Playwright Handling Authentication and Sessions in Playwright Estimated reading: 2 minutes 74 views When testing real-world applications, handling login flows efficiently is essential. Repeating login steps in every test can slow things down and clutter your test code. In this guide, I’ll show you how to streamline authentication using Playwright’s session handling and storage state features—techniques I personally use in production testing environments.Manual Login in Every TestYou could log in manually in each test, like this:JavaScripttest('manual login', async ({ page }) => { await page.goto('https://app.com/login'); await page.fill('input[name=email]', 'user@example.com'); await page.fill('input[name=password]', 'mypassword'); await page.click('button[type=submit]'); });But this approach is inefficient and repetitive. It increases test execution time and creates maintenance headaches, especially when the login flow changes.The Better Way: Using storageState to Reuse SessionsPlaywright supports session persistence using a feature called storageState. This lets you log in once, save the authentication state, and reuse it across multiple tests—no need to repeat login steps. Save the Login State:Create a separate file setup.spec.js and add the following:JavaScripttest('store login state', async ({ page }) => { await page.goto('https://app.com/login'); await page.fill('input[name=email]', 'user@example.com'); await page.fill('input[name=password]', 'mypassword'); await page.click('button[type=submit]'); await page.context().storageState({ path: 'auth.json' }); });Run it once to generate the auth.json file:Bashnpx playwright test --project=setup Use the Saved Session in Other Tests:Update your playwright.config.js file to load the saved auth state in your tests:JavaScriptuse: { storageState: 'auth.json', }Now every test will automatically start in a logged-in state—no need to visit the login page again.ConclusionMastering Authentication and Session Handling in Playwright is a game changer. By avoiding repetitive logins and reusing sessions, you can write faster, cleaner, and more maintainable tests. This technique not only optimizes your test suite but also mirrors how users navigate your app post-login. Ready to take the next step and organize your growing test suite? Jump into the next guide Organizing and Running Test Suites in Playwright. Playwright - Previous Understanding Playwright Locators and Assertions Next - Playwright Organizing and Running Test Suites in Playwright
