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Playwright E2e Testing
Author and maintain versioned Playwright (@playwright/test) TypeScript UI specs for browser user flows. Use when asked to create, run, debug, or refactor E2E tests, form/navigation/auth flows, responsive checks, UI mocking, fixtures, Page Objects, or visual comparisons. Use api-testing for standalone REST/GraphQL contracts and playwright-cli for live browser sessions. Keywords: E2E spec, Playwright test, POM, fixtures, UI regression.
Archived 2026-10-23 · Source updated 2026-09-02 · License: MIT. Check the original repository for the latest version.
SKILL.md instructions
# Playwright E2E Testing (TypeScript)
Comprehensive toolkit for end-to-end testing of web applications using Playwright with TypeScript. Enables robust UI testing, UI-dependent API setup, and responsive design verification following best practices.
> **Activation:** This skill is triggered when authoring or maintaining versioned Playwright UI specs and their test infrastructure.
## When to Use This Skill
- **Write E2E tests** for user flows, forms, navigation, and authentication
- **UI-dependent API setup** via the `request` fixture or network interception
- **Responsive testing** across mobile, tablet, and desktop viewports
- **Debug flaky tests** using traces, screenshots, videos, and Playwright Inspector
- **Setup test infrastructure** with Page Object Model and fixtures
- **Mock/intercept APIs** for isolated, deterministic testing
- **Visual regression testing** with screenshot comparisons
### Do NOT Use For
- Standalone API/contract testing with no browser (use `api-testing`).
- Driving a live browser interactively for exploration or debugging (use `playwright-cli`).
- Governing a large regression suite, tiers, or CI sharding strategy (use `playwright-regression-testing`).
- Selenium/Java browser automation (use `webapp-selenium-testing`).
## Prerequisites
| Requirement | Details |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| Node.js | v18+ recommended |
| Package Manager | npm, yarn, or pnpm |
| Playwright | `@playwright/test` package |
| TypeScript | `typescript` + `ts-node` (optional but recommended) |
| Browsers | Installed via `npx playwright install` |
### Quick Setup
```bash
# Initialize new project
npm init playwright@latest
# Or add to existing project
npm install -D @playwright/test
npx playwright install
```
## First Questions to Ask
Before writing tests, clarify:
1. **App URL**: Local dev server command + port, or staging URL?
2. **Critical flows**: Which user journeys must be covered (happy path + error states)?
3. **Browsers/devices**: Chrome, Firefox, Safari? Mobile viewports?
4. **API strategy**: Real backend, mocked responses, or hybrid?
5. **Test data**: Seed data available? Reset/cleanup strategy?
---
## Core Principles
### 1. Test Runner & TypeScript
Always use `@playwright/test` with TypeScript for type safety and better IDE support.
```typescript
import { test, expect } from "@playwright/test";
test("user can login", async ({ page }) => {
await page.goto("/login");
await page.getByLabel("Email").fill("user@test.com");
await page.getByLabel("Password").fill("password123");
await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Sign in" }).click();
await expect(page).toHaveURL(/.*dashboard/);
});
```
### 2. Locator Strategy (Priority Order)
Prefer role-based locators (`getByRole`) with accessible names, then label → placeholder → text → test ID → CSS (last resort). XPath is never used.
➡️ **Full priority hierarchy, role reference, and examples:** [Locator Strategies: Priority](./references/locator-strategies-priority.md) — the single source of truth.
### 3. Auto-Waiting & Web-First Assertions
Playwright auto-waits for elements. Never use `sleep()` or arbitrary timeouts.
```typescript
// [ok] Web-first assertions (auto-retry)
await expect(page.getByRole("alert")).toBeVisible();
await expect(page).toHaveURL(/dashboard/);
await expect(page.getByTestId("status")).toHaveText("Success!");
// [no] Avoid manual waits
await page.waitForTimeout(2000); // Bad practice
```
### 4. Test Structure with Steps
Use `test.step()` for readable reports and failure localization:
```typescript
test("checkout flow", async ({ page }) => {
await test.step("Add item to cart", async () => {
await page.goto("/products/1");
await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Add to Cart" }).click();
});
await test.step("Complete checkout", async () => {
await page.goto("/checkout");
await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Pay Now" }).click();
});
await test.step("Verify confirmation", async () => {
await expect(page.getByRole("heading")).toContainText("Order Confirmed");
});
});
```
---
## Key Workflows
### Forms & Navigation
```typescript
// Form submit and wait for navigation (auto-waiting)
await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Login" }).click();
await expect(page).toHaveURL(/.*dashboard/);
// Form with API response validation
const responsePromise = page.waitForResponse(
(r) => r.url().includes("/api/login") && r.status() === 200,
);
await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Login" }).click();
const response = await responsePromise;
```
### API Testing (Request Fixture)
```typescript
test("API health check", async ({ request }) => {
const response = await request.get("/api/health");
expect(response.ok()).toBeTruthy();
expect(await response.json()).toMatchObject({ status: "ok" });
});
```
### API Mocking & Interception
```typescript
test("handles API error", async ({ page }) => {
await page.route("**/api/users", (route) =>
route.fulfill({
status: 500,
body: JSON.stringify({ error: "Server error" }),
}),
);
await page.goto("/users");
await expect(page.getByRole("alert")).toContainText("Something went wrong");
});
```
### Responsive Testing
```typescript
const viewports = [
{ width: 375, height: 667, name: "mobile" },
{ width: 768, height: 1024, name: "tablet" },
{ width: 1280, height: 720, name: "desktop" },
];
for (const vp of viewports) {
test(`navigation works on ${vp.name}`, async ({ page }) => {
await page.setViewportSize(vp);
await page.goto("/");
// Mobile: hamburger menu
if (vp.width < 768) {
await page.getByRole("button", { name: /menu/i }).click();
}
await page.getByRole("link", { name: "About" }).click();
await expect(page).toHaveURL(/about/);
});
}
```
---
## Configuration
Use `playwright.config.ts` for project-wide settings:
```typescript
import { defineConfig, devices } from "@playwright/test";
export default defineConfig({
testDir: "./tests",
retries: process.env.CI ? 2 : 0,
reporter: [["html"], ["junit", { outputFile: "results.xml" }]],
use: {
baseURL: "http://localhost:3000",
trace: "on-first-retry",
screenshot: "only-on-failure",
video: "retain-on-failure",
},
projects: [
{ name: "chromium", use: devices["Desktop Chrome"] },
{ name: "mobile", use: devices["Pixel 5"] },
],
webServer: {
command: "npm run dev",
url: "http://localhost:3000",
reuseExistingServer: !process.env.CI,
},
});
```
---
## Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| Element not found | Wrong locator or not rendered | Use `PWDEBUG=1` to inspect, verify with `getByRole` |
| Timeout waiting | Element hidden or slow load | Check for overlays, increase timeout, use `waitFor()` |
| Flaky tests | Race conditions, animations | Add `test.step()`, use proper waits, disable animations |
| Strict mode violation | Multiple elements match | Use `.first()`, `.filter()`, or more specific locator |
| Screenshots differ | Dynamic content | Mask dynamic areas, use deterministic data |
| CI fails, local passes | Environment differences | Check `baseURL`, timeouts, `webServer` config |
| API mock not working | Route pattern mismatch | Use `**/api/...` glob, verify with `page.on('request')` |
---
## CLI Quick Reference
| Command | Description |
| ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| `npx playwright test` | Run all tests headless |
| `npx playwright test --ui` | Open UI mode (interactive) |
| `npx playwright test --headed` | Run with visible browser |
| `npx playwright test --debug` | Run with Playwright Inspector |
| `npx playwright test -g "login"` | Run tests matching pattern |
| `npx playwright test --project=chromium` | Run specific project |
| `npx playwright show-report` | Open HTML report |
| `npx playwright codegen` | Generate tests by recording |
| `PWDEBUG=1 npx playwright test` | Debug with Inspector |
| `DEBUG=pw:api npx playwright test` | Verbose API logging |
---
## Red Flags
- CSS/XPath locators when a role/label/testId is available — brittle and breaks on refactor.
- `waitForTimeout` / manual sleeps instead of web-first auto-retrying assertions.
- Tests sharing state and depending on execution order — flaky and order-coupled.
- Assertions only on status/URL with no visible-state check — hides render regressions.
- Inline page setup repeated across tests instead of fixtures — duplication and drift.
---
## References
| Document | Content |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Snippets: Setup](./references/snippets-setup.md) | Config, auth setup, custom fixtures & logging |
| [Snippets: Interactions](./references/snippets-interactions.md) | Form interactions, API testing & network interception |
| [Snippets: Viewports & Auth](./references/snippets-viewports-auth.md) | Responsive viewports & authentication patterns |
| [Snippets: Assertions & Debug](./references/snippets-assertions-debugging.md) | Assertions, debug commands & utility helpers |
| [Locator Strategies: Priority](./references/locator-strategies-priority.md) | Locator priority hierarchy & role-based locators |
| [Locator Strategies: Text](./references/locator-strategies-text.md) | Label, text, placeholder, alt-text & test-ID locators |
| [Locator Strategies: Filtering](./references/locator-strategies-filtering.md) | Filtering, chaining & complex locator patterns |
| [Locator Strategies: Anti & Debug](./references/locator-strategies-anti-debug.md)| Anti-patterns, CSS last-resort, debugging & quick reference|
| [POM: Basics](./references/page-object-model-basics.md) | POM concepts, directory structure, base page & fluent API |
| [POM: Components](./references/page-object-model-components.md) | Page object & reusable component object implementation |
| [POM: Fixtures](./references/page-object-model-fixtures.md) | Custom & authenticated page-object fixtures |
| [POM: Practices](./references/page-object-model-practices.md) | Best practices, anti-patterns & a complete worked example |
| [Debugging: Tools & UI](./references/debugging-tools-ui.md) | Debugging tools, UI mode, Inspector & headed mode |
| [Debugging: Tracing & Logs](./references/debugging-tracing-logging.md) | Trace viewer, verbose logging, screenshots & videos |
| [Debugging: Errors & Network](./references/debugging-errors-network.md) | Console/page errors & network debugging |
| [Debugging: Flaky & Locators](./references/debugging-flaky-locators.md) | Flaky-test fixes, locator debugging & quick commands |
---
## Verification
- [ ] **Uses custom fixture injection** — No `new PageObject()` calls in spec files; all POMs injected via fixtures
- [ ] **Locators use recommended strategies** — All locators use `getByRole()`, `getByTestId()`, or `getByText()`; no CSS selectors for interactive elements
- [ ] **Tests are independent** — Each test sets up and tears down its own state; no `beforeAll` with shared mutable state
- [ ] **Error states covered** — At least one test verifies error/empty/loading states alongside happy path