Browser Automation with Playwright

Foundational skill (2024+). See the master guide for context.

Browser test automation has shifted. Playwright — Microsoft's open-source framework — has become the default choice for new projects and is rapidly replacing Selenium in existing ones. It ships with auto-waiting, built-in assertions, browser contexts for isolation, and first-class support for modern web patterns like Shadow DOM, iframes, and single-page apps. If you are starting a QA career today, Playwright is the tool you should learn first.

Topics Covered

1. Automation Landscape — 01-automation-landscape/

• From Selenium to Playwright — how browser automation evolved, why Playwright won, and how the two architectures compare

2. Playwright Fundamentals — 02-playwright-fundamentals/

• Setup and First Test — installation, project structure, running your first test, and understanding the test runner
• Contexts, Waiting, and Assertions — browser contexts for isolation, auto-waiting mechanics, and web-first assertions

3. Locators and Selectors — 03-locators-and-selectors/

• Locator Strategies — role-based, text-based, CSS, and test-id locators — choosing the right strategy
• Advanced Locators — filtering, chaining, nth, frame locators, and building resilient selectors

4. Design Patterns — 04-design-patterns/

• Page Object Model — implementing POM in Playwright with TypeScript and Python
• Fixtures and Test Data — custom fixtures, test data management, and authentication state reuse

5. Advanced Scenarios — 05-advanced-scenarios/

• Network Mocking and API Testing — intercepting requests, mocking responses, and combining UI + API tests
• Visual Testing and Edge Cases — screenshot comparison, accessibility testing, multi-tab workflows, and file handling

6. Framework and CI — 06-framework-and-ci/

• Production Framework — project structure, configuration, environment management, and custom reporters
• Parallel Execution and Reporting — sharding, CI/CD integration, trace viewer, and test result analysis

7. Ecosystem and Future — 07-ecosystem-and-future/

• Migration and Comparison — migrating from Selenium/Cypress to Playwright, and choosing between frameworks
• AI-Assisted Testing — codegen, MCP integration, AI test generation, and the future of browser automation

Why This Matters

Browser automation is the backbone of end-to-end testing. Playwright has raised the bar: tests that took dozens of lines in Selenium take a handful in Playwright, with better reliability out of the box. Understanding Playwright deeply — not just the API, but the patterns, architecture, and ecosystem — separates QA engineers who write brittle scripts from those who build test frameworks that teams actually trust.