Our review
This skill describes best practices for writing E2E tests with Playwright using the BasePage pattern, a page hierarchy, and centralized test context.
Strengths
- Centralizes common UI interactions in BasePage, reducing duplication
- Robust handling of loading states, modals, and API waits
- Test context with user factory simplifies test data setup and cleanup
Limitations
- Requires familiarity with Playwright and the Page Object Model
- Does not cover cross-browser or advanced parallel execution
- Assumes a specific project structure with extended fixtures
When you need to write or maintain reliable E2E tests for a web application with a consistent page object architecture.
For simple unit or integration tests, or if the project does not use Playwright and the BasePage pattern.
Security analysis
SafeThis skill provides documentation and code examples for writing Playwright E2E tests. It contains no executable instructions, dangerous commands, or data exfiltration risks. It is purely an informational guide.
No concerns found
Examples
Create a new page object for the profile settings page following the BasePage pattern. Include locators for name, email, and save button, and methods for updating the profile and asserting success toast.Write an E2E test that verifies a user can log in with Google OAuth, using the LoginPage page object and TestContext for user creation.In the BasePage, add a method to wait for a specific API response and use it in a test that submits a form and waits for the server confirmation.E2E Testing Skill
When writing E2E/client tests for this codebase, follow the established patterns using Playwright and the BasePage pattern.
Overview
- Framework: Playwright E2E tests (
tests/e2e/*.e2e.spec.ts) - Pattern: Enhanced Page Object Model with
BasePageclass - Test Context:
TestContext- centralized resource management - Fixtures: Extended Playwright fixtures in
tests/test-fixtures.ts
Directory Structure
tests/
├── e2e/ # End-to-end browser tests (.e2e.spec.ts)
├── pages/ # Page object models
│ └── BasePage.ts # Base class with common UI patterns
├── helpers/
│ └── TestContext.ts # User factory and cleanup
└── test-fixtures.ts # Playwright fixture extensions
BasePage Pattern
All page objects extend BasePage for common functionality:
import { BasePage } from '@tests/pages/BasePage';
export class LoginPage extends BasePage {
// Locators
get googleSignInButton(): Locator {
return this.page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Continue with Google' });
}
get emailInput(): Locator {
return this.page.getByPlaceholder(/email/i);
}
// Actions
async openLoginModal(): Promise<void> {
await this.signInButton.click();
await this.waitForModal();
}
async fillLoginForm(email: string, password: string): Promise<void> {
await this.fillField(/email/i, email);
await this.fillField(/password/i, password);
}
async submitForm(): Promise<void> {
await this.clickButton('Sign In');
}
// Assertions
async assertModalVisible(): Promise<void> {
await expect(this.modal).toBeVisible();
}
}
BasePage Available Methods
Navigation
await page.goto('/'); // Navigate to path
await page.waitForURL('/dashboard'); // Wait for URL
Modal Handling
await this.waitForModal(); // Wait for modal to appear
await this.closeModal(); // Close active modal
await this.clickModalButton('Submit'); // Click button in modal
Toast/Notifications
await this.waitForToast('Success!'); // Wait for toast with text
await this.dismissToast(); // Dismiss active toast
Loading States
await this.waitForLoadingComplete(); // Wait for page load
await this.waitForAuthLoadingComplete(); // Wait for auth load
Network Handling
await this.waitForApiResponse('/api/user'); // Wait for API response
await this.waitForApiRequest('/api/upscale'); // Wait for API request
Form Helpers
await this.fillField(/email/i, 'test@example.com');
await this.selectOption(/country/i, 'United States');
Accessibility
await this.checkBasicAccessibility(); // Basic a11y checks
await this.checkAriaLabels(); // Verify ARIA labels
Writing E2E Tests
Basic Test Structure
import { test, expect } from '@tests/e2e/fixtures';
import { LoginPage } from '@tests/pages/LoginPage';
test.describe('Authentication', () => {
test('should show login form when clicking sign in', async ({ page }) => {
const loginPage = new LoginPage(page);
await loginPage.goto('/');
await loginPage.openLoginModal();
await loginPage.assertModalVisible();
});
});
TestContext Setup
import { TestContext } from '@tests/helpers/TestContext';
let ctx: TestContext;
test.beforeAll(async () => {
ctx = new TestContext();
});
test.afterAll(async () => {
await ctx.cleanup();
});
User Factory
// Simple user
const user = await ctx.createUser();
// Fluent builder API
const user = await ctx.createUser().withSubscription('active', 'pro').withCredits(500).build();
// Preset configurations
const proUser = await ctx.userFactory.proUser(500);
const businessUser = await ctx.userFactory.businessUser(1000);
Common E2E Test Patterns
Form Submission
test('should submit login form', async ({ page }) => {
const loginPage = new LoginPage(page);
await loginPage.goto('/');
await loginPage.openLoginModal();
await loginPage.fillLoginForm('user@example.com', 'password123');
await loginPage.submitForm();
await loginPage.waitForToast('Welcome back!');
});
Navigation
test('should navigate to dashboard', async ({ page }) => {
const dashboardPage = new DashboardPage(page);
await dashboardPage.goto('/');
await dashboardPage.clickNavLink('Dashboard');
await dashboardPage.waitForURL('/dashboard');
});
Loading States
test('should show loading state during upload', async ({ page }) => {
const uploadPage = new UploadPage(page);
await uploadPage.goto('/upload');
await uploadPage.uploadImage(testImage);
await uploadPage.waitForLoadingComplete();
await expect(uploadPage.resultPreview).toBeVisible();
});
Network Requests
test('should handle API errors gracefully', async ({ page }) => {
const uploadPage = new UploadPage(page);
// Intercept and mock API response
await page.route('**/api/upscale', route =>
route.fulfill({ status: 500, body: '{"error":"Server error"}' })
);
await uploadPage.goto('/upload');
await uploadPage.uploadImage(testImage);
await uploadPage.waitForToast('Something went wrong');
});
Keyboard Navigation
test('should handle keyboard navigation properly', async ({ page }) => {
const loginPage = new LoginPage(page);
await loginPage.goto('/');
await loginPage.openLoginModal();
await page.keyboard.press('Tab');
await expect(loginPage.emailInput).toBeFocused();
await page.keyboard.press('Tab');
await expect(loginPage.passwordInput).toBeFocused();
});
Accessibility Testing
Always include accessibility checks in E2E tests:
test('should have proper accessibility attributes', async ({ page }) => {
const loginPage = new LoginPage(page);
await loginPage.goto('/');
await loginPage.openLoginModal();
// Check basic accessibility
await loginPage.checkBasicAccessibility();
// Check ARIA labels
await loginPage.checkAriaLabels();
});
Manual Accessibility Checks
test('should be keyboard accessible', async ({ page }) => {
const page = new BasePage(page);
await page.goto('/');
// Test Tab navigation
await page.keyboard.press('Tab');
// Verify focus indicator visible
});
test('should have proper ARIA labels', async ({ page }) => {
await page.goto('/');
const button = page.getByRole('button', { name: /submit/i });
await expect(button).toHaveAttribute('aria-label', 'Submit form');
});
Mobile Testing
The Playwright config includes mobile device projects. Tests automatically run on:
- Desktop (chromium)
- Mobile iPhone (iPhone 12)
- Mobile Android (Pixel 5)
- Tablet (iPad)
Write mobile-specific tests:
test.describe('Mobile Navigation', () => {
test('should show hamburger menu on mobile', async ({ page }) => {
// This test runs on mobile devices
const nav = new Navigation(page);
await nav.goto('/');
await expect(nav.hamburgerMenu).toBeVisible();
await nav.openMobileMenu();
await expect(nav.mobileMenuItems).toBeVisible();
});
});
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
1. Fragile Selectors
Bad: Text-based selectors break easily
await page.click('Submit');
Good: Role-based selectors
await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' }).click();
Good: Test IDs (most stable)
await page.getByTestId('submit-button').click();
2. Hardcoded Waits
Bad: Fixed timeouts are flaky
await page.waitForTimeout(2000);
Good: Wait for specific condition
await page.waitForURL('/dashboard');
await expect(element).toBeVisible();
await this.waitForLoadingComplete();
3. Not Cleaning Up
Always clean up test data:
let ctx: TestContext;
test.beforeAll(async () => {
ctx = new TestContext();
});
test.afterAll(async () => {
await ctx.cleanup(); // Don't forget this!
});
4. Skipping Accessibility
Don't skip accessibility checks:
test('should work', async ({ page }) => {
// Missing accessibility checks!
await page.goto('/');
});
test('should work with accessibility', async ({ page }) => {
await page.goto('/');
await new BasePage(page).checkBasicAccessibility();
});
5. Ignoring Mobile
Don't only test desktop - tests run on all devices:
// This runs on desktop AND mobile/tablet
test('should work on all devices', async ({ page }) => {
await page.goto('/');
// Test works on all screen sizes
});
Best Practices
Test Naming
- Use descriptive names:
"should show login form when clicking sign in" - Group by feature:
test.describe('Authentication') - Test user flows:
"should complete checkout flow"
Page Object Structure
export class FeaturePage extends BasePage {
// Locators (getters for lazy evaluation)
get element(): Locator {
return this.page.locator('...');
}
// Actions (async methods)
async doSomething(): Promise<void> {}
// Assertions (async methods with 'assert' prefix)
async assertSomething(): Promise<void> {
await expect(this.element).toBeVisible();
}
}
Selector Priority
- Test IDs - Most stable:
getByTestId() - Role + Name - Semantic:
getByRole('button', { name }) - Labels/Placeholders - Form inputs:
getByPlaceholder(),getByLabel() - Text - Only when necessary:
getByText() - CSS - Last resort:
locator()
Testing Commands
# Run all E2E tests
yarn test:e2e
# Run specific test file
yarn test:e2e tests/e2e/auth.e2e.spec.ts
# Playwright UI mode (interactive)
yarn test:e2e:ui
# Debug mode with inspector
yarn test:e2e:debug
# Run on specific device
yarn test:e2e --project=mobile-iphone
# Full verification suite
yarn verify
Before Finishing
- Write tests for your changes following the patterns above
- Run tests:
yarn test:e2e - Check accessibility: Include
checkBasicAccessibility()in relevant tests - Run verify:
yarn verify(required before completing any task)
Key Files to Reference
tests/pages/BasePage.ts- Base class with common UI patternstests/helpers/TestContext.ts- User factory and cleanuptests/test-fixtures.ts- Playwright fixture extensionstests/e2e/fixtures.ts- Reusable test fixturesplaywright.config.ts- Playwright configuration (devices, projects)
TDD Red-Green-Refactor
Testing
Skill that guides Claude through the complete TDD cycle.
Web Accessibility Audit
Testing
Performs a comprehensive web accessibility audit following WCAG standards.
UAT Test Case Generator
Testing
Generates structured and comprehensive user acceptance test cases.