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Getting Started with Playwright for Java: Setup, First Run, Tests, and CI

Add Playwright to a Java project, install matching browsers, run a first script, and learn the next steps for tests and CI.

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To get started with Playwright for Java, add the com.microsoft.playwright:playwright Maven dependency, install the browser binaries with Playwright’s CLI, and run a small Java program that opens a page. This validates both your Java setup and browser installation before you choose a test runner.

The examples below follow Playwright’s official Java documentation. Requirements and dependency versions can change, so check the current installation guide for your operating system before setting up a machine or CI image.

What you need before your first run

  • A Java development environment. Playwright’s Java introduction lists Java 8 or later.
  • Maven for the starter project and commands below. If your project already uses Gradle, keep that build system and use the official test-runner guide for its configuration.
  • A supported operating system and enough network access and disk space for browser downloads. The current documentation lists Windows 11 or later, Windows Server 2019 or later, or WSL; macOS 14 or later; and Debian 12/13 or Ubuntu 22.04/24.04/26.04 on x86-64 or arm64. Verify the live requirements for your specific environment.

Playwright’s documentation describes the framework as created “specifically to accommodate the needs of end-to-end testing.” The standalone program here is a smoke test: it checks that the API works and a browser can launch. A maintained test suite is a separate next step.

Create and run a minimal Maven program

1. Add the dependency

In your Maven project’s pom.xml, add Playwright under <dependencies>. The version shown in the official documentation when this article was prepared was 1.63.0; check the live guide and use a matching version for your project rather than treating that number as permanent.

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<dependencies>
  <dependency>
    <groupId>com.microsoft.playwright</groupId>
    <artifactId>playwright</artifactId>
    <version>1.63.0</version>
  </dependency>
</dependencies>

2. Install browser binaries

From the project directory, run the Java Playwright CLI through Maven:

mvn exec:java -e -D exec.mainClass=com.microsoft.playwright.CLI -D exec.args="install"

This downloads the browsers associated with the installed Playwright release. The first install can take time and use substantial disk space. A Playwright upgrade may require running the install command again because each release expects specific browser binaries.

3. Add a small Java entry point

Create src/main/java/App.java:

import com.microsoft.playwright.*;

public class App {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    try (Playwright playwright = Playwright.create()) {
      Browser browser = playwright.chromium().launch();
      Page page = browser.newPage();
      page.navigate("https://playwright.dev");
      System.out.println(page.title());
      browser.close();
    }
  }
}

The try-with-resources block closes Playwright even if execution fails. The browser is headless by default, so no visible browser window is required.

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4. Compile and run it

From the directory containing pom.xml, run:

mvn compile exec:java -D exec.mainClass="App"

A successful run prints the page title to standard output. If Maven cannot resolve the dependency, check the project’s XML structure, version, and network or repository access. If the program compiles but cannot launch Chromium, install the browser binaries as described above.

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Choose a browser and capture a screenshot

Playwright Java supports Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit. Install the default set with install, or request a particular browser by name:

mvn exec:java -e -D exec.mainClass=com.microsoft.playwright.CLI -D exec.args="install webkit"

Use the browser that matches the coverage you need, and ensure its binaries are installed for the Playwright version in your dependency. The official Java introduction also demonstrates a WebKit screenshot:

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import com.microsoft.playwright.*;

public class ScreenshotExample {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    try (Playwright playwright = Playwright.create()) {
      Browser browser = playwright.webkit().launch();
      Page page = browser.newPage();
      page.navigate("https://playwright.dev");
      page.screenshot(new Page.ScreenshotOptions().setPath(java.nio.file.Paths.get("screenshot.png")));
      browser.close();
    }
  }
}

For visual debugging, launch a browser in headed mode and slow actions down:

Browser browser = playwright.chromium().launch(
    new BrowserType.LaunchOptions().setHeadless(false).setSlowMo(100));

Headed mode is optional; headless is the normal default and is suitable for automated runs. Slow motion can help you observe what the script is doing, but it also makes execution slower.

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Move from a smoke test to a test suite

For an existing Java project, use the build system and test runner the team already maintains. Playwright’s documentation provides both conventional JUnit lifecycle setup and a fixture-based Java JUnit integration. The fixture integration uses @UsePlaywright and can inject a Page; its documentation labels that integration experimental, so do not mistake it for the only supported way to write Java tests.

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With the fixture approach, the documented lifecycle isolates a page and browser context per test while browser resources can be shared. For examples of navigation checks and web-first assertions, see Writing tests. For other runner and Gradle configuration paths, see Test runners.

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Install reliably in CI

CI needs both Playwright’s browser binaries and any operating-system libraries the browsers require. The official CI sequence installs browsers and system dependencies with the Java CLI, then runs Maven tests.

mvn exec:java -e -D exec.mainClass=com.microsoft.playwright.CLI -D exec.args="install --with-deps chromium"
mvn test

Use install --with-deps chromium when the suite needs Chromium; use the default browser set if tests cover multiple engines. The CI guide includes GitHub Actions and container examples. A container can make the Linux browser environment more consistent. Keep the Playwright dependency, browser image tag (if using a browser image), and installed browser binaries aligned instead of mixing versions casually; check the current CI documentation for action versions and image guidance.

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Browser installation options for less common environments

The default CLI installation is the right starting point for most projects. If your environment has restricted network access or centrally managed browser storage, the browser guide documents proxy and internal artifact-repository configuration, shared browser caches, and ways to skip downloads when your team manages binaries separately. It also documents commands to list installed browsers and uninstall them. See Browser management before changing the default install behavior; browser download sizes vary and are not a stable promise.

Troubleshooting the first run

  • Browser executable is missing: Run the CLI install command for the browser your code launches. After upgrading Playwright, rerun the install because the required browser revision can change.
  • Launch fails on a Linux CI machine: Install browser system dependencies using install --with-deps for the required browser, or use a documented container setup.
  • Only one engine launches: Install each needed engine explicitly, for example install firefox or install webkit, or install the default browser set.
  • Maven cannot find the class or dependency: Check that the dependency is inside the project’s <dependencies> element, that the main class passed to exec.mainClass matches its package and name, and that Maven can reach the configured artifact repository.
  • No browser window appears: That is expected in headless mode. Set setHeadless(false) when you need a visible browser for local debugging.
  • Downloads fail behind a proxy or private repository: Follow the proxy and artifact repository configuration documented in the browser guide; do not assume browser binaries are obtained from the same repository as Maven artifacts.

Or skip the browser setup

If your goal is simply to capture a website image or PDF, ScreenshotNeo provides a screenshot API and MCP server. A single GET request can return PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. For example, save a WebP screenshot with cURL:

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp

See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for options and response details. Cookie banners are accepted and removed before capture, along with known newsletter popups and chat widgets; bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents use screenshot tools, and the Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month without a card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots.

Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Playwright Java with Gradle instead of Maven?

Yes. Playwright’s test-runner documentation includes a Gradle configuration path; follow the build system already used by your project.

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Do I need a visible browser window to run Playwright?

No. Browser launches are headless by default; use headed mode when you want to observe a local debugging run.

Does adding the Java dependency install the browsers?

No. Install the matching browser binaries separately with the Playwright CLI.

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