class: Electron

• since: v1.9
• langs: js

Playwright has experimental support for Electron automation. You can access electron namespace via:

const { _electron } = require('playwright');

An example of the Electron automation script would be:

const { _electron: electron } = require('playwright');

(async () => {
  // Launch Electron app.
  const electronApp = await electron.launch({ args: ['main.js'] });

  // Evaluation expression in the Electron context.
  const appPath = await electronApp.evaluate(async ({ app }) => {
    // This runs in the main Electron process, parameter here is always
    // the result of the require('electron') in the main app script.
    return app.getAppPath();
  });
  console.log(appPath);

  // Get the first window that the app opens, wait if necessary.
  const window = await electronApp.firstWindow();
  // Print the title.
  console.log(await window.title());
  // Capture a screenshot.
  await window.screenshot({ path: 'intro.png' });
  // Direct Electron console to Node terminal.
  window.on('console', console.log);
  // Click button.
  await window.click('text=Click me');
  // Exit app.
  await electronApp.close();
})();

Supported Electron versions are:

• v12.2.0+
• v13.4.0+
• v14+

Known issues:

If you are not able to launch Electron and it will end up in timeouts during launch, try the following:

• Ensure that nodeCliInspect (FuseV1Options.EnableNodeCliInspectArguments) fuse is not set to false.

Mocking native dialogs:

Playwright does not intercept the native Electron dialog API (dialog.showOpenDialog, dialog.showSaveDialog, dialog.showMessageBox, etc.) because those calls happen in the Electron main process and go straight to OS APIs. Use [method: ElectronApplication.evaluate] to replace the relevant methods in the main process so tests run deterministically without any OS-level UI:

// Stub the open dialog to always return a fixed path.
await electronApp.evaluate(({ dialog }, filePaths) => {
  dialog.showOpenDialog = () => Promise.resolve({ canceled: false, filePaths });
}, ['/path/to/file.txt']);

// Stub the save dialog.
await electronApp.evaluate(({ dialog }, filePath) => {
  dialog.showSaveDialog = () => Promise.resolve({ canceled: false, filePath });
}, '/path/to/saved.txt');

// Stub showMessageBox to click the first button.
await electronApp.evaluate(({ dialog }) => {
  dialog.showMessageBox = () => Promise.resolve({ response: 0, checkboxChecked: false });
});

The replacement persists until the application is closed. Synchronous variants (showOpenDialogSync, showSaveDialogSync, showMessageBoxSync) can be stubbed the same way — just return the value directly instead of a Promise.

async method: Electron.launch

• since: v1.9

• returns: <[ElectronApplication]>

Launches electron application specified with the [option: executablePath].

option: Electron.launch.executablePath

• since: v1.9

• executablePath <[string]>

Launches given Electron application. If not specified, launches the default Electron executable installed in this package, located at node_modules/.bin/electron.

option: Electron.launch.args

• since: v1.9

• args <[Array]<[string]>>

Additional arguments to pass to the application when launching. You typically pass the main script name here.

option: Electron.launch.cwd

• since: v1.9

• cwd <[string]>

Current working directory to launch application from.

option: Electron.launch.env

• since: v1.9

• env <[Object]<[string], [string]>>

Specifies environment variables that will be visible to Electron. Defaults to process.env.

option: Electron.launch.timeout

• since: v1.15

• timeout <[float]>

Maximum time in milliseconds to wait for the application to start. Defaults to 30000 (30 seconds). Pass 0 to disable timeout.

option: Electron.launch.acceptdownloads = %%-context-option-acceptdownloads-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.bypassCSP = %%-context-option-bypasscsp-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.colorScheme = %%-context-option-colorscheme-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.extraHTTPHeaders = %%-context-option-extrahttpheaders-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.geolocation = %%-context-option-geolocation-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.httpcredentials = %%-context-option-httpcredentials-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.ignoreHTTPSErrors = %%-context-option-ignorehttpserrors-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.locale = %%-context-option-locale-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.offline = %%-context-option-offline-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.recordhar = %%-context-option-recordhar-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.recordharpath = %%-context-option-recordhar-path-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.recordHarOmitContent = %%-context-option-recordhar-omit-content-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.recordvideo = %%-context-option-recordvideo-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.recordvideodir = %%-context-option-recordvideo-dir-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.recordvideosize = %%-context-option-recordvideo-size-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.timezoneId = %%-context-option-timezoneid-%%

• since: v1.12

option: Electron.launch.tracesDir = %%-browser-option-tracesdir-%%

• since: v1.36

option: Electron.launch.artifactsDir = %%-browser-option-artifactsdir-%%

• since: v1.59

option: Electron.launch.chromiumSandbox = %%-browser-option-chromiumsandbox-%%

• since: v1.59

Source: docs/src/electron-api/class-electron.md