Playwright Automation: Is it the Right Testing Solution for Your Team?

Playwright is Microsoft’s open-source, cross-browser test automation – fast, reliable auto-wait and parallelism. Great for dev-heavy teams; heavier setup/learning. Need codeless, multi-platform simplicity? Try Testsigma.

Most QA teams know the frustration of watching their “reliable” test suite fail for the third time this week. The same tests that passed yesterday are now throwing random errors, and nobody knows why.

Web applications have become more complex, but testing tools still feel stuck in the past. While they catch the obvious issues, the subtle edge cases and cross-browser problems often go unnoticed until the very end. 

That’s why more and more software teams are focusing on web automated testing for improving the reliability, efficiency, and speed of their test suite. 

One of the rising names in this field is Playwright. Designed by Microsoft, it handles modern web apps better than legacy tools, reducing test flakiness and speeding up your entire testing process.

In this blog, we’ll explore what Playwright automation is, how to get started with it, and its key advantages and limitations. Also, find an alternative for Playwright testing if you’re seeking something even more straightforward.

What is Playwright Automation?

Playwright is Microsoft’s open-source framework for cross-browser automation and end-to-end testing that launched in January 2020. 

The framework allows you to automate Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit browsers using a single API. What makes it particularly useful is that you’re not stuck with browser-specific limitations. It serves as your all-in-one solution for testing web applications across different browsers without writing separate code for each one.

Here are the key features that set Playwright automation apart:

• Multi-language flexibility: Supports JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C#, and .NET, so your team doesn’t need to learn new languages.
• Auto-wait mechanism: Automatically waits for elements to be actionable before performing actions, eliminating artificial timeouts that cause flaky tests.
• Parallel execution: Runs multiple worker processes simultaneously and can execute tests on different machines for faster results.
• Browser context isolation: Creates a fresh browser context for each test, equivalent to a brand new browser profile, delivering full test isolation.
• Built-in test generation: Record your actions and automatically generate tests in any supported language using its Codegen.
• Advanced debugging tools: Includes Playwright Inspector for step-by-step monitoring and Trace Viewer for understanding test failures.
• Visual testing capabilities: Provides photo and video recording of test results for quickly finding issues. 

Getting Started with the Playwright Automation Tool

Prerequisites

• Install Node.js (version 12 or higher) on your device
• Basic knowledge of JavaScript or TypeScript
• A code editor like Visual Studio Code
• Command line/terminal familiarity
• A web application to test

Step-by-step Instructions to Install and Execute Playwright Testing 

• Step 1: Create a project folder

Create a fresh directory for your project and open it in your preferred code editor. Then, switch to this folder in your terminal so all commands run in the right place.

• Step 2: Initialize Playwright testing

Run the following command in your terminal:

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3npm init Playwright @latest
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This command will ask configuration questions such as:

• Language: TypeScript (or JS if you prefer)
• Add GitHub Actions workflow? Optional
• Install browsers? Yes (downloads Chromium, Firefox, WebKit)

With that, you can generate Playwright .config.ts, a tests/ folder, and install the browsers.

• Step 3: Run sample tests 

Playwright testing comes with ready-made tests to confirm everything works perfectly. You can also launch the UI mode to see tests visually using:

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3npx Playwright test 
4Or
5npx Playwright test –ui
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If the tests pass, you know the Playwright test tool is installed and working properly.

• Step 4: Configure Playwright 

Playwright uses a configuration file (Playwright .config.ts or .js) to control how tests run. Here you can set the base URL, timeouts, viewport size, or which browsers to test on. 

You can use this snippet:

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3// Playwright .config.ts
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5

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3import { defineConfig, devices } from ‘@Playwright /test’;
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5export default defineConfig({
6  use: {
7    baseURL: ‘http://localhost:3000’,
8    headless: true,
9    viewport: { width: 1280, height: 720 },
10    screenshot: ‘only-on-failure’,
11    trace: ‘on-first-retry’,
12  },
13  projects: [
14    { name: ‘chromium’, use: { …devices[‘Desktop Chrome’] } },
15    { name: ‘firefox’,  use: { …devices[‘Desktop Firefox’] } },
16    { name: ‘webkit’,   use: { …devices[‘Desktop Safari’] } },
17  ],
18});
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This lets you customize the Playwright test to match your project’s needs.

• Step 5: Create your first test

Once setup is confirmed, add your own test inside the tests/folder. Here’s a very simple example that checks a page title:

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3// tests/example.spec.ts
4import { test, expect } from ‘@Playwright /test’;
5
6test(‘homepage has title’, async ({ page }) => {
7  await page.goto(‘https://example.com’);
8  await expect(page).toHaveTitle(/Example Domain/);
9});
10Run it with:
11npx Playwright test
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• Step 6: Record a test using Codegen (optional)

If you don’t want to write code right away, let the Playwright test tool generate it for you. What happens is you open a browser, record your clicks and typing, and produce test code you can save.

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3npx Playwright codegen https://example.com
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• Step 7: View the test report

After the tests finish, you can open a detailed HTML report. This report shows which tests passed or failed, and includes logs, screenshots, and traces.

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3npx Playwright show-report
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Weighing the Pros and Cons of Playwright Automation 

Modern testing teams are constantly under pressure to deliver faster releases while maintaining quality. Playwright testing helps with that by speeding up your QA process through its modern automation features. 

However, it does have limitations that could create challenges for certain testing scenarios.  Let’s examine its advantages and disadvantages to help you make the right choice.

Advantages of Playwright Automation 

1. Eliminates timing-related test failures

One of the biggest headaches in test automation is dealing with tests that randomly fail. Playwright solves this problem with its auto-wait mechanism that detects when elements are ready for interaction. This eliminates the need to guess timing or add artificial delays that slow down your testing process.

2. Accelerates test creation and execution

Instead of maintaining separate test suites for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, you write your tests once. The Playwright automation tool runs them across all browsers using the same code. 

Moreover, it runs multiple tests simultaneously without interference. So, test suites that used to take hours now complete in minutes, boosting your CI/CD pipelines.

3. Comes with strong debugging ability 

When tests break, Playwright automation captures everything that happened during execution. Screenshots show the exact UI state when failures occurred, video playback highlights the sequence of actions leading to problems, and network logs reveal API or connectivity problems. 

With this, you don’t need to guess what could have gone wrong or spend hours troubleshooting unexpected failures.

4. Handles both UI and API testing

You can test complete workflows that involve both clicking buttons and making API calls. Playwright lets you mock network responses and control what your application sees, all within the same test. 

Furthermore, it’s designed to handle complex applications with sophisticated scenarios, such as multiple tabs and cross-domain workflows.

5. Enables accurate mobile testing

Playwright emulates real mobile devices so you can test responsive designs and mobile-specific features. This emulation covers different screen sizes and touch interactions so that you can accurately assess your web application on various dimensions. 

6. Requires minimal setup

All you need to do is download the Playwright automation tool, run the setup command, and you’re ready to write tests. There are no driver downloads, no configuration headaches, and no dependency management that takes effort and time. 

You can also record your actions in the browser, and Playwright creates the test code for you, making testing accessible to even non-technical team members.

Limitations of Playwright Automation

1. Limited community support and resources

Since Playwright launched in 2020, it has a smaller community compared to established frameworks like Selenium. You’ll find fewer tutorials, Stack Overflow answers, and third-party plugins available. When you run into specific problems, finding solutions can take longer.

2. Requires significant learning investment

Teams already familiar with Selenium or Cypress face a steep learning curve when switching to Playwright. The architecture and coding patterns are different, meaning existing knowledge doesn’t transfer directly. Your team will need time to get comfortable with the new approach.

3. Consumes more system resources

Playwright launches full browser instances that use considerable memory and CPU power. This can limit how many tests you can run in parallel, especially on smaller machines or constrained CI/CD environments. Its resource demands are noticeably higher than those of lightweight alternatives.

4. No real hardware support 

While Playwright emulates mobile devices well, it can’t test on real mobile browsers or actual devices. You’re limited to simulation, which might miss device-specific bugs or performance issues that only show up on physical hardware.

5. Large installation and storage requirements

Each browser that Playwright supports requires downloading separate binaries, totaling over 1GB of disk space for a complete setup. This can create challenges in storage-limited environments or slow down CI/CD pipeline setup times.

Testsigma Automated Platform: A Perfect Alternative to the Playwright Automation Tool

While Playwright offers impressive capabilities, it comes with limitations like steep learning curves and the need for programming expertise. It also requires teams to write and maintain complex scripts over time. 

Testsigma presents a compelling alternative for teams seeking a more accessible approach. This cloud-based, AI-powered platform lets you create comprehensive tests quickly without maintaining extensive frameworks. It handles testing across multiple platforms automatically, so you can focus on other important goals instead of managing test infrastructure.

Here’s exactly what makes it a better choice than the Playwright test tool:

1. Codeless test creation 

Write test cases in plain English, like “Click on the login button” or “Verify the dashboard loads successfully.” No programming knowledge required, making automation accessible to everyone in your team, from manual testers to business analysts and product managers.

2. Unified testing platform 

Test web applications, mobile apps, APIs, and even desktop applications from a single platform. Unlike Playwright’s web-focused approach, you get comprehensive device coverage without juggling multiple tools.

3. AI-powered self-healing tests

When application elements change, Testsigma’s AI automatically updates test scripts to prevent failures. This eliminates the constant maintenance headaches that Playwright users face when locators break.

4. Zero setup cloud infrastructure

Start testing immediately without installing browsers, managing drivers, or configuring environments. Everything runs on Testsigma’s cloud with access to 3000+ browser and device combinations.

5. Built-in parallel execution and scaling

Run hundreds of tests simultaneously across different browsers and devices without setting up complex infrastructure or worrying about resource management.

6. Complete functional testing automation

Beyond simple browser interactions, Testsigma automates your entire functional testing workflow in one platform. Test business logic, user workflows, and application functionality without needing separate tools or frameworks.

How to Run Playwright Automated Test Cases in Testsigma?

Playwright is a code-based automation framework that requires local setup, while Testsigma takes a no-code/low-code approach with natural language steps and cloud-based execution. 

For that reason, you can’t directly import Playwright scripts inside Testsigma, but you can still run them in a way. Here’s how to go about that:

• Step 1: Analyze your Playwright test scenarios 

Review your existing Playwright test cases and identify the core user workflows they validate. Then, document the step-by-step actions and expected outcomes for each test scenario.

• Step 2: Sign up for Testsigma 

Create a free account at testsigma.com and access the cloud-based testing platform. No local installation or browser setup is required.

• Step 3: Create test cases using natural language 

Use Testsigma’s plain English approach to recreate your Playwright test scenarios. For example, instead of a page.click(‘#login-button’), you write “Click on Login button”.

• Step 4: Use the test recorder 

Alternatively, use Testsigma’s recorder feature to automatically record your actions and generate test steps in natural language, saving time.

• Step 5: Configure test data and environments 

Set up your test data, application URLs, and different testing environments within Testsigma’s interface. The platform handles browser management and execution infrastructure.

• Step 6: Execute and monitor tests 

Run your recreated test cases on Testsigma’s cloud infrastructure across multiple browsers and devices. View detailed reports and receive notifications about test results without managing any local setup.

The Final Verdict: When to Use Playwright and When Not to

Playwright is slowly gaining traction in web testing with its cross-browser compatibility, reliable performance, and advanced framework support. It works best for teams with programming expertise and extensive testing scenarios where every little detail matters. 

However, if you’re looking for a more practical and efficient approach, Testsigma is a solid alternative. 

As a codeless automation platform powered with AI-powered testing agents, it removes the learning hurdles often involved in test automation. It’s ideal for teams with limited technical skills or those who need to rapidly scale their testing efforts without sacrificing quality.

Ultimately, your tool choice should align with your team’s expertise, project requirements, and long-term testing strategy.

FAQs on Playwright Automation