Design reusable step-based, unstructured or BDD test cases with rich formatting for steps, preconditions and free text.
Test management for Jira Cloud
Jira testing software for the whole test workflow
Manage test cases, run manual tests, start automation and report coverage in Jira Cloud. Nexus connects requirements, test results, defects, data and release evidence in the same workflow your delivery team uses.
Real Jira issue typesManual and automated evidenceJQL, reports and release context
How it works
What teams need from Jira test case management
A test repository is only useful when the team can connect a case to the requirement, execution, defect and release decision that gave it meaning.
Nexus keeps the core test artefacts in Jira so existing permissions, links, workflows and JQL remain part of the operating model. The Test Hub adds purpose-built planning, execution and reporting views without creating a separate account system.
Group tests into sets and cycles, assign work and record step results.
Bring uploaded automation results and manual runs into the same evidence model.
Trace requirements to tests, executions and linked Jira defects.
Export folders as CSV, JSON, Excel or Cucumber .feature files. Export and import Test Sets and cycles, with preview and undo for imports.
Implementation guide
Choose how to design each test
Manual testing starts with a clear action and expected result. BDD cases express behaviour in Gherkin. Neither requires AI or automated execution: choose the format that makes the scenario easiest for your team to review.
For a complex workflow, model-based testing turns states, transitions or decision-table rules into ordinary Test Cases. AI generation offers another starting point: editable drafts from a Jira requirement, with optional requirement analysis and explicit acceptance before a case is created.
Write step-based cases for repeatable manual checks.
Use unstructured cases when a free-text scenario is more appropriate.
Capture browser interactions with the Nexus recorder and review the resulting test.
Use model-based testing for paths and business rules; use AI drafts when requirement text is the starting point.
Implementation guide
Run manual and automated testing against the same scope
Put the selected cases into a cycle and assign the work. Manual testers record outcomes, comments and evidence. Automated results match the intended Test Case by Automation Key or issue key, so engineers and QA leads can investigate the same cycle rather than reconcile disconnected spreadsheets.
Run in CI can start configured GitHub Actions, GitLab.com, Azure DevOps or Bitbucket pipelines from Jira. The pipeline executes in your infrastructure and returns results to Nexus; Forge does not run your browser tests.
Record step results and connect failed runs to Jira Bugs.
Ingest results from frameworks such as Playwright, Selenium, Cypress, Cucumber and JUnit.
Attach governed test data to the scenario that consumes it.
Keep environment and build context alongside the run, then review release evidence.
Implementation guide
Choose the workflow before the feature list
Start with one representative release. Map how requirements become cases, how tests enter a cycle, how failures become defects and who records the final decision. That path exposes fit more reliably than counting menu items.
For QA leads: repository structure, reuse, review and reporting.
For testers: a focused runner, evidence capture and defect creation.
For engineers: stable automation keys, result ingestion and CI examples.
For release owners: current environment evidence, gates and sign-off history.
Implementation guide
Start with a representative Jira project
Begin with one real requirement and a small set of positive, negative and boundary checks. This gives your team a practical way to evaluate Jira test management software: can a reviewer follow the requirement through its cases, outcomes and defects to the release decision?
A Jira administrator provisions the Nexus issue types and project setup. Add the Nexus project tab, enable the modules your pilot needs, then use the Overview quick-start list to create the first test, cycle and result. The setup guide explains the differences between company-managed and team-managed projects.
Agree which requirement and release the pilot will prove.
Create or import a few cases, inspect their content and link the requirements.
Run one manual cycle and one representative automation upload.
Open Coverage and Reports, investigate a failure and review the evidence before expanding the pilot.
Questions buyers ask
Frequently asked questions
Is Nexus a Jira Cloud test management app?
Yes. Nexus is built for Jira Cloud on Atlassian Forge. It does not use a separate Resync application backend.
Are test cases Jira issues?
Yes. Test Cases, Test Sets and Test Executions are Jira issues. Supporting run, data, environment and audit records use Forge app storage.
Can Nexus manage automated and manual tests together?
Yes. Manual execution and ingested automation results use the same traceability and reporting model. Test code still runs in your own CI, workstation or customer-hosted runner.
Does Jira include test case management without an app?
Jira work items can hold test information, but Nexus adds dedicated Test Cases, sets, cycles, execution views, coverage and reporting to that workflow. Evaluate the dedicated workflow against the fields and boards your team already uses.
Do I need AI to use Nexus?
No. Manual testing, BDD, model-based testing, automation ingestion, test data and release workflows can be used without an AI provider account.
Test the workflow with a real Jira project
Start with one requirement, one cycle and one release decision.