Set PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH before both playwright install and the process that launches Playwright, using the same directory each time. For example: export PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH="$HOME/pw-browsers", then run npx playwright install and your tests or script. A one-command prefix works for a single process; an exported variable applies to later commands in the shell.
What PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH controls
Playwright downloads browser revisions that match the Playwright release. The environment variable changes where those managed binaries are installed and where Playwright looks for them at runtime. The installation process and the test or script process must see the same value; setting it for only one of them commonly produces a “browser executable doesn’t exist” or “executable not found” error.
The variable does not relocate Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge installed by the operating system. Those branded browsers continue to use their system-wide installation locations. See the Playwright browser documentation for the supported environment-variable behavior.
Choose a browser directory
| Choice | How to select it | Best fit | Important lifecycle detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default OS cache | Leave PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH unset |
Personal development when the default location is convenient | Playwright chooses an OS-specific cache directory |
| Custom shared directory | Set the variable to a user-owned path such as $HOME/pw-browsers |
Several projects or processes sharing one browser download | Every process must use the identical path and have read/write access |
| Hermetic, project-local install | Set PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=0 |
Packaging browsers with a project or isolating them from a user’s cache | In the documented Node.js layout, binaries are placed under node_modules/playwright-core/.local-browsers |
Default locations by operating system
| Operating system | Default managed-browser cache |
|---|---|
| Windows | %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalms-playwright |
| macOS | ~/Library/Caches/ms-playwright |
| Linux | ~/.cache/ms-playwright |
These defaults and hermetic mode are documented at playwright.dev/docs/browsers.
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Set it in each shell
Bash, Zsh, and other POSIX shells
Prefix both commands when you want the setting to apply only to those commands:
PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=$HOME/pw-browsers npx playwright install
PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=$HOME/pw-browsers npx playwright testFor a whole terminal session, export it once:
export PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH="$HOME/pw-browsers"
npx playwright install
npx playwright testCreate the directory first if your account or CI runner does not automatically create it:
mkdir -p "$HOME/pw-browsers"
export PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH="$HOME/pw-browsers"
npx playwright installPowerShell
$Env:PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH="$Env:USERPROFILEpw-browsers"
npx playwright install
npx playwright testUse a fully qualified path when the job runs under a service account, because $Env:USERPROFILE can differ between interactive and CI users.
Windows Command Prompt
set PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=%USERPROFILE%pw-browsers
npx playwright install
npx playwright testset affects the current Command Prompt window. Open windows and separately launched services do not inherit a value that was set elsewhere.
Use the same setting with other language bindings
The variable is read from the process environment, so the shell syntax is the only part that changes between Playwright languages. The official language-specific browser pages cover Node.js, Python, Java, and .NET (Python, Java, and .NET).
Python
export PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH="$HOME/pw-browsers"
python -m playwright install
python your_script.pyOn Windows PowerShell, set $Env:PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH first, then run python -m playwright install and your Python test command in that same session.
Node.js with a one-command scope
PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH="$HOME/pw-browsers" npx playwright install
PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH="$HOME/pw-browsers" node screenshot.jsFor Java or .NET, set the variable in the shell or CI environment before invoking the binding’s documented browser-install command and before starting the test runner. Do not install into one path and launch from another.
Hermetic installs for reproducible projects
Set the value to 0 when the browser binaries should live with the local Playwright package rather than in a user cache:
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PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=0 npx playwright testIn the documented Node.js example, this creates node_modules/playwright-core/.local-browsers. Keep the same package installation and variable value in the environment that runs the tests. Hermetic mode increases project-local disk usage and is different from moving browsers to a shared cache.
Sharing one directory safely
A shared directory can avoid duplicate downloads for multiple projects or workers. Choose a stable, user-owned location and make sure every process can read it and the installer can write it. Avoid pointing unrelated users at a directory with permissions that expose private files. If two jobs install simultaneously, serialize the installation step or let one job prepare the directory before workers start.
Changing the path does not convert one browser revision into another. Playwright releases are tied to particular browser revisions, so a project update can require another playwright install even when the directory already contains older browsers.
Version updates and browser cleanup
After upgrading Playwright, run the install command again with the same PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH. Playwright tracks which clients need browser packages and may remove revisions it considers no longer required. If you must retain an otherwise unused browser, set PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_GC=1 or install with the documented --no-remove option. Details and command-line options are in the Playwright command-line documentation.
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Do not assume that a directory containing an older revision is valid for a newer Playwright package. Treat the Playwright package version and browser directory contents as one cache key.
CI and cache decisions
Playwright’s CI guidance notes that caching is not automatically faster: restoring a cache can take about as long as downloading the browsers. If your team caches them, key the cache by the Playwright version so a cache created for a different browser revision is not reused. The recommendation is described in Playwright’s continuous-integration guide.
A practical CI sequence
- Choose a deterministic path inside the job workspace or the CI tool’s cache directory.
- Set
PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATHin the job environment before any install step. - Include the exact Playwright version in the cache key, or skip caching when downloading is faster.
- Run the documented browser installation command on a cache miss.
- Launch tests with the same environment variable and path.
When a job runs as a different operating-system user than the cache-restore step, check ownership and permissions before blaming Playwright for a missing executable.
Troubleshooting
“Executable doesn’t exist” after a successful install
The install and runtime processes probably used different values, or the runtime process did not inherit the variable. Export the variable in the parent shell (or CI job) and rerun both installation and tests. Also verify that the path is readable by the account running the test.
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Browsers keep downloading on every run
Check for spelling, quoting, and shell scope. A command prefix applies to one command only; an exported variable must be present in the shell that launches the test. In CI, ensure the cache-restore and test steps use the same job-level environment.
A path works locally but fails in CI
Do not rely on ~ or a developer-specific home directory when the runner uses another account. Use an absolute, job-appropriate path, create it, and confirm the runner can write during installation and read during execution.
Old revisions disappear
This is Playwright’s browser garbage collection. Retain an otherwise unused revision with PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_GC=1 or the install command’s --no-remove option, then manage disk usage deliberately.
Chrome or Edge is still in the system location
That is expected. PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH applies to Playwright-managed browser binaries, not branded Chrome or Microsoft Edge installations.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does setting the variable change where Playwright stores its npm or Python package?
No. It selects the directory for Playwright-managed browser binaries; the language package remains wherever your package manager installed it.
Can I use a relative path?
Use an absolute path for predictable behavior, especially in CI, services, and shells launched from different working directories.
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