mattermost/e2e-tests/playwright

Local development

1. Start local server in a separate terminal.

There are two ways to run the local server:

Option 1: Run from source

# Typically run the local server with:
cd server && make run

# Or run webapp and server on separate terminals for better performance
# First terminal: Build and run the webapp
cd webapp && make run
# Second terminal: Run the server
cd server && make run-server

Option 2: Run using Docker (recommended for testing)

# 1. Configure environment variables in e2e-tests/.ci/env
#    Create this file if it doesn't exist

# 2. Set the server image (optional)
#    To use the latest master image:
SERVER_IMAGE="mattermostdevelopment/mattermost-enterprise-edition:master"
#    If not set, it will use the current commit: mattermostdevelopment/mattermost-enterprise-edition:$(git rev-parse --short=7 HEAD)
#    Note: The image must exist in Docker Hub at https://hub.docker.com/r/mattermostdevelopment/mattermost-enterprise-edition/tags

# 3. Add your license if needed
MM_LICENSE=<your-license-key>

# 4. For additional configuration options, see e2e-tests/README.md

# 5. Run the server and Playwright's smoke tests from the e2e-tests directory
cd e2e-tests && TEST=playwright make

This approach uses the server's Docker image to create a consistent testing environment. It automatically configures the server with the necessary settings for Playwright tests and handles dependencies.

2. Install dependencies and run the test.

# Install npm packages
npm i

# Install browser binaries as prompted if Playwright is just installed or updated
# See https://playwright.dev/docs/browsers
npx playwright install

# Run a specific test of all projects -- Chrome, Firefox, iPhone and iPad.
# See https://playwright.dev/docs/test-cli.
npm run test -- login

# Run a specific test of a project
npm run test -- login --project=chrome

# Or run all tests
npm run test

3. Inspect test results at /results/output folder when something fails unexpectedly.

Run tests in UI mode

Check out https://playwright.dev/docs/test-ui-mode for detailed guide on UI Mode to learn more about its features.

npm run playwright-ui

Note: If no tests appear in the UI, check your filter settings:

• Test name filters
• Project filters (setup, ipad, chrome, firefox)
• Tag filters (@tag)
• Execution status filters

The "setup" project runs the initial configuration tests in specs/test_setup.ts (ensuring plugins are loaded and server deployment is correct). These setup tests are typically run only once before other tests and may be unchecked for subsequent runs, though they can remain checked if needed.

Updating screenshots is done strictly via Playwright's docker container for consistency

1. Run Playwright's docker container

Change to the ./ project directory, then run the docker container. (See https://playwright.dev/docs/docker for reference.)

docker run -it --rm -v "$(pwd):/mattermost/" --ipc=host mcr.microsoft.com/playwright:v1.52.0-noble /bin/bash

2. Inside the docker container

export PW_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:8065
export PW_HEADLESS=true
cd mattermost/e2e-tests/playwright

# Install npm packages. Use "npm ci" to match the automated environment
export PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD=1 npm ci

# Run specific test. See https://playwright.dev/docs/test-cli.
npm run test -- login --project=chrome

# Or run all tests
npm run test

# Run visual tests
npm run test -- visual

# Update snapshots of visual tests
npm run test -- visual --update-snapshots

Page/Component Object Model

See https://playwright.dev/docs/test-pom.

Page and component abstractions are in shared library located at ./lib/src/ui. They should be established before writing a spec file so that any future changes in the DOM structure will be made in one place only. No static UI text or fixed locator should be written in the spec file.