6.2Browser Contexts

A browser context is a lightweight, isolated browser session — like an incognito window. Each context has its own cookies, localStorage, and cache. Unlike Selenium, where each test typically launches a new browser process, Playwright creates contexts within a single browser instance.

// Each test gets its own context automatically in @playwright/test
test('user A sees their dashboard', async ({ page }) => {
  // `page` belongs to a fresh context — isolated from other tests
});

// Manual context creation for multi-user scenarios
test('two users collaborate', async ({ browser }) => {
  const adminContext = await browser.newContext();
  const userContext = await browser.newContext();
  const adminPage = await adminContext.newPage();
  const userPage = await userContext.newPage();

  // Admin and user have completely separate sessions
  await adminPage.goto('/admin');
  await userPage.goto('/dashboard');
});

Why Contexts Matter

Selenium Approach	Playwright Approach
One browser per test (slow startup)	One browser, many contexts (fast)
Shared state leaks between tests	Complete isolation per context
Parallel = multiple browser processes	Parallel = multiple contexts in one browser
Cookie cleanup between tests is manual	Contexts are disposable — no cleanup needed