/webapp-testing

name: webapp-testing
description: "To test local web applications, write native Python Playwright scripts."
risk: unknown
source: community
date_added: "2026-02-27"

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) # Always launch chromium in headless mode
    page = browser.new_page()
    page.goto('http://localhost:5173') # Server already running and ready
    page.wait_for_load_state('networkidle') # CRITICAL: Wait for JS to execute
    # ... your automation logic
    browser.close()

Reconnaissance-Then-Action Pattern

1. **Inspect rendered DOM**:

   page.screenshot(path='/tmp/inspect.png', full_page=True)
   content = page.content()
   page.locator('button').all()

2. **Identify selectors** from inspection results

3. **Execute actions** using discovered selectors

Common Pitfall

❌ **Don't** inspect the DOM before waiting for `networkidle` on dynamic apps ✅ **Do** wait for `page.wait_for_load_state('networkidle')` before inspection

Best Practices

• **Use bundled scripts as black boxes** - To accomplish a task, consider whether one of the scripts available in `scripts/` can help. These scripts handle common, complex workflows reliably without cluttering the context window. Use `--help` to see usage, then invoke directly.
• Use `sync_playwright()` for synchronous scripts
• Always close the browser when done
• Use descriptive selectors: `text=`, `role=`, CSS selectors, or IDs
• Add appropriate waits: `page.wait_for_selector()` or `page.wait_for_timeout()`

Reference Files

• **examples/** - Examples showing common patterns:
• `element_discovery.py` - Discovering buttons, links, and inputs on a page
• `static_html_automation.py` - Using file:// URLs for local HTML
• `console_logging.py` - Capturing console logs during automation

When to Use

This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.