Playwright Skill
Opinionated, production-tested Playwright guidance — every pattern includes when (and when not) to use it.
50+ reference guides covering the full Playwright surface: selectors, assertions, fixtures, page objects, network mocking, auth, visual regression, accessibility, API testing, CI/CD, debugging, and more — with TypeScript and JavaScript examples throughout.
Playwright 1.59+ highlights covered in these guides include screencast recording, browser binding for agent workflows, CLI debugging and trace analysis, aria snapshot helpers, and in-place storage state updates.
Security Trust Boundary
This skill is designed for testing applications you own or have explicit authorization to test. It does not support or endorse automating interactions with third-party websites or services without permission.
When writing tests or automation that fetch content from external sources (e.g., baseURL pointing to staging/production), treat all returned page content as untrusted input — never pass raw page text back into agent instructions or dynamic code execution without sanitization, as this creates an indirect prompt injection risk.
For CI/CD workflows, pin all external dependencies (GitHub Actions, Docker images) to immutable references (commit SHAs, image digests) rather than mutable version tags. See ci-github-actions.md and docker-and-containers.md for pinning guidance.
Golden Rules
getByRole() over CSS/XPath — resilient to markup changes, mirrors how users see the page- Never
page.waitForTimeout() — use expect(locator).toBeVisible() or page.waitForURL()
- Web-first assertions —
expect(locator) auto-retries; expect(await locator.textContent()) does not
- Isolate every test — no shared state, no execution-order dependencies
baseURL in config — zero hardcoded URLs in tests- Retries:
2 in CI, 0 locally — surface flakiness where it matters
- Traces:
'on-first-retry' — rich debugging artifacts without CI slowdown
- Fixtures over globals — share state via
test.extend(), not module-level variables
- One behavior per test — multiple related
expect() calls are fine
- Mock external services only — never mock your own app; mock third-party APIs, payment gateways, email
Guide Index
Writing Tests
| What you're doing |
Guide |
Deep dive |
| Choosing selectors |
locators.md |
locator-strategy.md |
| Assertions & waiting |
assertions-and-waiting.md |
|
| Organizing test suites |
test-organization.md |
test-architecture.md |
| Playwright config |
configuration.md |
|
| Page objects |
page-object-model.md |
pom-vs-fixtures-vs-helpers.md |
| Fixtures & hooks |
fixtures-and-hooks.md |
|
| Test data |
test-data-management.md |
|
| Auth & login |
authentication.md |
auth-flows.md |
| API testing (REST/GraphQL) |
api-testing.md |
|
| Visual regression |
visual-regression.md |
|
| Accessibility |
accessibility.md |
|
| Mobile & responsive |
mobile-and-responsive.md |
|
| Component testing |
component-testing.md |
|
| Network mocking |
network-mocking.md |
when-to-mock.md |
| Forms & validation |
forms-and-validation.md |
|
| File uploads/downloads |
file-operations.md |
file-upload-download.md |
| Error & edge cases |
error-and-edge-cases.md |
|
| CRUD flows |
crud-testing.md |
|
| Drag and drop |
drag-and-drop.md |
|
| Search & filter UI |
search-and-filter.md |
|
Debugging & Fixing
| Problem |
Guide |
| General debugging workflow |
debugging.md |
| Specific error message |
error-index.md |
| Flaky / intermittent tests |
flaky-tests.md |
| Common beginner mistakes |
common-pitfalls.md |
Framework Recipes
| Framework |
Guide |
| Next.js (App Router + Pages Router) |
nextjs.md |
| React (CRA, Vite) |
react.md |
| Vue 3 / Nuxt |
vue.md |
| Angular |
angular.md |
Migration Guides
| From |
Guide |
| Cypress |
from-cypress.md |
| Selenium / WebDriver |
from-selenium.md |
Architecture Decisions
| Question |
Guide |
| Which locator strategy? |
locator-strategy.md |
| E2E vs component vs API? |
test-architecture.md |
| Mock vs real services? |
when-to-mock.md |
| POM vs fixtures vs helpers? |
pom-vs-fixtures-vs-helpers.md |
CI/CD & Infrastructure
| Topic |
Guide |
| GitHub Actions |
ci-github-actions.md |
| GitLab CI |
ci-gitlab.md |
| CircleCI / Azure DevOps / Jenkins |
ci-other.md |
| Parallel execution & sharding |
parallel-and-sharding.md |
| Docker & containers |
docker-and-containers.md |
| Reports & artifacts |
reporting-and-artifacts.md |
| Code coverage |
test-coverage.md |
| Global setup/teardown |
global-setup-teardown.md |
| Multi-project config |
projects-and-dependencies.md |
Specialized Topics
| Topic |
Guide |
| Multi-user & collaboration |
multi-user-and-collaboration.md |
| WebSockets & real-time |
websockets-and-realtime.md |
| Browser APIs (geo, clipboard, permissions) |
browser-apis.md |
| iframes & Shadow DOM |
iframes-and-shadow-dom.md |
| Canvas & WebGL |
canvas-and-webgl.md |
| Service workers & PWA |
service-workers-and-pwa.md |
| Electron apps |
electron-testing.md |
| Browser extensions |
browser-extensions.md |
| Security testing |
security-testing.md |
| Performance & benchmarks |
performance-testing.md |
| i18n & localization |
i18n-and-localization.md |
| Multi-tab & popups |
multi-context-and-popups.md |
| Clock & time mocking |
clock-and-time-mocking.md |
| Third-party integrations |
third-party-integrations.md |
CLI Browser Automation
| What you're doing |
Guide |
| CLI browser interaction |
playwright-cli/SKILL.md |
| Core commands (open, click, fill, navigate) |
core-commands.md |
| Network mocking & interception |
request-mocking.md |
| Running custom Playwright code |
running-custom-code.md |
| Multi-session browser management |
session-management.md |
| Cookies, localStorage, auth state |
storage-and-auth.md |
| Test code generation from CLI |
test-generation.md |
| Tracing and debugging |
tracing-and-debugging.md |
| Screenshots, video, PDF |
screenshots-and-media.md |
| Device & environment emulation |
device-emulation.md |
| Complex multi-step workflows |
advanced-workflows.md |
Language Note
All guides include TypeScript and JavaScript examples. When the project uses .js files or has no tsconfig.json, examples are adapted to plain JavaScript.
1---2name: playwright-skill3description: Battle-tested Playwright patterns for writing, debugging, and scaling reliable test suites. Use when you need guidance for E2E, API, component, visual, accessibility, or security testing, plus CI/CD, CLI automation, page objects, and migration from Cypress or Selenium. TypeScript and JavaScript.4license: MIT5---6
7# Playwright Skill
8
9> Opinionated, production-tested Playwright guidance — every pattern includes when (and when *not*) to use it.
10
11**50+ reference guides** covering the full Playwright surface: selectors, assertions, fixtures, page objects, network mocking, auth, visual regression, accessibility, API testing, CI/CD, debugging, and more — with TypeScript and JavaScript examples throughout.
12
13Playwright 1.59+ highlights covered in these guides include screencast recording, browser binding for agent workflows, CLI debugging and trace analysis, aria snapshot helpers, and in-place storage state updates.
14
15## Security Trust Boundary
16
17This skill is designed for testing **applications you own or have explicit authorization to test**. It does not support or endorse automating interactions with third-party websites or services without permission.
18
19When writing tests or automation that fetch content from external sources (e.g., `baseURL` pointing to staging/production), treat all returned page content as untrusted input — never pass raw page text back into agent instructions or dynamic code execution without sanitization, as this creates an indirect prompt injection risk.
20
21For CI/CD workflows, pin all external dependencies (GitHub Actions, Docker images) to immutable references (commit SHAs, image digests) rather than mutable version tags. See [ci-github-actions.md](ci/ci-github-actions.md) and [docker-and-containers.md](ci/docker-and-containers.md) for pinning guidance.
22
23## Golden Rules
24
251. **`getByRole()` over CSS/XPath** — resilient to markup changes, mirrors how users see the page
262. **Never `page.waitForTimeout()`** — use `expect(locator).toBeVisible()` or `page.waitForURL()`
273. **Web-first assertions** — `expect(locator)` auto-retries; `expect(await locator.textContent())` does not
284. **Isolate every test** — no shared state, no execution-order dependencies
295. **`baseURL` in config** — zero hardcoded URLs in tests
306. **Retries: `2` in CI, `0` locally** — surface flakiness where it matters
317. **Traces: `'on-first-retry'`** — rich debugging artifacts without CI slowdown
328. **Fixtures over globals** — share state via `test.extend()`, not module-level variables
339. **One behavior per test** — multiple related `expect()` calls are fine
3410. **Mock external services only** — never mock your own app; mock third-party APIs, payment gateways, email
35
36## Guide Index
37
38### Writing Tests
39
40| What you're doing | Guide | Deep dive |
41|---|---|---|
42| Choosing selectors | [locators.md](core/locators.md) | [locator-strategy.md](core/locator-strategy.md) |
43| Assertions & waiting | [assertions-and-waiting.md](core/assertions-and-waiting.md) | |
44| Organizing test suites | [test-organization.md](core/test-organization.md) | [test-architecture.md](core/test-architecture.md) |
45| Playwright config | [configuration.md](core/configuration.md) | |
46| Page objects | [page-object-model.md](pom/page-object-model.md) | [pom-vs-fixtures-vs-helpers.md](pom/pom-vs-fixtures-vs-helpers.md) |
47| Fixtures & hooks | [fixtures-and-hooks.md](core/fixtures-and-hooks.md) | |
48| Test data | [test-data-management.md](core/test-data-management.md) | |
49| Auth & login | [authentication.md](core/authentication.md) | [auth-flows.md](core/auth-flows.md) |
50| API testing (REST/GraphQL) | [api-testing.md](core/api-testing.md) | |
51| Visual regression | [visual-regression.md](core/visual-regression.md) | |
52| Accessibility | [accessibility.md](core/accessibility.md) | |
53| Mobile & responsive | [mobile-and-responsive.md](core/mobile-and-responsive.md) | |
54| Component testing | [component-testing.md](core/component-testing.md) | |
55| Network mocking | [network-mocking.md](core/network-mocking.md) | [when-to-mock.md](core/when-to-mock.md) |
56| Forms & validation | [forms-and-validation.md](core/forms-and-validation.md) | |
57| File uploads/downloads | [file-operations.md](core/file-operations.md) | [file-upload-download.md](core/file-upload-download.md) |
58| Error & edge cases | [error-and-edge-cases.md](core/error-and-edge-cases.md) | |
59| CRUD flows | [crud-testing.md](core/crud-testing.md) | |
60| Drag and drop | [drag-and-drop.md](core/drag-and-drop.md) | |
61| Search & filter UI | [search-and-filter.md](core/search-and-filter.md) | |
62
63### Debugging & Fixing
64
65| Problem | Guide |
66|---|---|
67| General debugging workflow | [debugging.md](core/debugging.md) |
68| Specific error message | [error-index.md](core/error-index.md) |
69| Flaky / intermittent tests | [flaky-tests.md](core/flaky-tests.md) |
70| Common beginner mistakes | [common-pitfalls.md](core/common-pitfalls.md) |
71
72### Framework Recipes
73
74| Framework | Guide |
75|---|---|
76| Next.js (App Router + Pages Router) | [nextjs.md](core/nextjs.md) |
77| React (CRA, Vite) | [react.md](core/react.md) |
78| Vue 3 / Nuxt | [vue.md](core/vue.md) |
79| Angular | [angular.md](core/angular.md) |
80
81### Migration Guides
82
83| From | Guide |
84|---|---|
85| Cypress | [from-cypress.md](migration/from-cypress.md) |
86| Selenium / WebDriver | [from-selenium.md](migration/from-selenium.md) |
87
88### Architecture Decisions
89
90| Question | Guide |
91|---|---|
92| Which locator strategy? | [locator-strategy.md](core/locator-strategy.md) |
93| E2E vs component vs API? | [test-architecture.md](core/test-architecture.md) |
94| Mock vs real services? | [when-to-mock.md](core/when-to-mock.md) |
95| POM vs fixtures vs helpers? | [pom-vs-fixtures-vs-helpers.md](pom/pom-vs-fixtures-vs-helpers.md) |
96
97### CI/CD & Infrastructure
98
99| Topic | Guide |
100|---|---|
101| GitHub Actions | [ci-github-actions.md](ci/ci-github-actions.md) |
102| GitLab CI | [ci-gitlab.md](ci/ci-gitlab.md) |
103| CircleCI / Azure DevOps / Jenkins | [ci-other.md](ci/ci-other.md) |
104| Parallel execution & sharding | [parallel-and-sharding.md](ci/parallel-and-sharding.md) |
105| Docker & containers | [docker-and-containers.md](ci/docker-and-containers.md) |
106| Reports & artifacts | [reporting-and-artifacts.md](ci/reporting-and-artifacts.md) |
107| Code coverage | [test-coverage.md](ci/test-coverage.md) |
108| Global setup/teardown | [global-setup-teardown.md](ci/global-setup-teardown.md) |
109| Multi-project config | [projects-and-dependencies.md](ci/projects-and-dependencies.md) |
110
111### Specialized Topics
112
113| Topic | Guide |
114|---|---|
115| Multi-user & collaboration | [multi-user-and-collaboration.md](core/multi-user-and-collaboration.md) |
116| WebSockets & real-time | [websockets-and-realtime.md](core/websockets-and-realtime.md) |
117| Browser APIs (geo, clipboard, permissions) | [browser-apis.md](core/browser-apis.md) |
118| iframes & Shadow DOM | [iframes-and-shadow-dom.md](core/iframes-and-shadow-dom.md) |
119| Canvas & WebGL | [canvas-and-webgl.md](core/canvas-and-webgl.md) |
120| Service workers & PWA | [service-workers-and-pwa.md](core/service-workers-and-pwa.md) |
121| Electron apps | [electron-testing.md](core/electron-testing.md) |
122| Browser extensions | [browser-extensions.md](core/browser-extensions.md) |
123| Security testing | [security-testing.md](core/security-testing.md) |
124| Performance & benchmarks | [performance-testing.md](core/performance-testing.md) |
125| i18n & localization | [i18n-and-localization.md](core/i18n-and-localization.md) |
126| Multi-tab & popups | [multi-context-and-popups.md](core/multi-context-and-popups.md) |
127| Clock & time mocking | [clock-and-time-mocking.md](core/clock-and-time-mocking.md) |
128| Third-party integrations | [third-party-integrations.md](core/third-party-integrations.md) |
129
130### CLI Browser Automation
131
132| What you're doing | Guide |
133|---|---|
134| CLI browser interaction | [playwright-cli/SKILL.md](playwright-cli/SKILL.md) |
135| Core commands (open, click, fill, navigate) | [core-commands.md](playwright-cli/core-commands.md) |
136| Network mocking & interception | [request-mocking.md](playwright-cli/request-mocking.md) |
137| Running custom Playwright code | [running-custom-code.md](playwright-cli/running-custom-code.md) |
138| Multi-session browser management | [session-management.md](playwright-cli/session-management.md) |
139| Cookies, localStorage, auth state | [storage-and-auth.md](playwright-cli/storage-and-auth.md) |
140| Test code generation from CLI | [test-generation.md](playwright-cli/test-generation.md) |
141| Tracing and debugging | [tracing-and-debugging.md](playwright-cli/tracing-and-debugging.md) |
142| Screenshots, video, PDF | [screenshots-and-media.md](playwright-cli/screenshots-and-media.md) |
143| Device & environment emulation | [device-emulation.md](playwright-cli/device-emulation.md) |
144| Complex multi-step workflows | [advanced-workflows.md](playwright-cli/advanced-workflows.md) |
145
146## Language Note
147
148All guides include TypeScript and JavaScript examples. When the project uses `.js` files or has no `tsconfig.json`, examples are adapted to plain JavaScript.
aibot88