| name | webapp-testing |
| description | Use when testing local web applications with Playwright, verifying frontend behavior, debugging UI issues, capturing screenshots, inspecting browser logs, or validating user flows. |
| zh_description | 用于使用 Playwright 测试本地 Web 应用、验证前端行为、截图和查看浏览器日志。 |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| author | seaworld008 |
| source | in-house |
| source_url | |
| license | Complete terms in LICENSE.txt |
| tags | ["development", "testing", "webapp"] |
| created_at | 2026-03-04 |
| updated_at | 2026-06-29 |
| quality | 3 |
| complexity | intermediate |
Web Application Testing
To test local web applications, write native Python Playwright scripts.
Helper Scripts Available:
scripts/with_server.py - Manages server lifecycle (supports multiple servers)
Always run scripts with --help first to see usage. DO NOT read the source until you try running the script first and find that a customized solution is abslutely necessary. These scripts can be very large and thus pollute your context window. They exist to be called directly as black-box scripts rather than ingested into your context window.
Decision Tree: Choosing Your Approach
User task → Is it static HTML?
├─ Yes → Read HTML file directly to identify selectors
│ ├─ Success → Write Playwright script using selectors
│ └─ Fails/Incomplete → Treat as dynamic (below)
│
└─ No (dynamic webapp) → Is the server already running?
├─ No → Run: python scripts/with_server.py --help
│ Then use the helper + write simplified Playwright script
│
└─ Yes → Reconnaissance-then-action:
1. Navigate and wait for networkidle
2. Take screenshot or inspect DOM
3. Identify selectors from rendered state
4. Execute actions with discovered selectors
Example: Using with_server.py
To start a server, run --help first, then use the helper:
Single server:
python scripts/with_server.py --server "npm run dev" --port 5173 -- python your_automation.py
Multiple servers (e.g., backend + frontend):
python scripts/with_server.py \
--server "cd backend && python server.py" --port 3000 \
--server "cd frontend && npm run dev" --port 5173 \
-- python your_automation.py
To create an automation script, include only Playwright logic (servers are managed automatically):
from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright
with sync_playwright() as p:
browser = p.chromium.launch(headless=True)
page = browser.new_page()
page.goto('http://localhost:5173')
page.wait_for_load_state()
browser.close()
