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Start with a two-minute diagnosis
Run these commands from the project directory:
npx playwright test --list
npx playwright test tests/example.spec.ts
npx playwright test --config=playwright.config.ts--listreports the tests Playwright can collect without executing them.- An explicit file path bypasses broad discovery and tells you whether that file is selectable.
--configremoves uncertainty about which configuration file the command uses.
If --list shows nothing and the explicit path fails, investigate directories, names, extensions, ignores, and generated files. If the file appears in --list but contains no tests, stop changing filename patterns and inspect the declarations inside that file.
1. Confirm the configuration and test directory
Find the configuration Playwright is actually loading
By default, the CLI looks for a Playwright configuration in the current directory. A different working directory, a renamed file, or a moved configuration can make the command use another project’s settings. Select the intended file explicitly:
npx playwright test --config=playwright.config.ts --listUse the path and filename that exist in your repository. The -c and --config options accept a configuration file or a test directory. In continuous integration, make the option explicit so a changed working directory cannot silently alter discovery.
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Check testDir
testDir is the directory Playwright searches for test files. In the standard configuration example, a value such as tests is relative to the configuration file. Therefore, moving playwright.config.ts can change the effective location even when the text testDir: 'tests' is unchanged.
Verify all three locations together:
- the directory containing
playwright.config.ts(or the config passed with--config), - the directory named by
testDir, and - the actual directory containing your test files.
A test outside the configured directory is invisible unless you change testDir or move the file.
2. Match the filename and extension
Understand the documented default
Playwright’s current configuration documentation describes the default testMatch pattern as .*(test|spec).(js|ts|mjs). In practical terms, names containing test or spec and ending in one of those extensions are candidates. Examples include:
tests/login.spec.tstests/cart.test.jstests/report.spec.mjs
Names such as tests/login.ts, tests/checks.jsx, or tests/login.spec.tsx do not match that documented default. Rename the file or set a deliberate testMatch pattern for your project.
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A project setting overrides the default. testMatch can use glob patterns or regular expressions. Compare the complete path and extension with the configured value; do not assume the default still applies. A narrow pattern such as **/*.e2e.ts will exclude a perfectly valid checkout.spec.ts.
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When diagnosing, temporarily simplify the pattern or run an explicit file:
npx playwright test tests/checkout.spec.ts --listIf the explicit file is listed, the file is valid and the broad matcher is the likely narrowing point.
3. Remove accidental exclusions
testIgnore accepts glob patterns or regular expressions for files that should not be collected. An ignore rule can be broader than intended—for example, an expression aimed at fixture files may also match a directory name used by real tests.
Audit the effective ignore rules
- Search the loaded configuration for every
testIgnoreentry. - Check whether a parent-directory pattern matches the test path.
- Look for a regular expression that matches a common substring such as
testore2e. - Remove or narrow the rule only after confirming which files it should exclude.
Run npx playwright test --list after each change. That keeps the diagnosis focused on collection instead of mixing it with execution failures.
4. Check the command-line filter
Every non-option argument to playwright test is a regular expression matched against the full test-file path. It is not simply a literal shell filename. This explains why a path that looks correct can select nothing.
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Quote paths and account for regular-expression syntax
Shells can expand characters before Playwright receives them, and characters such as ., [, ], ^, and $ have regular-expression meanings. Quote the argument:
npx playwright test 'tests/account/login.spec.ts'
If you want a literal dot in a regular expression, escape it, or use a distinctive directory or basename that avoids metacharacters. Also verify capitalization on case-sensitive systems and provide the path relative to the directory from which the command runs.
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First run:
npx playwright test --listThen run the known file without additional filters. If the unfiltered list contains tests but a command with a positional argument does not, the argument’s regular expression or shell quoting is the issue—not testDir or testMatch.
5. Verify generated test files exist
Some projects generate JavaScript test files from templates, TypeScript, or another build step. If the configuration matches generated output but that step did not run, Playwright has no file to collect. Check the exact directory and extension that the configuration expects, then run the project’s generation command before Playwright.
This is project-specific: Playwright does not generally require TypeScript test files to be compiled first. The relevant question is whether your own configuration points at generated files rather than source files.
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- Confirm the generation command completed successfully.
- Inspect the output directory in the same environment where tests run.
- Ensure cleanup scripts did not delete the generated files.
- Make the build step an explicit dependency of the test job in CI.
6. Distinguish “no files” from “zero tests in a file”
A file can be selected while Playwright collects zero tests from it. Once the path appears in --list, inspect the file’s declarations rather than changing discovery settings.
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Check declarations at collection time
- Confirm the file imports
testfrom the Playwright test package and actually callstest()or defines a populatedtest.describe(). - Look for conditional code that skips every declaration in the current environment.
- Check data-driven loops for an empty input array.
- Keep test declarations synchronous during collection unless the installed Playwright version explicitly supports the pattern you are using.
A 2021 issue discussed an asynchronous test.describe callback and data-driven declarations as a suspected cause. That historical report is not a universal diagnosis for current releases. Reproduce the behavior with a minimal file and consult the documentation for the version installed in your project.
Use this decision table
| What you observe | Most likely scope | Next action |
|---|---|---|
--list is empty and an explicit path fails |
Config, testDir, matcher, ignore rule, or missing file |
Pass --config, verify the directory, filename, extension, ignores, and generated output. |
--list is empty, but an explicit path lists a test |
Broad matcher, ignore rule, or directory scope | Compare the full path with testMatch and testIgnore. |
| Tests appear only when a path is quoted or simplified | CLI regular-expression or shell parsing | Quote the argument and escape regular-expression metacharacters. |
| The file is listed but no tests are collected | Declarations or collection-time logic | Inspect imports, conditional branches, data arrays, and asynchronous declaration code. |
| Source exists but the configured output does not | Skipped or failed generation step | Run and verify the build that creates the files Playwright matches. |
Common fixes that prevent the error from returning
Keep paths stable
Use a configuration location and testDir relationship that remains clear after repository moves. If the config must move, update relative paths deliberately and test with --config.
Make CI selection explicit
Run the same config and discovery check in CI that you use locally:
npx playwright test --config=playwright.config.ts --list
npx playwright test --config=playwright.config.tsThis catches a wrong working directory, an absent generated directory, or a case-sensitive filename before a long test job starts.
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Keep matching rules narrow but understandable
Choose a naming convention such as *.spec.ts, document it beside the configuration, and avoid overlapping ignore patterns. A predictable convention reduces accidental selection changes when new folders are added.
Troubleshooting checklist
- Run
npx playwright test --list. - Pass the intended file with
--config. - Resolve the config file’s location and its
testDir. - Compare the complete filename and extension with
testMatch. - Inspect every
testIgnoreglob or regular expression. - Quote positional paths and remember they are regular expressions over full paths.
- Verify generated files exist in the runtime environment.
- If the file is listed, debug test declarations and collection-time logic.
- Use the installed version’s
npx playwright test --helpwhen behavior differs from current documentation.
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FAQ
Does Playwright require compiling TypeScript tests?
No general requirement is established here. Compilation is relevant only when your project’s configuration matches generated JavaScript output instead of the TypeScript source files.
Why does a full path argument still select nothing?
The argument is a regular expression applied to the full test-file path. Shell expansion, regex metacharacters, capitalization, or a different working directory can change what it matches.
What should I do when the error began after moving the config?
Pass the config explicitly, then recalculate the relative testDir path from the new config location. A relocation is a reason to recheck settings, not proof of a universal Playwright bug.
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