Playwright

10 Types of Software Testing You Can Do With Playwright (Beyond the UI)

Playwright isn’t just for UI testing , it’s a full-stack testing powerhouse. Discover 10 types of software testing you can perform with Playwright, from API and accessibility testing to performance, visual, and security checks.

Pratik Patel

Oct 30, 2025

10 Types of Software Testing You Can Do With Playwright (Beyond the UI)

Testing sucks when it's slow.

You write a test. It opens a browser. Clicks around for 30 seconds. Then tells you something broke. But what broke? The UI? The API? A network timeout? Who knows.

Here's the thing: Playwright isn't just for clicking buttons. It's a Swiss Army knife for testing everything in your web app. API calls. Performance metrics. Accessibility compliance. Visual consistency. All of it.

And when you connect Playwright to TestDino? You get instant visibility into what's actually failing and why. No more digging through CI logs at 2 AM.

Let's explore 10 testing approaches that'll make your test suite faster, smarter, and actually useful.

1. API Testing: The Speed Demon

API tests run 10-50x faster than UI tests. That’s not a typo. Skip the browser entirely. Hit your endpoints directly:

test(‘Create and verify user’, async ({ request }) => {
// Create user via API - takes milliseconds
const response = await request.post(‘/api/users’, {
data: { name: ‘Sarah’, role: ‘admin’ }
});
expect(response.status()).toBe(201);
const user = await response.json();
// Verify the response structure
expect(user.id).toBeDefined();
expect(user.role).toBe(‘admin’);
});

Smart teams test business logic at the API level. UI tests? Save those for actual UI behavior. API testing is a software testing method and technique that focuses on validating business logic and endpoints.

TestDino Integration: Your API test results flow straight into TestDino’s dashboard. See response times, failure patterns, and which endpoints break most often. The AI automatically groups similar API failures.

2. Performance Testing: User-Perceived Speed

Your server responds in 50ms. Cool. Evaluating how the system performs from the user's perspective is essential to ensure responsiveness and satisfaction. But users wait 5 seconds for the page to load. Not cool.

Playwright measures what users actually experience:

test(‘Measure real loading performance’, async ({ page }) => {
await page.goto(‘https://yourapp.com‘);
// Get Largest Contentful Paint
const lcp = await page.evaluate(() => {
return new Promise((resolve) => {
new PerformanceObserver((list) => {
const entries = list.getEntries();
resolve(entries[entries.length - 1].startTime);
}).observe({ type: ‘largest-contentful-paint’, buffered: true });
});
});
expect(lcp).toBeLessThan(2500); // Google’s recommendation
});

This captures Core Web Vitals, the metrics Google uses for search rankings. Real browser. Real rendering. Real performance data. Performance testing like this helps you analyze software behavior under real-world conditions, ensuring your application meets user expectations.

TestDino Bonus: TestDino tracks performance trends over time. Watch your LCP creep up? You’ll know before users complain.

3. Accessibility Testing: Don't Lock People Out

Approximately 15% of the world’s population has some disability. Your app should work for everyone. It is essential to test the user interface for accessibility to ensure all users can interact with your application effectively.

Axe-core + Playwright = automated accessibility scanning:

import AxeBuilder from ‘@axe-core/playwright’;
test(‘Check accessibility compliance’, async ({ page }) => {
await page.goto(‘/signup’);
const results = await new AxeBuilder({ page })
.withTags([‘wcag2a’, ‘wcag2aa’])
.analyze();
expect(results.violations).toEqual([]);
});

This catches missing alt text, poor color contrast, and broken screen reader navigation. Automatically. Usability testing is also important to ensure the application is user-friendly and accessible for all users.

TestDino Magic: Failed accessibility tests show up with detailed explanations. “Button needs 4.5:1 contrast ratio, currently 3.2:1.” No cryptic error messages.

4. Visual Regression: Catch the Tiny Breaks

Someone changed the CSS. Now, your checkout button is invisible on a mobile device. Visual regression testing helps ensure existing functionality is not broken by UI changes. Functional tests pass. Users can’t buy anything.

Visual regression testing catches this:

test(‘Checkout page looks right’, async ({ page }) => {
await page.goto(‘/checkout’);
// Compare against baseline screenshot
await expect(page).toHaveScreenshot(‘checkout-page.png’, {
maxDiffPixels: 100
});
});

First run creates the baseline. Future runs compare pixel-by-pixel. A regression test like this verifies that existing functionalities remain unaffected after updates, and running multiple regression tests as part of your test suite helps catch issues that could impact existing functionality.

TestDino Power-Up: Visual diffs appear side-by-side in TestDino. Expected vs. actual vs. diff overlay. Approve new baselines with one click. Version control tracks who approved what.

5. Load Testing: Real Browser Under Pressure

Traditional load testing tools send HTTP requests. But they miss JavaScript execution, rendering bottlenecks, and memory leaks. In addition to load testing, related types of performance testing, such as stress testing, volume testing, and endurance testing, are used to evaluate the system's behavior under various conditions, focusing on stability, capacity, and long-term reliability.

Combine Artillery + Playwright for browser-based load testing:

// artillery-test.yml
scenarios:
- name: ‘Shopping flow under load’
engine: playwright
testFunction: ‘userShopping’
// In your test file
async function userShopping(page) {
await page.goto(‘/shop’);
// Measure performance while the system is under load
const timing = await page.evaluate(() =>
performance.timing.loadEventEnd - performance.timing.navigationStart
);
console.log(Page loaded in ${timing}ms under load);
}

This shows how real users experience your app when 1000 others are using it simultaneously. During these tests, you are evaluating the system's behavior under load to identify performance issues and bottlenecks.

TestDino Insight: Compare performance metrics between normal and load conditions. See exactly when and where performance degrades.

6. Network Testing: When the Internet Breaks

Users don’t have fiber connections. They have spotty 3G on the subway.

Test your app on a poor network connection: This process involves testing how your application performs under various network scenarios, such as slow connections, offline mode, or connection drops.

test(‘Works on slow connection’, async ({ page, context }) => {
// Simulate slow 3G
await context.route(‘**/*’, route => {
setTimeout(() => route.continue(), 200); // Add delay
});
await page.goto(‘/‘);
await page.click(‘[data-testid=”load-more”]’);
// Should show loading state
await expect(page.locator(‘.loading-indicator’)).toBeVisible();
// Should eventually load
await expect(page.locator(‘.content’)).toBeVisible({ timeout: 10000 });
});

Test offline mode. Test connection drops. Test what happens when APIs timeout.

TestDino Analysis: Network-related failures are tagged automatically. “Failed due to timeout” vs “Failed due to 500 error.” Different problems need different solutions.

7. Component Testing: Fast and Focused

Testing entire user flows is slow. Testing individual components? Lightning fast. Component testing is similar to unit testing, where unit tests verify individual code components in isolation to ensure they function correctly.

import { test, expect } from ‘@playwright/experimental-ct-react’;
import { Button } from ‘./Button’;
test(‘Button handles clicks’, async ({ mount }) => {
let clicked = false;
const component = await mount(
< Button onClick={() => clicked = true}>
Click me
< /Button>
);
await component.click();
expect(clicked).toBe(true);
});

Real browser rendering. Isolated component. No full app startup.

TestDino Tracking: Component test failures appear grouped by component. See which components break most often. Spot patterns across different test types.

8. Device Testing: Beyond Desktop

Your app works great on your MacBook. How about a 5-year-old Android phone? Compatibility testing helps ensure your application works seamlessly across different devices and operating systems, identifying issues that may arise due to variations in hardware, OS versions, and environments.

import { devices } from ‘@playwright/test’;
test(‘Mobile checkout flow’, async ({ browser }) => {
const context = await browser.newContext({
…devices[‘iPhone 12’],
geolocation: { latitude: 40.7128, longitude: -74.0060 },
permissions: [‘geolocation’]
});
const page = await context.newPage();
await page.goto(‘/checkout’);
// Test mobile-specific features
await page.tap(‘[data-testid=”address-lookup”]’);
await expect(page.locator(‘.location-result’)).toContainText(‘New York’);
});

Test touch interactions, device capabilities, and screen sizes, all without physical devices.

TestDino Intelligence: Device-specific failures get flagged. “Fails on iOS Safari but passes on Chrome Android.” Now you know where to look.

9. Configuration Testing: Every Combination

Different locales. Timezones. Permissions. Dark mode. Your app needs to handle all of them.

Localization testing and globalization testing are crucial for verifying that your application adapts correctly to various languages, regions, and cultural contexts.

test(‘German locale with dark mode’, async ({ browser }) => {
const context = await browser.newContext({
locale: ‘de-DE’,
colorScheme: ‘dark’,
timezoneId: ‘Europe/Berlin’
});
const page = await context.newPage();
await page.goto(‘/settings’);
// Verify German formatting
await expect(page.locator(‘.price’)).toContainText(‘99,99 €’);
// Verify dark mode
await expect(page.locator(‘body’)).toHaveCSS(‘background-color’, ‘rgb(18, 18, 18)’);
});

Test every user configuration without manual setup.

TestDino Correlation: Configuration failures show patterns. “Always fails in RTL languages.” “Breaks in UTC+9 timezone.” TestDino spots these patterns automatically.

10. Network Mocking: Control Everything

External APIs go down. Third-party services return garbage. Your tests shouldn’t care.

test(‘Handles payment API errors gracefully’, async ({ page }) => {
// Mock payment service failure
await page.route(‘**/api/payment’, route => {
route.fulfill({
status: 503,
body: JSON.stringify({ error: ‘Service unavailable’ })
});
});
await page.goto(‘/checkout’);
await page.click(‘[data-testid=”pay-now”]’);
// Should show user-friendly error
await expect(page.locator(‘.error-message’))
.toContainText(‘Payment temporarily unavailable. Please try again.’);
});

Test error states. Test edge cases. Test the unhappy paths that users will definitely find. Recovery testing is essential here: intentionally induce failures to evaluate your application's ability to recover from crashes or unexpected issues.

TestDino Advantage: Mocked vs. real API failures show up differently. Know instantly whether a failure is your code or an external dependency.

Best Practices for Software Testing

Great software testing doesn't happen by accident.

It's the result of smart planning, the right tools, and a commitment to quality throughout your entire development process. No magic. Just discipline and the right approach.

1. Start with a solid test plan.

Know what you're testing, how you'll test it, and what success looks like. Your test cases should cover both the happy path (when everything works as expected) and the edge cases (when everything fails). Write them down. Be specific. "User can log in" isn't a test case. "User with valid credentials sees dashboard within 3 seconds" is.

2. Mix automated and manual testing.

Automation handles the repetitive stuff, running the same regression tests 100 times without complaining. However, humans catch the unusual automation misses. That button that technically works but looks terrible? A human will spot it.

3. Test early. Test often.

Waiting until the end to test is like checking your parachute after you jump. Bad idea. Build testing into every stage of the development process. Write code, test it, ship it, and repeat.

Your testing team isn't the cleanup crew; they're your co-pilots. Bring them in during planning. They'll spot problems in your requirements before you write a single line of code.

Give them the right tools: test automation frameworks, defect tracking systems, and (hint) TestDino for making sense of all those test results.

Build this foundation, and you'll ship better software. Skip it, and you'll ship bugs.

Ready to Level Up Your Testing?

Start with API tests. Seriously. They're 10x faster than UI tests and catch most of your business logic bugs.

Next? Add visual regression testing. You know those bugs where everything technically works but looks completely broken? Visual tests catch those before your CEO sees them in production.

Don't forget accessibility. It's not just the right thing to do; it's often legally required. Plus, accessible apps are better for everyone.

Your testing strategy needs layers:

Define clear test cases.
Write maintainable test scripts.
Run smoke tests on every deploy to catch the obvious breaks.
Use acceptance testing to verify that features actually solve user problems.
Mix in some beta testing with real users, and they'll find bugs your team never imagined.

Alpha testing catches the embarrassing stuff internally. User acceptance testing confirms you built what users actually wanted.

Sanity testing ensures your quick fixes haven’t broken something else. And yes, sometimes you need good old ad hoc testing, just poking around to see what breaks.

Want maximum test coverage? You need all these pieces working together.

Your testing process should flow smoothly from development through deployment.
Your development team and testing team should communicate daily, rather than throwing code over the wall.

TestDino ties it all together. One dashboard. All your test types. AI that spots patterns humans miss. Because raw test results are just noise, you need insights that tell you exactly what to fix and where.

Connecting Everything with TestDino

Here’s where it gets good.

TestDino doesn’t just collect test results. It understands them. Test execution, the process of running tests and collecting results, is seamlessly integrated. API tests, visual tests, and performance tests all flow into one dashboard. One source of truth.

The AI looks at your failures and says, “This isn’t random. These 5 tests all failed when the user service returned a 500. Here’s the pattern.” It also helps you track test coverage, so you know how much of your application is being tested and where gaps may exist.

Set up takes minutes: Software testers and testing teams can quickly manage and interpret test results within TestDino.

// playwright.config.js
module.exports = {
reporter: [
[‘json’, { outputFile: ‘test-results.json’ }],
[‘@testdino/playwright-reporter’, {
apiKey: process.env.TESTDINO_KEY,
projectId: ‘your-project’
}]
]
};

Now, every test run, API, visual, performance, and accessibility test appears in TestDino. With traces. With screenshots. With AI-powered root cause analysis.

Flaky test detection works across all test types. Visual diffs get version-controlled. Performance trends show up in real-time graphs.

Conclusion

UI testing alone leaves blind spots. Big ones.

These 10 testing approaches with Playwright cover your entire app. Backend to frontend. Performance to accessibility. Desktop to mobile. Testing the whole system and software ensures comprehensive coverage across all components and integrations. It's also crucial to test software in real-world environments and verify the installed software system to guarantee reliability and readiness for users.

TestDino turns those test results into insights. Instead of “test failed,” you get “API timeout caused cart test to fail on mobile Safari when network latency exceeds 200ms.”

Stop debugging. Start shipping.

Your tests should make development faster, not slower. With Playwright’s versatility and TestDino’s intelligence, they finally can.

10 Types of Software Testing You Can Do With Playwright (Beyond the UI)

1. API Testing: The Speed Demon

2. Performance Testing: User-Perceived Speed

3. Accessibility Testing: Don't Lock People Out

4. Visual Regression: Catch the Tiny Breaks

5. Load Testing: Real Browser Under Pressure

6. Network Testing: When the Internet Breaks

7. Component Testing: Fast and Focused

8. Device Testing: Beyond Desktop

9. Configuration Testing: Every Combination

10. Network Mocking: Control Everything

Best Practices for Software Testing

1. Start with a solid test plan.

2. Mix automated and manual testing.

3. Test early. Test often.

Ready to Level Up Your Testing?

Connecting Everything with TestDino

Conclusion

Get started fast

How to Set Up a Scalable Playwright Framework That Speeds Up PR Reviews

Playwright PR Health Checks – Block Risky Merges with CI

Android Web Testing with Playwright: CI and Real Devices

10 Types of Software Testing You Can Do With Playwright (Beyond the UI)

1. API Testing: The Speed Demon

2. Performance Testing: User-Perceived Speed

3. Accessibility Testing: Don't Lock People Out

4. Visual Regression: Catch the Tiny Breaks

5. Load Testing: Real Browser Under Pressure

6. Network Testing: When the Internet Breaks

7. Component Testing: Fast and Focused

8. Device Testing: Beyond Desktop

9. Configuration Testing: Every Combination

10. Network Mocking: Control Everything

Best Practices for Software Testing

1. Start with a solid test plan.

2. Mix automated and manual testing.

3. Test early. Test often.

Ready to Level Up Your Testing?

Connecting Everything with TestDino

Conclusion

Get started fast

How to Set Up a Scalable Playwright Framework That Speeds Up PR Reviews

Playwright PR Health Checks – Block Risky Merges with CI

Android Web Testing with Playwright: CI and Real Devices

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