Tags in Playwright

Testing a large application can quickly get out of hand, right? You’ve got hundreds of tests, but how do you make sure you’re only running the ones that matter?

Maybe you want to focus on smoke tests today.

Or run a specific group of tests after a bug fix.

But how do you find those tests in a sea of others? You might end up digging through your test suite, trying to isolate a set of tests? Or wondering how to make sure your regression tests don’t mix with new feature tests?

This is where tags in Playwright come in. Tags allow you to organize your tests by category, so you can run specific sets of tests when you need to. Whether it’s @smoke, @regression, or @critical, tags make it easy to filter and run exactly what you need without sifting through everything.

Want to learn how to tag and run your Playwright tests more efficiently? Let’s dive into how using tags can streamline your testing process and bring order to your test suite.

What are Tags in Playwright?

In Playwright, tags are labels you can assign to tests or groups of tests to categorize them based on characteristics or functionality.

By using tags, you can run specific tests based on your needs, such as focusing on only smoke tests or isolating a group of flaky tests for further investigation. Tags improve the management of large test suites, allowing for more efficient test execution and reporting.

Why Use Tags – Key Benefits for Test Suites

Using tags in Playwright offers several advantages. The main benefit is the ability to filter and group tests for focused execution. This makes your test suites more flexible and efficient. Tags help in the following ways:

• Organizing tests: Tags allow you to group related tests, making it easier to find and manage them.
• Selective test execution: You can run specific groups of tests based on the tags, which is particularly useful in CI/CD pipelines or for focused debugging.
• Reducing test execution time: By running only a subset of tests based on tags, you can significantly reduce the time spent on testing, especially when dealing with large test suites.
• Enhanced collaboration: Tags help teams align on test priorities and categories, improving collaboration in multi-team environments.

How to Apply Tags in Playwright?

Applying tags to Playwright tests is simple and can be done in several ways. The primary method involves using the tag property within the test details or directly within the test title. Below is a guide to implementing tags in Playwright.

Using the tag Property in Test Details

Playwright provides a tag property to label individual tests. This is done by including tags within the test declaration. For example:

test(‘should log in successfully’, { tags: [‘smoke’, ‘login’] }, async ({ page }) => { // Test steps here

});

This allows you to label the test as a smoke test and a login test, helping you easily filter and run these tests later.

Tagging via the Test Title Syntax

Alternatively, you can apply tags directly in the test title using a custom naming convention. While this doesn’t require the tag property, it provides a more flexible approach. For example:

test(‘smoke: should log in successfully’, async ({ page }) => { // Test steps here

});

This method ensures your tags are included directly in the test titles, which can be useful for manual filtering or when generating reports.

BrowserStack Automate makes Testing Playwright tags seamless. With instant access to real browsers and devices, you can easily organize tests using tags and run them in parallel, optimizing your test execution.

The unified debugging dashboard provides detailed insights with logs, videos, and network data, helping you troubleshoot tagged tests efficiently, all without managing browser updates or device maintenance.

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Filtering and Running Tagged Tests

Once tests are tagged, you can filter and run specific groups of tests based on the tags. Playwright offers several options to make this process smooth.

Using –grep and –grep‑invert CLI Options

Playwright allows you to filter tests by using the –grep option in the command line interface. The –grep option helps you run tests that match specific tags. For example, to run only smoke tests, you can use:

 npx playwright test –grep @smoke 

You can also exclude certain tags by using –grep‑invert to run all tests except those with the given tag:

 npx playwright test –grep @regression –grep‑invert 

This helps you execute only the relevant tests based on your tagging system.

Configuring grep in the Playwright Config File

In addition to using the command line, you can configure tag filtering in the Playwright config file. This makes it easier to automate and streamline test execution for specific environments or requirements.

// playwright.config.jsmodule.exports = {

projects: [

{

name: ‘smoke tests’,

testMatch: [‘**/*.{spec,test}.js’],

grep: ‘@smoke’,

},

],

};

This config allows Playwright to automatically run tests with the @smoke tag, making it easier to integrate into CI/CD pipelines.

Tagging Strategies and Best Practices for Playwright

Implementing a consistent tagging strategy is key to maintaining an organized and efficient test suite. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

Establishing Meaningful Tag Categories (@smoke, @regression, @critical)

When tagging tests, it’s important to create meaningful and consistent categories. Common tags include:

• @smoke for critical functionality tests
• @regression for tests that ensure new changes don’t break existing functionality
• @critical for high-priority tests that must pass to ensure the application is stable

Using a standardized tagging system helps ensure your team can quickly understand which tests to run based on their objectives.

Balancing Tagging — Avoid Over‑Tagging

While tagging is powerful, it’s important not to overuse it. Too many tags can make test management complex and harder to filter effectively. Focus on the most relevant tags to avoid cluttering your test suite.

Documenting Tag Schema for Team Alignment

For large teams, documenting your tag schema is crucial. This ensures everyone follows the same tagging conventions, which improves clarity and reduces confusion. For example, agree on whether to use @smoke for all smoke tests or to include specific details like @smoke-login.

Scenario-Driven Examples: Using Tags in Real-World Workflows

Here are a few examples of how to use tags in Playwright for common testing scenarios:

Running Smoke Tests Only

You may want to run only the smoke tests to verify that critical functionality is working as expected. Use tags to isolate and run these tests during every build.

npx playwright test –grep @smoke

Isolating Flaky Tests via Tags

Flaky tests can be tagged separately so they don’t block your normal test execution. By tagging them as @flaky, you can isolate these tests for later investigation without interrupting other tests.

npx playwright test –grep @flaky

Tag-Based CI/CD Execution Flows

Tags can be used to control which tests run in different environments. For instance, run @smoke tests in a staging environment and @regression tests in production.

BrowserStack Automate enhances your Playwright test execution of tagged tests across real browsers and devices. Whether running smoke tests in staging or isolating flaky tests, Automate supports high-scale parallel execution, ensuring fast and reliable results.

With detailed logs and seamless CI/CD integration, you can efficiently manage your tagged test workflows, all while avoiding setup hassles.

Common Pitfalls When Using Playwright Tags (and How to Avoid Them)

While tags can be incredibly useful, there are some common mistakes to avoid:

• Over-tagging: Applying too many tags to a test can lead to confusion and inefficiency. Use only relevant tags.
• Inconsistent tagging conventions: Lack of consistency across team members can make it harder to filter and execute tests. Establish a clear tag schema.
• Not updating tags with changing requirements: As your test suite grows, make sure your tags stay relevant. Regularly review and update them to align with new features or priorities.

Testing Playwright Tags with BrowserStack

Running Playwright tests in the cloud, especially across different browsers and devices, can help scale your tests and improve reliability. BrowserStack Automate is a powerful tool for running tagged tests in a cloud-based environment, enabling faster and more reliable execution.

BrowserStack Automate enhances Playwright testing with real-device and real-browser environments, allowing you to run tagged tests efficiently.

• Instant access to real browsers and devices for more accurate test results
• Run tests in parallel, optimizing tagged test execution
• Unified debugging dashboard with logs, videos, and network data for detailed test insights
• Seamless CI/CD integration, enabling tag-based execution in your pipelines
• Self-healing tests: Automatically adapt tests to app changes, reducing flakiness and ensuring more stable runs.

Try BrowserStack Automate

Conclusion

Tags in Playwright are a powerful way to organize, filter, and manage tests. By using a consistent tagging strategy and integrating with cloud-based tools like BrowserStack Automate, you can improve test execution efficiency, scale testing across real devices, and ensure more reliable test results.

Start tagging your tests today and take control of your Playwright test suite.