Turn Playwright Test Reports into Insights

In today's fast-paced world of development, delivering quality software is more important than ever. Playwright is a fancy open-source testing framework that was created by Microsoft to test users interacting with web browsers and it's the key to many developers' and QA teams' end-to-end web application testing success. 

And here's the catch: while running tests for Playwright is important, that's just a small part of your testing process. What ultimately matters is what you do with the output of those tests. When you understand how to analyse, act, and gain knowledge from your test results, you can significantly enhance your testing strategy. This is where a Playwright test report enters your world.

A Playwright test report doesn't just tell you the tests that failed or passed, but it provides a huge range of insights on test time, outlines problems experienced during tests, and highlights the need for your attention through failed tests or skipped tests. 

In this blog, we are going to outline the reasons why a Playwright test report is fantastic for improving and increasing efficiency in your testing process and how they will help you make better and more educated decisions regarding your web applications. You will learn how Playwright will change more than just your testing but rather your development process.

Benefits of Using Playwright Test Reports:

1. Faster Debugging: Detailed traces and reports provide quick analysis and solution to bugs.‍

2. Improved Collaboration: Sharing test reports with teammates encourages transparency and collaboration.

3. Data-Driven Decisions: Test results provides significant insights for problem-solving approaches, product development, and testing methods.

4. Better Test Management: By visualizing results and analyzing progress, you can quickly manage your test suite and ensure full coverage. 

Why are Playwright Test Reports important for QA?

• Test Coverage Visibility: Reports show which features and functions are being tested and which need more attention.
• Initial Problem Detection: Reports set up correctly detect issues early in the development cycle when it’s cheaper to fix.
• Faster Debugging: When an issue occurs, Playwright test reports give full logs and trace information to help developers find and fix bugs.
• Historical Performance Tracking: Reports build up an overview of application quality over time so you can see patterns and frequent issues.

Understanding Playwright’s Test Report

Playwright has multiple built-in reporters, each for a specific use case. These include list, line, dot, HTML, JSON, and JUnit reports. Each has different levels of detail and formats to suit your needs. 

Test reporting is built right into Playwright to enhance your understanding of your test results. By simply running your tests with npx playwright test, Playwright will automatically collect the results and offer you a constituency of reports.

When you run your tests, Playwright saves results to a folder ("playwright-report/) Then you can report the results in several different ways.

Better Playwright test coverage means your tests are comprehensive, trustworthy and find issues sooner -- so that your app works perfectly every time.

Key Elements of a Playwright Test Report.

Test Cases

Each report includes details for a specific test case:

• Test name and description
• File location, tags and annotations
• Test steps
• Status

Pass/Fail Metrics

Pass/fail metrics are a high-level overview of test health, and are one of the most important parts of the playwright test report

• Total tests run
• Tests passed
• Tests failed
• Tests skipped

Time Metrics

Teams can identify issues with execution by using time data from the playwright test report.

• Total time
• Test time
• Slowest tests
• Historical timing comparisons

Error Records

Detailed error information is key to troubleshooting when tests fail:

• Stack traces and error messages
• Screenshots taken at failure locations
• Video recordings
• Console logs
• Network logs

Built-in Playwright Reports

Playwright has built-in reporting for tests to better understand results. Each time you run tests with npx playwright test, Playwright will collect the results and can generate multiple reports.

The List, Line, and Dot reporters will provide different formats of viewing test execution logs in Playwright. These reporters will display results in real-time while the tests execute, but none will generate separate reports as the HTML reporter will do.

1. List Reporter

The List Reporter provides your test results in one line at a time, very much like you would check things off a list. 

•  Passed test:  shows a green check mark and the test name
•  Failed test:  shows a red cross and an error message
•  Skipped test: shows a dash and the test name‍

Command Line 

npx playwright test --reporter=list

Playwright Config

// playwright.config.js
module.exports = {
  reporter: 'list',
};

Generated Report Example

2. Line Reporter

The line reporter provides a minimal output: a single line that will be updated as the tests run.

Command Line 

npx playwright test --reporter=line

Playwright Config

// playwright.config.js
module.exports = {
  reporter: 'line',
};

Generated Report Example

3. Dot Reporter

The dot reporter gives a dot for each test: a green dot when it passes, red dot when it fails, and a yellow dot when it is skipped.

Command Line 

npx playwright test --reporter=dot

Playwright Config

// playwright.config.js
module.exports = {
  reporter: 'dot',
};

Generated Report Example

4. HTML Reporter

The HTML reporter gives a complete report in an interactive HTML file, which includes test information, images if you took any, and trace information.

Command Line 

npx playwright test --reporter=html

Playwright Config

// playwright.config.ts
import { defineConfig } from '@playwright/test';
export default defineConfig({
  reporter: [
    ['html', {
      outputFolder: 'playwright-report', // any path you like
      open: 'never'                      // 'always' | 'on-failure' | 'never'
    }]
  ],
});

Generated Report Example

5. JSON Reporter

The JSON reporter will provide any test results in a JSON file for programmatic processing, or incorporation with other tools.

Command Line

npx playwright test --reporter=json

Playwright Config

// playwright.config.js
module.exports = {
  reporter: [['json', { outputFile: 'test-results.json' }]],
};

Generated Report Example

‍6. JUnit Reporter

The JUnit reporter creates XML reports that conform to the JUnit standard for getting reports into CI/CD pipelines or for tools that consume JUnit reports.

Command Line 

npx playwright test --reporter=junit

Playwright Config

// playwright.config.js
module.exports = {
  reporter: [['junit', { outputFile: 'results.xml' }]],
};

Generated Report Example

{{cta-image}}

Third-Party Reporters 

Playwright has support for third-party reporters, which can improve presentation and analysis of test results beyond the built-in methods.

Find step by step instructions for the four most popular community reporters below:

1. Allure reporter 

Allure report is a language-agnostic, open-source reporting engine. It will take raw test-run data from any framework and create a static, interactive HTML site that allows teams to browse through results, trend, and attachments instead of searching console logs.

Allure-playwright turns playwright runs into a self-hosted HTML portal with dashboards, timelines, environment info, and per-step Artifacts. 

Installation

To run the tests and enable Allure reporting, use the following command line.

npm i -D @playwright/test allure-playwright  

Playwright Config

import { defineConfig } from '@playwright/test';
export default defineConfig({
  reporter: [
    ['html', { open: 'never' }],          // keep the built-in html
    ['allure-playwright', { 
        outputFolder: 'allure-results',
        detail: true,
        suiteTitle: false
    }]
  ],
});
 

Command-line Usage

npx playwright test --reporter=line,allure-playwright
# afterwards generate & open
npx allure generate ./allure-results -o ./allure-report --clean
npx allure open ./allure-report
 

Overview of executed test in allure report

2. Mocha + Mochawesome

Mocha is a well-known JavaScript testing framework, running on Node.js, that is used for unit and integration types of tests. 

Mochawesome is a third-party reporter for Mocha that will output test results in a clean, customizable HTML file, providing you with a detailed visual test report. 

 It enhances the native Mocha reporter with more structure, error reporting and some visual representations of tests such as pie charts and status indicators (passed, failed, skipped).

Installation

To begin using Mocha and Mochawesome in Playwright, you have to install Mocha and the Mochawesome reporter via npm.

npm install --save-dev mocha mochawesome 

Playwright Config

To use Mocha and Mochawesome with Playwright, you will need to set up Playwright to run Mocha tests. Here is how to enable the use of Mocha with Playwright in your playwright.config.ts file:

Command Line Usage

Now that you installed Mocha and Mochawesome, you can run Mocha tests using the Mochawesome reporter using the following commands:

npx mocha --reporter mochawesome --reporter-options reportDir=mocha-reports,reportFilename=report,overwrite=true

Overview of executed test in Mocha + Mochawesome report

‍3. Monocart Reporter

Monocart reporter is a third-party playwright test reporter that converts raw test results into a single-page, interactive html file. 

Its tree-grid layout, high performance data processing, and optional code-coverage merge - makes it a lean, high-power alternative to html reporter (which is built-in), or heavier suites like allure.

Installation

npm i -D monocart-reporter

Playwright Config

module.exports = {
  reporter: [
    ['monocart-reporter', {
      name: 'my test report',
      outputFile: './monocart-report/index.html',
      coverage: {
  ]
};

Command-line usage

npx playwright test --reporter=monocart-reporter

Overview of Monocart report

Using Multiple Reporters

One advantage of using multiple reporters is one test run could provide multiple output formats at once. 

By placing each reporter into the reporter array, you can stream the live "list" view to your terminal, save an html browsable dashboard, and export JUnit xml for ci integration in a single run. 

You can use different reporters at once by providing them in an array:

// playwright.config.js
module.exports = {
  reporter: [
    ['list'],
    ['html', { open: 'never', outputFolder: 'playwright-report' }],
    ['junit', { outputFile: 'junit-results.xml' }]
  ],
};

Custom Reporter Options

HTML Reporter Options

// playwright.config.js
module.exports = {
  reporter: [
    ['html', {
      open: 'on-failure', // 'always' | 'never' | 'on-failure'
      outputFolder: 'test-report',
      attachmentsBaseURL: 'https://my-server.com/attachments'
    }]
  ],
};

JSON Reporter Options

// playwright.config.js
module.exports = {
  reporter: [
    ['json', {
      outputFile: 'test-results.json',
      embedAttachments: true
    }]
  ],
};

JUnit Reporter Options

// playwright.config.js
module.exports = {
  reporter: [
    ['junit', {
      outputFile: 'results.xml',
      stripANSIControlSequences: true,
      embedAttachments: true
    }]
  ],
};

Setting up Effective Playwright Test Reports

Setting up test reports starts with correct setup and reporter selection.

Configuring your playwright.config.js file 

The playwright.config.js file is where you set your test reporting options:

Import  {  defineconfig  }  from  ‘@playwright/test’ ; 
Export default definecoonfig({
  Testdir: ‘./tests’,
  Reporter: ‘html’,
  Use: {
    Screenshot: ‘only on failure’,
    Trace: ‘retain-on-failure’,
  },
});  
 

The above setting enables the HTML file to only take screenshots and traces only when tests fail, saving storage and giving you all the details of debugging.

Selecting the Right Reporter for Your Needs

Choosing the right playwright reporter depends on your particular needs:

HTML Reporter: for deep visual analysis and sharing with team members.

JSON Report: for data processing and linking to custom dashboards.

JUnit Reporter: for CI/CD integration, especially with systems that already use JUnit XML.

List/Line/Dot Reporters: for command-line execution and immediate feedback.

Many teams use multiple reporters at the same time to serve different purposes. Use the HTML reporter for human analysis and the JSON report for data processing.

Analysing Test Results Effectively

Having reports set up is just a start. The real value is in the analysis.

Interpreting Pass/Fail Metrics 

Pass/fail rates are a quick health check, but deeper analysis gives more value.

• Failure trends: Are specific types of tests experiencing more failures?
• Stability trends: Are the rates of successful tests improving or declining?
• Component reliability: Which application components experienced the most failures?

Development teams should look for more than raw numbers to determine what the metrics mean regarding application quality.

 Using the HTML Report Interface Efficiently

The HTML reporter has many features to help you evaluate:

• Filter: Focus on specific test statuses, durations, or projects.
• Search: browse for tests by name or content.
• Metadata View: Examines test annotations and tags.
• Error Grouping: Identifies trends in failures.
• Trace viewer:  Step through execution with screenshots.

The Trace viewer is a debugging tool available in Playwright that provides a visual representation of your tests. It allows you to replay a test and step through it like a video. 

Not only does the Trace Viewer allow you to replay your test step-by-step, it provides full context - DOM snapshots, network requests, console logs, and more.

We have published a blog post that will provide you a complete guide on how to use Playwright Trace Viewer as a faster way to debug! Go check it out!

{{cta-image-second}}

Transforming Raw Data Into Actionable Insights

The ultimate goal of reporting test results is to improve both the testing process and the application.

Recognizing Patterns Across Test Results

Pattern recognition is key to getting insights from playwright test results.

• Temporal patterns: Issues that happen at certain times (e.g. after deployments)
• Environmental patterns: Failures limited to specific browsers or devices
• Feature-specific patterns: Tests fails when specific features interact
• Data-dependent patterns: Failures due to specific data conditions

Tools like the JSON reporter allow you to programmatically detect these patterns.

Prioritizing Issues Based on Impact

Not all test defaults are equal. Teams should prioritize:

• User impact: How many users will be affected?
• Functionality criticality: Is this a core feature or an edge case?
• Frequency: How often does this happen? 
• Complexity: How hard will it be to fix? 

When you combine playwright test reports with your analytics and tracking tools, it gives you all the required data to make these assessments.

Playwright Test Report Integration with CI/CD

Playwright testing and reporting in CI/CD pipelines make them more valuable by giving feedback.

[Code Change] → [Automated Testing] → [Report Generation] → [Analysis] → [Prioritization] → [Issue Resolution] → [Verification] → [Documentation]

The Future of Test Reporting with Playwright 

The Playwright ecosystem is evolving and some exciting things are coming:

• Better visualization tools for easier analysis.
• AI-assisted pattern recognition that instantly finds issue root cause.
• Deeper integration with monitoring to link test results to production metrics.
• Better collaboration tools to share and debate test results

As testing evolves, the line between test reporting and overall quality of monitoring will disappear and you’ll get more playwright coverage insights.