Short answer: configure the proxy on the APIRequestContext that sends the call, then set a finite request timeout appropriate for your service. A longer timeout only changes how long Playwright waits; it does not route traffic through a corporate proxy. First determine whether the failure comes from a standalone API request, a browser page, or a Playwright browser download, because each path has different settings.
1. Identify which Playwright operation is timing out
“Connection timeout” is not enough to identify the cause. Capture the URL, HTTP method, elapsed time, complete error text or code, and any proxy status or authentication details shown by your CI logs.
| Failing operation | Configure this | Typical clue |
|---|---|---|
Standalone API test using request.newContext() |
The API request context’s proxy and timeout options |
Failure occurs on api.get(), api.post(), or another APIRequestContext method |
| Request made by a page or browser context | Browser launch or browser-context proxy settings | Failure occurs while navigating a page or making a request from page code |
playwright install downloading browsers |
Download environment variables and certificate trust for the installer process | Installation fails before tests start |
These configuration surfaces are separate in Playwright’s documentation. A proxy configured for browser traffic is not automatically a proxy configuration for a standalone API request context.
2. Configure a standalone APIRequestContext proxy
For API tests, create the context with the organization’s approved proxy server. The proxy object accepts an HTTP or SOCKS server, an optional comma-separated bypass list, and optional proxy credentials.
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import { request } from '@playwright/test';
const api = await request.newContext({
baseURL: 'https://api.example.test',
proxy: {
server: process.env.CORPORATE_PROXY!,
bypass: process.env.PROXY_BYPASS,
username: process.env.PROXY_USER,
password: process.env.PROXY_PASSWORD,
},
timeout: 45_000,
});
try {
const response = await api.get('/health');
if (!response.ok()) {
throw new Error(`Health check failed: ${response.status()} ${await response.text()}`);
}
} finally {
await api.dispose();
}Replace the environment variables with values supplied by your network administrator. The names above are illustrative; Playwright does not require those names. Use the proxy scheme, hostname and port exactly as approved for your environment, for example an HTTP or SOCKS endpoint.
Proxy authentication is separate from API authentication
proxy.username and proxy.password authenticate to the proxy. They do not replace an API key, bearer token, HTTP basic credential, or other authorization required by the destination service. Configure API authorization on the request itself, for example with an Authorization header, while keeping proxy credentials in your CI secret store.
Bypass rules can silently change the route
bypass is a comma-separated list of domains that should skip the proxy. Check every entry against the failing host. An overly broad entry can send traffic directly, where corporate DNS or firewall policy may block it; an overly narrow entry can force an internal service through a proxy that cannot reach it.
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3. Understand the 30-second timeout
Playwright documents a default APIRequestContext timeout of 30,000 milliseconds (30 seconds). Setting timeout: 45_000 or another finite value gives a slow but healthy service more time to respond. Setting timeout: 0 disables the timeout guard; that can leave a CI worker hanging and should not be a general fix.
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- Routing: the request reaches the correct proxy and then the destination.
- Trust: the Node.js process accepts the certificate chain presented on the route.
- Authentication: the proxy accepts its credentials and the API accepts its credentials.
- Latency: the service responds within the selected finite budget.
Increase the timeout only after recording elapsed time and confirming that the request is actually using the intended route.
4. Browser-page proxy settings are a different path
If the failing operation is a page navigation or a request issued by browser code, configure the browser globally or on the browser context. Do not assume the API context example above affects pages.
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import { chromium } from '@playwright/test';
const browser = await chromium.launch({
proxy: {
server: process.env.CORPORATE_PROXY!,
bypass: process.env.PROXY_BYPASS,
username: process.env.PROXY_USER,
password: process.env.PROXY_PASSWORD,
},
});
const context = await browser.newContext();
try {
const page = await context.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.test', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
} finally {
await browser.close();
}Browser launch and per-context proxy options are intended for browser traffic. If your test uses both a page and a standalone API context, configure both explicitly and document which one owns each request.
5. Browser installation failures need installer settings
A timeout while downloading a browser is not an API test timeout. Playwright’s installation guidance documents HTTPS_PROXY for browser-download traffic. For a slow connection to the browser archive, it documents PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT; its example is 120000 milliseconds.
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# POSIX shells
HTTPS_PROXY=http://proxy.example:8080
PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT=120000
npx playwright install
# PowerShell
$env:HTTPS_PROXY = "http://proxy.example:8080"
$env:PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT = "120000"
npx playwright installThese variables control the installer process, not the timeout on an APIRequestContext created by your test.
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When certificate interception is involved
Corporate proxies sometimes replace the server certificate with one signed by an internal root CA. If the browser archive reports an untrusted custom certificate, Playwright’s browser-installation guidance advises setting NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS to the approved CA bundle before installation:
NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS=/secure/certs/corporate-root-ca.pem npx playwright installThis advice is scoped to browser downloads. For API tests, ask the network or service owner which Node.js process must trust the corporate CA and how that trust is distributed. Do not treat a certificate-chain error as a reason to increase the request timeout.
6. A repeatable troubleshooting sequence
- Classify the operation. Identify API context, page/browser, or browser installer.
- Preserve the failure. Log URL, method, start and end times, error code, response status, and proxy diagnostics without exposing secrets.
- Confirm the route. Verify the approved proxy scheme, host and port with IT; inspect
bypassfor the destination. - Check credentials independently. Confirm proxy credentials and API credentials separately.
- Check trust. If the message names a certificate or CA, obtain the approved corporate root and configure the process that actually makes the connection.
- Set a measured timeout. Choose a finite value that fits the API’s expected response time and CI job budget.
- Reproduce in the same environment. A laptop, container and CI worker can have different proxy variables, DNS, certificates and egress rules.
7. Common errors and precise fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Timeout near exactly 30 seconds | Default APIRequestContext timeout elapsed | Measure service latency, verify routing, then set an explicit finite timeout if justified. |
| Proxy authentication required or HTTP 407 | Missing, incorrect or expired proxy credentials | Set proxy.username and proxy.password from the network owner; do not use API credentials. |
| Certificate has an unknown issuer | TLS interception or missing corporate CA trust | Install the approved CA for the relevant Node.js process; do not “fix” it by waiting longer. |
| Internal host fails only when proxy is enabled | Incorrect bypass list | Review comma-separated bypass domains and the organization’s split-routing policy. |
| Works locally but fails in CI | Different environment variables, DNS, firewall or certificate store | Print non-secret configuration, compare runners, and test from the same container or worker image. |
playwright install cannot download browsers |
Installer route or archive trust issue | Use HTTPS_PROXY, the documented download connection timeout variable, and approved CA trust for the installer. |
8. Reliability and CI practices
- Keep proxy URLs and credentials in secret-managed CI variables, never in committed test files.
- Dispose every API request context in a
finallyblock so failed tests do not leak sockets. - Use a health endpoint or small diagnostic request to distinguish routing failure from a slow business operation.
- Record whether the proxy was bypassed, but redact credentials and authorization headers.
- Keep the timeout finite and aligned with the CI job’s overall deadline; an unlimited request can consume an executor indefinitely.
- Pin and review the Playwright version used by the project because API options and Node.js behavior can change between versions.
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9. Official references
- Playwright APIRequestContext documentation for request timeout and context options.
- Playwright network documentation for browser proxy configuration.
- Playwright browser installation documentation for download proxy, connection-timeout and certificate guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I set the timeout to zero to stop these failures?
No. Zero disables Playwright’s timeout guard and can hang a worker indefinitely. Use a finite value after verifying the route and expected service latency.
Can an APIRequestContext use the proxy configured for my browser?
Not automatically. Configure the proxy object when creating the standalone API request context; configure browser launch or context settings separately for page traffic.
Who can provide my proxy hostname, bypass list and CA certificate?
Your organization’s network or service owners must provide those deployment-specific values. Playwright documentation cannot determine your internal routing, DNS, firewall or trust requirements.
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