Visual Regression Testing
Playwright Screenshot Comparison
import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
test('homepage visual', async ({ page }) => {
await page.goto('http://localhost:3000');
await expect(page).toHaveScreenshot('homepage.png');
});
test('component visual', async ({ page }) => {
await page.goto('http://localhost:3000');
const header = page.locator('header');
await expect(header).toHaveScreenshot('header.png');
});
test('with threshold', async ({ page }) => {
await page.goto('http://localhost:3000');
await expect(page).toHaveScreenshot('page.png', {
maxDiffPixels: 100,
maxDiffPixelRatio: 0.01,
});
});
Configuration
// playwright.config.ts
export default defineConfig({
expect: {
toHaveScreenshot: { maxDiffPixels: 50, threshold: 0.2 },
},
projects: [
{ name: 'chromium', use: { ...devices['Desktop Chrome'] } },
{ name: 'mobile', use: { ...devices['iPhone 12'] } },
],
});
Commands
npx playwright test --update-snapshots # Update all
npx playwright test visual.spec.ts -u # Update specific
Workflow
- Baseline: First run creates reference screenshots
- Compare: Subsequent runs compare against baseline
- Review: Check diff images on failure
- Approve: Update snapshots if change is intentional
Best Practices
- Test critical UI components individually
- Use consistent viewport sizes
- Disable animations:
animation-duration: 0s !important
- Mock dynamic content (dates, random data)
- Run on CI with consistent environment
Third-Party Tools
| Tool |
Use Case |
| Percy |
Cloud-based, BrowserStack integration |
| Chromatic |
Storybook visual testing |
| Playwright |
Built-in, no vendor lock-in |
CI Integration
- name: Visual Tests
run: npx playwright test --grep @visual
- uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
if: failure()
with:
name: visual-diffs
path: test-results/
Visual vs Accessibility
| Aspect |
Visual |
Accessibility |
| Catches |
Layout, colors |
Semantic, ARIA |
| Method |
Pixel diff |
DOM analysis |
Use both: Visual misses semantic issues, a11y misses layout bugs.