How to Wait for an Element to Be Clickable in Playwright

Ever seen Playwright throw “element is not clickable” even though the button looks perfectly fine?

It is one of those issues that feels random. The UI looks stable, the locator is correct, yet the click fails without a clear reason.

I ran into the same thing recently while testing a seemingly simple button and the failure made zero sense at first.

Fortunately, the fix was not complicated once I understood what Playwright actually waits for.

// Wait until the button becomes enabled

await page.locator(‘#submit-btn’).waitFor({ state: ‘enabled’ });

// Wait until a spinner is completely gone

await page.locator(‘.spinner’).waitFor({ state: ‘hidden’ });

// Wait for a newly rendered element to show up

await page.waitForSelector(‘.result-row’, { state: ‘visible’ });

// Wait for a notification to be removed from the DOM

await page.waitForSelector(‘#toast’, { state: ‘detached’ });

// Check if an alert becomes visible

await expect(page.locator(‘#alert’)).toBeVisible();

// Ensure a control is interactable

await expect(page.locator(‘#continue-btn’)).toBeEnabled();

What Causes an Element to Not Be Clickable in Playwright

Even when a locator is correct, clicks can fail. Playwright may see the element in the DOM, but it might not be ready for interaction. Timing, UI changes, or hidden overlays often cause this.

I’ve run into these issues many times, and understanding the root causes is key to preventing flaky tests. Common reasons include:

• Element is not fully visible or enabled: The element might appear on the page but be disabled, partially off-screen, or blocked by another element.
• UI animations or transitions: Sliding panels, expanding menus, or fading modals can make an element technically present but not interactable.
• Overlays or pop-ups blocking interaction: Modals, loaders, or tooltips can cover clickable elements, preventing the click.
• Late rendering or state changes: Dynamic content might exist in the DOM but remain disabled until certain conditions are met.
• Differences across browsers or devices: Variations in rendering, CSS, or viewport size can make clicks behave differently in different environments.

Flaky clicks and unexpected UI behavior can silently break your tests. Platforms like BrowserStack help you validate interactions and catch timing issues early by letting you run tests across multiple environments in parallel and replicate local scenarios to see how elements behave under real conditions.

Run Playwright Tests on Real Browsers

How Playwright Waits for Elements by Default

Playwright includes an auto-waiting mechanism to make tests more reliable. When you call actions like click(), fill(), or type(), Playwright automatically waits for the element to be visible, enabled, and stable before performing the action.

Although Playwright Wait covers most scenarios, but it can still fail in real-world conditions:

• Dynamic content changes: Elements might be added to the DOM but remain disabled or hidden behind temporary overlays.
• UI animations or transitions: Sliding panels, fading modals, or expanding menus can make elements appear ready but not yet interactable.
• Timing-sensitive assertions: Checking visibility, enabled state, or other conditions often requires explicit waits to ensure the element is truly ready.

How to Wait for an Element to Become Clickable Using Locators

Even with Playwright’s auto-wait, clicks can fail if the element is not fully interactable. An element might be visible but still disabled, partially covered, or mid-animation. Using locators with explicit wait strategies ensures clicks only happen when the element is ready.

Using locator.waitFor() for click readiness

// Wait for the button to be visible and enabled

await page.locator(‘#submit-btn’).waitFor({ state: ‘visible’ });

await expect(page.locator(‘#submit-btn’)).toBeEnabled();

// Now perform the click safely

await page.locator(‘#submit-btn’).click();

Chaining locators for precise targeting

// Click a button inside a specific container

const container = page.locator(‘.form-section’);

await container.locator(‘button.submit’).waitFor({ state: ‘visible’ });

await container.locator(‘button.submit’).click();

Using explicit waits with locators ensures clicks succeed even with delayed rendering, overlays, or UI shifts.

How to Use waitForSelector() for Element Readiness

waitForSelector() allows you to wait for an element matching a CSS selector to appear in the DOM and reach a specific state. This is especially useful for elements that load dynamically or change state before interaction.

Here’s a basic example of

// Wait for a dynamic element to appear

await page.waitForSelector(‘.result-row’, { state: ‘visible’ });

// Wait for a loading spinner to disappear

await page.waitForSelector(‘.spinner’, { state: ‘hidden’ });

When to use waitForSelector()

• Dynamic content loading: Elements may not exist immediately in the DOM.
• State changes: Waiting for visibility, attachment, or detachment ensures the element is ready for interaction.
• Complex page flows: Helps coordinate actions when multiple UI elements appear or disappear at different times.

Using Assertions to Ensure an Element Is Clickable

Playwright’s web-first assertions automatically wait for elements to reach the desired state, making them ideal for verifying clickability before performing actions. This reduces flakiness caused by timing issues or UI changes.

Examples of common assertions

// Assert that a button is visible before clicking

await expect(page.locator(‘#submit-btn’)).toBeVisible();

// Assert that a button is enabled before clicking

await expect(page.locator(‘#submit-btn’)).toBeEnabled();

Why use assertions

• Avoid premature clicks: Ensures the element is truly ready for interaction.
• Handle dynamic UI changes: Works with elements that appear, disappear, or change state.
• Simplify waits: Assertions combine verification and waiting in a single step, reducing extra code.

Handling Elements That Become Clickable After UI Changes

Some elements only become interactable after UI updates, animations, or dynamic content loads. Clicking too early can make tests fail even when the locator is correct. To handle this, you should wait explicitly for the element’s state, check for potential blockers, and target it precisely within its container.

Here are some ways to handle elements that become clickable after UI changes.

• Wait for visibility and enabled state: Ensure the element is fully visible and enabled before interacting.

await page.locator(‘#confirm-btn’).waitFor({ state: ‘visible’ });

• Check for overlays or blockers: Make sure no temporary elements are covering your target.

await expect(page.locator(‘.modal-backdrop’)).toHaveCount(0);

• Use parent-child locator chains: Target the element within a specific container to avoid accidental clicks.

await page.locator(‘.form-section button.submit’).waitFor({ state: ‘visible’ });

These strategies help make Playwright clicks reliable even when elements become clickable only after UI changes.

How to Fix Cases Where Another Element Blocks the Click

Sometimes clicks fail because another element, such as a modal, tooltip, or sticky header, sits on top of the target. These temporary blockers can make an otherwise correct locator fail.

One way to handle this is to wait for blocking elements to disappear:

await expect(page.locator(‘.modal-backdrop’)).toHaveCount(0);

If sticky headers or partial visibility are causing issues, you can scroll the element into view before clicking:

await page.locator(‘#submit-btn’).scrollIntoViewIfNeeded();

Finally, ensure you target elements precisely within their containers to avoid accidental clicks on overlapping elements:

await page.locator(‘.form-section button.submit’).click();

These steps help make Playwright clicks reliable even when temporary or overlapping elements interfere.

Why Clickability Behaves Differently on Different Browsers and How to Test

Click behavior can vary between browsers and devices due to differences in rendering, CSS handling, and timing. An element that is clickable in one environment may fail in another, causing flaky tests that are hard to debug.

For example, a button that works in Chrome may be partially covered in Safari or load slightly slower on a mobile viewport. By testing on BrowserStack, you can identify these inconsistencies early and adjust your waits, locators, or assertions to make clicks reliable everywhere.

To handle this, it is important to test across multiple environments. Platforms like BrowserStack let you run Playwright tests across a wide range of browsers and devices, replicate local conditions, and catch timing or interaction issues that might only appear in specific environments.

But there’s more to BrowserStack Automate than just real devices and browsers:

• Parallel Testing: Run multiple tests at the same time to quickly detect timing or interaction issues across different pages and flows.
• Local Environment Testing: Validate clicks and element interactions in your local or staging setup before changes reach production.
• Test Reporting & Analytics: Access detailed logs and visual insights to identify exactly why a click failed, whether due to overlays, animations, or delays.
• Web Performance Testing: See how your UI and clickable elements behave under load or slower network conditions, preventing flakiness that only appears in real-world usage.
• SDK Integration: Integrate BrowserStack directly into your CI/CD pipeline to automate waits, assertions, and validations, ensuring consistent click behavior across builds.

Talk to an Expert

Conclusion

Flaky clicks and unpredictable UI behavior are some of the most common challenges when writing Playwright tests. By understanding why elements fail to be clickable, using explicit waits, leveraging assertions, and handling UI changes effectively, you can make your tests far more reliable.

BrowserStack further strengthens your testing by letting you validate interactions under real conditions, catch timing issues early, and gain detailed insights to prevent failures from reaching production.

Try BrowserStack Now

Useful Resources for Playwright

• 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