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Configure retries in Playwright Test
Retries are a test-runner setting, not part of the use options for browser contexts. Set retries at the top level of the Playwright configuration to apply it across projects, or set it on an individual project when only that project needs retries.
Set a CI-only retry count
In playwright.config.ts, the following configuration allows up to two additional attempts for a failed test when the CI environment variable is set. Without that variable, it performs no retries. It also records a trace on the first retry, which can help explain why the initial attempt failed.
import { defineConfig } from '@playwright/test';
export default defineConfig({
retries: process.env.CI ? 2 : 0,
use: {
trace: 'on-first-retry',
},
});The CI check is an example policy, not a Playwright requirement. Make sure your CI provider actually sets CI; otherwise this expression evaluates to zero retries. The configured number is a maximum of extra attempts, not a guaranteed number of runs. A test that passes on its first attempt does not need retries.
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Scope retries to a project
If projects have different stability or runtime needs, use a project-level value rather than increasing retries for the entire suite. For example, a browser project can have its own retry count while other projects inherit the top-level value:
import { defineConfig } from '@playwright/test';
export default defineConfig({
retries: process.env.CI ? 1 : 0,
projects: [
{
name: 'chromium',
retries: process.env.CI ? 2 : 0,
use: { browserName: 'chromium' },
},
{
name: 'firefox',
use: { browserName: 'firefox' },
},
],
});Here Chromium overrides the top-level retry count. Firefox has no project-specific value, so it uses the top-level setting. Adjust the project names and browser configuration to match your suite.
Override the count for one run
Use the CLI when you need a temporary run-specific value without editing configuration:
npx playwright test --retries=2The CLI option is --retries <retries>. It sets the maximum additional attempts for that run and can be useful when reproducing a CI-only failure locally. Keep the committed configuration as the team’s normal policy rather than relying on an individual command-line override.
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Choose a retry count deliberately
Retries trade faster feedback for more execution time and more chances to observe intermittent failures. If the suite runs in parallel, retries also consume worker capacity. Set the count based on how much time the team can spend waiting and how valuable it is to identify intermittent failures in the run that detects them.
- Zero retries: gives the simplest signal and avoids extending runs. This is the documented default and a reasonable local setting while debugging.
- One or two retries in CI: can expose intermittent behavior and provide another attempt to collect diagnostics. Playwright’s configuration documentation uses two retries as an example for CI; it is not a universal recommendation.
- More retries: can make a run substantially longer when failures recur. A high count may also make instability easier to overlook if the final result is treated as success.
Do not interpret a green run after retries as proof that the test or application is reliable. The first failure still matters. Track flaky outcomes and fix their causes, such as nondeterministic test setup or dependencies, rather than continually increasing the retry count.
Understand flaky outcomes and retry scheduling
Playwright classifies a test that fails initially but passes on a retry as flaky. A test that continues to fail after its retries remains failed. If you want a flaky result to fail the run instead of being accepted as a passing result, enable failOnFlakyTests in the configuration or use --fail-on-flaky-tests on the command line. Check that these options are available in the Playwright version installed by your project.
Immediate versus isolated retries
The current TestConfig API reference documents retryStrategy, introduced in Playwright v1.62. Its default, immediate, schedules a failed test’s retry when a worker is available, interleaved with the rest of the run. isolated waits until other tests have finished, then runs retries one at a time in a single worker. That can reduce interference between tests, but may make the run take longer.
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import { defineConfig } from '@playwright/test';
export default defineConfig({
retries: process.env.CI ? 2 : 0,
retryStrategy: 'isolated',
});Use retryStrategy only if the installed version supports it; it is not a replacement for choosing a retry count. If the option is rejected as unknown, check the project’s Playwright version before changing the test logic.
Capture evidence from the failed attempt
A retry is most useful when it leaves evidence that can distinguish a timing issue, a failed network request, and a genuine application defect. For CI, Playwright recommends trace: 'on-first-retry'. This records a trace.zip for the first retry. Open it in Trace Viewer or from the HTML report to examine the action timeline, DOM snapshots, and network requests.
Pick a trace mode for the question you need to answer
on-first-retryrecords the first retry, a practical CI choice when you want targeted diagnostic artifacts.on-all-retriesrecords each retry when comparing repeated attempts matters.retain-on-failureretains trace evidence for a test that fails.retain-on-failure-and-retriesretains evidence for the failure and retries.
These modes differ in which attempts produce retained traces. Choose based on the failure you are investigating and the amount of artifact storage and transfer your CI run can support. Playwright cautions that tracing every run is performance-heavy. For a local investigation where you want a trace for each test, run:
npx playwright test --trace onA trace lets you inspect what happened during execution; it does not diagnose the root cause automatically or repair the test. Compare the first failure with the retry, especially the actions immediately before the failure and their associated DOM or network evidence.
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Run retries reliably in CI
Retries do not change how Playwright or its browsers must be installed. The Playwright CI guide’s basic sequence is to install the project packages, install the browser binaries and system dependencies, and then run the test suite:
npm ci
npx playwright install --with-deps
npx playwright testUse the package-install command that matches your package manager and lockfile. For CI stability and reproducibility, Playwright recommends starting with one worker. Self-hosted systems may instead run tests in parallel or use sharding, depending on their resources and setup. Worker count is a separate setting from retries: retries determine how many additional attempts are allowed after failure, while worker count determines how many tests can run concurrently.
For a CI pipeline, confirm that the job installs the browser binaries and dependencies needed by the project, uses the intended retry configuration, and retains the report or trace artifacts you need after the job ends. A retry can collect a trace, but that trace is of little use if the pipeline discards it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot retry behavior
Failed tests are not retried
- Check that
retriesis set in the top-level configuration or the relevant project configuration, not insideuse. - Check whether a project-level value overrides the top-level value.
- If you rely on
process.env.CI, verify that the environment variable is set in the job. Otherwise the example expression selects zero. - Use
npx playwright test --retries=2once to check whether a command-line setting produces the expected behavior.
The test passes on retry, but the run is still marked flaky
That is the expected classification for an initial failure followed by a passing retry. Review the original attempt’s trace and compare it with the retry. If the team wants flaky outcomes to fail the run, use failOnFlakyTests or --fail-on-flaky-tests where supported by the installed version.
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The run takes much longer than expected
Retries add attempts only for tests that fail, but repeated failures can lengthen a run substantially. Reduce the retry count if the extra runtime is not worth the diagnostic value. Also review worker count and whether an isolated retry strategy is appropriate: isolated retries are serialized after other tests and can increase elapsed time.
A trace is missing or too expensive to retain
Confirm that the chosen trace mode records the attempt you are examining and that the CI system saves the resulting artifacts. Use on-first-retry for a narrower diagnostic footprint instead of tracing every run; use a broader mode only when the additional evidence is necessary.
retryStrategy or flaky-test options are rejected
Configuration APIs change across Playwright releases. Check the installed package version and use the API reference that matches it. The documented retryStrategy option requires v1.62 or later; an older installation will not accept it.
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