generate

name	generate
description	Generate Playwright tests. Use when user says "write tests", "generate tests", "add tests for", "test this component", "e2e test", "create test for", "test this page", or "test this feature".

Generate Playwright Tests

Generate production-ready Playwright tests from a user story, URL, component name, or feature description.

Input

$ARGUMENTS contains what to test. Examples:

• "user can log in with email and password"
• "the checkout flow"
• "src/components/UserProfile.tsx"
• "the search page with filters"

Steps

1. Understand the Target

Parse $ARGUMENTS to determine:

• User story: Extract the behavior to verify
• Component path: Read the component source code
• Page/URL: Identify the route and its elements
• Feature name: Map to relevant app areas

2. Explore the Codebase

Use the Explore subagent to gather context:

• Read playwright.config.ts for testDir, baseURL, projects
• Check existing tests in testDir for patterns, fixtures, and conventions
• If a component path is given, read the component to understand its props, states, and interactions
• Check for existing page objects in pages/
• Check for existing fixtures in fixtures/
• Check for auth setup (auth.setup.ts or storageState config)

3. Select Templates

Check templates/ in this plugin for matching patterns:

If testing...	Load template from
Login/auth flow	../pw/templates/auth/login.md
CRUD operations	templates/crud/
Checkout/payment	templates/checkout/
Search/filter UI	templates/search/
Form submission	templates/forms/
Dashboard/data	templates/dashboard/
Settings page	templates/settings/
Onboarding flow	templates/onboarding/
API endpoints	templates/api/
Accessibility	templates/accessibility/

Adapt the template to the specific app — replace {{placeholders}} with actual selectors, URLs, and data.

4. Generate the Test

Follow these rules:

Structure:

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
// Import custom fixtures if the project uses them

test.describe('Feature Name', () => {
  // Group related behaviors

  test('should <expected behavior>', async ({ page }) => {
    // Arrange: navigate, set up state
    // Act: perform user action
    // Assert: verify outcome
  });
});

Locator priority (use the first that works):

1. getByRole() — buttons, links, headings, form elements
2. getByLabel() — form fields with labels
3. getByText() — non-interactive text content
4. getByPlaceholder() — inputs with placeholder text
5. getByTestId() — when semantic options aren't available

Assertions — always web-first:

// GOOD — auto-retries
await expect(page.getByRole('heading')).toBeVisible();
await expect(page.getByRole('alert')).toHaveText('Success');

// BAD — no retry
const text = await page.textContent('.msg');
expect(text).toBe('Success');

Never use:

• page.waitForTimeout()
• page.$(selector) or page.$$(selector)
• Bare CSS selectors unless absolutely necessary
• page.evaluate() for things locators can do

Always include:

• Descriptive test names that explain the behavior
• Error/edge case tests alongside happy path
• Proper await on every Playwright call
• baseURL-relative navigation (page.goto('/') not page.goto('http://...'))

5. Match Project Conventions

• If project uses TypeScript → generate .spec.ts
• If project uses JavaScript → generate .spec.js with require() imports
• If project has page objects → use them instead of inline locators
• If project has custom fixtures → import and use them
• If project has a test data directory → create test data files there

6. Generate Supporting Files (If Needed)

• Page object: If the test touches 5+ unique locators on one page, create a page object
• Fixture: If the test needs shared setup (auth, data), create or extend a fixture
• Test data: If the test uses structured data, create a JSON file in test-data/

7. Verify

Run the generated test:

npx playwright test <generated-file> --reporter=list

If it fails:

1. Read the error
2. Fix the test (not the app)
3. Run again
4. If it's an app issue, report it to the user

Output

• Generated test file(s) with path
• Any supporting files created (page objects, fixtures, data)
• Test run result
• Coverage note: what behaviors are now tested