1. What is Playwright?
Playwright is an open-source end-to-end automation testing framework developed by Microsoft. It supports testing across Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit using a single API.
2. Which programming languages does Playwright support?
Playwright supports:
- JavaScript
- TypeScript
- Python
- Java
- .NET (C#)
3. What browsers are supported by Playwright?
Playwright supports:
- Chromium (Chrome, Edge)
- Firefox
- WebKit (Safari)
4. What makes Playwright better than Selenium?
Key advantages include:
- Faster execution
- Auto-wait mechanism
- Built-in parallel execution
- Native support for multiple browsers
- Better handling of dynamic elements
5. What is auto-waiting in Playwright?
Playwright automatically waits for elements to be visible, enabled, and stable before performing actions, reducing flaky tests.
6. What is a Playwright Browser Context?
A Browser Context is an isolated environment within a browser that allows multiple sessions without opening new browser instances—useful for parallel testing.
7. What are locators in Playwright?
Locators are used to find elements on a web page. Common locator types include:
- getByText()
- getByRole()
- getByLabel()
- locator()
8. How do you handle multiple tabs in Playwright?
Playwright provides built-in support using:
- browserContext.waitForEvent(‘page’)
- Page references for switching tabs
9. How does Playwright handle iframes?
Playwright handles iframes using:
- frameLocator()
- page.frame()
This makes iframe handling simpler compared to Selenium.
10. What is Playwright Test Runner?
Playwright comes with its own test runner that supports:
- Parallel execution
- Retries
- Test hooks
- Reporting
- Tagging tests
11. How do you run tests in parallel in Playwright?
Parallel execution is enabled by default and can be configured using the workers option in the Playwright configuration file.
12. How do you capture screenshots in Playwright?
Screenshots can be captured using:
- page.screenshot()
- Automatically on test failure via configuration
13. How does Playwright handle authentication?
Playwright supports authentication using:
- Storage state (cookies, local storage)
- Reusable login sessions
14. What is headless mode in Playwright?
Headless mode runs tests without opening the browser UI, making execution faster and ideal for CI/CD pipelines.
15. How do you handle alerts and pop-ups?
Playwright handles alerts using:
- page.on(‘dialog’)
- Accepting or dismissing dialogs programmatically
16. What reporting options are available in Playwright?
Playwright supports:
- HTML reports
- JSON reports
- JUnit reports
- Allure integration
17. How do you debug Playwright tests?
Debugging options include:
- page.pause()
- Playwright Inspector
- Trace Viewer
- Running tests in headed mode
18. What is Playwright Trace Viewer?
Trace Viewer records test execution including:
- Screenshots
- DOM snapshots
- Network activity
It helps analyze test failures visually.
19. How does Playwright support API testing?
Playwright provides built-in API testing using:
- request.newContext()
- REST API validation alongside UI tests
20. Is Playwright suitable for CI/CD pipelines?
Yes. Playwright is CI/CD friendly and integrates seamlessly with tools like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, and GitLab.
Conclusion
Playwright is a powerful modern automation framework designed for speed, stability, and scalability. Mastering these interview questions will help you stand out in automation testing interviews and build confidence in real-world projects.
