Sample files for QA and manual testing
A ready-made set of ordinary and awkward files for exploratory testing and test plans.
Testers need a dependable kit of files: a few ordinary ones to confirm that features work, and a drawer of awkward ones to find out where they stop working. Building that kit by hand before every project wastes time.
Because every file here has a published size and checksum, a bug report can name the exact input, and a developer can reproduce the problem with the same bytes.
Recommended files
| File | Size | Why this one | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty file (0 bytes)empty-file.txt | 0 B0 bytes | Zero bytes | Download TXT |
| CSV with quoted fields, embedded commas and line breakssample-csv-quoted-fields.csv | 324 B324 bytes | Breaks naive CSV import | Download CSV |
| CSV with a UTF-8 byte order mark and non-ASCII textsample-csv-utf8-bom.csv | 193 B193 bytes | Byte order mark and non-ASCII text | Download CSV |
| File with a 120-character namesample-long-file-name-abcdefghijabcdefghijabcdefghijabcdefghijabcdefghijabcdefghijabcdefghijabcdefghijabcdefghij-end.txt | 36 B36 bytes | 120-character file name | Download TXT |
| Transparent PNG with an alpha gradient, 512 × 512sample-transparent-512x512.png | 42.0 KB42,984 bytes | Alpha channel handling | Download PNG |
| 10 MB PDF samplesample-pdf-10mb.pdf | 10 MB10,485,760 bytes | Large document | Download PDF |
Checklist
Build a baseline set
One small valid file for each type the product accepts. If any of these fail, stop and report it.
Add boundary sizes
For each documented limit, take the sizes on either side of it.
Add the edge cases
An empty file, a file with no extension, long and non-ASCII names, and data files with unusual encodings.
Record what you used
Put the file name and SHA-256 checksum in the bug report so the input can be identified exactly.
Check the round trip
Where the product lets users download what they uploaded, compare the checksum of the download with the original.
Guides
- Building a QA test file kit
The files every tester should keep ready, organised into baseline, boundary and edge-case sets.
- How to test file upload: a complete checklist
A test plan for upload forms and endpoints, with the right sample file for every case.
- How to test file size limits
Where upload limits live, what the common defaults are, and how to test a boundary to the byte.
Related use cases
Frequently asked questions
- How do I prove which file caused a bug?
- Quote the SHA-256 checksum from the download page in your report. Anyone can then confirm they are testing with the identical file.