API calls, select Also Include API Calls.

  • Alternatively, select Cloud Execution IPs Whitelisting to allow Cloud Execution to access your application directly without a tunnel.

    For details, see Local testing.

• Azure DevOps result push: Use this setting to send completed test run results to an Azure DevOps Test Plan. In Advanced Settings > ALM, configure the following fields:

1. ALM integration: Select a configured Azure DevOps integration.
2. ALM test plan: Select the destination test plan. This field is optional when you select Manual push only.
3. ALM push mechanism: Choose when Katalon sends the results:
   • Manual push only: Review a completed run and push its results from the Test Run Details page.
   • Automatically push all runs: Push every completed run automatically.
   • Automatically push passed runs only: Push a run only when every test in the run passes.

For integration requirements, manual push instructions, and result verification, see Push test results to Azure DevOps.

Create a command-line test run

Create automated tests in Command Line Mode when:

• You need more flexibility, e.g., passing custom arguments.

• You run non-Katalon frameworks (e.g., Pytest, JUnit).

• You want consistency with existing CI/CD scripts.

This mode supports any framework and is highly customizable. You should be familiar with command-line interfaces and execution syntax.

You can also ask Katalon AI Assistant to help draft the command configuration, especially when you already know the repository, framework, execution profile, and custom arguments you need.

Rule of thumb

Start with UI mode for Katalon-managed tests, use Command Line mode when integrating with external tools or advanced CI/CD workflows.

To execute tests in this mode, instead of selecting tests in the UI, you configure commands:

1. On the Create Automated Test Run screen → choose Command Line Mode.

2. Select repository.

3. Provide commands:

   • Katalon Commands: For Katalon Studio/Katalon Runtime Engine tests. Use Command Builder for syntax help.
   • Generic Commands: For non-Katalon frameworks (e.g., Pytest).

API and CLI compatibility

Payloads that set a testRunType value keep working: the value is applied as the default configuration for test suites that do not have an explicit configuration of their own.

Schedule and manage test runs

Run now or schedule

After setting up a test run, you can execute it immediately or schedule daily or weekly runs to identify patterns and potential anomalies.

If you want Katalon AI Assistant to create a scheduled automated run, mention the start time, recurrence, and selected tests directly in your prompt.

Run Now	Schedule
- Immediately triggers execution. - Best for ad-hoc validation or smoke checks.	- Delays or repeats the execution. - Best for regression, nightly runs, or aligning with sprint/release cadence.

Manage scheduled runs

Use Manage Automated Schedule to control recurring executions and keep upcoming runs aligned with your testing needs:

• Control which schedules run. Activate, deactivate, or delete schedules individually or in bulk. Deactivate a schedule to pause recurring execution without deleting it.
• Review past execution. The Test Runs tab shows previous runs and their results, Overview shows insights of past performance, and Configurations shows the execution settings.
• Adjust future runs. Edit a schedule's profile, environment, recurrence, or other settings as your testing needs change. Saved changes apply to future runs, and Katalon True marks the schedule as changed.