Browser automation has three different kinds of “cache,” and configuring one does not configure the others:
- Installation caches retain Playwright browsers, Puppeteer browsers, or Selenium Manager drivers between jobs.
- HTTP caches retain web responses inside a browser context and affect page behavior.
- Storage state preserves cookies, local storage, and optionally IndexedDB so a later context can reuse a session.
Start by identifying which result you need. For faster CI setup, persist the framework’s download directory. For a realistic browser-cache test, avoid request interception that disables caching. For a reusable login, export storage state and protect the resulting file as a credential.
Choose the cache you actually need
| Mechanism | Retains | Scope and lifetime | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playwright/Puppeteer/Selenium installation cache | Browser or driver binaries | Filesystem directory shared by jobs or machines | Prevent downloads during every CI run |
| Browser HTTP cache | HTTP responses and related browser cache data | Browser profile or context, subject to browser and framework behavior | Test repeat visits, cache headers, and offline-like behavior |
| Playwright storage state | Cookies, local storage, and optionally IndexedDB | Saved state file loaded into a new context | Reuse authentication or application state |
These layers are independent. A cached Chromium binary does not make a page load from HTTP cache, and a saved cookie file does not contain JavaScript bundles or images.
Cache Playwright browsers in CI
Playwright’s documented defaults are %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalms-playwright on Windows, ~/Library/Caches/ms-playwright on macOS, and ~/.cache/ms-playwright on Linux. Set PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH when you want a stable, explicitly persisted directory. The directory must be available to the CI job before tests start.
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Set a controlled directory
# Linux/macOS shell
export PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH="$HOME/.cache/playwright-browsers"
npx playwright install chromium
npx playwright test
# Windows PowerShell
$env:PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH = "$env:USERPROFILE.cacheplaywright-browsers"
npx playwright install chromium
npx playwright testConfigure your CI provider’s cache action or cache service to save and restore that directory. Use a key that includes the operating system, architecture, and the Playwright package or lockfile version; otherwise a job can restore binaries that no longer match the framework release. On a cache miss, run the install command and let the job repopulate the directory. Do not assume a particular CI vendor or a universal cache-key syntax.
Validate the restored cache
- Print the effective
PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATHin the job log without exposing secrets. - Restore the directory before
npx playwright test. - Run the same Playwright version used by the project’s lockfile.
- If the browser executable is missing or incompatible, delete the restored directory, run
npx playwright install, and save a new versioned entry.
The installation cache only removes setup downloads. It does not guarantee that a site’s responses are cached.
Configure Puppeteer’s browser-download cache
Puppeteer’s official troubleshooting documentation says that, starting with v19.0.0, downloaded browsers go to ~/.cache/puppeteer by default. Check your installed version before applying a path assumption.
Environment-variable method
# Linux/macOS
export PUPPETEER_CACHE_DIR="$HOME/.cache/puppeteer-ci"
npm ci
npx puppeteer browsers installPersist PUPPETEER_CACHE_DIR with your CI cache service. The cache key should include the operating system and the Puppeteer version (or lockfile hash).
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Configuration-file method
// .puppeteerrc.js or puppeteer.config.js
module.exports = {
cacheDirectory: process.env.PUPPETEER_CACHE_DIR || '/tmp/puppeteer-cache'
};Puppeteer’s documentation notes that Puppeteer must be reinstalled for a change to this configuration to take effect. Verify the resulting directory after installation rather than assuming an existing cache moved automatically.
Configure Selenium Manager’s cache
Selenium Manager stores downloaded browser and driver assets in ~/.cache/selenium by default. Its cache also contains se-config.toml and se-metadata.json; the metadata records discovered versions and a TTL. Cache that directory only when the operating system, architecture, and Selenium setup are compatible.
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A restored Selenium Manager directory can avoid repeated downloads, but its metadata is not proof that every driver-discovery scenario works offline. Keep Selenium, browser, and driver versions aligned, and allow Selenium Manager to refresh assets when metadata says they are stale. Do not apply one assumed TTL to every Selenium installation.
Test the browser’s HTTP cache correctly
HTTP-cache testing asks a different question: will the browser reuse a response rather than request it again? Use a normal browser context and observe requests, response headers, and server logs. Keep the test’s cache policy explicit: a fresh context, a persistent profile, and a context restored from disk have different histories.
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Playwright’s BrowserContext documentation states: “Enabling routing disables http cache.” A route used for mocking, blocking, or rewriting requests can therefore change the very behavior under test. If cache fidelity matters, do not enable routing in that test. If interception is essential, treat the result as an intercepted-request test rather than an authentic browser-cache test. See the Playwright BrowserContext documentation.
A minimal cache-observation example
import { chromium } from 'playwright';
const browser = await chromium.launch();
const context = await browser.newContext(); // no routing: HTTP cache can operate normally
const page = await context.newPage();
page.on('request', request => {
if (request.resourceType() === 'document') console.log('request', request.url());
});
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle' });
await page.reload({ waitUntil: 'networkidle' });
await browser.close();This example does not promise that every resource will be served from cache: server headers, browser policy, revalidation, cache size, and the site itself decide that. To test a specific resource, inspect its response status and headers and compare a first navigation with a repeat navigation under the same context.
Reuse cookies and local storage with Playwright storage state
Playwright’s browserContext.storageState() exports cookies and local storage. It can include IndexedDB when requested, and a later context can be initialized from the saved state. This is session reuse, not response caching. The Playwright API-testing guide demonstrates saving state and creating another context from it; the Browser documentation covers browser and context lifecycle APIs.
Save state after authentication
import { chromium } from 'playwright';
const browser = await chromium.launch();
const context = await browser.newContext();
const page = await context.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com/login');
// Complete the site-specific login flow here.
await context.storageState({ path: 'playwright/.auth/user.json', indexedDB: true });
await browser.close();Load it in a later test
import { chromium } from 'playwright';
const browser = await chromium.launch();
const context = await browser.newContext({
storageState: 'playwright/.auth/user.json'
});
const page = await context.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com/account');
await browser.close();- Keep the state file outside public repositories and CI artifacts.
- Restrict filesystem permissions and secret-scanning exposure.
- Regenerate it when credentials expire or the application changes its session format.
- Use separate state files for separate test identities.
A state file may carry authentication cookies, refresh tokens, or other sensitive values. Treat it like a password.
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CI design: keys, invalidation, and portability
Build cache keys from compatibility inputs
Include framework version, lockfile hash, operating system, CPU architecture, and (where relevant) browser channel in the key. A key that contains only “playwright” or “selenium” can restore an incompatible binary.
Separate installation and test-data caches
Keep browser binaries, HTTP profiles, and authentication state in different cache entries. Installation caches are usually shareable among jobs with the same compatibility inputs; authentication state should be narrowly scoped. Never upload a logged-in profile as a broad dependency cache.
Plan invalidation
Invalidate after framework upgrades, browser-channel changes, operating-system image changes, or unexplained executable errors. For HTTP-cache tests, explicitly create a fresh context when testing a cold cache and reuse the same context or profile when testing a warm cache.
Performance, reliability, and cost considerations
- Performance: Installation caching removes browser and driver downloads, but the actual time saved depends on artifact size, network speed, compression, and cache-service latency. The official documentation cited here provides no universal percentage improvement.
- Reliability: A cache is an optimization, not a required source of truth. Keep a fallback install path for cache misses and corrupt archives.
- Disk usage: Multiple browser channels, architectures, and framework versions can consume substantial space. Prune entries according to your CI retention policy.
- Fidelity: Request routing can disable Playwright HTTP cache; storage-state reuse changes authentication state. Record those choices in the test’s setup.
- Security: Binary caches need integrity and access controls; state caches need secret-level protection.
Common failures and fixes
“Executable doesn’t exist” after restoring a cache
Cause: The directory was restored under a different path, the cache was keyed to another framework version, or installation never ran after a miss.
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Puppeteer keeps downloading browsers
Cause: PUPPETEER_CACHE_DIR differs between install and test steps, or the configured directory was changed without reinstalling Puppeteer.
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Fix: Export the same variable in both steps, verify the directory exists, and reinstall after changing cacheDirectory.
Selenium Manager ignores a restored asset
Cause: The cached metadata marks it stale, or the browser and driver do not match the current environment.
Fix: Allow discovery and refresh, inspect se-metadata.json, and use a platform- and version-specific cache.
Requests are not coming from HTTP cache
Cause: Playwright routing is enabled, the context is new, or the server requires revalidation.
Fix: Remove routing for the cache-fidelity test, reuse the intended context, and inspect response headers. Remember that Playwright documents routing as disabling HTTP cache.
A restored login is rejected
Cause: Expired cookies, missing IndexedDB, a changed origin, or a state file from another account.
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Fix: Re-authenticate, export with indexedDB: true when required, and keep state files separated by account and environment.
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Use the documented options for full-page or element capture, device and retina settings, waits, custom CSS or JavaScript, headers and cookies, blocking rules, caching with a chosen TTL, signed links, asynchronous jobs, bulk capture, and PDF output. These options control capture behavior; they do not replace a browser-cache test.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I cache browser binaries in a container image instead of CI storage?
Use an image when the browser version is intentionally fixed and rebuilding the image is acceptable; use CI caching when you need independent invalidation and smaller image layers. Keep the same version and platform checks either way.
Can one cache be shared by Playwright, Puppeteer, and Selenium?
No. Their managed directories, metadata, download formats, and compatibility rules differ. Maintain separate caches unless you have explicitly verified a supported integration.
How can I prove a test used a warm HTTP cache?
Use a repeat navigation in the same context, capture request and response details, and correlate them with server logs or browser instrumentation. A successful second navigation alone does not prove every resource was served without revalidation.
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