Introduction
If you’re preparing for a QA automation interview, especially one that involves Playwright, this guide is your secret weapon. We’re blending two powerful assets into one:
- Frequently asked Playwright interview questions on commands
- A concise command reference (aka cheat sheet) that doubles as a hands-on prep tool.
By the end of this post, you’ll not only know the answers to critical interview questions—but you’ll also be able to run and explain every major Playwright command like a pro.
Why Mastering Commands Matters in Playwright Interviews
Interviewers don’t just want to hear that you’ve used Playwright. They want to know you understand what’s happening under the hood. That starts with being fluent in CLI commands and debugging options that make test automation efficient, scalable, and robust.
Top Playwright Interview Questions on Commands (With Cheat Sheet Answers)
Let’s walk through the most common questions—with answers and command-line examples pulled directly from the cheat sheet.
1. How do you run all tests using Playwright?
Why it’s asked: It shows basic setup knowledge.
Answer:
npx playwright test
This runs all tests defined in the Playwright test folder structure.
2. How do you run Playwright tests in headed vs. UI mode?
Why it’s asked: Interviewers want to know if you’ve debugged or visually inspected browser flows.
Answer:
- Headed mode:
npx playwright test –headed
This opens the browser so you can watch the execution.
- UI Mode (Interactive Test Explorer):
npx playwright test –ui
This lets you run tests interactively, great for debugging and exploring.
3. How can you run a specific test file or folder in Playwright?
Why it’s asked: It checks if you’re comfortable narrowing the test scope.
Answer:
Run a specific test file:
npx playwright test tests/login.spec.ts
Run a specific folder:
npx playwright test tests/e2e/
4. How do you execute tests on specific browsers like Chromium or Firefox?
Why it’s asked: This touches cross-browser compatibility testing.
Answer:
Use the –project flag with the browser name defined in your config file:
npx playwright test –project=chromium
npx playwright test –project=firefox
npx playwright test –project=webkit
5. How can you run a specific test by name or title?
Why it’s asked: Tests often fail selectively; this helps you isolate issues fast.
Answer:
npx playwright test -g “Login OK”
The -g flag (grep) filters tests by their title.
6. How do you list all configured projects in your Playwright setup?
Why it’s asked: To see if you’re familiar with multi-browser or multi-device setups.
Answer:
npx playwright test –list
7. What’s the command to retry failed tests automatically?
Why it’s asked: Retry logic is essential in CI/CD pipelines.
Answer:
npx playwright test –retries=2
This will retry failed tests up to 2 times.
8. How do you force exit tests? Why might this be useful?
Why it’s asked: CI jobs can hang—force exiting helps maintain flow.
Answer:
npx playwright test –force-exit
Useful when tests hang or don’t terminate correctly.
9. How do you debug a failing Playwright test?
Why it’s asked: Debugging is a vital QA skill.
Answer:
- Start in debug mode:
npx playwright test –debug
- Pause mid-test:
await page.pause();
- Or launch all tests with inspector:
PWDEBUG=1 npx playwright test
10. How can you view an HTML test report from Playwright?
Why it’s asked: Reporting is key for stakeholders and post-run analysis.
Answer:
npx playwright show-report
11. How do you change or set a specific reporter type in Playwright?
Why it’s asked: Shows familiarity with output customization.
Answer:
npx playwright test –reporter=dot
You can swap dot with others like list, html, json, etc.
12. How do you run tests with a custom configuration file?
Why it’s asked: Custom configs are often used in large projects.
Answer:
npx playwright test –config=custom.config.ts
13. How do you set environment variables for your Playwright tests?
Why it’s asked: Environments like dev, staging, and prod need different base URLs or creds.
Answer:
BASE_URL=https://staging.example.com npx playwright test
You can define multiple variables this way.
14. How do you generate tests using Playwright’s codegen?
Why it’s asked: It shows your ability to create quick test scripts without writing from scratch.
Answer:
npx playwright codegen https://example.com
This opens a browser and records your actions into a script.
15. How can you record test traces for later debugging?
Why it’s asked: Tracing helps identify intermittent failures.
Answer:
npx playwright test –trace=on
This records detailed test traces, useful for root-cause analysis.
Playwright Commands Cheat Sheet
✅ Basic Test Execution
npx playwright test
npx playwright test –ui
npx playwright test –headed
npx playwright test tests/login.spec.ts
npx playwright test tests/e2e/
🧪 Targeted Execution & Filtering
npx playwright test –project=chromium
npx playwright test –project=firefox
npx playwright test –project=webkit
npx playwright test -g “Login OK”
npx playwright test –list
🔁 Retries & CI Optimization
npx playwright test –retries=2
npx playwright test –force-exit
🐞 Debugging Tools
npx playwright test –debug
await page.pause();
PWDEBUG=1 npx playwright test
📊 Reporting & Traces
npx playwright show-report
npx playwright test –reporter=dot
npx playwright test –trace=on
⚙️ Configuration & Environment
npx playwright test –config=custom.config.ts
BASE_URL=https://staging.example.com npx playwright test
🧰 Test Generation
npx playwright codegen https://example.com
