I accidentally imported test cases from one project in Azure DevOps to another

Question

I accidentally imported test cases from one project in Azure DevOps to another

Hanne Dahlen 0

I tried to copy test cases from one project to another in Azure DevOps. I accidentally managed to import the test suites from the first project to the second and now, whenever I change a test case for project 2 I automatically also change the test case for project 1. How can I remove the import without deleting all the test cases and test suites in project 1?

Anonymous

@Hanne Dahlen

Thank you for using Q&A Platform

The imported test cases in Azure DevOps are now shared references between the two projects, which means any change in one project impacts the other. To prevent this, the imported items need to be separated as distinct copies, not just referenced links.

While Azure DevOps does not offer a straightforward "undo import" feature, you can resolve this without deleting all the original test cases or test suites.

Solution: Clone Test Cases for Project 2

The key is to create clones of the test cases in project 2 rather than using referenced instances, which are linked to project 1.
Cloning test cases creates new, independent items in project 2, so editing a test case in project 2 will not affect its counterpart in project 1.
After cloning, remove the referenced (imported) test cases/suites from project 2 (not project 1) gracefully this will not delete the actual test cases in project 1.

How to Clone and Clean Up

Go to the test suite or test plan in project 2 that contains the referenced test cases.
Use the “Clone” function to duplicate the test cases/suites. The cloned test cases will get new IDs, fully independent of the originals.
After the clones are created, remove the imported (linked) versions from project 2. This step will not affect project 1; only the references in project 2 are deleted.
You can do this by deleting the suite or cases from project 2. If prompted, confirm you want to remove only the reference not the actual test cases from their original location.

Avoid Permanent Deletion

Deleting a test suite or test case reference in project 2 will not remove the artifacts in project 1, as long as you’re only deleting the reference/instance, not the root test case itself.
If in doubt, always check that the test case IDs in the deletion dialog match only what exists in project 2.

Summary Table

Action	Effect in Project 1	Effect in Project 2
Action	Effect in Project 1	Effect in Project 2
Delete referenced suite	No effect	Removes reference/instance
Clone test case	No effect	Creates independent copy
Delete cloned test case	No effect	Removes independent copy
Delete imported test case	No effect	Removes reference

Follow these steps to separate your projects without risking data loss in project 1, ensuring project 2 has independent test cases and suites

Documents for reference :

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/test/copy-clone-test-items?view=azure-devops

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/554897/removing-test-suites-from-a-test-plan-wi…

I hope this helps in resolving the issue, do let me know if you have any further questions on this

Anonymous

2025-09-26T01:41:51.76+00:00

@Hanne Dahlen Just checking to see if you have a chance to check my previous response and helped, do let me know if you have any further questions on this.

1 answer

Your answer

Anonymous

2025-09-26T01:41:51.76+00:00

@Hanne Dahlen Just checking to see if you have a chance to check my previous response and helped, do let me know if you have any further questions on this.

Answer 1

Hi @Hanne Dahlen

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

The behavior you are seeing is expected when Test Suites are imported from one Azure DevOps project into another. When you use the Import Test Suites feature, Azure DevOps imports the test cases as references to the original test case work items rather than creating independent copies. As a result, both Project 1 and Project 2 point to the same underlying test cases. Any modification made to a test case in Project 2 is reflected in Project 1 because the test case is shared between both projects. Azure DevOps currently does not provide a direct "Undo Import" or "Unlink Imported Test Suite" option after the import has been completed.

Refer below points to resolve this issue or as a workaround:

1. Create Independent Copies of the Test Cases

Instead of using the imported references, create cloned or copied test cases in Project 2.

Steps:

Open the imported Test Suite in Project 2.
Select the required test cases.
Choose More Options (...) → Copy Test Case or Clone Test Case.
Select Project 2 as the destination project, test plan, and test suite.
This creates new test cases with new IDs that are completely independent from Project 1.

2. Remove the Imported Test Case References from Project 2

After the cloned copies have been created successfully:

Remove the imported test cases or the imported test suite from Project 2.
This action removes only the references in Project 2.
The original test cases and test suites in Project 1 remain unaffected.

3. Verify the Test Case IDs Before Removing Anything

Before deleting or removing any test cases:

Open the test case in Project 2.
Check the Test Case ID and linked items.
If the ID is the same as the test case in Project 1, it is still a shared reference.
If the cloned test case has a different ID, it is an independent copy, and changes will no longer affect Project 1.

4. Use Copy/Clone Instead of Import for Future Migrations

For future scenarios where you need separate test cases across projects:

Use Copy Test Case or Clone Test Case.
Avoid Import Test Suite when the intention is to maintain independent test cases.
Microsoft documentation states that imported test suites add test cases as references and not as cloned copies