Open Traces
Playwright traces are detailed recordings of a test run. They can include actions, DOM snapshots, console events, network requests, timing, screenshots, and attachments.
Use traces when screenshots and videos show what happened but not why.
Open a failed run, check the trace capture setting in its details, open the scenario row, and launch the Playwright trace viewer from its actions. Tour the actions list, snapshot, timeline, console, network, and attachments, see Debug with Assistant work from the same trace, then download trace.zip from Artifacts.
When traces are available
Trace availability depends on the run configuration. Many teams keep traces for failed tests so they can debug without storing large artifacts for every passed test.
Traces may be missing when:
| Reason | What to check |
|---|---|
| Trace capture is disabled | Review the selected run configuration. |
| Trace is retained only on failure | Passed tests may not keep traces. |
| The run failed before Playwright ran | Check session setup and dependency installation. |
| The run is still finalizing | Wait for artifact processing to finish. |
| Artifacts expired or were deleted | Use a newer run or re-run the test. |
Open a trace
- Open Runs.
- Select a completed or failed run.
- Open the Tests tab.
- Open the scenario row you want to inspect.
- For a failed scenario, choose Debug with Assistant. Use Open Playwright trace in the scenario's actions when a trace is available.
Open Playwright trace opens the trace viewer. Debug with Assistant opens a workspace with Trace and Assistant tabs and starts investigating the selected failure. If a scenario has no trace, the Open Playwright trace action is not shown for that row.
What to inspect in a trace
| Trace area | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Actions | See each Playwright click, fill, navigation, and assertion. |
| Snapshots | Inspect the page around each action. |
| Timeline | Find slow actions, timeouts, and late-loading resources. |
| Console | Match browser errors to a specific moment in the test. |
| Network | See requests and responses near the failing action. |
| Attachments | Review screenshots or other files tied to the run. |
Download traces
When a run uploads trace files, you can download them from the Artifacts tab (or the per-scenario Artifacts list in the row details). Use this when a teammate needs the raw trace file or when you want to keep a copy outside TestVibe.
For the visible browser state around a failure, see View screenshots.