Does Playwright Need Coding?

Yes, Playwright requires coding because it is a developer-friendly automation framework that provides APIs for browser automation, web testing, and UI interaction. However, Playwright also offers code generation and low-code options to simplify test creation for non-coders. Let’s break it down:

Playwright Requires Coding for Full Automation

Playwright supports multiple programming languages, including:
✅ JavaScript / TypeScript (Most common)
✅ Python (Popular for test automation)
✅ Java (For enterprise applications)
✅ C# (.NET) (For Microsoft-based projects)

Example: Basic Playwright Script (JavaScript)

const { chromium } = require('playwright');

(async () => {
    const browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: false });
    const page = await browser.newPage();
    await page.goto('https://example.com');
    await page.fill('#username', 'testUser');
    await page.fill('#password', 'password123');
    await page.click('button[type="submit"]');
    await page.waitForSelector('#dashboard');
    console.log("Login successful!");
    await browser.close();
})();

✅ Uses async/await for handling asynchronous browser interactions.
✅ Automates navigation, input handling, and validation.

Low-Code / No-Code Options for JavaScript

If you don’t want to code everything manually, Playwright provides code generation tools:

Option 1: Playwright Test Generator

You can record and generate code without writing scripts manually:

$ npx playwright codegen example.com

🎥 Opens a browser where you interact manually → Generates Playwright script automatically!

Option 2: Playwright UI Mode (Interactive Testing)

$ npx playwright test --ui

✅ Runs tests visually.
✅ Allows debugging without deep coding knowledge.

Full-Coding: Playwright in Python

Playwright supports multiple languages, but Python is popular for automation due to its simplicity.

🛒 Playwright Script: Automating an E-Commerce Website

Here’s a Python Playwright script that:

✅ Searches for a product on an e-commerce site
✅ Filters results based on a category
✅ Adds an item to the cart
✅ Verifies it’s in the cart

from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright

def test_add_to_cart():
    with sync_playwright() as p:
        # Launch browser (visible for debugging)
        browser = p.chromium.launch(headless=False)
        page = browser.new_page()

        # 1️⃣ Open e-commerce site
        page.goto("https://www.demoblaze.com/")

        # 2️⃣ Click on "Laptops" category
        page.click("text=Laptops")

        # 3️⃣ Wait for products to load and select a laptop
        page.wait_for_selector(".card-title a")
        page.click(".card-title a:has-text('Sony vaio i5')")  # Select Sony Vaio i5 laptop

        # 4️⃣ Click "Add to Cart"
        page.wait_for_selector("text=Add to cart")
        page.click("text=Add to cart")

        # 5️⃣ Handle alert popup
        page.wait_for_event("dialog").accept()

        # 6️⃣ Open Cart Page
        page.click("text=Cart")
        page.wait_for_selector("text=Sony vaio i5")

        # 7️⃣ Verify item is in the cart
        assert "Sony vaio i5" in page.inner_text("#tbodyid")
        print("✅ Item successfully added to the cart!")

        # Close the browser
        browser.close()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    test_add_to_cart()

🔍 What This Script Does

✅ Opens an e-commerce site
✅ Navigates to “Laptops” category
✅ Selects “Sony Vaio i5” and adds it to cart
✅ Handles pop-ups (alerts)
✅ Verifies the product appears in the cart

💡 Playwright Features Used

🔹 page.click(“text=…”) → Clicks elements by text.
🔹 page.wait_for_selector(“selector”) → Waits for elements to load.
🔹 page.wait_for_event(“dialog”).accept() → Handles alerts/pop-ups.
🔹 page.inner_text(“#tbodyid”) → Fetches cart content to verify the item is added.

🚀 Running This Test

1️⃣ Install Playwright (if not installed):

pip install playwright
playwright install

2️⃣ Save the script as test_cart.py.
3️⃣ Run it:

python test_cart.py

Low-Code / No-Code Approach in Python

If you’re not comfortable writing scripts manually, Playwright has code generation tools to help.

Option 1: Generate Python Code Without Writing It

Run this command to record and auto-generate Playwright code:

$ playwright codegen example.com --target=python

🎥 This opens a browser → You interact manually → Playwright generates Python code automatically!

Option 2: Playwright UI Mode for Test Execution

$ pytest --headed

✅ Runs tests visually without needing deep coding knowledge.

By the way, if you’re preparing for a Playwright interview, don’t miss our detailed post on important Playwright interview questions—it covers real-world scenarios and expert insights to help you stand out! 🚀

Can Playwright Be Used Without Coding?

🔹 For simple scenarios – Yes! Playwright’s code generator and UI test runner help non-coders.
🔹 For real-world automation – No! You need coding for:

• Dynamic elements (e.g., AJAX calls, iframes).
• Assertions & validations (Ensuring correct behavior).
• Custom workflows (API testing, network mocking, etc.).
• CI/CD integration (GitHub Actions, Jenkins).

Conclusion: Do You Need to Code?

✅ Yes – If you want full automation, CI/CD integration, and flexibility.
✅ No (Minimal Coding) – If you use Playwright’s codegen and interactive UI mode.

Would you like me to guide you on writing Playwright tests without much coding? 😊 Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more tutorials and automation insights! 🚀🎥