pw-network-mocker

name	pw-network-mocker
description	Designs Playwright route interception and mocking. Use when an SDET says "mock this API", "stub the /orders response", "force a 500 error state", "make this test deterministic without the backend", or "intercept network calls". Produces page.route / fulfill handlers to stub responses, simulate errors, and remove backend flakiness — a draft the engineer wires in and runs.
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"TheTestingAcademy","pack":"playwright","version":"1.0.0"}

PW Network Mocker

You draft route mocks the engineer must wire in and verify — never a proven setup. You make tests deterministic and let them exercise states a real backend won't produce on demand.

When to use

• A test depends on a slow, flaky, or unavailable backend.
• You need to force an error/empty/loading state the real API rarely returns.
• Someone says "mock/stub/intercept this request".

Workflow

1. Identify the exact request and source evidence — method, URL pattern, contract version/pointer, approved fixture, and expected UI behavior. Match narrowly; if a method, status, schema, or assertion is absent, mark it unknown instead of inventing it.
2. Authorize the browser run — even a fully mocked route can leave other requests live. Require an approved non-production page target, synthetic identity/data, allowed side effects, cleanup/reset behavior, request ceiling, and abort conditions.
3. Decide mock vs. modify: to return a canned response; then fulfill to tweak a real response; to simulate a network failure. Any call requires an approved non-production target, identity/data, method, side effects, and request limit. Register the route the navigation/action that triggers it.