playwright-cli · diff
git:20260516.4d9ab13 to git:20260516.dd241a9
126 added, 16 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: playwright-cli
- description: Automates browser interactions for web testing, form filling, screenshots, and data extraction. Use when the user needs to navigate websites, interact with web pages, fill forms, take screenshots, test web applications, or extract information from web pages.
- allowed-tools: Bash(playwright-cli:*)
+ description: Automate browser interactions, test web pages and work with Playwright tests.
+ allowed-tools: Bash(playwright-cli:*) Bash(npx:*) Bash(npm:*)
---
# Browser Automation with playwright-cli
## Quick start
```bash
# open new browser
playwright-cli open
# navigate to a page
playwright-cli goto https://playwright.dev
# interact with the page using refs from the snapshot
playwright-cli click e15
playwright-cli type "page.click"
playwright-cli press Enter
# take a screenshot (rarely used, as snapshot is more common)
playwright-cli screenshot
# close the browser
playwright-cli close
```
## Commands
### Core
```bash
playwright-cli open
# open and navigate right away
playwright-cli open https://example.com/
playwright-cli goto https://playwright.dev
playwright-cli type "search query"
playwright-cli click e3
playwright-cli dblclick e7
- playwright-cli fill e5 "user@example.com"
+ # --submit presses Enter after filling the element
+ playwright-cli fill e5 "user@example.com" --submit
playwright-cli drag e2 e8
+ # drop files or data onto an element (from outside the page)
+ playwright-cli drop e4 --path=./image.png
+ playwright-cli drop e4 --data="text/plain=hello world"
playwright-cli hover e4
playwright-cli select e9 "option-value"
playwright-cli upload ./document.pdf
playwright-cli check e12
playwright-cli uncheck e12
playwright-cli snapshot
- playwright-cli snapshot --filename=after-click.yaml
playwright-cli eval "document.title"
playwright-cli eval "el => el.textContent" e5
+ # get element id, class, or any attribute not visible in the snapshot
+ playwright-cli eval "el => el.id" e5
+ playwright-cli eval "el => el.getAttribute('data-testid')" e5
playwright-cli dialog-accept
playwright-cli dialog-accept "confirmation text"
playwright-cli dialog-dismiss
playwright-cli resize 1920 1080
playwright-cli close
```
### Navigation
```bash
playwright-cli go-back
playwright-cli go-forward
playwright-cli reload
```
### Keyboard
```bash
playwright-cli press Enter
playwright-cli press ArrowDown
playwright-cli keydown Shift
playwright-cli keyup Shift
```
### Mouse
```bash
playwright-cli mousemove 150 300
playwright-cli mousedown
playwright-cli mousedown right
playwright-cli mouseup
playwright-cli mouseup right
playwright-cli mousewheel 0 100
```
### Save as
```bash
playwright-cli screenshot
playwright-cli screenshot e5
playwright-cli screenshot --filename=page.png
playwright-cli pdf --filename=page.pdf
```
### Tabs
```bash
playwright-cli tab-list
playwright-cli tab-new
playwright-cli tab-new https://example.com/page
playwright-cli tab-close
playwright-cli tab-close 2
playwright-cli tab-select 0
```
### Storage
```bash
playwright-cli state-save
playwright-cli state-save auth.json
playwright-cli state-load auth.json
# Cookies
playwright-cli cookie-list
playwright-cli cookie-list --domain=example.com
playwright-cli cookie-get session_id
playwright-cli cookie-set session_id abc123
playwright-cli cookie-set session_id abc123 --domain=example.com --httpOnly --secure
playwright-cli cookie-delete session_id
playwright-cli cookie-clear
# LocalStorage
playwright-cli localstorage-list
playwright-cli localstorage-get theme
playwright-cli localstorage-set theme dark
playwright-cli localstorage-delete theme
playwright-cli localstorage-clear
# SessionStorage
playwright-cli sessionstorage-list
playwright-cli sessionstorage-get step
playwright-cli sessionstorage-set step 3
playwright-cli sessionstorage-delete step
playwright-cli sessionstorage-clear
```
### Network
```bash
playwright-cli route "**/*.jpg" --status=404
playwright-cli route "https://api.example.com/**" --body='{"mock": true}'
playwright-cli route-list
playwright-cli unroute "**/*.jpg"
playwright-cli unroute
```
### DevTools
```bash
playwright-cli console
playwright-cli console warning
- playwright-cli network
+ playwright-cli requests
+ playwright-cli request 5
playwright-cli run-code "async page => await page.context().grantPermissions(['geolocation'])"
+ playwright-cli run-code --filename=script.js
playwright-cli tracing-start
playwright-cli tracing-stop
- playwright-cli video-start
- playwright-cli video-stop video.webm
+ playwright-cli video-start video.webm
+ playwright-cli video-chapter "Chapter Title" --description="Details" --duration=2000
+ playwright-cli video-stop
+
+ # launch the dashboard for UI review / design feedback — user annotates the page, you receive the annotated screenshot, snapshot, and notes
+ playwright-cli show --annotate
+
+ # generate a Playwright locator for an element from its ref or selector
+ playwright-cli generate-locator e5 --raw
+
+ # show a persistent highlight overlay for an element, optionally with a custom style
+ playwright-cli highlight e5
+ playwright-cli highlight e5 --style="outline: 3px dashed red"
+ # hide a single element highlight, or all page highlights when no target is given
+ playwright-cli highlight e5 --hide
+ playwright-cli highlight --hide
```
+ ## Raw output
+
+ The global `--raw` option strips page status, generated code, and snapshot sections from the output, returning only the result value. Use it to pipe command output into other tools. Commands that don't produce output return nothing.
+
+ ```bash
+ playwright-cli --raw eval "JSON.stringify(performance.timing)" | jq '.loadEventEnd - .navigationStart'
+ playwright-cli --raw eval "JSON.stringify([...document.querySelectorAll('a')].map(a => a.href))" > links.json
+ playwright-cli --raw snapshot > before.yml
+ playwright-cli click e5
+ playwright-cli --raw snapshot > after.yml
+ diff before.yml after.yml
+ TOKEN=$(playwright-cli --raw cookie-get session_id)
+ playwright-cli --raw localstorage-get theme
+ ```
+
+ For structured output wrapping every reply as JSON, pass --json
+ ```bash
+ playwright-cli list --json
+ ```
+
## Open parameters
```bash
# Use specific browser when creating session
playwright-cli open --browser=chrome
playwright-cli open --browser=firefox
playwright-cli open --browser=webkit
playwright-cli open --browser=msedge
- # Connect to browser via extension
- playwright-cli open --extension
# Use persistent profile (by default profile is in-memory)
playwright-cli open --persistent
# Use persistent profile with custom directory
playwright-cli open --profile=/path/to/profile
+ # Connect to browser via Playwright Extension
+ playwright-cli attach --extension=chrome
+
+ # Connect to a running Chrome or Edge by channel name
+ playwright-cli attach --cdp=chrome
+ playwright-cli attach --cdp=msedge
+
+ # Connect to a running browser via CDP endpoint
+ playwright-cli attach --cdp=http://localhost:9222
+
# Start with config file
playwright-cli open --config=my-config.json
# Close the browser
playwright-cli close
+ # Detach from an attached browser (leaves the external browser running)
+ playwright-cli -s=msedge detach
# Delete user data for the default session
playwright-cli delete-data
```
## Snapshots
After each command, playwright-cli provides a snapshot of the current browser state.
```bash
> playwright-cli goto https://example.com
### Page
- Page URL: https://example.com/
- Page Title: Example Domain
### Snapshot
[Snapshot](.playwright-cli/page-2026-02-14T19-22-42-679Z.yml)
```
- You can also take a snapshot on demand using `playwright-cli snapshot` command.
+ You can also take a snapshot on demand using `playwright-cli snapshot` command. All the options below can be combined as needed.
- If `--filename` is not provided, a new snapshot file is created with a timestamp. Default to automatic file naming, use `--filename=` when artifact is a part of the workflow result.
+ ```bash
+ # default - save to a file with timestamp-based name
+ playwright-cli snapshot
+ # save to file, use when snapshot is a part of the workflow result
+ playwright-cli snapshot --filename=after-click.yaml
+
+ # snapshot an element instead of the whole page
+ playwright-cli snapshot "#main"
+
+ # limit snapshot depth for efficiency, take a partial snapshot afterwards
+ playwright-cli snapshot --depth=4
+ playwright-cli snapshot e34
+
+ # include each element's bounding box as [box=x,y,width,height]
+ playwright-cli snapshot --boxes
+ ```
+
+ ## Targeting elements
+
+ By default, use refs from the snapshot to interact with page elements.
+
+ ```bash
+ # get snapshot with refs
+ playwright-cli snapshot
+
+ # interact using a ref
+ playwright-cli click e15
+ ```
+
+ You can also use css selectors or Playwright locators.
+
+ ```bash
+ # css selector
+ playwright-cli click "#main > button.submit"
+
+ # role locator
+ playwright-cli click "getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' })"
+
+ # test id
+ playwright-cli click "getByTestId('submit-button')"
+ ```
+
## Browser Sessions
```bash
# create new browser session named "mysession" with persistent profile
playwright-cli -s=mysession open example.com --persistent
# same with manually specified profile directory (use when requested explicitly)
playwright-cli -s=mysession open example.com --profile=/path/to/profile
playwright-cli -s=mysession click e6
playwright-cli -s=mysession close # stop a named browser
playwright-cli -s=mysession delete-data # delete user data for persistent session
playwright-cli list
# Close all browsers
playwright-cli close-all
# Forcefully kill all browser processes
playwright-cli kill-all
```
- ## Local installation
+ ## Installation
- In some cases user might want to install playwright-cli locally. If running globally available `playwright-cli` binary fails, use `npx playwright-cli` to run the commands. For example:
+ If global `playwright-cli` command is not available, try a local version via `npx playwright-cli`:
```bash
- npx playwright-cli open https://example.com
- npx playwright-cli click e1
+ npx --no-install playwright-cli --version
```
+ When local version is available, use `npx playwright-cli` in all commands. Otherwise, install `playwright-cli` as a global command:
+
+ ```bash
+ npm install -g @playwright/cli@latest
+ ```
+
## Example: Form submission
```bash
playwright-cli open https://example.com/form
playwright-cli snapshot
playwright-cli fill e1 "user@example.com"
playwright-cli fill e2 "password123"
playwright-cli click e3
playwright-cli snapshot
playwright-cli close
```
## Example: Multi-tab workflow
```bash
playwright-cli open https://example.com
playwright-cli tab-new https://example.com/other
playwright-cli tab-list
playwright-cli tab-select 0
playwright-cli snapshot
playwright-cli close
```
## Example: Debugging with DevTools
```bash
playwright-cli open https://example.com
playwright-cli click e4
playwright-cli fill e7 "test"
playwright-cli console
- playwright-cli network
+ playwright-cli requests
playwright-cli close
```
```bash
playwright-cli open https://example.com
playwright-cli tracing-start
playwright-cli click e4
playwright-cli fill e7 "test"
playwright-cli tracing-stop
playwright-cli close
```
+ ## Example: Interactive session
+
+ Ask the user for UI review or design feedback. The user draws boxes on the live page and types comments; you receive the annotated screenshot, the snapshot of the marked region, and the user's notes. Use this whenever the user asks for "UI review", "design feedback", or to "ask the user what they think / want / mean":
+
+ ```bash
+ playwright-cli open https://example.com
+ playwright-cli show --annotate
+ ```
+
## Specific tasks
+ * **Running and Debugging Playwright tests** [references/playwright-tests.md](references/playwright-tests.md)
* **Request mocking** [references/request-mocking.md](references/request-mocking.md)
* **Running Playwright code** [references/running-code.md](references/running-code.md)
* **Browser session management** [references/session-management.md](references/session-management.md)
+ * **Spec-driven testing (plan / generate / heal)** [references/spec-driven-testing.md](references/spec-driven-testing.md)
* **Storage state (cookies, localStorage)** [references/storage-state.md](references/storage-state.md)
* **Test generation** [references/test-generation.md](references/test-generation.md)
* **Tracing** [references/tracing.md](references/tracing.md)
* **Video recording** [references/video-recording.md](references/video-recording.md)
+ * **Inspecting element attributes** [references/element-attributes.md](references/element-attributes.md)