5.6Debugging Tools

Playwright provides multiple debugging approaches — no more guessing why a test failed.

UI Mode (--ui): Interactive timeline showing every action, network request, and DOM snapshot. The single most useful debugging tool.

Trace Viewer: Records a trace during test execution that you can replay step-by-step after the fact. Essential for CI failures.

Codegen (npx playwright codegen): Opens a browser and records your actions as test code. Useful for bootstrapping tests quickly, though the generated code usually needs cleanup.

VS Code Extension: Run, debug, and step through tests directly in the editor with breakpoints.