Setting Up Your First Playwright Project

 In the ever-evolving world of automated web testing, Playwright has emerged as one of the most powerful and modern tools available today. Developed by Microsoft, Playwright allows testers and developers to write reliable end-to-end tests for modern web applications across multiple browsers like Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit. If you’re looking to start with Playwright, this blog will walk you through setting up your first Playwright project from scratch.

What is Playwright?

Playwright is an open-source automation library that enables testing of web applications by simulating user actions. Unlike traditional testing tools, Playwright supports multiple programming languages (JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, C#, and Java), headless and headful modes, and cross-browser testing in a single framework.

Key benefits include:

Auto-waiting for elements before actions

Built-in support for parallel test execution

Rich debugging features

Easy CI/CD integration

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following installed on your system:

Node.js (v14 or higher): https://nodejs.org/

A terminal or command-line tool

A code editor like VS Code

Step-by-Step Guide to Set Up Playwright

1. Initialize a New Project

Open your terminal and create a new directory for your Playwright project:

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mkdir playwright-demo

cd playwright-demo

npm init -y

This will create a new package.json file in your project directory.

2. Install Playwright

Now, install Playwright using the following command:

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npm install -D @playwright/test

Then, to install browser binaries (Chromium, Firefox, WebKit), run:

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npx playwright install

3. Create Your First Test File

Inside your project, create a file named example.spec.js in a tests folder:

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// tests/example.spec.js

const { test, expect } = require('@playwright/test');

test('Check Google title', async ({ page }) => {

  await page.goto('https://www.google.com');

  await expect(page).toHaveTitle(/Google/);

});

This basic test checks if Google’s title contains the word “Google”.

4. Configure Playwright

Run the following command to generate a configuration file:

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npx playwright test --init

This will create a playwright.config.js file, where you can define global settings like timeouts, browser settings, test directories, etc.

5. Run Your Tests

Execute your test file with this command:

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npx playwright test

You’ll see the test execute in the terminal. You can also run it in a headed browser using:

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npx playwright test --headed

6. View Reports

After running tests, Playwright generates detailed test reports. To view the HTML report:

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npx playwright show-report

Bonus: Record Tests Automatically

Playwright allows you to record user interactions and generate scripts:

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npx playwright codegen https://example.com

It opens a browser where you can interact with the page. The actions will be converted into Playwright code.

Conclusion

Setting up a Playwright project is simple, fast, and incredibly powerful. Whether you're testing modern web apps or building a robust CI/CD pipeline, Playwright offers the tools and flexibility you need. With cross-browser support, intelligent waits, and automatic reporting, it’s an ideal choice for both beginners and advanced automation testers. Now that your environment is set up, you’re ready to explore more advanced features like page object models, parallel execution, and CI integration. Happy testing!

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