Troubleshooting Playwright Failures in CI/CD

Automated testing with Playwright is a key part of ensuring web application stability and functionality. When integrated into a CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) pipeline, Playwright helps teams catch bugs early and release faster. However, test failures in CI/CD environments can be challenging to diagnose due to environmental differences, concurrency, or misconfigurations. Understanding why Playwright tests fail in CI/CD and how to troubleshoot them is crucial for maintaining reliable pipelines.

In this blog, we’ll walk through common causes of Playwright test failures in CI/CD pipelines and provide practical troubleshooting techniques to resolve them.

1. Understand the CI/CD Environment

Playwright tests that pass locally may fail in CI/CD due to differences in the testing environment. These differences include:

Headless vs. headed mode

Network restrictions

Lack of GPU or display server

Slower performance or limited resources

Start by identifying whether the test failures are reproducible locally by simulating the CI environment. You can run:

bash

npx playwright test --project=chromium --headless

This helps isolate whether the issue is truly CI-related or environmental.

2. Use Playwright Trace Viewer and Screenshots

Playwright offers excellent debugging tools such as trace viewer, screenshots, and videos. Enabling them can help visualize where and why a test failed.

Update your Playwright config (playwright.config.ts) to include:

js

use: {

  trace: 'on-first-retry',

  screenshot: 'only-on-failure',

  video: 'retain-on-failure',

}

Then, after a failed run in CI, download and open the trace:

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npx playwright show-trace trace.zip

This interactive trace gives a step-by-step replay of the test scenario, making it easier to debug.

3. Add Timeouts and Wait Strategies

Tests often fail due to race conditions or elements not being ready in time, especially in slower CI environments. Avoid hard-coded timeouts and instead use Playwright's robust waiting mechanisms:

js

await page.waitForSelector('#element-id', { state: 'visible' });

Also, consider increasing the global timeout in your config:

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timeout: 60000, // 60 seconds

This helps prevent premature test failures during temporary delays.

4. Check for Flaky Tests

Flaky tests are those that pass sometimes and fail other times due to inconsistent timing or state. Identify flaky tests using retries:

js

retries: 2, // Retry failed tests up to 2 times

Use test.only() locally to isolate and rerun them repeatedly. Debug and stabilize the underlying cause, such as asynchronous page loads or incomplete waits.

5. Resource and Dependency Issues

In CI/CD, test failures can also stem from:

Missing fonts or libraries (install required packages)

Browser launch errors (ensure npx playwright install is run before test execution)

Unstable network or API response (mock external calls where needed)

Make sure to use a fresh and clean environment with all Playwright dependencies installed.

6. Logs and Console Output

Capture browser console logs and network requests using:

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page.on('console', msg => console.log(msg.text()));

page.on('requestfailed', request => console.log(request.url(), request.failure()));

These logs offer deeper insight into script errors or failed network calls causing test failures.

Conclusion

Playwright test failures in CI/CD can often be traced to environmental differences, flaky test logic, or missing dependencies. By using Playwright's built-in tools like trace viewer, logs, screenshots, and retries, teams can debug failures effectively and increase test reliability. A proactive approach to troubleshooting and refining tests will lead to more robust pipelines and faster, safer releases.

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Read More: Playwright’s Role in DevOps Pipelines

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