Shared Test Data

In automated test, many test scenarios may need to use the same test data, such as user login information, product data, or configuration parameters. Apidog supports creating Shared Test Data that can be used across multiple scenarios. This reduces repetitive work, ensures data consistency, and makes test resource management more efficient.

Main Advantages of Shared Test Data:

Cross-Scenario Sharing: Maintain one set of test data at the project level for multiple scenarios to reference.

Unified Management: Centralized test data storage; modifying in one place updates all scenarios that referenced the data.

Consistency Guarantee: Ensures different scenarios use the same base data to avoid deviations in results.

Standardized Workflow: Establishes test data standards to improve team collaboration and maintainability of the testing workflow.

Creating Shared Test Data

Method 1: Static Test Data

In your project, click Tests in the left menu, then select the Test Data tab.

Click the Create Test Data (Static) button and enter a name.

Import or manually edit the data. It supports CSV and JSON imports, manual table editing, or bulk generation.

Click Save to create a shared test data.

Method 2: Database Connection

This allows you to pull data dynamically from a database, ideal for staying consistent with real-world data.

In the Test Data tab, click Create Test Data (Database).

If currently no database connection is configured, click Set Data Source Config to add or select a database.

Write a SQL query to get the test data. You can also use variables in the SQL. For example:

Click Save to create a shared test data.

Once data is pulled, it remains static until you manually refresh it.

Using Shared Test Data in Scenarios

Once you create shared test data, you can reference it in any test scenarios.

Go to a Test Scenario, and in the run configuration panel, click the Test Data dropdown to select your shared data.

Once referenced, you can use the data in test steps using the {{variable_name}} syntax.

Managing Shared Test Data

Editing Shared Test Data

In the "Shared Test Data" list, click a data name to open the edit screen. You can:

Change the data name

Add, delete, or edit data rows

Add or remove data columns (variables)

Import new data to overwrite existing data

Export the current data as CSV or JSON

After you update shared test data, all scenario cases that reference that data automatically use the latest values — no manual sync needed.

Editing limits for database-type shared test data:

Data content is read-only; you cannot edit individual values directly

Manual refresh is supported: data is fetched again from the linked database and overwrites the current set

You can change the test data name

You can change the database connection settings or the SQL query

Configuring Data by Environment

Shared test data can be configured per environment. You can maintain a separate dataset for development, testing, and other environments; when you switch environments, the data for that environment is used automatically.

Using Shared Test Data in Scripts

You can access shared test data in pre or post processor scripts:

The variable name must match the column name in the shared test data.

Shared Test Data vs Scenario Test Data

Comparison	Shared Test Data	Scenario Test Data
Data scope	Project-level; can be used by multiple test scenarios	Only the current test scenario
Data sync	Changes automatically apply to all scenarios that reference it	Affects only the current scenario
Use case	Common base data, e.g. user info, product data	Data specific to one scenario
Maintenance	Low; managed in one place	Higher; maintained per scenario

Best Practices

1. Use the right data granularity

Use shared test data for highly reusable base data; keep scenario-specific data inside the scenario.

2. Use clear naming

Give shared test data descriptive names (e.g. "User login data", "Product list data") so the team can understand and choose them easily.

3. Clean up unused data regularly

Periodically check which shared test data is still referenced and remove data that is no longer used to keep the list tidy.

4. Use with environment variables

Keep environment-related settings (e.g. URLs, keys) in environment variables and business data in shared test data for clear separation of concerns.

FAQs

What's the difference between shared test data and environment variables?

Environment variables are best for configuration (e.g. API base URL, keys), usually one value per variable. Shared test data is best for business data and supports multiple rows for data-driven tests. You can use both together.

Does changing shared test data affect tests that are already running?

No. A running test uses a snapshot of the data from when the run started. Your changes only affect new test runs you start after that.

How many records can shared test data hold?

Shared test data supports a large number of records; the exact limit depends on your team plan. Keeping each dataset to a reasonable size (e.g. under 1000 rows) is recommended for best performance.

Main Advantages of Shared Test Data:#

Creating Shared Test Data#

Method 1: Static Test Data#

Method 2: Database Connection#

Using Shared Test Data in Scenarios#

Managing Shared Test Data#

Editing Shared Test Data#

Configuring Data by Environment#

Using Shared Test Data in Scripts#

Shared Test Data vs Scenario Test Data#

Best Practices#

FAQs#

Main Advantages of Shared Test Data:

Creating Shared Test Data

Method 1: Static Test Data

Method 2: Database Connection

Using Shared Test Data in Scenarios

Managing Shared Test Data

Editing Shared Test Data

Configuring Data by Environment

Using Shared Test Data in Scripts

Shared Test Data vs Scenario Test Data

Best Practices

FAQs