GetByRole in Playwright

getByRole in Playwright is one of the most powerful and reliable ways to locate elements during test automation. It identifies elements based on their accessibility roles and names, mirroring how real users interact with the UI.

page.getByRole(‘button’, { name: ‘Submit’ });

This article explores how Playwright’s getByRole locator works, why it’s essential for building stable and accessible automated tests, and how to apply it effectively with practical examples and best practices.

What is GetByRole in Playwright?

GetByRole is a powerful locator method in Playwright that finds elements based on their ARIA roles, such as buttons, links, checkboxes, and headings. These roles define the purpose and behavior of UI elements and are critical for accessibility, enabling assistive technologies like screen readers to interpret the content correctly.

Using GetByRole aligns test scripts with how real users interact with the interface, making tests more robust and readable. Unlike CSS selectors or XPath, which target technical implementation details, GetByRole uses semantic roles and accessible names to locate elements, ensuring greater stability and support for accessible design.

By leveraging this method, testers can write automation that not only targets UI elements effectively but also helps enforce accessibility best practices within their applications.

Here is a simple example to locate a button by its accessible name:

const loginButton = page.getByRole(‘button’, { name: ‘Login’ });

await loginButton.click();

Why Use GetByRole? Benefits for Test Automation

Using getByRole in Playwright offers several advantages that make automated tests more stable, readable, and aligned with real user interactions:

1. Stability and Resilience

Unlike CSS or XPath selectors that break when the UI structure or styling changes, getByRole relies on semantic roles that rarely change. This makes your tests far less brittle and easier to maintain.

2. Accessibility Alignment

getByRole interacts with the same accessibility tree used by screen readers. This encourages teams to follow proper accessibility standards (ARIA roles and labels) while ensuring tests mirror real user behavior.

3. Improved Readability

Locators written with getByRole are self-explanatory, expressing intent in plain language:

await page.getByRole(‘button’, { name: ‘Login’ }).click();

This makes test scripts easier to read, review, and debug.

4. Reduced Maintenance Effort

When the UI is restyled or reorganized but element roles remain the same, your tests continue to work. That means fewer selector updates and lower long-term maintenance costs.

5. Consistent Cross-Browser Behavior

Since getByRole relies on accessibility semantics rather than browser-specific DOM implementations, it delivers consistent results across browsers and platforms supported by Playwright.

How GetByRole Works: Core Syntax and Options

The getByRole method in Playwright locates elements based on their ARIA roles, which reflect the element’s purpose and behavior from an accessibility perspective. This approach helps tests interact with the page in the same way users and assistive technologies do.

Basic Syntax:

page.getByRole(role, options);

• role: The element’s ARIA role (e.g., ‘button’, ‘link’, ‘textbox’, ‘checkbox’).
• options: Additional filters that refine element selection.

Common Options:

• name (string or RegExp): Matches the accessible name or label of the element (e.g., button text).
• checked (boolean): For roles like checkbox or radio, matches checked state.
• disabled (boolean): Matches only enabled (false) or disabled (true) elements.
• pressed (boolean): Applicable for toggle buttons, representing pressed state.
• selected (boolean): Used for selectable elements, like options in a list.
• expanded (boolean): Matches elements with expand/collapse states.
• includeHidden (boolean): Includes elements that are hidden from view (default is false).
• exact (boolean): When true, requires exact case-sensitive name match.
• level (number): Used for hierarchical roles like headings (e.g., h1 to h6).

Key Behavior:

• Automatically waits for the element to be attached, visible, and ready before interacting.
• Aligns test behavior with real-world accessibility standards, ensuring tests represent how users navigate and interact with the application.

Practical Examples: Real-world GetByRole Usage

Here are some common, real-world scenarios where getByRole helps create stable and readable Playwright tests:

1. Clicking a Button

Locate a button by its role and visible text (accessible name):

await page.getByRole(‘button’, { name: ‘Login’ }).click();

This command targets the button that users see as “Login”, regardless of its CSS class or position in the DOM.

2. Filling Out a Form

Interact with form fields using their semantic roles:

await page.getByRole(‘textbox’, { name: ‘Username’ }).fill(‘user@example.com’);

await page.getByRole(‘textbox’, { name: ‘Password’ }).fill(‘securePass123’);

await page.getByRole(‘button’, { name: ‘Submit’ }).click();

This approach ensures your test aligns with the same labels that users (and assistive tools) perceive.

3. Working with Checkboxes and Radios

Check and assert input states using role filters:

await page.getByRole(‘checkbox’, { name: ‘I agree to Terms’ }).check();

await expect(page.getByRole(‘checkbox’, { name: ‘I agree to Terms’ })).toBeChecked();

You can also test selected radio options:

await page.getByRole(‘radio’, { name: ‘Credit Card’ }).check();

GetByRole vs. Other Locator Strategies

getByRole should generally be your default locator in Playwright, with other strategies used selectively. Here is a concise comparison.

Key Benefits of GetByRole over Others

• Accessibility-first Testing: Locators reflect how screen readers and assistive tech interpret elements, improving test relevance.
• Robustness: Less prone to breakage caused by style or markup changes since it’s based on semantic roles.
• Readability: Test code is more understandable by describing elements as users see them.

When Other Locators Complement GetByRole

• For elements lacking ARIA roles, such as purely decorative or custom components, CSS or test IDs may be necessary.
• Text-based locators (getByText) excel when roles are not defined or textual content is the primary identifier.
• Complex UI interactions requiring precise DOM targeting may need XPath or chained CSS selectors.

Using a strategy mix ensures comprehensive test coverage while prioritizing stability and clarity, with GetByRole recommended as the primary locator method where accessibility-compliant markup exists.

Best Practices for GetByRole in Playwright

Adhering to best practices ensures that your use of getByRole leads to reliable, maintainable, and accessibility-aligned tests.

• Prefer Semantic HTML Elements: Use native HTML elements such as <button>, <a>, <input>, and <label> wherever possible. Playwright automatically infers their roles, allowing getByRole to identify them accurately without additional configuration. 
• Always Provide Accessible Names: Ensure every interactive element has an accessible name through visible text, aria-label, or aria-labelledby. Clear naming improves both accessibility and test stability.
• Combine Role and Name for Precision: Use both the role and the accessible name together to make locators specific and readable. This minimizes ambiguity and prevents accidental matches when multiple elements share the same role.
• Use getByTestId Only as a Fallback: Reserve getByTestId for cases where elements lack a clear accessible name or role, such as icon-only buttons or highly customized components. Avoid relying on test IDs for standard controls.
• Verify Element Roles and Names: Inspect elements using browser developer tools or accessibility tree viewers to confirm their roles and names. This ensures your locators match the application’s actual accessibility structure.
• Keep Locators Intentional and Meaningful: Write locators that describe user intent rather than DOM structure. For example, prefer getByRole(‘button’, { name: ‘Save’ }) over selecting by CSS class or XPath expressions.
• Leverage Playwright’s Auto-Waiting and Assertions: Playwright’s locators automatically wait for elements to be ready before interacting. Use built-in assertions such as toBeVisible() or toBeEnabled() to create stable, self-synchronizing tests.
• Treat Accessibility as a Core Testing Principle: getByRole naturally enforces accessibility by requiring correct ARIA roles and names. Incorporating it into your test strategy helps maintain both accessibility standards and test robustness.
• Maintain Consistency Across Tests: Establish and document a consistent locator strategy that prioritizes getByRole. Consistent patterns reduce cognitive load for teams and make tests easier to maintain and scale.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Even with its advantages, getByRole can be misused or misunderstood in ways that lead to flaky or unreliable tests. The following common pitfalls highlight what to watch out for and how to avoid them effectively:

• Missing or Incorrect ARIA Roles: getByRole will fail if an element lacks a valid role or uses the wrong one. Use semantic HTML elements or assign proper ARIA roles such as button, link, or dialog.
• No Accessible Name Defined: Elements without visible text or an aria-label cannot be identified by getByRole. Always provide a clear accessible name through text, aria-label, or aria-labelledby.
• Ambiguous Matches: When multiple elements share the same role and name, Playwright may select the wrong one. Refine locators with additional filters such as selected, expanded, or by narrowing the search scope.
• Hidden or Disabled Elements: By default, getByRole ignores elements that are hidden or disabled. Use includeHidden: true only when testing elements that are intentionally not visible.
• Overuse of getByTestId: Excessive reliance on getByTestId reduces readability and misses accessibility validation. Reserve it for components without semantic roles or labels.
• Brittle or Structure-Based Locators: Avoid combining getByRole with CSS or XPath selectors tied to DOM structure. Rely on semantic roles to ensure your tests remain stable when layouts change.
• Skipping Accessibility Validation: Not verifying roles and names during development leads to unreliable tests. Use accessibility inspection tools to confirm correct semantics before writing locators.

Scale Your Playwright Tests with BrowserStack Automate

Running Playwright tests locally works well for development, but scaling them across multiple browsers, devices, and operating systems can be challenging. BrowserStack Automate provides a cloud-based testing infrastructure that allows you to execute Playwright tests in parallel on thousands of real browsers and devices, without managing any local setup.

Key benefits include:

• Real Device and Browser Coverage: Test on over real iOS and Android devices and all major desktop browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari, ensuring accurate results beyond emulation.
• Unmatched Parallelization: Scale your Playwright test suite effortlessly with high concurrency support, maximizing speed without hitting local resource limits or requiring custom scaling logic.
• Built-in Stability and Smart Testing: BrowserStack’s self-healing AI agent automatically detects and fixes broken locators during runtime, minimizing flaky tests and keeping your pipelines green.
• Unified Dashboard and Test Intelligence: Gain complete visibility with integrated Playwright Trace Viewer logs, detailed reports, video recordings, console outputs, and network logs-all accessible from a single dashboard. AI-powered failure categorization enables fast root cause analysis.
• Easy Integration with CI/CD: Run tests smoothly within popular CI/CD platforms like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, and GitLab. Local Testing support lets you test URLs behind firewalls or on local environments securely.
• Flexible Configuration: Specify Playwright versions, browser and OS combinations, screen resolutions, and browser arguments to mirror your target environments precisely.

By integrating BrowserStack Automate with your Playwright tests, you unlock the power of running comprehensive, reliable automated testing on real-world devices and browsers at scale, reducing manual QA overhead and delivering high-quality software faster.

This scalable, stable, and intelligent testing platform helps teams focus on building great user experiences while automating their test execution with confidence.

Talk to Expert

Conclusion

getByRole in Playwright is more than just a locator-it represents a shift toward writing tests that mirror real user interactions. By leveraging accessibility roles and names, it promotes clarity, stability, and inclusive design while reducing maintenance overhead.

Adopting getByRole as your primary locator strategy ensures your tests remain resilient to UI changes and aligned with accessibility best practices. When combined with scalable cloud solutions like BrowserStack Automate, you can confidently deliver consistent, high-quality test coverage across browsers, devices, and environments.

Try BrowserStack Now

Useful Resources for Playwright

• Playwright Automation Framework
• Playwright Java Tutorial
• Playwright Python tutorial
• Playwright Debugging
• End to End Testing using Playwright
• Visual Regression Testing Using Playwright
• Mastering End-to-End Testing with Playwright and Docker
• Page Object Model in Playwright
• Scroll to Element in Playwright
• Understanding Playwright Assertions
• Cross Browser Testing using Playwright
• Playwright Selectors
• Playwright and Cucumber Automation

Tool Comparisons:

• Playwright vs Puppeteer
• Playwright vs Cypress
• Playwright vs Selenium
• Cypress vs Selenium vs Playwright vs Puppeteer