Initial configuration

Overview

Once Total Shift Left is installed (Cloud or self-hosted), a quick initial setup ensures your environment is ready for smooth test creation, execution, and collaboration.

If you haven’t installed yet, start with Getting started.

Step 1: Core platform preferences

After logging in for the first time, review core preferences such as:

• Time zone (so reports and schedules match your team)
• Language
• Logging level (enable more verbose logging during early setup)

If you’re troubleshooting connectivity or auth during setup, consider enabling debug logging temporarily. You can later reduce it for day-to-day use. See the related platform documentation for deeper guidance on logging: Debug logging.

Step 2: Login user configuration

Start with the admin credentials you received during installation or registration:

• Update your password
• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) if your deployment supports it
• Review notification and profile preferences

Step 3: Add a license key

If you have a license key (trial or paid), add it early so features and capacity match your environment needs:

• Navigate to Settings → License Management
• Enter your license key
• Verify it’s validated successfully

Related platform documentation: License management.

Step 4: Add users

Invite your team members so work can happen in parallel:

• Go to User Management → Add New User
• Assign roles (for example Admin, Tester, Viewer) based on responsibilities
• Restrict access by project/workspace where appropriate

Related platform documentation: Role permissions and User policies.

Step 5: Add your first project

Create a project that represents an API you want to test:

• Click New Project and provide a name + short description
• Define the API base URL for the target environment (Dev/QA/Staging/Prod)
• Choose an authentication approach (API key, OAuth/Bearer token, etc.)
• Add endpoints manually or import via OpenAPI/Swagger

If you’re setting up multiple environments, keep them separate (dev vs staging vs prod) so failures are easier to interpret.

Step 6: Configure environment variables and test parameters

Set up reusable configuration so tests stay stable across environments:

• Define global variables such as base URLs, tokens, and headers
• Override values per environment when needed
• Establish thresholds/parameters for monitoring reliability and performance

Related article: Configuration fundamentals.

Step 7: Run your first test

Validate the setup end-to-end with a small test run:

• Select a test or test pack and click Run Now
• Check execution logs and the summary dashboard
• Confirm authentication, base URL, and environment variables behave as expected

If you see early failures, focus on the basics first: base URL, auth headers/tokens, and environment-specific variables.

Quick tip: set up RBAC early

For larger teams or multi-project environments, configure role-based access control early so permissions stay clear and auditable as the workspace grows.

What to read next

• Project (how workspaces are organized)
• Endpoint management (import vs manual)
• Test run (execution and outcomes)