For visual regression tests, serve your static site in CI, use Playwright to open each page, and let the Argos Playwright reporter upload screenshots under stable names. Run the default-branch workflow once first so pull requests have a baseline to compare. Argos also supports a different workflow for diffing HTML source files and a separate command for publishing a review preview; neither replaces rendered screenshot testing.
Choose what you want Argos to review
“Testing a static site” can mean three different outcomes. Pick the artifact that answers your review question:
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| Workflow | What Argos handles | Use it for | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playwright screenshot capture | Rendered browser screenshots | Finding visual changes such as layout, typography, or color differences | It requires a running site and browser tests in CI. |
| CLI text snapshot upload | HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other supported text files | Reviewing changes to generated source | It does not show how a browser rendered the page. |
argos deploy |
A hosted static build and preview URL | Letting reviewers open the pull request version of the site | Deployment alone is not a visual snapshot comparison. |
You can run screenshot upload and static deployment in the same workflow when reviewers need both a visual diff and a live preview.
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Install the Argos Playwright package
Add @argos-ci/playwright as a development dependency. The Argos Playwright Quickstart documents the package and configuration at https://argos-ci.com/docs/playwright/quickstart. Configure Playwright’s Argos reporter, enabling uploads in CI, and use the helper argosScreenshot in tests. The helper’s default screenshot directory is ./screenshots; add that directory to .gitignore.
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Capture pages with stable names
Navigate to the locally served site, then call argosScreenshot(page, "homepage") to record the rendered page. For several routes, define a stable list of page names and paths and create a capture for each entry. Keep the names associated with the same pages across commits so Argos can match snapshots to their intended baselines. See the Argos guide to capturing URLs.
Run the site before the browser test
Your static site must be available at the URL the Playwright test visits. Make the CI job start the site server and wait until it is ready before running the tests; navigating before the server is listening can cause failed loads or incomplete captures. The quickstart’s capture example assumes the supplied local URL is reachable.
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Run the workflow in GitHub Actions
The documented GitHub Actions outline checks out the repository, sets up Node, installs project dependencies and Chromium, then runs npx playwright test for pull requests and pushes to main. Provide the project token as the ARGOS_TOKEN environment variable from repository secrets. GitHub Actions OIDC or tokenless authentication is also documented. Other CI providers can use the token environment variable or the reporter’s token option.
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Use the authentication method supported by your CI environment; do not run argos login in CI. The Argos Playwright Quickstart describes reporter setup, the GitHub Actions flow, and its example’s failure screenshots and retry traces. Those screenshots and traces can help diagnose failures, but they do not guarantee that a test will be free of flakiness.
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Establish the baseline before relying on pull requests
Run the workflow on the repository’s default branch before expecting pull-request comparisons. Argos says a pull-request build is marked orphan when there is no default-branch baseline. As the Argos Playwright Quickstart puts it, “Argos needs a baseline to compare against.” Once uploads are available, review the Argos check associated with the pull request and approve or reject the visual change as part of code review.
Compare generated HTML or other source files
If you need to review generated source rather than browser appearance, use the Argos CLI to upload text snapshots. The CLI accepts HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JSON, YAML, XML, Markdown, and text files through its file glob option. For example, with the CLI available in your project, the documented command shape is:
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argos upload ./snapshots -f "**/*.{txt,json,yaml,yml,xml,html,md,css,js}"Keep filenames stable between runs so Argos can associate files with their baselines, and include only the source artifacts you intend to diff. Text snapshots can be reviewed alongside screenshots in the same build, but they answer a different question: what changed in the file, not what changed on screen. See the Argos CLI reference and text snapshot documentation.
CLI and metadata requirements
The CLI reference specifies Node.js 22 or later. In CI, use ARGOS_TOKEN or GitHub OIDC where available rather than an interactive login. When CI metadata is available, the CLI infers commit, branch, and pull-request details. In a non-Git environment, provide ARGOS_COMMIT and ARGOS_BRANCH; the commit value must be the full 40-character SHA.
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The current CLI reference lists a maximum of 50 MB per snapshot and 5,000 snapshots per build. These are operational caps documented by Argos and can change, so check the CLI reference when configuring a large upload.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Publish a static preview separately
To let reviewers open the built site, build it and point argos deploy at the output directory. Argos documents plain HTML directories as valid static deployment targets, with pull requests receiving preview deployments. Use the deployment URL to inspect the built site; use screenshot or text uploads when you need a baseline comparison. The deployment workflow is described in the Argos deployment documentation.
Keep captures useful and diagnose failures
- Snapshots attach to the wrong page: use consistent page names and routes for each capture. Changing names can prevent the intended baseline association.
- Navigation or capture fails: ensure the server is ready and the test URL is reachable before Playwright navigates.
- Text looks different in CI: the quickstart’s example uses Chromium launch flags intended to reduce text-rendering variation across macOS and CI. Treat them as troubleshooting aids, not a guarantee of identical rendering.
- Pull-request comparisons appear orphaned: run a successful baseline build on the default branch first.
- Source diffs are noisy or missing: preserve stable filenames and narrow the upload glob to the intended files.
- CLI cannot determine commit or branch: in a non-Git environment, set
ARGOS_COMMITto the full 40-character SHA and setARGOS_BRANCH. - Upload exceeds an operational cap: check individual snapshot sizes and build snapshot count against the CLI reference’s currently listed limits.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need an image or PDF from a URL without wiring a browser test, ScreenshotNeo provides a one-request screenshot API and an MCP server for AI agents. For example, this cURL call saves a WebP capture of Stripe; replace the target URL as needed. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo accepts cookie or consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each of those steps can be turned off. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and responses identify the page verdict and billing status in headers. AI agents can use its MCP server tools to take screenshots, get page information, and capture PDFs. The free plan includes 1,000 shots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.
Create a free ScreenshotNeo account to get 1,000 screenshots a month with no card.
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