# Playwright CLI

> Automate browser interactions via the Playwright CLI. Use for web testing, form filling, screenshots, UI verification, and data extraction. Use when this capability is needed.

- Skill: `tomevault-io/playwright-cli-8` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/playwright-cli-8`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/playwright-cli-8/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/playwright-cli-8

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# Browser Automation with playwright-cli

## When to Use

- Navigate and interact with web pages (click, type, fill forms)
- Take screenshots for UI debugging or to verify UI features
- Test web application behavior end-to-end
- Extract data from rendered pages
- Manage browser sessions and storage state

## Core Workflow

1. **Open** a URL: `playwright-cli open https://example.com`
2. **Snapshot** to get element refs: `playwright-cli snapshot`
3. **Interact** using refs: `playwright-cli click e3`, `playwright-cli fill e5 "text"`
4. **Verify** with screenshot or re-snapshot: `playwright-cli screenshot`

## Essential Commands

```bash
playwright-cli open [url]             # Navigate to URL
playwright-cli snapshot               # Get element refs (eN identifiers)
playwright-cli click <ref>            # Click element
playwright-cli fill <ref> <text>      # Fill input field
playwright-cli type <text>            # Type into focused element
playwright-cli screenshot [ref]       # Capture page or element screenshot
playwright-cli select <ref> <value>   # Select dropdown option
playwright-cli press <key>            # Press keyboard key
playwright-cli eval <js> [ref]        # Run JS on page or element (expression only, no IIFEs)
```

## eval Gotchas

The `eval` command wraps your code in `() => (YOUR_CODE)`, so:
- **Expressions work:** `"document.title"`, `"JSON.stringify(someObj)"`
- **Chained promises work:** `"fetch('/api').then(function(r) { return r.json(); }).then(function(d) { return JSON.stringify(d); })"`
- **IIFEs fail:** `"(() => { ... })()"` — already wrapped in a function
- **Statements fail:** `"const x = 1; return x"` — not valid as an expression

## Screenshots for UI Debugging

Use `playwright-cli screenshot` after interactions to visually verify the page state. Target specific elements with `playwright-cli screenshot e5`. Screenshots save to the output directory as PNG files.

## Sessions

**Use the default session** — just omit `--session` entirely. The `--session=name` flag is only for the initial `open` command that creates the session. Subsequent commands (`fill`, `click`, `snapshot`, etc.) automatically target the running session without any flag.

```bash
# Recommended: use the default session
playwright-cli open https://app.com       # Creates default session
playwright-cli snapshot                    # Targets the running session
playwright-cli fill e3 "text"             # No --session flag needed
playwright-cli click e5

# Session management
playwright-cli session-list               # List active sessions
playwright-cli session-stop               # Stop default session
playwright-cli session-stop myapp         # Stop named session
```

**Gotcha:** Do NOT pass `--session=name` on follow-up commands — it errors with "The session is already configured." Only use it on the initial `open` if you need a named session.

Sessions persist browser state (cookies, storage, login) across commands.

## Options

| Flag | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `--browser <name>` | chrome, firefox, webkit, msedge |
| `--headed` | Show browser window |
| `--session <name>` | Named persistent session |
| `--config <path>` | Custom config file |
| `--in-memory` | No disk persistence |

## References

- [Installation & setup](references/installation.md)
- [Advanced usage & full command reference](references/advanced-usage.md)

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<!-- tomevault:4.0:skill_md:2026-04-15 -->