Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFor a JavaScript or TypeScript Playwright project using Applitools’ fixture integration, install @applitools/eyes-playwright, set APPLITOOLS_API_KEY, and add visual checkpoints with the supplied eyes fixture and eyes.check(). The fixture manages opening and closing Eyes and collecting results. This guide follows that Fixtures workflow; Applitools also offers Standard JavaScript/TypeScript, Java, C#, and Python variants, whose imports and setup may differ.
Choose the Playwright SDK variant first
Applitools documents Playwright integrations for TypeScript Fixtures, TypeScript Standard, Java, C#, and Python. The installation commands and examples below apply to the documented JavaScript/TypeScript Fixtures path, not automatically to the other variants. Check the Applitools SDK directory for the variant that matches your language and API style before copying code.
The fixture route is useful when you want Playwright tests to receive an eyes fixture and avoid repeating Eyes lifecycle calls. The Standard API may suit a project that needs more explicit control; confirm its specific imports and setup rather than mixing it with the fixture example.
Install and initialize the fixture integration
-
From the project root, install the package:
npm install @applitools/eyes-playwright -
Run the setup wizard:
npx eyes-playwright setup -
Review the configuration and demo test the CLI adds. Check its imports, Playwright configuration, and reporter settings against your existing project before adopting them.
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Provide an Applitools API key as an environment variable. For example, in a Unix-like shell for the current command session:
export APPLITOOLS_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"Applitools recommends this approach over hardcoding a credential in project configuration that may be committed to version control. See its API key documentation for obtaining and supplying the key. In CI, configure the variable through the platform’s secret-management settings.
Add a visual checkpoint to a Playwright test
Import Playwright’s test function from the Applitools fixture package, navigate to the UI state you want to compare, then call eyes.check() with a descriptive checkpoint name. For example:
import { test } from '@applitools/eyes-playwright/fixture';
test('Homepage visual check', async ({ page, eyes }) => {
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await eyes.check('Homepage', {
fully: true,
matchLevel: 'Strict',
});
});Replace the example URL and checkpoint with your own. A checkpoint should represent a meaningful, stable UI state: wait for relevant content to appear and handle test data or animations that would otherwise make the page vary between runs. Keep ordinary Playwright assertions for programmatic behavior and content conditions; use visual checks to cover appearance and layout.
Choose the capture and matching scope
- Full page:
fully: truecaptures beyond the currently visible viewport. Use it when below-the-fold content matters; otherwise a viewport checkpoint can keep the comparison focused. - Match level:
matchLevelcontrols the comparison behavior. The example uses'Strict'; choose the level appropriate to the visual differences your team intends to detect. - Target region: Check a relevant region instead of the whole page when the rest of the page is outside the test’s purpose.
- Ignored regions: Exclude areas expected to vary and that are not under visual test.
- Floating regions: Mark elements whose position may move while their appearance remains relevant.
- Displacement handling: Use the available displacement option when shifted content should be treated according to the intended comparison behavior.
Consult the Playwright integration guide for the supported option syntax and details. Avoid excluding a region merely to make a failing test pass: the checkpoint should still cover the UI risk you want to catch.
Configure reporting and test behavior
The integration guide shows an eyesConfig configuration with options such as appName and failTestsOnDiff, and an Applitools reporter configured in playwright.config.ts. Use the generated setup as a starting point and merge it carefully with the project’s existing reporters and Playwright settings.
The fixture workflow handles Eyes.open(), Eyes.close(), and collection of test results, reducing repeated setup in each test. The enhanced report presents Eyes visual results alongside Playwright reporting. Authentication is needed to accept or reject baseline changes.
Review differences and manage baselines
On a run, Eyes captures each checkpoint and compares it with saved baselines through its service. Review the detected differences in the test manager or report. Accept a change only when it is an intended UI update; accepting updates the baseline used by later runs. Reject unintended changes so the existing baseline remains the reference. See the Applitools system overview for the checkpoint-to-baseline workflow.
Baseline review is a team decision, not a substitute for checking the underlying change. A screenshot difference may reflect a genuine regression, an intentional design change, or unstable test conditions; investigate the source before approving it.
Rank #4
Organize checkpoints as the suite grows
- Use concise, meaningful checkpoint names tied to page and state, such as a product page’s loaded state or a signed-in dashboard.
- Encapsulate repeatable visual checks in page-object methods or fixtures where that improves reuse, while keeping the checkpoint intent visible to test readers.
- Keep visual assertions focused on appearance. Use standard Playwright assertions when the requirement is an exact text value, URL, or dynamic condition.
- During migration from an older Eyes SDK approach, Applitools’ March 11, 2026 setup article describes backward compatibility and suggests transitioning gradually: start with simpler tests and optionally run both SDK approaches while validating the migration.
Troubleshoot common setup and test problems
- Package or fixture import is not found: Confirm the package is installed in the project where the test runs, and that the test uses the Fixtures package path,
@applitools/eyes-playwright/fixture. Do not use this import for a different language or Standard SDK variant. - The setup command does not match your project: The CLI configures the documented JavaScript/TypeScript flow and adds a demo visual test. Inspect generated files and adapt them to the project’s existing Playwright configuration rather than replacing unrelated settings blindly.
- Authentication fails or results do not appear: Verify that
APPLITOOLS_API_KEYis present in the environment of the process that starts the tests, and that the key is valid. Do not expose it in committed configuration or public logs. - Tests fail on visual differences: Open the Eyes report and inspect the changed area. If the update is intended, authenticate and accept the baseline change; if not, fix the UI or test setup rather than approving it.
- Checkpoints are noisy: Narrow the target region, ignore only genuinely irrelevant dynamic areas, or account for floating elements and displacement. Also ensure the page has reached the intended state before the checkpoint.
- Reporter output is missing or conflicts with existing reports: Check that the Applitools reporter is configured in
playwright.config.tsand that its settings coexist with the project’s current reporter setup.
Or skip the browser setup
If the immediate job is to get a clean screenshot rather than compare a Playwright checkpoint with a managed visual baseline, ScreenshotNeo provides a screenshot API and MCP server. Its one-call cURL example is:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. ScreenshotNeo accepts cookie or consent banners like a visitor and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each cleanup step can be turned off. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and responses identify page verdict and billing status in headers. Its MCP server gives AI agents tools for screenshots, page information, and PDF capture. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots. Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan.
Performance, reliability, and cost considerations
Applitools’ workflow sends captured checkpoints for comparison against saved baselines and returns results for review. Plan for authenticated access and a deliberate baseline-approval step in CI or team workflows. The consulted Applitools setup and integration material does not establish a universal runtime, reliability percentage, or price, so those should not be assumed from this guide.
For cost planning, check current Applitools plan terms directly; no plan prices are specified in the integration details cited here. For test reliability, make the captured state deterministic and keep each checkpoint scoped to what the test is meant to protect.
Best Value
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the fixture integration replace Playwright tests?
No. It adds visual checkpoints to Playwright tests; use Playwright assertions for behavioral and textual conditions.
Can I use the fixture import in Python, Java, or C# tests?
No. The sample import is for the JavaScript/TypeScript Fixtures integration; choose the SDK instructions for your language.
Where do I approve a visual baseline change?
Review the Eyes results in the test manager or report; authentication is needed to accept or reject changes.
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