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How to Approve Visual Changes in a Screenshot Regression Test

A screenshot diff shows that pixels changed, not whether the change is correct. Learn how to inspect, approve, reject, or update visual test baselines.
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Compare the new screenshot with the approved baseline, inspect the changed area in context, and approve the update only when it matches an intentional, correct UI change. If the difference is unexplained or looks like a defect, reject it or fix the code and rerun the test. Updating a baseline changes what future runs treat as expected—it is not a way to make an unexplained failure disappear.

How to review and approve a screenshot diff

  1. Check that the screenshots are comparable. Confirm the test ran with the same capture environment as the baseline. Differences in browser, operating system, viewport, fonts, device pixel ratio, or other capture inputs can affect the image. Microsoft Playwright documentation advises: “For consistent screenshots, run tests in the same environment where the baseline screenshots were generated.” Playwright visual comparisons
  2. Inspect the changed region in context. Use the diff or comparison view to locate the change, then inspect the rendered screen. A diff identifies a visual difference; it does not tell you whether the difference is a bug or an intended design change. Check nearby UI as well, since a local change can affect layout elsewhere.
  3. Compare it with the intended change. Check the relevant code or design change. Ask whether the new appearance is expected, correct, and free of visible defects. If you cannot explain the difference, do not approve the baseline yet.
  4. Choose an outcome. Approve or update the baseline only for an intentional, correct change. Reject an unexpected change, or fix the code and rerun the test.
  5. Keep the update reviewable. Inspect the resulting baseline changes and keep them with the code change. Avoid accepting unrelated snapshots as part of a bulk update without reviewing them.
  6. Verify the next comparison. Confirm the test now uses the intended baseline and that no other changed snapshots were silently accepted.

Approve a change in Playwright

Playwright’s built-in screenshot comparison uses reference images stored with the project. When a page changes intentionally, run:

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npx playwright test --update-snapshots

This updates the reference screenshots. Review the changed image files before committing them; Playwright recommends committing the snapshot directory to version control and reviewing its changes. Run the update in the same environment that generated the baseline so capture differences do not obscure the UI change. See Microsoft Playwright’s visual comparison documentation.

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Review a change in Chromatic

Chromatic presents changed snapshots for review. Its quickstart describes an explicit approve-or-reject decision: accepting updates the story baseline, while denying marks the change as a regression and fails the build. Review each changed snapshot against the intended UI change rather than treating the review status as proof that a difference is safe. Chromatic’s instruction is: “Go through each snapshot to review the diff and approve or reject the change.” See Chromatic Quickstart and its visual tests documentation.

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Percy with Playwright

The Percy Playwright client routes screenshot assertions through Percy so visual verdicts can be handled in its review UI. The integration details are specific to that client and workflow; consult the percy-playwright project for setup and current behavior. Do not assume that a local assertion result alone completes the remote visual review.

Choose a workflow that fits your team

Consideration Playwright built-in comparisons Hosted visual review
Where baselines live Reference screenshots in the repository Hosted review interface; exact storage details depend on the service
How changes are approved Update local reference files with npx playwright test --update-snapshots, then review and commit the changes Review changed snapshots in the web interface; Chromatic documents accept and deny actions
Capture consistency Keep browser and other capture conditions consistent with the baseline environment Check the service’s capture settings and ensure the team understands which settings affect diffs
Review and collaboration Review snapshot file changes through the project’s existing version-control process A hosted interface can provide a shared visual review queue; confirm it suits the team’s build and review process
Integration and maintenance Fits projects already using Playwright’s test runner and repository-managed snapshots Depends on the existing runner, service integration, snapshot naming, and review process

These are workflow differences, not a pricing or performance comparison. No comparative pricing or performance figures are established here.

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When a diff may come from capture conditions

Before accepting a change, check whether the screenshot inputs changed. Chromatic documents that a device-pixel-ratio change can flag screenshots as changed even when the UI is identical. Viewport, browser, operating system, and font rendering can also affect whether two captures are comparable. If the test environment changed, investigate or restore comparable settings before deciding that the page itself changed.

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Common approval problems and fixes

  • The same UI appears different across runs: compare browser, OS, viewport, device pixel ratio, fonts, and other capture settings with the baseline run; reproduce the original environment where possible.
  • The diff shows a change nobody expected: leave the baseline unchanged, inspect the rendered area and related code, and rerun after identifying or fixing the cause.
  • A baseline update changed many files: inspect every changed snapshot, separate intended updates from unrelated ones, and commit only reviewed changes.
  • The test still reports a difference after updating: verify that the test is reading the updated reference files and running under the expected environment; review the new diff rather than repeatedly updating without explanation.
  • A hosted build remains failed: in Chromatic, denying a change marks it as a regression and fails the build; determine whether the change should be corrected or reviewed and accepted as intentional.
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If you need a screenshot for inspection or review rather than a repository-managed regression baseline, ScreenshotNeo returns a screenshot or PDF from one GET request. It is a screenshot API and MCP server for developers; it does not replace the baseline approval workflow described above.

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Use this cURL example to capture a page as WebP:

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 documentation for request parameters. Cookie banners are accepted and removed along with 60+ known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server lets AI agents use screenshot tools. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.

Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan.

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