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Playwright does not use one universal screenshot folder. The location depends on how the image was produced. A direct page.screenshot() or locator.screenshot() call saves only when you provide a path; a relative path is resolved from the process’s current working directory. Playwright Test artifacts normally go to the configured outputDir (by default, a test-results directory beside package.json). Visual assertion baselines, report attachments and trace images follow separate storage rules.
Find the producing API first, then inspect its path or configuration. The sections below show exactly what to check and how to make the destination explicit.
Quick location map
| How the image was created | Where it goes | What to inspect |
|---|---|---|
page.screenshot() or locator.screenshot() |
The path you pass. A relative path starts at the Node.js process’s current working directory. With no path, Playwright returns bytes and creates no file. |
The screenshot call and the directory from which you launched the command. |
| Playwright Test screenshot, video or trace artifact | The configured outputDir; when unset, typically test-results under the package directory. Each test gets its own subdirectory. |
playwright.config.*, testInfo.outputDir and testInfo.outputPath(). |
expect(page).toHaveScreenshot() |
The visual-snapshot path generated by the configured snapshot template, not the ordinary test output directory. | snapshotPathTemplate and an assertion-level pathTemplate, if present. |
testInfo.attach() |
A reporter-accessible attachment location. The report can contain the image even if your code never created a conveniently named standalone file. | The report’s Attachments area and the code that calls attach. |
| Tracing screenshots | Inside the trace file and its visual timeline, viewed with Trace Viewer. | Tracing configuration and the trace path, rather than a PNG filename. |
Direct screenshots: the path is the answer
When a path is supplied
This call writes a file:
import { chromium } from 'playwright';
const browser = await chromium.launch();
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.screenshot({ path: 'artifacts/home.png', fullPage: true });
await browser.close();If you start the script from /work/site, the relative destination is /work/site/artifacts/home.png. It is not automatically relative to the JavaScript file, the test file or playwright.config.ts. Create the parent directory yourself when your script does not already do so:
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await mkdir('artifacts', { recursive: true });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'artifacts/home.png' });An absolute path removes ambiguity:
await page.screenshot({ path: '/tmp/playwright/home.png' });When no path is supplied
await page.screenshot() returns image bytes; it does not save a disk file. You must write the returned buffer yourself:
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const image = await page.screenshot({ type: 'png' });
await writeFile('/tmp/home.png', image);The same rule applies to locator.screenshot(). A common mistake is searching the repository for a PNG after calling the method without path; there is no standalone file to find unless subsequent code persisted the buffer.
Confirm the runtime directory
Print the directory that resolves relative paths:
console.log('cwd:', process.cwd());In npm scripts, IDE launchers, containers and CI, the working directory can differ from the directory containing your source file. Log the resolved filename when diagnosing a missing image:
import path from 'node:path';
const target = path.resolve('artifacts/home.png');
console.log('screenshot:', target);
await page.screenshot({ path: target });Playwright Test artifacts
Default and custom output directories
Playwright Test stores screenshots, videos and traces in its test output directory. If you do not set one, the documented default is typically test-results under the directory containing package.json. A project can override it:
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// playwright.config.ts
import { defineConfig } from '@playwright/test';
export default defineConfig({
outputDir: 'artifacts/test-output',
use: {
screenshot: 'only-on-failure'
}
});With this configuration, inspect artifacts/test-output, not a folder beside the test file. Playwright creates a unique subdirectory for each test, which prevents collisions when workers run tests in parallel.
Use testInfo instead of guessing
For deterministic paths inside the current test’s output directory, use the test information object:
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import { test } from '@playwright/test';
test('save a diagnostic image', async ({ page }, testInfo) => {
await page.goto('https://example.com');
const file = testInfo.outputPath('diagnostics', 'page.png');
await page.screenshot({ path: file, fullPage: true });
console.log('saved to', file);
});testInfo.outputDir tells you the current test’s directory. testInfo.outputPath() constructs a path within it and is safer than concatenating a guessed folder name.
Automatic failure screenshots
If use.screenshot is set to 'only-on-failure' or 'on', those images are test-run artifacts and appear under outputDir. A passing test with 'only-on-failure' normally produces no screenshot. Check the active project configuration: a different project in the same config can have different settings.
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Visual regression snapshots
expect(page).toHaveScreenshot() is not the same as a diagnostic page.screenshot({ path }). It creates and compares baseline snapshots using Playwright Test’s snapshot path configuration. A relative snapshot template is resolved from the configuration directory, and projects can customize the location with snapshotPathTemplate. An individual assertion can also supply a path template.
// playwright.config.ts
import { defineConfig } from '@playwright/test';
export default defineConfig({
snapshotPathTemplate: '{snapshotDir}/{projectName}/{testFilePath}/{arg}{ext}'
});When a baseline cannot be found, inspect this template and the project name before looking in test-results. Snapshot files are intentionally separate from ordinary run artifacts so that baselines can be reviewed and versioned independently.
Attachments and reports
testInfo.attach() makes a file or buffer available to reporters:
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import { test } from '@playwright/test';
test('attach screenshot', async ({ page }, testInfo) => {
const image = await page.screenshot();
await testInfo.attach('page', {
body: image,
contentType: 'image/png'
});
});This code receives bytes and attaches them to the test report; it does not promise a permanently named PNG beside the test source. Open the generated report and its attachment panel to retrieve the image. If you need a predictable filesystem artifact as well, pass a path to page.screenshot() or write the buffer to a path before attaching it.
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Tracing records screenshots as part of the trace’s visual timeline. They are viewed by opening the trace in Trace Viewer, not by searching for a sequence of ordinary image files. The trace itself is saved at the path configured by your tracing setup or by the command that exports it. Treat a trace image as trace content unless your test separately calls a screenshot API with a path.
A reliable way to find an existing screenshot
- Search the code for
page.screenshot,locator.screenshot,toHaveScreenshot,testInfo.attachand tracing setup. - If the call has
path, resolve a relative value againstprocess.cwd(); printpath.resolve(pathValue)to verify it. - If there is no path, determine whether the returned buffer is written elsewhere or only attached to a report.
- For test-run artifacts, inspect the active configuration’s
outputDir. If it is unset, check the package directory’stest-results. - For a test-specific location, log
testInfo.outputDiror the result oftestInfo.outputPath(). - For visual assertions, inspect
snapshotPathTemplateand any assertion-level template. - For attachments, open the reporter output. For tracing, open the trace in Trace Viewer.
Troubleshooting missing files
“The screenshot call succeeded, but no PNG exists”
Most often, no path was supplied. Save the returned buffer with writeFile, or add an explicit absolute path.
“I looked beside the test file”
Relative direct paths use the process working directory. Test artifacts use outputDir, and snapshots use their template. Print process.cwd() and inspect the configuration rather than moving files randomly.
“The folder is empty after a successful test”
Automatic screenshots may be configured as only-on-failure. Trigger the failure intentionally or change the setting temporarily. Also verify that you are inspecting the active project and output directory.
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“Parallel tests overwrite each other”
Do not construct one shared filename such as latest.png. Use testInfo.outputPath() or include a test-specific identifier. Playwright Test’s per-test output directories are designed to avoid these collisions.
“The snapshot is not where the report artifact is”
That is expected: assertion baselines and test-run artifacts have different path systems. Check the snapshot template for the former and outputDir for the latter.
“The report shows an image, but I cannot find a file”
The image may exist only as a reporter attachment. Retrieve it from the report or explicitly persist a second copy in your test.
“CI cannot create the destination”
Use a writable workspace path, create parent directories with mkdir(..., { recursive: true }), and log the resolved destination. Containerized or read-only runners can reject an otherwise valid path.
Make screenshot storage predictable
- Choose separate directories for human-reviewed artifacts, visual baselines and temporary diagnostics.
- Use absolute paths at integration boundaries, or derive them from
testInfo.outputPath(). - Log the resolved path on failure so CI logs answer the location question immediately.
- Keep large artifacts out of source control unless they are intentional visual baselines.
- Record the screenshot type and producing mechanism when uploading artifacts; a trace image and a PNG file are not interchangeable.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Playwright save screenshots next to the test file by default?
No. Direct relative paths use the process working directory, while Playwright Test artifacts and visual snapshots use their own configured locations.
Can I use one path rule for screenshots, snapshots and traces?
No. They are separate mechanisms: ordinary screenshot paths, test output directories, snapshot templates and trace files must be configured or inspected independently.
How can I print the exact path during a test?
Resolve a direct path with Node’s path.resolve(), or log testInfo.outputDir and the value returned by testInfo.outputPath().
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