Automating CMS Interfaces Using Playwright

Content Management Systems (CMS) are the backbone of many websites and digital platforms. Whether you're working with WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, or custom-built CMSs, automation can significantly streamline the testing and content publishing processes. Playwright, an end-to-end testing framework from Microsoft, offers robust automation capabilities for web applications, making it an excellent choice for automating CMS interfaces.

In this blog, we’ll explore how Playwright can be used to automate CMS workflows, including logging in, creating content, navigating the UI, and validating output—all through code.


Why Automate CMS Interfaces?

CMS platforms are often updated regularly, and with those updates come changes to the UI and functionality. Manual testing of these interfaces can be tedious and error-prone. Automation helps to:

  • Ensure consistent UI behavior
  • Validate publishing workflows
  • Speed up regression testing
  • Detect issues with plugins/themes quickly


Setting Up Playwright

Before diving into CMS automation, you’ll need to set up Playwright:


bash


npm install -D @playwright/test

npx playwright install

Create a basic test file:


bash


// cms-automation.spec.ts

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';


test('CMS login test', async ({ page }) => {

  await page.goto('https://your-cms-url.com/wp-admin');

  await page.fill('#user_login', 'admin');

  await page.fill('#user_pass', 'password123');

  await page.click('#wp-submit');

  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/dashboard/);

});

This simple script automates a login into a WordPress CMS admin dashboard.


Automating Common CMS Workflows

1. Creating a New Post or Page

Once logged in, Playwright can automate content creation:


ts


await page.click('text=Add New');

await page.fill('textarea[aria-label="Add title"]', 'Automated Post');

await page.fill('div[contenteditable="true"]', 'This is a post created with Playwright.');

await page.click('text=Publish');

await page.click('text=Publish'); // Confirm

await expect(page.locator('text=Post published')).toBeVisible();

This automates creating and publishing a new post in WordPress. You can adapt selectors based on the CMS and its version.


2. Media Uploads

Automating file uploads is another area where Playwright excels:


ts


await page.setInputFiles('input[type="file"]', 'path/to/image.jpg');

await expect(page.locator('text=image.jpg')).toBeVisible();

This command uploads an image to the CMS media library.


Handling Dynamic Content and Selectors

CMS interfaces often have dynamic IDs, modals, or JavaScript-heavy components. Playwright’s auto-wait and robust selector engine make it easier to handle these challenges.


You can also use Playwright Codegen to record actions:


bash

Copy

Edit

npx playwright codegen https://your-cms-url.com

This generates code as you interact with the site, saving time and improving accuracy.


Running Tests and Generating Reports

To execute your CMS automation tests:


bash

Copy

Edit

npx playwright test

Generate reports:


bash

Copy

Edit

npx playwright show-report

This helps teams analyze test results and integrate with CI/CD pipelines for continuous validation.


Benefits of Using Playwright for CMS Automation

  • Multi-browser Support: Test across Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit.
  • Headless and Headed Modes: Choose based on debugging or performance needs.
  • Network Interception: Mock API calls or simulate offline conditions.
  • Powerful Debugging: Use page.pause() and playwright.debug() to troubleshoot.


Conclusion

Automating CMS interfaces using Playwright opens up a world of possibilities—from ensuring editorial workflows are functioning properly, to validating theme and plugin behavior. With its rich feature set and ease of use, Playwright is a powerful tool for QA engineers and developers looking to bring reliability and speed to CMS testing. Whether you're managing a single blog or an enterprise-level CMS, automation with Playwright will help you maintain quality and efficiency across your content ecosystem. 

Learn Playwright Testing Training

Read More: Verifying Email Links Using Playwright

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