The Tool Desk
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The shortest local workflow is:
npx playwright test --reporter=html
npx playwright show-reportWhat a Playwright HTML report shows
An HTML report is an interactive record of a test run rather than a folder of image files. It lists the tests that ran, the browser project used, each test’s duration and its final state. You can filter for passed, failed, flaky or skipped tests and search for a test by name.
Opening a test exposes its error, individual steps and links to available traces or attachments. For screenshot-driven diagnosis, always read the artifact in context: a screenshot without the browser, retry and timing information may show what the page looked like but not why it reached that state.
| Report axis | What it can tell you |
|---|---|
| Status | Whether the test passed, failed, was flaky after retries, or was skipped. |
| Browser/project | Whether the problem is specific to Chromium, Firefox, WebKit or a project configuration. |
| Duration | Whether a slow or timing-sensitive step coincides with the failure. |
| Retry state | Whether the failure reproduced on a retry or only occurred on the first attempt. |
| Artifacts | Whether the result includes a trace, screenshot, video or visual-diff attachment. |
Generate and open the report locally
Run with the HTML reporter
From the project directory, run:
npx playwright test --reporter=htmlPlaywright writes the report to its generated report directory. Start the local report server with:
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npx playwright show-reportThe command opens the report for inspection. If the browser does not open automatically, copy the local address printed by the command into a browser.
Set the reporter in configuration
For a repeatable command, set the reporter in playwright.config.ts:
import { defineConfig } from '@playwright/test';
export default defineConfig({
reporter: [['html', { open: 'never' }]],
});Using open: 'never' prevents a local browser from opening during automated runs. You can still inspect the result later with npx playwright show-report.
Make screenshots and traces available
Use tracing for an interactive film strip
Playwright tracing with screenshots enabled records a screencast for each trace. In the report, the trace appears as a film strip. Hovering over the strip magnifies an image for an action or state, which helps you locate the point where the test diverged.
A practical default for CI is to collect a trace on the first retry:
import { defineConfig } from '@playwright/test';
export default defineConfig({
retries: 2,
use: {
trace: 'on-first-retry',
},
});With two retries configured, a trace is recorded when a test is retried for the first time. This keeps ordinary successful runs lighter while preserving diagnostic context for an intermittent failure.
Keep traces for failures when retries are not used
If your project does not retry tests, use retain-on-failure:
import { defineConfig } from '@playwright/test';
export default defineConfig({
use: {
trace: 'retain-on-failure',
},
});This preserves traces for failed tests without recording a trace for every successful test.
Record every test only for targeted debugging
trace: 'on' records every test. It provides the most complete evidence, but tracing all tests is performance-heavy and creates more artifacts. Enable it temporarily for a focused investigation, then return to on-first-retry or retain-on-failure.
Attach explicit screenshots
Traces provide a timeline, but a standalone screenshot can be easier to consume in a CI artifact or pull request. Capture one at a meaningful checkpoint:
import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
test('checkout summary', async ({ page }, testInfo) => {
await page.goto('https://example.com/checkout');
await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { name: 'Order summary' })).toBeVisible();
const image = await page.screenshot({ fullPage: true });
await testInfo.attach('checkout-summary', {
body: image,
contentType: 'image/png',
});
});The attachment is shown with the test’s other artifacts. Use a stable checkpoint—after navigation, after a form submission or immediately before an assertion—rather than taking screenshots after every action.
Inspect a failed test in the report
- Open the report with
npx playwright show-report. - Filter to Failed or Flaky, then select the test.
- Read the assertion error and expand the test steps to identify the first unexpected state.
- Open the screenshot attachment, if present, and compare it with the expected UI state.
- Open the trace link or the test’s Traces tab.
- Move through the trace timeline and inspect the before, action and after snapshots around the failing step.
- Check the locator and source location, logs, network requests, console output, browser, viewport and other metadata.
- For a visual assertion, compare the expected, actual and diff screenshots before changing the test or baseline.
Trace Viewer is a GUI tool for exploring recorded Playwright traces after the script has run. The timeline is important: a final screenshot may look correct even when an earlier navigation, request or locator action caused the eventual failure.
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Run the suite and preserve the report directory
CI must retain both the HTML report and the trace or screenshot files it references. A generic sequence is:
npx playwright install --with-deps
npx playwright test --reporter=htmlConfigure your CI provider to upload the generated Playwright report directory as an artifact even when tests fail. Uploading only the HTML file breaks links to traces and images because those files live alongside the report.
Open an archived report
Download the complete artifact into a workspace, then run:
npx playwright show-report path/to/playwright-reportKeep the directory structure unchanged. If your CI system extracts files into a different location, pass that location to show-report.
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Choose an artifact policy
- Routine CI: use
trace: 'on-first-retry'with retries, orretain-on-failurewithout retries. - Visual investigation: add explicit screenshots at the assertion boundary and preserve expected, actual and diff images.
- Deep, short-lived diagnosis: switch to
trace: 'on'for the affected project or test scope, then disable it after the issue is understood.
Use screenshots to classify the failure
Browser-specific failure
Run the same test across the configured browser projects and compare the browser metadata and screenshots. A failure in one engine with identical test data points toward rendering, feature support or timing differences rather than a universal application defect.
Timing or readiness failure
Compare durations, the action timeline and before/after snapshots. If the screenshot shows a loading state, inspect network requests and console output in the trace before adding a longer timeout. Prefer waiting for a meaningful selector or application state.
Non-reproducible failure
Compare the first attempt with the retry. A passing retry plus a failure-only trace is evidence of flakiness, but it does not identify the cause by itself. Use the trace’s request, console and locator details to determine whether the issue is data, network, synchronization or environment related.
Visual regression
Inspect expected, actual and diff images together. Confirm that viewport, browser, device scale, fonts and test data are the same before updating a baseline. A changed screenshot is not automatically a product bug or a valid new baseline.
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Common errors and fixes
“No report found” or an empty report
Cause: the test command used a different reporter, no tests matched the command, or the report directory was removed.
Fix: run npx playwright test --reporter=html, verify that tests execute, and open the resulting directory with npx playwright show-report.
The report opens but screenshots or traces are missing
Cause: CI uploaded only the HTML file, or tracing and attachments were never enabled.
Fix: upload the entire report directory and configure trace: 'on-first-retry', retain-on-failure or an explicit testInfo.attach screenshot.
A trace link returns a missing-file error
Cause: the artifact was flattened, renamed or partially copied.
Fix: preserve the generated directory hierarchy when uploading and extracting artifacts.
The screenshot shows a blank page
Cause: navigation had not completed, a request failed, a bot check blocked the page, or the screenshot was taken before the relevant selector appeared.
Fix: inspect network and console panels in the trace, wait for a specific selector or application state, and verify that the CI environment can reach the target service.
Artifacts are too large or the run is slow
Cause: tracing every test, full-page images and repeated video-like captures generate substantial data.
Fix: use failure-oriented trace policies, capture only diagnostic checkpoints, and enable full tracing only for a targeted run.
A visual diff changes on every run
Cause: nondeterministic data, animations, fonts, viewport differences or asynchronous content.
Fix: stabilize test data and environment first, then inspect the trace and diff. Do not accept a new baseline until the cause of the variation is understood.
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Performance, reliability and cost considerations
Tracing and screenshots trade storage and runtime overhead for diagnostic detail. Recording every test gives maximum context but is heavier than recording only retries or failures. Full-page screenshots are useful for layout defects but are larger than a cropped element image. In CI, artifact retention limits also matter: an expired or incomplete artifact makes a previously useful report impossible to inspect.
Reliability improves when the report, traces, screenshots and test metadata are retained as one artifact set. Keep the browser project, viewport and retry policy visible in the report so a later reader can distinguish an environment problem from an application problem.
Or skip the browser setup
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FAQ
Can an HTML report contain screenshots without traces?
Yes. Attach screenshots with testInfo.attach or use Playwright’s screenshot assertions. Traces add a timeline and diagnostic panels but are not required for an image attachment.
Should I record a trace on every retry?
The usual choice is on-first-retry, which captures the first retry while limiting overhead. Use retain-on-failure when retries are disabled, and reserve on for focused debugging.
Why can a test pass while its screenshot looks wrong?
A functional assertion may not check visual appearance. Add an explicit visual assertion or inspect the attached image at a defined checkpoint, then use expected, actual and diff artifacts to evaluate the change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an HTML report contain screenshots without traces?
Yes. Attach screenshots with testInfo.attach or use Playwright’s screenshot assertions. Traces add a timeline and diagnostic panels but are not required for an image attachment.
Should I record a trace on every retry?
The usual choice is on-first-retry, which captures the first retry while limiting overhead. Use retain-on-failure when retries are disabled, and reserve on for focused debugging.
Why can a test pass while its screenshot looks wrong?
A functional assertion may not check visual appearance. Add an explicit visual assertion or inspect the attached image at a defined checkpoint, then use expected, actual and diff artifacts to evaluate the change.
Quick Recap
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