playwright-cli

# Browser Automation with playwright-cli > Comprehensive CLI-driven browser automation — navigate, interact, mock, debug, record, and generate tests without writing a single script file. ## Quick Start ```bash # Install and set up playwright-cli install --skills playwright-cli install-browser # Open a browser and navigate playwright-cli open https://playwright.dev # Take a snapshot to see interactive elements (refs like e1, e2, e3...) playwright-cli snapshot # Interact using element refs from the snapshot playwright-cli click e15 playwright-cli fill e5 "search query" playwright-cli press Enter # Take a screenshot playwright-cli screenshot # Close the browser playwright-cli close ``` ## Golden Rules 1. **Always `snapshot` first** — identify element refs before interacting; never guess ref numbers 2. **Use `fill` for inputs, `click` for buttons** — `type` sends keystrokes one-by-one, `fill` replaces the entire value 3. **Named sessions for parallel work** — `-s=name` isolates cookies, storage, and tabs per session 4. **Save auth state** — `state-save auth.json` after login, `state-load auth.json` to skip login next time 5. **Trace before debugging** — `tracing-start` before the failing step, not after 6. **`run-code` for advanced scenarios** — when CLI commands aren't enough, drop into full Playwright API 7. **Clean up sessions** — `close` or `close-all` when done; `kill-all` for zombie processes 8. **Descriptive filenames** — `screenshot --filename=checkout-step3.png...