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playwright-e2e-testing

bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills

Modern end-to-end testing framework with cross-browser automation, auto-wait, and built-in test runner

What is playwright-e2e-testing?

Playwright is a modern E2E testing framework that automates testing across Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit browsers with built-in parallel execution, auto-wait mechanisms, and debugging tools. Use it when testing web application user flows, interactions, and ensuring cross-browser compatibility.

  • Auto-wait for elements to be ready before interaction
  • Cross-browser testing on Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit
  • Built-in test runner with parallel execution and retries
  • Network request mocking and interception
  • Screenshot and video recording on failures
  • UI mode, trace viewer, and inspector for debugging

How to install playwright-e2e-testing

npx skills add https://github.com/bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills --skill playwright-e2e-testing
Prerequisites
  • Node.js installed
  • npm or yarn package manager
  • npx playwright install to download browsers
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How to use playwright-e2e-testing

  1. 1.Run npm init playwright@latest to initialize a new project
  2. 2.Choose TypeScript and specify your test directory
  3. 3.Write tests using test() and expect() from @playwright/test
  4. 4.Configure playwright.config.ts with browsers, baseURL, and reporters
  5. 5.Run npx playwright test to execute tests in parallel
  6. 6.View results with npx playwright show-report

Use cases

Good for
  • Testing user authentication flows and login scenarios
  • Validating form submissions and error handling across browsers
  • Testing user interactions like clicks, fills, and navigation
  • Recording videos and screenshots for failed test analysis
  • Mocking API responses to test error states and edge cases
Who it's for
  • QA engineers and test automation specialists
  • Full-stack developers writing integration tests
  • Teams requiring cross-browser compatibility verification
  • Development teams using TypeScript for test code

playwright-e2e-testing FAQ

What browsers does Playwright support?

Playwright supports Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit. You can also test on mobile devices like Pixel 5 and iPhone 12 by using predefined device profiles.

How does auto-wait work?

Playwright automatically waits for elements to be ready before performing actions. It waits for elements to be attached to the DOM, visible, enabled, and stable before interacting with them.

Can I run tests in parallel?

Yes, Playwright runs tests in parallel by default. You can configure the number of workers in playwright.config.ts and adjust retries for CI environments.

How do I debug failing tests?

Use UI mode with npx playwright test --ui, enable trace recording in config, use the trace viewer to replay test execution, or use the inspector to step through tests.

What is the Page Object Model pattern?

Page Object Model encapsulates page elements and actions into reusable classes. Each page has a class with locators and methods, making tests more maintainable and reducing duplication.

Full instructions (SKILL.md)

Source of truth, from bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills.


name: playwright-e2e-testing description: "Playwright modern end-to-end testing framework with cross-browser automation, auto-wait, and built-in test runner" user-invocable: false disable-model-invocation: true progressive_disclosure: entry_point: summary: "Playwright modern end-to-end testing framework with cross-browser automation, auto-wait, and built-in test runner" when_to_use: "When writing tests, implementing playwright-e2e-testing, or ensuring code quality." quick_start: "1. Review the core concepts below. 2. Apply patterns to your use case. 3. Follow best practices for implementation."

Playwright E2E Testing Skill


progressive_disclosure: entry_point: summary: "Modern E2E testing framework with cross-browser automation and built-in test runner" when_to_use: - "When testing web applications end-to-end" - "When needing cross-browser testing" - "When testing user flows and interactions" - "When needing screenshot/video recording" quick_start: - "npm init playwright@latest" - "Choose TypeScript and test location" - "npx playwright test" - "npx playwright show-report" token_estimate: entry: 75-90 full: 4200-5200

<!-- ENTRY POINT - Load this section by default (75-90 tokens) -->

Overview

Playwright is a modern end-to-end testing framework that provides cross-browser automation with a built-in test runner, auto-wait mechanisms, and excellent developer experience.

Key Features

  • Auto-wait: Automatically waits for elements to be ready
  • Cross-browser: Chromium, Firefox, WebKit support
  • Built-in runner: Parallel execution, retries, reporters
  • Network control: Mock and intercept network requests
  • Debugging: UI mode, trace viewer, inspector

<!-- FULL CONTENT - Load on demand (4200-5200 tokens) -->

Installation

# Initialize new Playwright project
npm init playwright@latest

# Or add to existing project
npm install -D @playwright/test

# Install browsers
npx playwright install

Configuration

// playwright.config.ts
import { defineConfig, devices } from '@playwright/test';

export default defineConfig({
  testDir: './tests',
  fullyParallel: true,
  forbidOnly: !!process.env.CI,
  retries: process.env.CI ? 2 : 0,
  workers: process.env.CI ? 1 : undefined,
  reporter: 'html',

  use: {
    baseURL: 'http://localhost:3000',
    trace: 'on-first-retry',
    screenshot: 'only-on-failure',
  },

  projects: [
    {
      name: 'chromium',
      use: { ...devices['Desktop Chrome'] },
    },
    {
      name: 'firefox',
      use: { ...devices['Desktop Firefox'] },
    },
    {
      name: 'webkit',
      use: { ...devices['Desktop Safari'] },
    },
    {
      name: 'Mobile Chrome',
      use: { ...devices['Pixel 5'] },
    },
  ],

  webServer: {
    command: 'npm run start',
    url: 'http://localhost:3000',
    reuseExistingServer: !process.env.CI,
  },
});

Fundamentals

Basic Test Structure

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

test('basic test', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('https://example.com');

  // Wait for element and check visibility
  const title = page.locator('h1');
  await expect(title).toBeVisible();
  await expect(title).toHaveText('Example Domain');

  // Get page title
  await expect(page).toHaveTitle(/Example/);
});

test.describe('User authentication', () => {
  test('should login successfully', async ({ page }) => {
    await page.goto('/login');
    await page.fill('[name="username"]', 'testuser');
    await page.fill('[name="password"]', 'password123');
    await page.click('button[type="submit"]');

    await expect(page).toHaveURL('/dashboard');
    await expect(page.locator('.welcome-message')).toContainText('Welcome');
  });

  test('should show error for invalid credentials', async ({ page }) => {
    await page.goto('/login');
    await page.fill('[name="username"]', 'invalid');
    await page.fill('[name="password"]', 'wrong');
    await page.click('button[type="submit"]');

    await expect(page.locator('.error-message')).toBeVisible();
    await expect(page.locator('.error-message')).toHaveText('Invalid credentials');
  });
});

Test Hooks

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

test.describe('Dashboard tests', () => {
  test.beforeEach(async ({ page }) => {
    // Run before each test
    await page.goto('/dashboard');
    await page.waitForLoadState('networkidle');
  });

  test.afterEach(async ({ page }) => {
    // Cleanup after each test
    await page.close();
  });

  test.beforeAll(async ({ browser }) => {
    // Run once before all tests in describe block
    console.log('Starting test suite');
  });

  test.afterAll(async ({ browser }) => {
    // Run once after all tests
    console.log('Test suite complete');
  });

  test('displays user data', async ({ page }) => {
    await expect(page.locator('.user-name')).toBeVisible();
  });
});

Locator Strategies

Best Practice: Role-based Locators

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

test('accessible locators', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/form');

  // By role (BEST - accessible and stable)
  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' }).click();
  await page.getByRole('textbox', { name: 'Email' }).fill('user@example.com');
  await page.getByRole('checkbox', { name: 'Subscribe' }).check();
  await page.getByRole('link', { name: 'Learn more' }).click();

  // By label (good for forms)
  await page.getByLabel('Password').fill('secret123');

  // By placeholder
  await page.getByPlaceholder('Search...').fill('query');

  // By text
  await page.getByText('Welcome back').click();
  await page.getByText(/hello/i).isVisible();

  // By test ID (good for dynamic content)
  await page.getByTestId('user-profile').click();

  // By title
  await page.getByTitle('Close dialog').click();

  // By alt text (images)
  await page.getByAltText('User avatar').click();
});

CSS and XPath Locators

test('CSS and XPath locators', async ({ page }) => {
  // CSS selectors
  await page.locator('button.primary').click();
  await page.locator('#user-menu').click();
  await page.locator('[data-testid="submit-btn"]').click();
  await page.locator('div.card:first-child').click();

  // XPath (use sparingly)
  await page.locator('xpath=//button[contains(text(), "Submit")]').click();

  // Chaining locators
  const form = page.locator('form#login-form');
  await form.locator('input[name="email"]').fill('user@example.com');
  await form.locator('button[type="submit"]').click();

  // Filter locators
  await page.getByRole('listitem')
    .filter({ hasText: 'Product 1' })
    .getByRole('button', { name: 'Add to cart' })
    .click();
});

Page Object Model

Page Class Pattern

// pages/LoginPage.ts
import { Page, Locator } from '@playwright/test';

export class LoginPage {
  readonly page: Page;
  readonly usernameInput: Locator;
  readonly passwordInput: Locator;
  readonly submitButton: Locator;
  readonly errorMessage: Locator;

  constructor(page: Page) {
    this.page = page;
    this.usernameInput = page.getByLabel('Username');
    this.passwordInput = page.getByLabel('Password');
    this.submitButton = page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Log in' });
    this.errorMessage = page.locator('.error-message');
  }

  async goto() {
    await this.page.goto('/login');
  }

  async login(username: string, password: string) {
    await this.usernameInput.fill(username);
    await this.passwordInput.fill(password);
    await this.submitButton.click();
  }

  async expectErrorMessage(message: string) {
    await this.errorMessage.waitFor({ state: 'visible' });
    await expect(this.errorMessage).toHaveText(message);
  }
}

// pages/DashboardPage.ts
export class DashboardPage {
  readonly page: Page;
  readonly welcomeMessage: Locator;
  readonly logoutButton: Locator;

  constructor(page: Page) {
    this.page = page;
    this.welcomeMessage = page.locator('.welcome-message');
    this.logoutButton = page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Logout' });
  }

  async waitForLoad() {
    await this.welcomeMessage.waitFor({ state: 'visible' });
  }

  async logout() {
    await this.logoutButton.click();
  }
}

// tests/auth.spec.ts
import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
import { LoginPage } from '../pages/LoginPage';
import { DashboardPage } from '../pages/DashboardPage';

test('successful login flow', async ({ page }) => {
  const loginPage = new LoginPage(page);
  const dashboard = new DashboardPage(page);

  await loginPage.goto();
  await loginPage.login('testuser', 'password123');

  await dashboard.waitForLoad();
  await expect(dashboard.welcomeMessage).toContainText('Welcome');
});

Component Pattern

// components/NavigationComponent.ts
import { Page, Locator } from '@playwright/test';

export class NavigationComponent {
  readonly page: Page;
  readonly homeLink: Locator;
  readonly profileLink: Locator;
  readonly searchInput: Locator;

  constructor(page: Page) {
    this.page = page;
    const nav = page.locator('nav');
    this.homeLink = nav.getByRole('link', { name: 'Home' });
    this.profileLink = nav.getByRole('link', { name: 'Profile' });
    this.searchInput = nav.getByPlaceholder('Search...');
  }

  async navigateToProfile() {
    await this.profileLink.click();
  }

  async search(query: string) {
    await this.searchInput.fill(query);
    await this.searchInput.press('Enter');
  }
}

User Interactions

Form Interactions

test('form interactions', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/form');

  // Text inputs
  await page.fill('input[name="email"]', 'user@example.com');
  await page.type('textarea[name="message"]', 'Hello', { delay: 100 });

  // Checkboxes
  await page.check('input[type="checkbox"][name="subscribe"]');
  await page.uncheck('input[type="checkbox"][name="spam"]');

  // Radio buttons
  await page.check('input[type="radio"][value="option1"]');

  // Select dropdowns
  await page.selectOption('select[name="country"]', 'US');
  await page.selectOption('select[name="color"]', { label: 'Blue' });
  await page.selectOption('select[name="size"]', { value: 'large' });

  // Multi-select
  await page.selectOption('select[multiple]', ['value1', 'value2']);

  // File uploads
  await page.setInputFiles('input[type="file"]', 'path/to/file.pdf');
  await page.setInputFiles('input[type="file"]', [
    'file1.jpg',
    'file2.jpg'
  ]);

  // Clear file input
  await page.setInputFiles('input[type="file"]', []);
});

Mouse and Keyboard

test('mouse and keyboard interactions', async ({ page }) => {
  // Click variations
  await page.click('button');
  await page.dblclick('button'); // Double click
  await page.click('button', { button: 'right' }); // Right click
  await page.click('button', { modifiers: ['Shift'] }); // Shift+click

  // Hover
  await page.hover('.tooltip-trigger');
  await expect(page.locator('.tooltip')).toBeVisible();

  // Drag and drop
  await page.dragAndDrop('#draggable', '#droppable');

  // Keyboard
  await page.keyboard.press('Enter');
  await page.keyboard.press('Control+A');
  await page.keyboard.type('Hello World');
  await page.keyboard.down('Shift');
  await page.keyboard.press('ArrowDown');
  await page.keyboard.up('Shift');

  // Focus
  await page.focus('input[name="email"]');
  await page.fill('input[name="email"]', 'test@example.com');
});

Waiting Strategies

test('waiting strategies', async ({ page }) => {
  // Wait for element
  await page.waitForSelector('.dynamic-content');
  await page.waitForSelector('.modal', { state: 'visible' });
  await page.waitForSelector('.loading', { state: 'hidden' });

  // Wait for load state
  await page.waitForLoadState('load');
  await page.waitForLoadState('domcontentloaded');
  await page.waitForLoadState('networkidle');

  // Wait for URL
  await page.waitForURL('**/dashboard');
  await page.waitForURL(/\/product\/\d+/);

  // Wait for function
  await page.waitForFunction(() => {
    return document.querySelectorAll('.item').length > 5;
  });

  // Wait for timeout (avoid if possible)
  await page.waitForTimeout(1000);

  // Wait for event
  await page.waitForEvent('load');
  await page.waitForEvent('popup');
});

Assertions

Common Assertions

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

test('assertions', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/dashboard');

  // Visibility
  await expect(page.locator('.header')).toBeVisible();
  await expect(page.locator('.loading')).toBeHidden();
  await expect(page.locator('.optional')).not.toBeVisible();

  // Text content
  await expect(page.locator('h1')).toHaveText('Dashboard');
  await expect(page.locator('h1')).toContainText('Dash');
  await expect(page.locator('.message')).toHaveText(/welcome/i);

  // Attributes
  await expect(page.locator('button')).toBeEnabled();
  await expect(page.locator('button')).toBeDisabled();
  await expect(page.locator('input')).toHaveAttribute('type', 'email');
  await expect(page.locator('input')).toHaveValue('test@example.com');

  // CSS
  await expect(page.locator('.button')).toHaveClass('btn-primary');
  await expect(page.locator('.button')).toHaveClass(/btn-/);
  await expect(page.locator('.element')).toHaveCSS('color', 'rgb(255, 0, 0)');

  // Count
  await expect(page.locator('.item')).toHaveCount(5);

  // URL and title
  await expect(page).toHaveURL('http://localhost:3000/dashboard');
  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/dashboard$/);
  await expect(page).toHaveTitle('Dashboard - My App');
  await expect(page).toHaveTitle(/Dashboard/);

  // Screenshot comparison
  await expect(page).toHaveScreenshot('dashboard.png');
  await expect(page.locator('.widget')).toHaveScreenshot('widget.png');
});

Custom Assertions

test('custom matchers', async ({ page }) => {
  // Soft assertions (continue test on failure)
  await expect.soft(page.locator('.title')).toHaveText('Welcome');
  await expect.soft(page.locator('.subtitle')).toBeVisible();

  // Multiple elements
  const items = page.locator('.item');
  await expect(items).toHaveCount(3);
  await expect(items.nth(0)).toContainText('First');
  await expect(items.nth(1)).toContainText('Second');

  // Poll assertions
  await expect(async () => {
    const response = await page.request.get('/api/status');
    expect(response.ok()).toBeTruthy();
  }).toPass({
    timeout: 10000,
    intervals: [1000, 2000, 5000],
  });
});

Authentication Patterns

Storage State Pattern

// auth.setup.ts - Run once to save auth state
import { test as setup } from '@playwright/test';

const authFile = 'playwright/.auth/user.json';

setup('authenticate', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/login');
  await page.fill('[name="username"]', 'testuser');
  await page.fill('[name="password"]', 'password123');
  await page.click('button[type="submit"]');

  await page.waitForURL('/dashboard');

  // Save authentication state
  await page.context().storageState({ path: authFile });
});

// playwright.config.ts
export default defineConfig({
  projects: [
    {
      name: 'setup',
      testMatch: /.*\.setup\.ts/,
    },
    {
      name: 'chromium',
      use: {
        ...devices['Desktop Chrome'],
        storageState: authFile,
      },
      dependencies: ['setup'],
    },
  ],
});

// tests/dashboard.spec.ts - Already authenticated
test('view dashboard', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/dashboard');
  // Already logged in!
  await expect(page.locator('.user-menu')).toBeVisible();
});

Multiple User Roles

// fixtures/auth.ts
import { test as base } from '@playwright/test';

type Fixtures = {
  adminPage: Page;
  userPage: Page;
};

export const test = base.extend<Fixtures>({
  adminPage: async ({ browser }, use) => {
    const context = await browser.newContext({
      storageState: 'playwright/.auth/admin.json',
    });
    const page = await context.newPage();
    await use(page);
    await context.close();
  },

  userPage: async ({ browser }, use) => {
    const context = await browser.newContext({
      storageState: 'playwright/.auth/user.json',
    });
    const page = await context.newPage();
    await use(page);
    await context.close();
  },
});

// tests/permissions.spec.ts
import { test } from '../fixtures/auth';

test('admin can access admin panel', async ({ adminPage }) => {
  await adminPage.goto('/admin');
  await expect(adminPage.locator('.admin-panel')).toBeVisible();
});

test('regular user cannot access admin panel', async ({ userPage }) => {
  await userPage.goto('/admin');
  await expect(userPage.locator('.access-denied')).toBeVisible();
});

Network Control

Request Mocking

test('mock API responses', async ({ page }) => {
  // Mock API response
  await page.route('**/api/users', route => {
    route.fulfill({
      status: 200,
      contentType: 'application/json',
      body: JSON.stringify({
        users: [
          { id: 1, name: 'John Doe' },
          { id: 2, name: 'Jane Smith' },
        ],
      }),
    });
  });

  await page.goto('/users');
  await expect(page.locator('.user-list')).toContainText('John Doe');
});

test('mock with conditions', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.route('**/api/**', route => {
    const url = route.request().url();

    if (url.includes('/users/1')) {
      route.fulfill({
        status: 200,
        body: JSON.stringify({ id: 1, name: 'Test User' }),
      });
    } else if (url.includes('/users')) {
      route.fulfill({
        status: 200,
        body: JSON.stringify({ users: [] }),
      });
    } else {
      route.continue();
    }
  });
});

test('simulate network errors', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.route('**/api/data', route => {
    route.abort('failed');
  });

  await page.goto('/data');
  await expect(page.locator('.error-message')).toBeVisible();
});

Request Interception

test('intercept and modify requests', async ({ page }) => {
  // Modify request headers
  await page.route('**/api/**', route => {
    const headers = route.request().headers();
    route.continue({
      headers: {
        ...headers,
        'X-Custom-Header': 'test-value',
      },
    });
  });

  // Modify POST data
  await page.route('**/api/submit', route => {
    const postData = route.request().postDataJSON();
    route.continue({
      postData: JSON.stringify({
        ...postData,
        timestamp: Date.now(),
      }),
    });
  });
});

test('wait for API response', async ({ page }) => {
  // Wait for specific request
  const responsePromise = page.waitForResponse('**/api/users');
  await page.click('button#load-users');
  const response = await responsePromise;

  expect(response.status()).toBe(200);
  const data = await response.json();
  expect(data.users).toHaveLength(10);
});

Test Organization

Custom Fixtures

// fixtures/todos.ts
import { test as base } from '@playwright/test';

type TodoFixtures = {
  todoPage: TodoPage;
  createTodo: (title: string) => Promise<void>;
};

export const test = base.extend<TodoFixtures>({
  todoPage: async ({ page }, use) => {
    const todoPage = new TodoPage(page);
    await todoPage.goto();
    await use(todoPage);
  },

  createTodo: async ({ page }, use) => {
    const create = async (title: string) => {
      await page.fill('.new-todo', title);
      await page.press('.new-todo', 'Enter');
    };
    await use(create);
  },
});

// tests/todos.spec.ts
import { test } from '../fixtures/todos';

test('can create new todo', async ({ todoPage, createTodo }) => {
  await createTodo('Buy groceries');
  await expect(todoPage.todoItems).toHaveCount(1);
  await expect(todoPage.todoItems).toHaveText('Buy groceries');
});

Test Tags and Filtering

test('smoke test', { tag: '@smoke' }, async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/');
  await expect(page).toHaveTitle('Home');
});

test('regression test', { tag: ['@regression', '@critical'] }, async ({ page }) => {
  // Complex test
});

// Run: npx playwright test --grep @smoke
// Run: npx playwright test --grep-invert @slow

Visual Testing

Screenshot Comparison

test('visual regression', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/dashboard');

  // Full page screenshot
  await expect(page).toHaveScreenshot('dashboard.png', {
    maxDiffPixels: 100,
  });

  // Element screenshot
  await expect(page.locator('.widget')).toHaveScreenshot('widget.png');

  // Full page with scroll
  await expect(page).toHaveScreenshot('full-page.png', {
    fullPage: true,
  });

  // Mask dynamic elements
  await expect(page).toHaveScreenshot('masked.png', {
    mask: [page.locator('.timestamp'), page.locator('.avatar')],
  });

  // Custom threshold
  await expect(page).toHaveScreenshot('comparison.png', {
    maxDiffPixelRatio: 0.05, // 5% difference allowed
  });
});

Video and Trace

// playwright.config.ts
export default defineConfig({
  use: {
    video: 'retain-on-failure',
    trace: 'on-first-retry',
    screenshot: 'only-on-failure',
  },
});

// Programmatic video
test('record video', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/');
  // Test actions...

  // Video saved automatically to test-results/
});

// View trace: npx playwright show-trace trace.zip

Parallel Execution

Test Sharding

// playwright.config.ts
export default defineConfig({
  fullyParallel: true,
  workers: process.env.CI ? 4 : undefined,
});

// Run shards in CI
// npx playwright test --shard=1/4
// npx playwright test --shard=2/4
// npx playwright test --shard=3/4
// npx playwright test --shard=4/4

Serial Tests

test.describe.configure({ mode: 'serial' });

test.describe('order matters', () => {
  let orderId: string;

  test('create order', async ({ page }) => {
    // Create order
    orderId = await createOrder(page);
  });

  test('verify order', async ({ page }) => {
    // Use orderId from previous test
    await verifyOrder(page, orderId);
  });
});

CI/CD Integration

GitHub Actions

# .github/workflows/playwright.yml
name: Playwright Tests
on:
  push:
    branches: [main, master]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main, master]

jobs:
  test:
    timeout-minutes: 60
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: 20

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm ci

      - name: Install Playwright Browsers
        run: npx playwright install --with-deps

      - name: Run Playwright tests
        run: npx playwright test

      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        if: always()
        with:
          name: playwright-report
          path: playwright-report/
          retention-days: 30

Docker

FROM mcr.microsoft.com/playwright:v1.40.0-jammy

WORKDIR /app

COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm ci

COPY . .

CMD ["npx", "playwright", "test"]

Debugging

UI Mode

# Interactive debugging
npx playwright test --ui

# Debug specific test
npx playwright test --debug login.spec.ts

# Step through test
npx playwright test --headed --slow-mo=1000

Trace Viewer

// Generate trace
test('with trace', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.context().tracing.start({ screenshots: true, snapshots: true });

  // Test actions
  await page.goto('/');

  await page.context().tracing.stop({ path: 'trace.zip' });
});

// View: npx playwright show-trace trace.zip

Console Logs

test('capture console', async ({ page }) => {
  page.on('console', msg => console.log(`Browser: ${msg.text()}`));
  page.on('pageerror', error => console.error(`Error: ${error.message}`));

  await page.goto('/');
});

Best Practices

1. Use Stable Locators

// ✅ Good - Role-based, stable
await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' }).click();
await page.getByLabel('Email').fill('test@example.com');

// ❌ Bad - Fragile, implementation-dependent
await page.click('button.btn-primary.submit-btn');
await page.fill('div > form > input:nth-child(3)');

2. Leverage Auto-Waiting

// ✅ Good - Auto-waits
await page.click('button');
await expect(page.locator('.result')).toBeVisible();

// ❌ Bad - Manual waits
await page.waitForTimeout(2000);
await page.click('button');

3. Use Page Object Model

// ✅ Good - Reusable, maintainable
const loginPage = new LoginPage(page);
await loginPage.login('user', 'pass');

// ❌ Bad - Duplicated selectors
await page.fill('[name="username"]', 'user');
await page.fill('[name="password"]', 'pass');

4. Parallel-Safe Tests

// ✅ Good - Isolated
test('user signup', async ({ page }) => {
  const uniqueEmail = `user-${Date.now()}@test.com`;
  await signUp(page, uniqueEmail);
});

// ❌ Bad - Shared state
test('user signup', async ({ page }) => {
  await signUp(page, 'test@test.com'); // Conflicts in parallel
});

5. Handle Flakiness

// ✅ Good - Wait for network idle
await page.goto('/', { waitUntil: 'networkidle' });
await expect(page.locator('.data')).toBeVisible();

// Configure retries
test.describe(() => {
  test.use({ retries: 2 });

  test('flaky test', async ({ page }) => {
    // Test with auto-retry
  });
});

Common Patterns

Multi-Page Scenarios

test('popup handling', async ({ page, context }) => {
  // Listen for new page
  const popupPromise = context.waitForEvent('page');
  await page.click('a[target="_blank"]');
  const popup = await popupPromise;

  await popup.waitForLoadState();
  await expect(popup).toHaveTitle('New Window');
  await popup.close();
});

Conditional Logic

test('handle optional elements', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/');

  // Close modal if present
  const modal = page.locator('.modal');
  if (await modal.isVisible()) {
    await page.click('.modal .close-button');
  }

  // Or use count
  const cookieBanner = page.locator('.cookie-banner');
  if ((await cookieBanner.count()) > 0) {
    await page.click('.accept-cookies');
  }
});

Data-Driven Tests

const testCases = [
  { input: 'hello', expected: 'HELLO' },
  { input: 'World', expected: 'WORLD' },
  { input: '123', expected: '123' },
];

for (const { input, expected } of testCases) {
  test(`transforms "${input}" to "${expected}"`, async ({ page }) => {
    await page.goto('/transform');
    await page.fill('input', input);
    await page.click('button');
    await expect(page.locator('.result')).toHaveText(expected);
  });
}

Resources