To preserve visual-test evidence after a CI run, save the test output to known paths and configure your CI provider to upload those paths as artifacts. Upload actual screenshots, diffs, reports, or traces—not an assumed directory—and choose whether to retain them on successful runs, failed runs, or both. Artifacts preserve files for review; they do not automatically update the approved baseline.
Separate approved baselines from each run’s evidence
A baseline is the approved reference image used for comparison. A run artifact is output produced while tests execute: for example, the actual screenshot, a visual diff, a test report, or a trace. Keep those roles distinct. When a comparison fails, the actual image and diff help explain the mismatch; replacing the reference automatically would remove the review step that keeps the baseline trustworthy.
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With Playwright, toHaveScreenshot() performs screenshot comparison, and its documentation describes how snapshots are generated and located in the test workflow. Configure your project deliberately so approved snapshots and per-run diagnostics have identifiable paths. See Playwright visual comparisons.
Set up the CI artifact flow
- Choose the files to preserve. Identify the configured paths for reference snapshots, actual screenshots, diffs, traces, test results, and HTML reports. Upload only the outputs useful to your review process.
- Run comparisons in a consistent environment. Use the same browser and operating-system environment that produced the approved baselines as closely as practical. Playwright recommends using the same environment for consistent screenshots; changes in rendering inputs can create differences unrelated to the application. See Playwright visual comparisons.
- Run the visual tests before uploading. The upload step should run after the test command, including when the command reports failures if you need diagnostics.
- Upload the configured output paths. Confirm the artifact contains the expected files. A provider’s example report directory is not necessarily where your screenshots are written.
- Choose retention and access. Decide how long the evidence is useful, who should be able to retrieve it, and whether screenshots or reports reveal sensitive information.
GitHub Actions: upload the Playwright report
GitHub’s Playwright CI guide demonstrates uploading the HTML report directory with an artifact name and retention setting. The example uses a 30-day retention setting; that is an example, not a recommendation for every repository. The path below is appropriate only if your workflow writes the report there. Add your actual screenshot or diff directory if it is separate.
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- name: Run Playwright tests
run: npx playwright test
- name: Upload Playwright report
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v5
if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
with:
name: playwright-report
path: playwright-report/
retention-days: 30Check the current action version and GitHub retention options in the Playwright CI guide and GitHub workflow artifacts documentation before adopting this example. GitHub describes screenshots and test results as common artifact contents, and artifacts can also share files between jobs. If you need failure evidence, make sure the upload step is not skipped just because tests failed; adjust the condition for your workflow and cancellation policy.
GitLab CI: upload on failure or every run
GitLab lets a job upload artifacts only on failure or regardless of job result. Choose always when successful-run evidence is useful too, or on_failure when you only need diagnostics for broken comparisons. Replace the example directories with paths your test setup actually creates.
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visual_tests:
script:
- npx playwright test
artifacts:
when: always
expire_in: 1 week
paths:
- test-results/
- playwright-report/GitLab documents a default maximum final artifact archive size of 100 MB; instance, group, or project configuration can override it. It also documents keep-latest behavior that can affect whether older artifacts expire as expected. Confirm your instance’s limits and lifecycle behavior in the GitLab job artifacts documentation.
Show screenshots beside failed test details
If you use GitLab’s test-report attachment flow, reference screenshot paths from the JUnit XML and upload both the XML and screenshot directory. This can put image evidence alongside test details rather than requiring a reviewer to find a separate archive. Follow the path and formatting requirements in GitLab’s screenshot attachment documentation.
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Choose upload policy, retention, and access
| Decision | Practical choice | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| When to upload | Use failure-only uploads for mismatch diagnostics; use every-run uploads when successful output helps auditing or comparison. | Every-run uploads preserve more context but create more artifacts to manage. |
| How long to retain | Set an explicit period that matches review and debugging needs. | Longer retention keeps evidence available longer; GitLab’s keep-latest behavior may affect expiration of recent pipeline artifacts. |
| Who can access | Use the narrowest artifact access that still lets the team investigate and review changes. | Broad access can expose data embedded in screenshots, logs, traces, or reports. |
| Where review happens | Use downloadable bundles for general output, or attach screenshot paths to GitLab test reports when that suits the review flow. | Report attachments are convenient, but still require correct paths and uploaded test-report files. |
Artifact contents can expose credentials, tokens, source code, or application details. Playwright warns: “If you upload reports and traces as part of your CI workflow, make sure that you only upload them to trusted artifact stores, or that you encrypt the files before upload.” Review what the browser captured and restrict storage accordingly. See the Playwright CI guide.
Keep screenshots comparable across runs
CI artifacts help explain a mismatch, but they cannot make two different rendering environments equivalent. Keep the browser and operating system aligned with the environment used to create approved references, as Playwright recommends. If a visual test changes after an environment update, first determine whether the change is an intended application change or a changed rendering input. The cited guidance establishes the importance of environment consistency; it does not quantify the effect of individual variables such as fonts.
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Review a failed run’s actual screenshot and diff as evidence. Update the approved reference only after deciding that the new output is expected. The CI upload configuration preserves files; it does not approve them.
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- The artifact exists but contains no screenshots: the upload path may point to the HTML report while screenshots are elsewhere, or the framework may write files to a different configured location. Check the job’s output and configure the matching path.
- Nothing uploads after a failed test: the upload step may be skipped when the test command exits nonzero. Use a failure-aware condition or provider setting so diagnostics upload on the outcomes you chose.
- The archive is rejected or incomplete: check the provider’s artifact size limit and the total output size. GitLab’s documented default maximum final archive size is 100 MB, subject to instance, group, or project overrides.
- Older GitLab artifacts remain available past expiry: keep-latest behavior for recent pipeline artifacts can affect expiration. Verify project settings and GitLab’s documented lifecycle behavior rather than assuming
expire_inalone determines removal. - Images differ unexpectedly between runs: compare the browser and operating-system environment with the one used to create the approved screenshots before treating the difference as an application regression.
- Artifacts expose information they should not: inspect screenshots, reports, traces, and logs for credentials or private application data; restrict access or encrypt files before upload to an appropriate trusted store.
Or skip the browser setup
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