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To configure visual testing in Chromatic, first choose where the UI states will come from: use Storybook stories for repeatable component states, or integrate Chromatic with Playwright, Vitest, or Cypress when those tests already drive the pages you want to check. Then create a Chromatic project, install the matching integration, review an initial baseline, and run the CLI in CI with the project token stored as a secret.
For Storybook, the Visual Tests addon requires Storybook 7.6 or higher according to Chromatic’s current addon guide. For Playwright, the documented integration requires Playwright 1.38.0 or higher and Chrome in the Playwright configuration. These requirements can change; check Chromatic’s live setup documentation against your locked dependencies before implementing.
Choose where Chromatic gets its visual test states
Chromatic can capture states from Storybook, Playwright, Vitest, or Cypress. Pick the workflow that matches the coverage you need rather than treating these integrations as interchangeable.
| Consideration | Storybook Visual Tests addon | Playwright integration |
|---|---|---|
| Test source | Stories describing component states and variations | Browser-driven page journeys and interactions |
| Local workflow | Run tests from Storybook’s Visual Tests panel | Run existing Playwright tests through Chromatic’s integration |
| Best fit | Broad, isolated component coverage, including mocked loading or error states | Whole-page and integrated user journeys |
| Setup checks | Storybook 7.6 or higher; addon and project configuration | Supported Playwright version, Chrome configured, and correct archive path |
For Storybook, the Visual Tests addon can run on demand locally, while CI runs provide automated pull-request checks and a shared review workflow. For page-level journeys, use the test framework that already owns those journeys; Chromatic’s integrations use the existing test setup, configuration, and mocks.
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Vitest and Cypress are also documented options. The current Vitest setup requires Vitest 4.0.0 or higher and @vitest/browser-playwright. The Vitest flow archives component DOM, styles, and assets for Chromatic to render and compare. Do not apply these Vitest requirements to a Storybook-only setup.
Configure Chromatic with Storybook
- Create a Chromatic project. Obtain its project token and keep it private. The CLI builds and uploads Storybook to Chromatic’s cloud environment, where UI tests are triggered.
- Add the Visual Tests addon. From the project directory, run
npx storybook@latest add @chromatic-com/storybook. Use the equivalent command documented for Yarn or pnpm if that is your package manager. The documented addon requirement is Storybook 7.6 or higher. - Authenticate and select the project. Follow the addon’s prompts to authenticate in Storybook, then select or create the Chromatic project. The addon adds project identifiers and configuration.
- Check the generated configuration. The addon uses
chromatic.config.json. Its documented settings includeprojectId,buildScriptName,debug, andzip. If a separate environment needs a different file, point the Storybook configuration to that file. - Run and review locally. Start Storybook, use the sidebar play control to run visual tests, and inspect highlighted differences in the Visual Tests panel. Accept a difference only when it is an intentional UI change; otherwise fix the implementation and rerun.
- Connect the local workflow to CI. Add the project token to CI secrets and invoke Chromatic in the job as described below. Accepted addon baselines synchronize to the cloud.
Storybook monorepos and non-default paths
For a monorepo, configure each subproject separately. Set that project’s Storybook base, build, and configuration paths to the subproject’s actual locations. Separate environments can also use separate Chromatic configuration files. Check the working directory and script names in CI: a correct token will not compensate for running the build from the wrong package.
Configure Chromatic with Playwright for web pages
Use this path when existing Playwright tests navigate through pages and interactions whose rendered states you want Chromatic to compare. Install chromatic and @chromatic-com/playwright, then use Chromatic’s test/expect integration in the Playwright tests. Invoke the CLI with --playwright so Chromatic can collect the test archive, upload it, and generate snapshots and diffs in its cloud environment.
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- Check the toolchain. The documented Playwright setup supports Playwright 1.38.0 and above. The setup also requires Chrome to be included in the Playwright configuration because Chromatic relies on Chrome for snapshotting. Verify the current package documentation against your exact locked version before changing dependencies.
- Install both packages. Add
chromaticand@chromatic-com/playwrightto the project using its package manager. - Wire the tests to Chromatic. Use the documented Chromatic test and expect integration in the Playwright tests you want captured. Keep the application setup, navigation, and assertions that define the intended page states in the test suite.
- Run the CLI in Playwright mode. Invoke
chromatic --playwright, or use that command in the project’s configured package script. The run captures an archive during testing and uploads it for cloud snapshotting and diff review. - Review the resulting changes. Inspect the snapshots and diffs in Chromatic. Accept intentional changes through the review workflow; change the page or test setup and rerun when the result is unintended.
Playwright archive paths in a monorepo
If Playwright writes to a non-default outputDir, set CHROMATIC_ARCHIVE_LOCATION to the same archive location. Update the relevant archive scripts and configuration paths as well. A mismatch can leave Chromatic looking in the wrong location even when Playwright tests themselves pass.
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Store CHROMATIC_PROJECT_TOKEN in the CI provider’s secret store, not in source control or a checked-in configuration file. A typical job installs dependencies, performs any required test or build preparation, and then runs chromatic or the project’s configured script. Chromatic documents CLI modes for Storybook and the --playwright, --vitest, and --cypress integrations. Linked GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket repositories can receive pull-request status checks.
- Install the project dependencies.
- Run any prerequisite tests, application preparation, or build steps your workflow needs.
- Run Chromatic with the project token supplied through the CI secret environment.
- Review the pull-request status and the visual changes in Chromatic.
Choose a change policy deliberately
--exit-zero-on-changeslets the process exit successfully when changes are detected without accepting those changes. The review still remains pending; this flag does not approve a new baseline.autoAcceptChangesaccepts detected changes automatically. That removes the human review gate for those changes, so use it only when automatic baseline acceptance is an intentional policy.- If UI Test or UI Review is enabled, detected changes may produce a non-zero exit code. Decide whether that should block the pull request or be handled through review rather than suppressing the status without a clear policy.
These options have different outcomes: a successful process exit is not the same as accepting a visual change. Keep the distinction visible in the team’s CI and review policy.
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Scale and rebuild behavior
onlyChanged, also known as TurboSnap, skips unaffected stories. forceRebuild tests everything. Use the former when the project’s workflow calls for limiting tests to affected stories; use the latter when a complete run is needed. Their effect depends on the project’s configuration, so make the choice in the context of the coverage you require rather than treating either as a universal speed setting.
Combine component coverage with end-to-end page coverage
Storybook and browser-driven tests answer different questions. Stories let teams cover many isolated component states, including mocked edge cases; Playwright or Cypress tests exercise complete page journeys and integration behavior. Chromatic’s documented combined workflow uses two projects linked to the same repository: one project for Storybook and another for Playwright or Cypress. Run the CLI twice, supplying the token for the corresponding project each time.
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This separation makes the source of each snapshot and its review workflow clear. It also means the projects need separate configuration and tokens; do not assume one project token automatically covers both runs.
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Common setup problems and fixes
- The addon command or setup does not match the Storybook version. Confirm that the project is on Storybook 7.6 or higher, as required by the current Visual Tests addon guide, and check the live instructions for the installed package versions.
- Playwright tests run but Chromatic cannot snapshot them. Confirm Chrome is included in the Playwright configuration. Chromatic’s documented Playwright integration relies on Chrome for snapshotting.
- Chromatic cannot find the Playwright archive. If Playwright uses a custom
outputDir, setCHROMATIC_ARCHIVE_LOCATIONto that same location and align the archive scripts and paths. - The CI job cannot authenticate. Verify that
CHROMATIC_PROJECT_TOKENexists in the CI secret store and is exposed to the Chromatic step. Ensure the job is using the token for the project whose configuration it invokes. - The build runs the wrong Storybook script or directory. Check
buildScriptName, the CI working directory, and the subproject’s configured base/build paths. In a monorepo, each subproject needs its own Chromatic configuration. - A pull request fails after a visual change. If UI Test or UI Review is enabled, a non-zero exit can be expected. Review the diff and either accept an intentional change or fix the UI; use
--exit-zero-on-changesonly if the intended policy is to let the job pass without accepting the change. - Changes are being accepted without review. Check whether
autoAcceptChangesis enabled. It accepts detected changes automatically, unlike--exit-zero-on-changes, which changes the process exit behavior without accepting the changes. - The run is slower or broader than expected. Check whether
forceRebuildis requesting all tests or whetheronlyChanged/TurboSnap is configured to skip unaffected stories. Confirm the setting matches the coverage policy you want.
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ScreenshotNeo is a screenshot API and MCP server, not a replacement for Chromatic’s visual regression review, baselines, or CI status checks. It is useful when you need a clean screenshot of a page without setting up a browser capture script. One GET request returns an image or PDF; for example, this cURL request saves a WebP screenshot:
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See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. Before the capture, ScreenshotNeo accepts cookie or consent banners like a visitor and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each of those steps can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers report the page verdict and billing outcome. An MCP server exposes take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf to Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000.
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FAQ
Can Chromatic visual testing run without CI?
The Storybook addon supports local, on-demand runs, but CI is the route for automated pull-request checks and team review. You can run locally while developing and add the CLI to CI when you are ready to gate or report changes on pull requests.
Should I use Chromatic or a direct screenshot API for regression testing?
Use Chromatic for the Storybook or browser-test snapshot and review workflow described above. A screenshot API can capture a page, but a screenshot by itself does not provide Chromatic’s baseline review and CI status-check workflow.
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