> Playwright (Automation + MCP + Scraper)

When to Use

Use this skill when you need to:

• Scrape a website (static or JavaScript-rendered)
• Automate form filling (login, checkout, data entry)
• Test a web application (E2E tests, visual regression)
• Take screenshots or PDFs of web pages
• Extract data from tables, lists, or dynamic content

Decision Matrix

Scenario	Method	Speed
Static HTML	web_fetch tool	⚡ Fastest
JavaScript-rendered	Playwright direct	🚀 Fast
AI agent automation	MCP server	🤖 Integrated
E2E testing	@playwright/test	✅ Full framework

Quick Reference

Task	File
E2E testing patterns	testing.md
CI/CD integration	ci-cd.md
Debugging failures	debugging.md
Web scraping patterns	scraping.md
Selector strategies	selectors.md

Core Rules

1. Never use waitForTimeout() - always wait for specific conditions (element, URL, network)
2. Always close the browser - call browser.close() to prevent memory leaks
3. Prefer role selectors - getByRole() survives UI changes better than CSS
4. Handle dynamic content - use waitFor() before interacting with elements
5. Persist auth state - use storageState to save and reuse login sessions

Quick Start - Common Tasks

Scrape a Page

const { chromium } = require('playwright');
const browser = await chromium.launch();
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com');
const text = await page.locator('body').textContent();
await browser.close();

Fill a Form and Submit

await page.goto('https://example.com/login');
await page.getByLabel('Email').fill('user@example.com');
await page.getByLabel('Password').fill('secret');
await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Sign in' }).click();
await page.waitForURL('**/dashboard');

Take a Screenshot

await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png', fullPage: true });

Extract Table Data

const rows = await page.locator('table tr').all();
const data = [];
for (const row of rows) {
  const cells = await row.locator('td').allTextContents();
  data.push(cells);
}

Selector Priority

Priority	Method	Example
1	getByRole()	getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' })
2	getByLabel()	getByLabel('Email')
3	getByPlaceholder()	getByPlaceholder('Search...')
4	getByTestId()	getByTestId('submit-btn')
5	locator()	locator('.class') - last resort

Common Traps

Trap	Fix
Element not found	Add await locator.waitFor() before interacting
Flaky clicks	Use click({ force: true }) or wait for state: 'visible'
Timeout in CI	Increase timeout, check viewport size matches local
Auth lost between tests	Use storageState to persist cookies
SPA never reaches networkidle	Wait for specific DOM element instead
403 Forbidden	Check if site blocks headless; try headless: false
Blank page after load	Increase wait time or use waitUntil: 'networkidle'

Handling Sessions

// Save session after login
await page.context().storageState({ path: 'auth.json' });

// Reuse session in new context
const context = await browser.newContext({ storageState: 'auth.json' });

MCP Integration

For AI agents using Model Context Protocol:

npm install -g @playwright/mcp
npx @playwright/mcp --headless

MCP Tools Reference

Tool	Description
browser_navigate	Navigate to URL
browser_click	Click element by selector
browser_type	Type text into input
browser_select_option	Select dropdown option
browser_get_text	Get text content
browser_evaluate	Execute JavaScript
browser_snapshot	Get accessible page snapshot
browser_close	Close browser context
browser_choose_file	Upload file
browser_press	Press keyboard key

MCP Server Options

--headless              # Run without UI
--browser chromium      # chromium|firefox|webkit
--viewport-size 1920x1080
--timeout-action 10000  # Action timeout (ms)
--timeout-navigation 30000
--allowed-hosts example.com,api.example.com
--save-trace            # Save trace for debugging
--save-video 1280x720   # Record video

Installation

npm init playwright@latest
# Or add to existing project
npm install -D @playwright/test
npx playwright install chromium

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• puppeteer - Alternative browser automation (Chrome-focused)
• scrape - General web scraping patterns and strategies
• web - Web development fundamentals and HTTP handling

Feedback

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