IMPORTANT - Path Resolution: This skill can be installed in different locations (plugin system, manual installation, global, or project-specific). Before executing any commands, determine the skill directory based on where you loaded this SKILL.md file, and use that path in all commands below. Replace

$SKILL_DIR

with the actual discovered path.

Playwright Browser Automation

General-purpose browser automation skill. I'll write custom Playwright code for any automation task you request and execute it via the universal executor.

CRITICAL WORKFLOW - Follow these steps in order:

Auto-detect dev servers - For localhost testing, ALWAYS run server detection FIRST:
bash
```
cd $SKILL_DIR && node -e "require('./lib/helpers').detectDevServers().then(servers => console.log(JSON.stringify(servers)))"
```
- If 1 server found: Use it automatically, inform user
- If multiple servers found: Ask user which one to test
- If no servers found: Ask for URL or offer to help start dev server
Write scripts to /tmp - NEVER write test files to skill directory; always use
```
/tmp/playwright-test-*.js
```
Use visible browser by default - Always use
```
headless: false
```
unless user specifically requests headless mode
Parameterize URLs - Always make URLs configurable via environment variable or constant at top of script

How It Works

You describe what you want to test/automate
I auto-detect running dev servers (or ask for URL if testing external site)
I write custom Playwright code in
```
/tmp/playwright-test-*.js
```
(won't clutter your project)

I execute it via:

cd $SKILL_DIR && node run.js /tmp/playwright-test-*.js

Results displayed in real-time, browser window visible for debugging
Test files auto-cleaned from /tmp by your OS

Setup (First Time)

bash

cd $SKILL_DIR
npm run setup

This installs Playwright and Chromium browser. Only needed once.

Execution Pattern

Step 1: Detect dev servers (for localhost testing)

bash

cd $SKILL_DIR && node -e "require('./lib/helpers').detectDevServers().then(s => console.log(JSON.stringify(s)))"

Step 2: Write test script to /tmp with URL parameter

javascript

// /tmp/playwright-test-page.js
const { chromium } = require('playwright');

// Parameterized URL (detected or user-provided)
const TARGET_URL = 'http://localhost:3001'; // <-- Auto-detected or from user

(async () => {
  const browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: false });
  const page = await browser.newPage();

  await page.goto(TARGET_URL);
  console.log('Page loaded:', await page.title());

  await page.screenshot({ path: '/tmp/screenshot.png', fullPage: true });
  console.log('📸 Screenshot saved to /tmp/screenshot.png');

  await browser.close();
})();

Step 3: Execute from skill directory

bash

cd $SKILL_DIR && node run.js /tmp/playwright-test-page.js

Common Patterns

Test a Page (Multiple Viewports)

javascript

// /tmp/playwright-test-responsive.js
const { chromium } = require('playwright');

const TARGET_URL = 'http://localhost:3001'; // Auto-detected

(async () => {
  const browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: false, slowMo: 100 });
  const page = await browser.newPage();

  // Desktop test
  await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1920, height: 1080 });
  await page.goto(TARGET_URL);
  console.log('Desktop - Title:', await page.title());
  await page.screenshot({ path: '/tmp/desktop.png', fullPage: true });

  // Mobile test
  await page.setViewportSize({ width: 375, height: 667 });
  await page.screenshot({ path: '/tmp/mobile.png', fullPage: true });

  await browser.close();
})();

Test Login Flow

javascript

// /tmp/playwright-test-login.js
const { chromium } = require('playwright');

const TARGET_URL = 'http://localhost:3001'; // Auto-detected

(async () => {
  const browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: false });
  const page = await browser.newPage();

  await page.goto(`${TARGET_URL}/login`);

  await page.fill('input[name="email"]', 'test@example.com');
  await page.fill('input[name="password"]', 'password123');
  await page.click('button[type="submit"]');

  // Wait for redirect
  await page.waitForURL('**/dashboard');
  console.log('✅ Login successful, redirected to dashboard');

  await browser.close();
})();

Fill and Submit Form

javascript

// /tmp/playwright-test-form.js
const { chromium } = require('playwright');

const TARGET_URL = 'http://localhost:3001'; // Auto-detected

(async () => {
  const browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: false, slowMo: 50 });
  const page = await browser.newPage();

  await page.goto(`${TARGET_URL}/contact`);

  await page.fill('input[name="name"]', 'John Doe');
  await page.fill('input[name="email"]', 'john@example.com');
  await page.fill('textarea[name="message"]', 'Test message');
  await page.click('button[type="submit"]');

  // Verify submission
  await page.waitForSelector('.success-message');
  console.log('✅ Form submitted successfully');

  await browser.close();
})();

Check for Broken Links

javascript

const { chromium } = require('playwright');

(async () => {
  const browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: false });
  const page = await browser.newPage();

  await page.goto('http://localhost:3000');

  const links = await page.locator('a[href^="http"]').all();
  const results = { working: 0, broken: [] };

  for (const link of links) {
    const href = await link.getAttribute('href');
    try {
      const response = await page.request.head(href);
      if (response.ok()) {
        results.working++;
      } else {
        results.broken.push({ url: href, status: response.status() });
      }
    } catch (e) {
      results.broken.push({ url: href, error: e.message });
    }
  }

  console.log(`✅ Working links: ${results.working}`);
  console.log(`❌ Broken links:`, results.broken);

  await browser.close();
})();

Take Screenshot with Error Handling

javascript

const { chromium } = require('playwright');

(async () => {
  const browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: false });
  const page = await browser.newPage();

  try {
    await page.goto('http://localhost:3000', {
      waitUntil: 'networkidle',
      timeout: 10000,
    });

    await page.screenshot({
      path: '/tmp/screenshot.png',
      fullPage: true,
    });

    console.log('📸 Screenshot saved to /tmp/screenshot.png');
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('❌ Error:', error.message);
  } finally {
    await browser.close();
  }
})();

Test Responsive Design

javascript

// /tmp/playwright-test-responsive-full.js
const { chromium } = require('playwright');

const TARGET_URL = 'http://localhost:3001'; // Auto-detected

(async () => {
  const browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: false });
  const page = await browser.newPage();

  const viewports = [
    { name: 'Desktop', width: 1920, height: 1080 },
    { name: 'Tablet', width: 768, height: 1024 },
    { name: 'Mobile', width: 375, height: 667 },
  ];

  for (const viewport of viewports) {
    console.log(
      `Testing ${viewport.name} (${viewport.width}x${viewport.height})`,
    );

    await page.setViewportSize({
      width: viewport.width,
      height: viewport.height,
    });

    await page.goto(TARGET_URL);
    await page.waitForTimeout(1000);

    await page.screenshot({
      path: `/tmp/${viewport.name.toLowerCase()}.png`,
      fullPage: true,
    });
  }

  console.log('✅ All viewports tested');
  await browser.close();
})();

Inline Execution (Simple Tasks)

For quick one-off tasks, you can execute code inline without creating files:

bash

# Take a quick screenshot
cd $SKILL_DIR && node run.js "
const browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: false });
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('http://localhost:3001');
await page.screenshot({ path: '/tmp/quick-screenshot.png', fullPage: true });
console.log('Screenshot saved');
await browser.close();
"

When to use inline vs files:

Inline: Quick one-off tasks (screenshot, check if element exists, get page title)
Files: Complex tests, responsive design checks, anything user might want to re-run

Available Helpers

Optional utility functions in

lib/helpers.js

javascript

const helpers = require('./lib/helpers');

// Detect running dev servers (CRITICAL - use this first!)
const servers = await helpers.detectDevServers();
console.log('Found servers:', servers);

// Safe click with retry
await helpers.safeClick(page, 'button.submit', { retries: 3 });

// Safe type with clear
await helpers.safeType(page, '#username', 'testuser');

// Take timestamped screenshot
await helpers.takeScreenshot(page, 'test-result');

// Handle cookie banners
await helpers.handleCookieBanner(page);

// Extract table data
const data = await helpers.extractTableData(page, 'table.results');

See

lib/helpers.js

for full list.

Custom HTTP Headers

Configure custom headers for all HTTP requests via environment variables. Useful for:

Identifying automated traffic to your backend
Getting LLM-optimized responses (e.g., plain text errors instead of styled HTML)
Adding authentication tokens globally

Configuration

Single header (common case):

bash

PW_HEADER_NAME=X-Automated-By PW_HEADER_VALUE=playwright-skill \
  cd $SKILL_DIR && node run.js /tmp/my-script.js

Multiple headers (JSON format):

bash

PW_EXTRA_HEADERS='{"X-Automated-By":"playwright-skill","X-Debug":"true"}' \
  cd $SKILL_DIR && node run.js /tmp/my-script.js

How It Works

Headers are automatically applied when using

helpers.createContext()

javascript

const context = await helpers.createContext(browser);
const page = await context.newPage();
// All requests from this page include your custom headers

For scripts using raw Playwright API, use the injected

getContextOptionsWithHeaders()

javascript

const context = await browser.newContext(
  getContextOptionsWithHeaders({ viewport: { width: 1920, height: 1080 } }),
);

Advanced Usage

For comprehensive Playwright API documentation, see API_REFERENCE.md:

Selectors & Locators best practices
Network interception & API mocking
Authentication & session management
Visual regression testing
Mobile device emulation
Performance testing
Debugging techniques
CI/CD integration

Tips

CRITICAL: Detect servers FIRST - Always run
```
detectDevServers()
```
before writing test code for localhost testing
Custom headers - Use
```
PW_HEADER_NAME
```
/
```
PW_HEADER_VALUE
```
env vars to identify automated traffic to your backend
Use /tmp for test files - Write to
```
/tmp/playwright-test-*.js
```
, never to skill directory or user's project
Parameterize URLs - Put detected/provided URL in a
```
TARGET_URL
```
constant at the top of every script
DEFAULT: Visible browser - Always use
```
headless: false
```
unless user explicitly asks for headless mode
Headless mode - Only use
```
headless: true
```
when user specifically requests "headless" or "background" execution
Slow down: Use
```
slowMo: 100
```
to make actions visible and easier to follow
Wait strategies: Use
```
waitForURL
```
,
```
waitForSelector
```
,
```
waitForLoadState
```
instead of fixed timeouts
Error handling: Always use try-catch for robust automation
Console output: Use
```
console.log()
```
to track progress and show what's happening

Troubleshooting

Playwright not installed:

bash

cd $SKILL_DIR && npm run setup

Module not found: Ensure running from skill directory via

run.js

wrapper

Browser doesn't open: Check

headless: false

and ensure display available

Element not found: Add wait:

await page.waitForSelector('.element', { timeout: 10000 })

Example Usage

User: "Test if the marketing page looks good"

Claude: I'll test the marketing page across multiple viewports. Let me first detect running servers...
[Runs: detectDevServers()]
[Output: Found server on port 3001]
I found your dev server running on http://localhost:3001

[Writes custom automation script to /tmp/playwright-test-marketing.js with URL parameterized]
[Runs: cd $SKILL_DIR && node run.js /tmp/playwright-test-marketing.js]
[Shows results with screenshots from /tmp/]

User: "Check if login redirects correctly"

Claude: I'll test the login flow. First, let me check for running servers...
[Runs: detectDevServers()]
[Output: Found servers on ports 3000 and 3001]
I found 2 dev servers. Which one should I test?
- http://localhost:3000
- http://localhost:3001

User: "Use 3001"

[Writes login automation to /tmp/playwright-test-login.js]
[Runs: cd $SKILL_DIR && node run.js /tmp/playwright-test-login.js]
[Reports: ✅ Login successful, redirected to /dashboard]

Notes

Each automation is custom-written for your specific request
Not limited to pre-built scripts - any browser task possible
Auto-detects running dev servers to eliminate hardcoded URLs
Test scripts written to
```
/tmp
```
for automatic cleanup (no clutter)
Code executes reliably with proper module resolution via
```
run.js
```
Progressive disclosure - API_REFERENCE.md loaded only when advanced features needed

playwright-skill

NPX Install

SKILL.md Content

Playwright Browser Automation

How It Works

Setup (First Time)

Execution Pattern

Common Patterns

Test a Page (Multiple Viewports)

Test Login Flow

Fill and Submit Form

Check for Broken Links

Take Screenshot with Error Handling

Test Responsive Design

Inline Execution (Simple Tasks)

Available Helpers

Custom HTTP Headers

Configuration

How It Works

Advanced Usage

Tips

Troubleshooting

Example Usage

Notes