How to open a new tab using Playwright

Have you ever been in the middle of debugging a Playwright test and thought, “Why is opening a new tab so unpredictable?”

I ran into this exact problem while automating a flow where clicking a link opened a new tab – sometimes Playwright caught it, sometimes it didn’t, and sometimes it latched onto the wrong tab entirely. It felt like such a simple action, yet surprisingly tricky to get right.

That led me to a simple but essential question:

“What is the most reliable way to open and manage new tabs in Playwright without breaking my test flow?”

This article breaks down the different ways to open new tabs, how Playwright manages pages within a browser context, and the best practices to make multi-tab automation stable and predictable.

Understanding How Tabs Work in Playwright

In Playwright, every browser tab is represented as a Page Object, and these pages all belong to a BrowserContext. A single context can contain multiple tabs, allowing you to simulate real user behavior across different pages without launching new browser instances.

Playwright keeps tab management predictable and isolated by design, which makes multi-tab automation both stable and easy to control.

Key Points About How Tabs Work

• Every new tab is a Page object inside the same BrowserContext.
• Tabs share the same session, cookies, and storage only within that context.
• You can open, close, switch, and track multiple tabs independently.
• Use context.newPage() for manual tab creation and context.waitForEvent(‘page’) for tabs opened by app actions.
• Each tab can be interacted with simultaneously or sequentially, depending on your test flow.
• BrowserContext isolation ensures tabs from one context don’t leak data into another.

Common Ways to Open a New Tab in Playwright

Playwright gives you multiple ways to open a new tab depending on whether you trigger it manually or the application triggers it automatically. Since every tab is a separate Page object, you can choose the method that fits your test scenario.

1. Programmatically Using context.newPage()

This is the most direct method for opening a new tab. You simply call newPage() on the BrowserContext, and Playwright instantly creates a fresh tab. It’s ideal when you want full control over when and how the tab opens.

2. Clicking a Link That Opens a New Tab (target=”_blank”)

When an element has target=”_blank”, clicking it opens a new tab automatically. Playwright can detect this by waiting for the page event, ensuring you always capture the newly opened tab reliably without race conditions.

3. Simulating Keyboard Shortcuts (e.g., Ctrl/Command + Click)

Users often open links in new tabs using modifier keys. Playwright can mimic this behavior by holding keys like Ctrl or Meta while performing a click, allowing tests to accurately replicate real-world interaction patterns.

4. Using JavaScript to Open a Tab (window.open())

Some applications rely on JavaScript functions such as window.open() to open new tabs. Playwright listens for new Page events in these cases as well, meaning you can capture and control any tab opened through script-triggered actions.

5. Detecting Tabs Opened by External Navigation or Redirects

Certain flows-like external redirects, OAuth logins, or third-party integrations-may open a new tab automatically. Playwright can monitor the BrowserContext for any new Page event, making it easy to handle these unpredictable tab creations.

While these methods give you flexibility during local test development, scaling multi-tab testing across different browsers and devices can be challenging. BrowserStack Automate lets you run Playwright tests on real browsers and devices in the cloud-ensuring reliable multi-tab behavior without maintaining any local infrastructure.

Step-by-Step Guide: Opening New Tabs in Playwright

Opening new tabs in Playwright is straightforward, whether you’re doing it manually or capturing tabs triggered by the application itself. Follow these steps to reliably create and manage new tabs in your tests.

1. Launch the Browser

Start by launching the browser using Playwright’s built-in launch method.

const browser = await chromium.launch();

This initializes the browser session where your tabs (Pages) will exist.

2. Create a Browser Context

A BrowserContext acts as an isolated environment that holds all your tabs.

const context = await browser.newContext();

All tabs you create under this context will share cookies and session data.

3. Open a New Tab Programmatically

Use context.newPage() to instantly open a new tab.

const page = await context.newPage();

This is the most direct and controlled way to create a new tab.

4. Navigate to a URL in the New Tab

Load the webpage you want to test.

await page.goto(‘https://example.com’);

Now your new tab is fully active and ready for interactions.

5. Capture Tabs Opened by User Actions

If a click triggers a new tab (like target=”_blank” links), wait for the event.

const [newTab] = await Promise.all([

context.waitForEvent(‘page’),

page.click(‘a[target=”_blank”]’)

]);

This ensures you always capture the tab at the exact moment it’s created.

6. Interact With Multiple Tabs

Each tab is a separate Page object, so switching and controlling tabs is simple.

const pages = context.pages();

await pages[1].bringToFront();

This is useful for multi-step or cross-tab workflows.

Playwright Code Examples

Below are the most commonly used Playwright code patterns for opening and managing new tabs. These examples cover programmatic tab creation, capturing auto-opened tabs, and switching between multiple tabs.

1. Open a New Tab Programmatically

This example shows how to manually create a new tab using context.newPage(), giving you full control over when the tab opens.

const { chromium } = require(‘@playwright/test’);

(async () => {

const browser = await chromium.launch();

const context = await browser.newContext();
// Open new tab

const page = await context.newPage();

await page.goto(‘https://example.com’);
console.log(‘New tab opened!’);

await browser.close();

})();

2. Capture a Tab Opened by User Action (target=”_blank”)

In this example, Playwright listens for a new tab triggered by clicking a link that opens in a new window.

const { chromium } = require(‘@playwright/test’);

(async () => {

const browser = await chromium.launch();

const context = await browser.newContext();

const page = await context.newPage();

await page.goto(‘https://example.com’);
// Capture automatically opened tab

const [newTab] = await Promise.all([

context.waitForEvent(‘page’),

page.click(‘a[target=”_blank”]’),

]);
await newTab.waitForLoadState();

console.log(‘New tab opened by user action!’);

})();

3. Open a New Tab Using Keyboard Shortcut (Ctrl/Command + Click)

This example demonstrates how to simulate real user behavior, such as Ctrl/Command + click to open a link in a new tab.

await page.click(‘a.some-link’, { modifiers: [‘Control’] });

// Use ‘Meta’ instead of ‘Control’ on macOS

Working With Multiple Tabs

Playwright makes it easy to work with multiple tabs by treating each one as a separate Page object inside the same BrowserContext.

This allows you to automate real multi-tab user flows, like comparing data across tabs, handling redirects, or switching between external links, without losing control or context.

Key Points

• Each tab = a separate Page object.
• All tabs within a BrowserContext share cookies, storage, and session data.
• You can open, track, switch, and close tabs independently.
• Order of tabs is accessible through context.pages().

1. Switching Between Tabs

You can easily list and switch to any open tab:

const tabs = context.pages();

await tabs[1].bringToFront();

This is useful when your workflow requires moving between tabs for validation or interaction.

2. Performing Actions on Multiple Tabs

Each tab can be automated just like the primary page:

await tabs[1].goto(‘https://example.com/checkout’);

await tabs[2].click(‘#confirm’);

Multi-tab flows become simple test sequences rather than complex navigation challenges.

3. Closing Tabs When Done

You can close individual tabs without affecting the rest of the test:

await tabs[1].close();

Common Use Cases for Working With Multiple Tabs in Playwright

Multiple tabs often appear in real-world applications, and Playwright’s multi-tab support makes it easy to automate these scenarios. Here are the most common use cases where multi-tab handling becomes essential:

• Handling Links That Open in New Tabs: Many websites use target=”_blank” for external pages or documentation. Playwright can capture and validate the content of these tabs effortlessly.
• Testing Third-Party Authentication (OAuth, SSO): Login flows for Google, Azure AD, Okta, and others often open in new tabs. Automating these requires detecting and switching between tabs seamlessly.
• Managing Payment Gateway Redirects: Payment providers like Stripe, PayPal, and Razorpay open secure checkout pages in new tabs. Playwright can control these tabs to complete end-to-end purchase flows.
• Comparing Information Across Tabs: Some workflows require cross-tab validation, such as checking data between dashboards, reports, or side-by-side product views.
• Simulating Real User Behavior: Users commonly open links in new tabs using Ctrl/Command + Click. Playwright can replicate this behavior to test genuine browsing patterns.
• Handling Pop-ups Triggered by JavaScript: Web apps frequently use window.open() for help pages, tooltips, or interactive content that loads in separate tabs.

Best Practices for Multi-Tab Automation

Handling multiple tabs in Playwright can be powerful, but it also requires careful structuring to avoid flaky or unpredictable tests. Following best practices ensures your multi-tab workflows remain stable, fast, and easy to maintain.

• Use context.waitForEvent(‘page’) to reliably capture new tabs.
• Keep all related tabs in the same BrowserContext for shared sessions.
• Bring a tab to the front before interacting (page.bringToFront()).
• Close unused tabs early to reduce noise and memory usage.
• Use clear locators and assertions to avoid timing issues.
• Only use multi-tab flows when necessary to keep tests simple and fast.

While these best practices keep multi-tab workflows stable in local environments, scaling the same reliability across different browsers, devices, and parallel runs requires a more robust setup, this is exactly where BrowserStack Automate becomes essential.

Scale Your Playwright Tests with BrowserStack Automate

Local multi-tab automation works well during development, but scaling Playwright tests across real environments, different browsers, OS versions, and devices, requires far more control and consistency than a single machine can offer.

BrowserStack Automate solves this by providing a cloud-based testing infrastructure purpose-built for large, reliable, cross-browser Playwright automation.

BrowserStack Automate gives your team access to real browsers and real devices, not emulators. This means every Playwright test executes in a clean, isolated environment with guaranteed consistency, no matter how complex your multi-tab workflows are.

With BrowserStack Automate, you can:

• Run Tests on Real Browsers and Devices: Execute Playwright tests on real Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, iOS, and Android environments to ensure accurate, user-level behavior.
• Scale Through Parallel Execution: Run multiple Playwright tests simultaneously across configurations to dramatically reduce build times and accelerate CI pipelines.
• Eliminate Flakiness With Clean Environments: Every test runs in a fresh, isolated browser session, avoiding state leakage, cached data, and the inconsistencies common in local setups.
• Integrate Seamlessly With CI/CD Pipelines: BrowserStack plugs directly into GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab, Azure DevOps, CircleCI, and more, enabling automated tests on every commit and pull request.
• Debug Faster With Deep Observability: Access detailed artifacts like videos, screenshots, console logs, network logs, and Playwright traces to quickly diagnose and fix failures.

Talk to an Expert

Conclusion

Working with new tabs is a core part of real-world web automation, and Playwright makes it both flexible and reliable. Whether you’re opening tabs programmatically, capturing user-triggered pop-ups, or navigating complex multi-tab workflows, Playwright provides all the tools you need to simulate true user behavior.

By following best practices, like waiting for tab events, keeping tabs within a single context, and managing tab focus, you can maintain stable, predictable tests even in multi-step journeys.

However, as your test suite grows, local environments quickly become limiting. Multi-tab flows, device variations, and cross-browser coverage introduce complexity that a single machine can’t consistently handle. This is where BrowserStack Automate delivers real value, by providing access to real browsers and devices in the cloud, clean environments for every run, deep debugging insights, and the scalability needed to execute Playwright tests at production quality.

With Playwright for workflow accuracy and BrowserStack Automate for reliability at scale, you can confidently test even the most advanced tab-driven user journeys across the environments your users rely on.

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