Use Playwright Codegen to record a browser journey and turn it into a test draft: run npx playwright codegen https://your-site.example, interact with the page, add assertions in the Inspector, then copy and refine the generated code. Codegen can also record from Playwright’s VS Code extension. Treat the result as a starting point—not a finished test—because you still need to check its locators, assertions, setup, and expected behavior.
Generate a test from a browser flow with the CLI
Run Codegen from a project where Playwright is available. It opens a browser for you to use and Playwright Inspector, which displays the generated code. You can supply a page address at launch or omit it and navigate in the browser.
- Start a recording: run
npx playwright codegen https://your-site.example. Replace the example address with the page where the flow begins. - Perform the journey: use the opened browser as a real visitor would. Codegen records interactions such as clicks and filling fields.
- Add checks: use the Inspector’s assertion control and select an element to add a visibility, text, or value assertion. Actions alone do not verify that the application behaved correctly.
- Stop and copy: stop recording, inspect the generated code, and copy it into the project’s test file.
- Refine and run: review selectors, add any missing checks, and adapt the test to the project’s fixtures and setup before relying on it.
For example, a sign-in recording should not end with only a button click and form fills. Add a check for the expected post-login result—such as a visible account heading—so the test can distinguish success from a page that merely accepted input.
Record directly in Visual Studio Code
If you use the Playwright VS Code extension, open the Testing sidebar and choose Record new to create a test by recording. The extension writes the recorded code into a test file. You can also choose to record at the cursor to append actions to an existing test. Its recording toolbar includes assertion controls, and the locator picker can copy a locator to the clipboard. Review the file after recording just as you would code copied from Inspector.
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Choose the output language, browser, and destination
The CLI form is npx playwright codegen [options] [url]. Use the options that fit the project rather than recording under arbitrary defaults.
| Need | Option or example | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Write output to a file | -o tests/example.spec.js |
Saves generated code to the specified output file. |
| Select a target language | --target=python |
Sets the generated code language. Choose a target compatible with the project where the test will live. |
| Select a browser | -b firefox |
Chooses a browser; documented choices include chromium, firefox, and webkit. |
| Set a test ID attribute | --test-id-attribute data-pw |
Configures which attribute Codegen treats as the test ID attribute. |
For instance, a Python recording saved to a file can be started with npx playwright codegen --target=python -o test_example.py https://your-site.example. Confirm the exact option syntax against the Playwright Codegen documentation if your installed release behaves differently.
Record under the conditions the test should cover
Viewport, device, locale, color scheme, timezone, and location can change what a page displays. Codegen supports options for setting these conditions, so record with settings that reflect the scenario the eventual test is meant to verify.
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--viewport-size="800,600"sets a viewport size.--device="iPhone 13"emulates a named device.--color-scheme=darkrequests dark color scheme.--timezone="America/New_York",--geolocation="37.7749,-122.4194", and--lang="en-US"set timezone, geolocation, and language.
Example: npx playwright codegen --viewport-size="800,600" https://playwright.dev. These settings make the recording context more representative; they do not remove the need to run and validate the test in the project’s intended environment.
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For a flow behind login, Codegen can save and restore browser state. Start a session with --load-storage=auth.json to load saved state, and use --save-storage=auth.json to save cookies, local storage, and IndexedDB data at the end of the session. A saved file may contain information that grants access to an account.
- Keep authentication-state files local and out of source control; add them to
.gitignore. - Delete a state file when it is no longer needed, and do not attach it to a bug report or share it casually.
- Review generated code for credentials or other secrets before committing or sharing it.
Playwright’s authentication guidance likewise warns that browser state can include cookies or headers that can impersonate an account.
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Using HTTP Basic Authentication
The --http-credentials option supplies HTTP credentials. The documented scope matters: credentials may be sent to any origin requesting them during the session, and they can appear in generated code. Use it only when that scope is appropriate, and remove or securely manage credentials before sharing the test.
Using an existing browser profile
Codegen supports --user-data-dir to use a dedicated browser profile. Playwright’s Codegen guide notes that, following a Chrome 136 change, automation cannot access Chrome’s default user data directory; create and use a separate directory for testing rather than pointing automation at the default profile.
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Improve generated locators before keeping the test
Generated selectors are suggestions to inspect, not guarantees that the test expresses the right contract. After stopping the recording, use Pick Locator to select an element, examine the suggested locator, and refine it in the locator playground before copying it.
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- Prefer readable, user-facing locators such as
getByRole()with an accessible name when they uniquely identify the intended control. - Use a test ID when the application has an explicit, stable test contract for that element.
- Check whether the locator matches one intended element. Codegen attempts to disambiguate multiple matches, but you should verify the result in the context of the page.
- Avoid preserving a brittle locator just because it was generated. If the page structure changes, a locator tied to incidental markup may break even when the user-facing behavior has not changed.
See Playwright’s locator guidance for the locator strategies and APIs available to tests.
Use Codegen with custom setup
If the default recording launch does not match the project’s setup, Playwright documents a headed-browser approach: launch a browser, create a context and page, then call page.pause() to open Codegen controls. This is useful when you need to establish context configuration in code before recording. Adapt the setup to the project’s installed Playwright language and fixtures rather than pasting a standalone example unchanged.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| The Codegen command is not found or fails to start | Playwright is not available in the project context, or the command is being run from the wrong directory. | Run it from the project where Playwright is installed and use npx playwright codegen. |
| The test contains actions but does not catch a failed outcome | No meaningful assertion was added during recording. | Use Inspector’s assertion control or add an assertion in the test for the behavior that defines success. |
| A locator matches more than one element or breaks easily | The recorded page has duplicate labels or the selector depends on incidental structure. | Use Pick Locator and the locator playground; prefer a specific role and accessible name or a deliberate test ID. |
| A login recording loses its session | Browser state was not saved or was not loaded for the recording. | Use --save-storage=auth.json and --load-storage=auth.json as appropriate, and protect the state file as a secret. |
| Automation cannot use the default Chrome profile | Chrome 136 changed access to the default user data directory. | Configure a separate profile with --user-data-dir. |
| Credentials appear in generated output or reach an unexpected origin | HTTP credentials were recorded and can be sent to any origin requesting them during the session. | Avoid recording sensitive credentials into shareable code; remove them from output and use a safer project-specific secret-handling approach. |
| The recording looks different from the intended test run | Viewport or emulation conditions differed. | Record with the relevant viewport, device, color scheme, timezone, geolocation, and language options. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I generate Playwright tests in Python?
Yes. Use the CLI’s --target=python option to generate Python output.
Does Codegen create a complete, production-ready test automatically?
No. It records interactions and helps produce a starting point; review and adapt the code, locators, and assertions for the behavior your project needs.
Can I use Codegen without entering a URL in the command?
Yes. Omit the URL and navigate to the page in the browser after Codegen opens.
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