To get started with Playwright for Java, add the com.microsoft.playwright:playwright Maven dependency, install Playwright’s browser binaries, and run a small Java program that opens a page. The standalone smoke test below verifies the setup before you choose a test runner for a maintained suite. Playwright supports Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit; install the browser builds that match your Playwright version.
What you need before you start
The official Playwright Java introduction lists Java 8 or later and supports Windows 11 or later, Windows Server 2019 or later, WSL, macOS 14 or later, Debian 12 or 13, and Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04, or 26.04 on x86-64 or arm64. Requirements can change, so check the live Java installation guide against your operating system and architecture before configuring a workstation or CI image.
The guide’s search result showed Playwright Java version 1.63.0 on October 3, 2026. That is a dated snapshot, not a timeless recommendation. Use the current version shown in the official documentation or your organization’s approved dependency policy, and keep the Java package and browser binaries aligned.
You’ll also need Maven installed and available as mvn. The example uses Maven because that is the official getting-started path. If your project already uses Gradle, use the Gradle route described below rather than adding a second build system just for Playwright.
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Create a minimal Maven project
Add the Playwright dependency
In the project’s pom.xml, add the Playwright Java module under <dependencies>. Replace the example version with the version currently documented for your setup.
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>com.microsoft.playwright</groupId>
<artifactId>playwright</artifactId>
<version>1.63.0</version>
</dependency>
</dependencies>The version shown here is the one reported by the official guide search result on October 3, 2026. Confirm the current version at playwright.dev/java/docs/intro before copying it into a new project.
Write and run the first browser check
Create src/main/java/App.java with a main method. This program launches Chromium headlessly, navigates to the Playwright website, prints the page title, and closes browser resources even if an error occurs.
import com.microsoft.playwright.Browser;
import com.microsoft.playwright.Page;
import com.microsoft.playwright.Playwright;
public class App {
public static void main(String[] args) {
try (Playwright playwright = Playwright.create()) {
Browser browser = playwright.chromium().launch();
Page page = browser.newPage();
page.navigate("https://playwright.dev");
System.out.println(page.title());
browser.close();
}
}
}Run it from the project directory with Maven’s compile and exec goals:
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mvn compile exec:java -Dexec.mainClass="App"A successful run prints the page title in the terminal. This is a smoke test: it checks that Java can load the Playwright library, that the browser launches, and that navigation returns a page. It is not yet a repeatable automated test suite.
Install the browser binaries
The Java dependency does not remove the need for Playwright’s corresponding browser builds. From the project directory, install the default supported browsers through the Playwright CLI:
mvn exec:java -e -Dexec.mainClass=com.microsoft.playwright.CLI -Dexec.args="install"To install a specific browser, such as WebKit, pass its name:
mvn exec:java -e -Dexec.mainClass=com.microsoft.playwright.CLI -Dexec.args="install webkit"Playwright’s Java browser guide explains that each Playwright release expects specific browser binaries. After upgrading the dependency, rerun the install command if the new version requires different browser builds. The first installation downloads substantial browser files and uses local disk space; do not assume the first launch is download-free.
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Playwright also documents options for installing operating-system dependencies, configuring proxies and internal artifact repositories, sharing browser caches, skipping downloads when a team manages browsers separately, listing installed browsers, and uninstalling them. These are environment-specific choices; use the browser guide rather than guessing command-line switches when adapting a managed build environment.
Choose a browser and debugging mode
Playwright for Java supports Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit. Select the browser coverage your application needs, then install the matching binaries with the CLI. A project can launch a different engine by changing the browser type, for example playwright.firefox().launch() or playwright.webkit().launch().
Browsers run headlessly by default, which is suitable for ordinary local checks and CI. To see the browser window while debugging, launch it with headless disabled:
Browser browser = playwright.chromium().launch(
new BrowserType.LaunchOptions().setHeadless(false));Import com.microsoft.playwright.BrowserType when using this snippet. The official introduction also demonstrates setSlowMo as a debugging aid to slow browser actions. Headed mode is optional; it is not a prerequisite for local use.
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Move from a smoke test to an automated test suite
A standalone main method is the shortest installation check. For a maintained test suite, choose the build tool and test runner already used by your Java project. The Playwright Java documentation describes Maven and Gradle approaches, and does not establish one as universally better.
JUnit options
The official test-runner material documents conventional JUnit lifecycle management. A separate Playwright JUnit integration offers @UsePlaywright and fixture parameters such as Page; it isolates a page and browser context per test while sharing browser resources. That integration is explicitly labeled experimental, so assess that status before making it a foundation for a long-lived suite.
For runner configuration and lifecycle examples, see Java test runners and the Java JUnit guide. For navigation checks and web-first assertions, continue with Writing tests.
Gradle projects
If the application already builds with Gradle, follow the Gradle configuration in the official test-runner guide and keep dependency and test-runner setup within that build. Avoid maintaining Maven and Gradle configurations for the same test suite unless the project has a specific reason to do so.
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Run Playwright in CI
CI agents need both the Playwright browser binaries and the operating-system libraries those browsers require. The documented sequence is to install Playwright browsers and dependencies with the Java CLI, then run the Maven tests. For Chromium and its OS dependencies, the guide documents this install form:
mvn exec:java -e -Dexec.mainClass=com.microsoft.playwright.CLI -Dexec.args="install --with-deps chromium"Use the default browser set instead of naming Chromium if the suite covers multiple engines. In a Linux pipeline, a container can provide a more consistent browser environment. Keep the Playwright package version, browser image tag, and installed browser binaries aligned rather than mixing versions casually. The official Java CI guide includes GitHub Actions and container examples; check its live examples for current action versions before using them, as CI actions change over time.
Common setup problems
- Browser executable is missing: Run the Playwright CLI install command for the browser your code launches. If you recently updated the Maven dependency, install again so the binaries match.
- Browser fails to start on a Linux CI agent: Install the required OS dependencies with the documented
--with-depsoption or use a compatible container setup from the CI guide. - Downloads fail behind a proxy or internal repository: Follow the browser guide’s proxy and artifact-repository configuration instructions. A failed browser download is separate from whether Maven can resolve the Java dependency.
- The script compiles but does not run: Confirm Maven resolves
com.microsoft.playwright:playwrightand that the exec command names the correct main class and package. IfAppdeclares a package, use its fully qualified name forexec.mainClass. - The browser window does not appear: The default is headless. Set
setHeadless(false)for visual debugging and ensure the machine has a usable display environment. - CI works inconsistently across images: Use a repeatable browser installation step, pin compatible versions, and consider the documented container approach rather than relying on whatever browser libraries happen to be preinstalled.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can Playwright for Java run without Maven?
Yes. Maven is the official getting-started path, but the documentation also describes a Gradle route for projects that already use Gradle.
Does Playwright Java run browsers in headless mode by default?
Yes. Headless is the default; configure launch options with `setHeadless(false)` when you need to inspect a visible browser window.
Does this Java smoke test create an automated test suite?
No. It validates a browser launch and navigation from a `main` method. A test runner such as JUnit is the next step for repeatable tests.
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