Experience with Playwright: Why It’s the Most Popular E2E Testing Tool

Playwright has quickly become a favorite for end-to-end (E2E) testing because it’s fast, reliable, and versatile. It supports all major browsers, multiple programming languages, and advanced features like network interception and mobile emulation. Here's why developers love it:

• Cross-browser support: Test on Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit with one API.
• Automatic waits: Reduces flaky tests by waiting for elements to be ready.
• Debugging tools: Includes Trace Viewer, Inspector, and browser dev tools.
• Parallel testing: Run tests faster with isolated browser contexts.
• Multi-language support: Works with JavaScript, Python, Java, .NET, and more.

Quick Comparison: Playwright vs. Other Tools

Feature	Playwright	Selenium	Cypress
Test Speed	Fastest with parallel tests	Slower (WebDriver overhead)	Fast (limited to JS runtime)
Browser Support	Chromium, Firefox, WebKit	All major browsers	Chromium-based only
Language Support	JS, Python, Java, C#, etc.	Java, Python, C#, Ruby, etc.	JavaScript/TypeScript only
Debug Tools	Built-in Inspector, Trace Viewer	External tools required	Time-travel debugging
Parallel Testing	Native support	Requires Selenium Grid	Paid version only

Whether you’re testing UI, APIs, or mobile web, Playwright’s modern architecture and built-in features make it a top choice for developers. Ready to streamline your E2E testing? Keep reading for setup tips, feature breakdowns, and real-world examples.

Complete Playwright Testing Tutorial

Main Features of Playwright

Explore the standout features that position Playwright as a top-tier tool for end-to-end (E2E) testing.

Browser Support

Playwright enables cross-browser testing with a single API, supporting all major rendering engines:

Browser Engine	Supported Browsers	Platform Support
Chromium	Chrome, Edge, Opera	Windows, macOS, Linux
Firefox	Firefox	Windows, macOS, Linux
WebKit	Safari	Windows, macOS, Linux

It also runs tests in parallel using isolated contexts, ensuring no overlap or interference between test suites. Let's move on to how its waiting features simplify interactions.

Built-in Wait Functions

Playwright’s built-in waiting mechanics ensure elements are ready for interaction before performing any operations, minimizing test flakiness. Key features include:

• A default timeout of 5 seconds for assertions
• A test execution timeout of 30 seconds
• Dynamic detection of elements with stability checks
• Automatic retries for web-first assertions

After addressing wait strategies, Playwright’s debugging tools take testing efficiency to the next level.

Debug Tools

Playwright comes with several debugging tools to simplify test development and troubleshooting:

• Playwright Inspector: A visual tool for monitoring test execution, editing locators, and inspecting elements.
• Trace Viewer: Offers detailed insights like DOM snapshots, network requests, console logs, and a timeline view.
• Browser Developer Tools: Provides native browser debugging features, including network monitoring, console access, and performance insights.

Testing Capabilities

Playwright supports a variety of testing scenarios, making it a versatile choice:

Testing Type	Key Features
UI Testing	Simulates interactions, emulates viewports, and tests gestures.
API Testing	Handles network interception, response mocking, and request validation.
Visual Testing	Compares screenshots and detects visual regressions.
Mobile Web	Emulates devices and tests responsive designs.

Its advanced emulation lets teams test different devices and screen sizes without needing physical hardware. Plus, support for multiple languages (JavaScript, Python, Java, C#) makes it accessible to a wide range of developers.

Comparing Playwright to Other Tools

Looking at how Playwright stacks up against other E2E tools can help you make smarter automation decisions.

Tool Comparison Chart

Here's a breakdown of key features:

Feature	Playwright	Selenium	Cypress
Test Execution Speed	Fastest – Up to 88.68% faster	Slower due to WebDriver architecture	Fast but limited by JavaScript runtime
Browser Support	Chromium, Firefox, WebKit	All major browsers, including legacy	Chromium-based browsers only
Language Support	JavaScript, Python, Java, C#	Java, Python, C#, Ruby, PHP, Perl, JavaScript	JavaScript/TypeScript only
Auto-wait Features	Intelligent waits	Requires explicit waits	Built-in but less advanced
Parallel Testing	Native support with isolation	Needs Selenium Grid setup	Included in paid version
Debug Tools	Integrated Trace Viewer, Inspector	External tools required	Time-travel debugging

This table shows how Playwright stands out with faster execution, better browser support, and smarter features.

Speed and Stability

Playwright excels in both speed and reliability. For instance, one team cut their test execution time from 2 hours 27 minutes to just 16 minutes by using parallelism and sharding.

Its stability comes from several key features:

• Out-of-process test execution: Keeps browser crashes from disrupting tests.
• Automatic waiting: Reduces test flakiness by 30%.
• Browser contexts: Ensures full test isolation with minimal overhead.
• Web-first assertions: Automatically retry until conditions are met.

These features make Playwright a solid choice for creating fast, stable tests.

Programming Language Options

Playwright supports multiple programming languages, making it flexible for diverse teams:

Language	Features and Support
TypeScript/JavaScript	Comprehensive support with advanced features
Python	Full API coverage and a growing ecosystem
Java	Ideal for enterprise use with strong typing
.NET/C#	Seamless integration with Microsoft technologies

With over 61,000 GitHub stars and more than 4 million weekly NPM downloads, Playwright is becoming a go-to tool for enterprises, especially for cross-browser testing and automation workflows.

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Adding Playwright to CI/CD

Integrating Playwright into your CI/CD pipeline ensures your tests run consistently throughout the development process. Here's how you can set it up using GitHub Actions and Jenkins.

GitHub Actions Setup

GitHub Actions makes running Playwright tests straightforward. Below is a sample configuration:

# .github/workflows/playwright.yml
name: Playwright Tests
on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]
jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v3
      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm ci
      - name: Install Playwright browsers
        run: npx playwright install --with-deps
      - name: Run tests
        run: npx playwright test --workers=1
      - name: Upload report
        if: always()
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
        with:
          name: playwright-report
          path: playwright-report/

Tips for optimizing GitHub Actions:

• Run tests with a single worker (--workers=1) for stability.
• Use the --only-changed flag to speed up tests for pull requests.
• Enable parallel execution through sharding when needed.
• Always archive test reports for future reference.

While GitHub Actions provides a native and simple way to integrate Playwright, Jenkins with Docker offers flexibility for more complex setups.

Jenkins and Docker Integration

Using Jenkins with Docker allows for a robust Playwright testing pipeline. Here's a summary of best practices:

Component	Configuration
Docker Image	Use the official Playwright image with all required dependencies pre-installed.
Test Execution	Run tests in parallel with 4 workers for faster execution.
Reporting	Generate JUnit and HTML reports, and archive them for review.
Failure Handling	Automatically terminate the pipeline if tests fail.

Below is a sample Jenkins pipeline configuration:

pipeline {
    agent {
        docker {
            image 'mcr.microsoft.com/playwright:latest'
        }
    }
    stages {
        stage('Test') {
            steps {
                sh 'npm ci'
                sh 'npx playwright install --with-deps'
                sh 'npx playwright test --workers=4'
            }
        }
        post {
            always {
                archiveArtifacts artifacts: 'playwright-report/**'
            }
        }
    }
}

Key Jenkins setup tips:

• Use npm ci for clean and consistent dependency installations.
• Archive reports and artifacts for debugging and analysis.
• Configure timeouts to prevent pipeline hangs.
• Monitor system resources to ensure smooth execution.
• Dynamically handle configurations for different browsers.

These setups help ensure smooth and reliable Playwright test execution in your CI/CD pipeline.

Common Testing Scenarios

Playwright supports a variety of testing scenarios. Below are some practical examples showcasing its versatility.

E-Commerce Testing

Playwright is well-suited for testing e-commerce platforms. For instance, a WooCommerce setup highlights how Playwright can handle tasks like product search, cart functionality, checkout processes, and user authentication.

In February 2025, Hala Samir created a UI testing framework for the Demoblaze e-commerce platform using Playwright with Java. This framework offered reliable results, faster test execution, and smooth integration with CI/CD pipelines.

Now, let’s look at how Playwright manages the specific demands of single-page applications (SPAs).

SPA Testing

SPAs bring unique challenges due to their dynamic updates. Here's an example of how Playwright handles waiting for network responses before verifying dynamic content:

await page.waitForResponse(response =>  
  response.url().includes('/api/data') &&  
  response.status() === 200  
);  
await expect(page.getByTestId('dynamic-content')).toBeVisible();

In one FinTech project, Playwright validated UI interactions without relying on backend dependencies. This approach reduced execution time and improved test stability.

Playwright's capabilities also extend to mobile web testing through device emulation.

Mobile Web Testing

With device emulation, Playwright provides precise testing for mobile web scenarios. For example, a SaaS platform incorporated mobile testing to ensure touch interactions worked seamlessly and layouts were responsive.

"A test suite is like a parachute - you only trust it when it works every time. If your tests pass today but fail mysteriously tomorrow, they're doing more harm than good. Stability is the key that makes tests valuable."

• Sam Sperling

To maintain dependable mobile tests, use reliable selectors like data-testid or getByRole.

Test Maintenance and Debugging

Keep your Playwright tests stable with effective debugging tools and smart maintenance techniques.

Using the Inspector Tool

The Playwright Inspector is an interactive GUI that simplifies real-time test debugging. By running your tests with the --debug flag, you can pause the test execution and examine each step:

await page.pause();

Jaydeep Karale from LambdaTest highlights that the Inspector’s auto-code generation feature can significantly reduce script development time. Its live locator editing function also helps identify selectors that work well with dynamic UI elements.

Analyzing Tests with Trace Viewer

Trace Viewer provides detailed insights into how your tests run. To enable trace recording, configure your playwright.config.ts file. This will capture key data such as:

• DOM snapshots at every step
• Network requests and responses
• Console logs and errors
• The execution path of your source code

These trace details allow you to step through actions and identify what caused a test to fail. Pair this data with solid maintenance practices to ensure test reliability.

Tips for Test Maintenance

Here are some practical strategies:

• Selector Strategy
  Use selectors that are less likely to break due to UI changes:

  // Avoid this
  await page.locator('.submit-btn-cls').click();
  
  // Use this instead
  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' }).click();
  

• Wait Management
  Replace fixed timeouts with explicit conditions for better reliability:

  await page.waitForResponse(response => 
    response.url().includes('/api/data') && 
    response.status() === 200
  );
  

• Test Isolation
  Keep tests independent by avoiding shared states. For example:

  test.beforeEach(async ({ page }) => {
    await seedTestData();
  });
  
  test.afterEach(async ({ page }) => {
    await cleanupTestData();
  });
  

Additionally, configure automatic retries to handle flaky tests while you work on improving their stability.

Conclusion

Let's wrap up by highlighting Playwright's capabilities and how you can get started with it.

Summary

Playwright has become a top choice for end-to-end (E2E) testing, gaining popularity among developers. Its edge lies in features that go beyond traditional testing frameworks.

By integrating directly with the Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP), Playwright provides advanced performance monitoring, surpassing tools like Selenium and Cypress. Its modern design, including out-of-process test execution, ensures better stability and faster testing.

Feature	Benefit
Auto-wait Mechanism	Minimizes flaky tests
Cross-browser Support	Ensures compatibility
Isolated Browser Contexts	Faster and more reliable tests
Network Interception	Expands test coverage

With these advantages in mind, incorporating Playwright into your workflow becomes a straightforward choice.

Getting Started Guide

Here’s how to dive into Playwright:

Install Playwright, set up the required browsers, and run an example test with these npm commands:

npm init playwright@latest
npx playwright install
npx playwright test

For example, FlightAware successfully uses Playwright to manage complex testing scenarios.

Don’t forget about the powerful tools Playwright offers:

• Codegen: Automatically create tests from browser interactions.
• Inspector: Debug tests live as they run.
• Trace Viewer: Review detailed test execution data.
• UI Mode: Step through tests visually.

These tools, combined with Playwright's strong foundation, make it a comprehensive solution for modern web testing.