e2e-tester

name	e2e-tester
description	Write and run Playwright E2E tests for Redpanda Console using testcontainers. Analyzes test failures, adds missing testids, and improves test stability. Use when user requests E2E tests, Playwright tests, integration tests, test failures, missing testids, or mentions 'test workflow', 'browser testing', 'end-to-end', or 'testcontainers'.
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Glob, Grep, Task, mcp__ide__getDiagnostics, mcp__playwright-test__test_run, mcp__playwright-test__test_list, mcp__playwright-test__test_debug

E2E Testing with Playwright & Testcontainers

Write end-to-end tests using Playwright against a full Redpanda Console stack running in Docker containers via testcontainers.

When to Use This Skill

• Testing 2+ step user journeys (login -> action -> verify)
• Multi-page workflows
• Browser automation with Playwright

NOT for: Component unit tests -> use testing

Critical Rules

ALWAYS:

• Run bun run build before running E2E tests (frontend assets required)
• Use testcontainers API for container management (never manual docker commands in tests)
• Use page.getByRole() and page.getByLabel() selectors (avoid CSS selectors)
• Add data-testid attributes when semantic selectors aren't available
• Use Task tool with MCP Playwright agents to analyze failures
• Clean up test data using afterEach to call cleanup API endpoints

NEVER:

• Test UI component rendering (use unit/integration tests)
• Use brittle CSS selectors like .class-name or #id
• Use force:true on .click() or waitForTimeout
• Hard-code wait times (use waitFor with conditions)
• Leave containers running after test failures
• Commit test screenshots to git

Commands

bun run build                # Build frontend (REQUIRED first!)
bun run e2e-test             # Run OSS E2E tests
bun run e2e-test-enterprise  # Run Enterprise E2E tests
bun run e2e-test:ui          # Playwright UI mode (debugging)
bun run e2e-test tests/topics/create-topic.spec.ts  # Specific file

Test Architecture

OSS Mode (bun run e2e-test): Redpanda + Backend + OwlShop containers Enterprise Mode (bun run e2e-test-enterprise): Same + RBAC, SSO (requires console-enterprise repo)

File location: tests/<feature>/*.spec.ts

Selector Priority

1. getByRole() - Best for accessibility
2. getByLabel() - For form inputs
3. getByText() - For content verification
4. getByTestId() - When semantic selectors aren't clear
5. CSS selectors - Avoid if possible

Test ID Naming

• kebab-case: data-testid="feature-action-element"
• Specific: include feature name + action + element type
• Dynamic: data-testid={\item-delete-${id}`}`

References

• Container Setup — Testcontainer lifecycle, configs, CI setup
• Test Patterns — Multi-step workflows, forms, tables, API testing
• Failure Analysis — Error patterns, debugging, MCP Playwright agents

Output

After completing work:

1. Confirm frontend build succeeded
2. Verify all E2E tests pass
3. Note any new test IDs added to components
4. Mention cleanup of test containers