> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.testdino.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Debug Playwright Test Failures

> Debug Playwright failures using traces, screenshots, and error grouping, and follow a workflow from evidence to root cause.

TestDino collects evidence from each test execution: screenshots, videos, traces, console logs, and error details. Understand failures without re-running tests locally.

## Evidence Types

| Evidence | What it shows | When to use | Guide |
| :- | :- | :- | :- |
| Screenshots | Visual state at failure point | UI layout issues, missing elements | [Visual Evidence](/guides/debug-playwright-failures/visual-evidence) |
| Video | Full test execution recording | Timing issues, unexpected interactions | [Visual Evidence](/guides/debug-playwright-failures/visual-evidence) |
| Trace | Step-by-step execution with network and DOM | Complex failures, race conditions | [Trace Viewer](/guides/playwright-trace-viewer) |
| Console | Browser console output | JavaScript errors, API failures | - |
| Error details | Error message and stack trace | Assertion failures, exceptions | [Error Grouping](/guides/playwright-error-grouping) |

## Where to Find Evidence

Open a test run and click on any failed test. The test case details page shows:

1. **KPI tiles:** Status, runtime, retry attempts
2. **Evidence tabs:** One tab per attempt (Run, Retry 1, Retry 2)

<img src="https://tdstorageus.blob.core.windows.net/public/docs/debug-and-analyze/debug-failures/debug-playwright-test-failures/overview-kpi-tiles.webp" alt="Test case KPI tiles showing status, runtime, and retry count" />

Each evidence tab contains:

* Error details with stack trace
* Test steps with timing
* Screenshots
* Console output
* Video player
* Trace viewer link
* Visual comparison (for screenshot tests)

<img src="https://tdstorageus.blob.core.windows.net/public/docs/debug-and-analyze/debug-failures/debug-playwright-test-failures/evidence-panel.webp" alt="Evidence panel showing error details, screenshots, console, and video tabs" />

## Debugging Workflow

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check the error message">
    Start with the error details. The message often points to the issue: assertion mismatch, element not found, or timeout.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the error group">
    Look at the error category (assertion failure, timeout, element not found, etc.) to determine whether to fix code, update selectors, or stabilize the test.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Look at screenshots">
    Screenshots show the UI state at failure. Compare with expected behavior.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Watch the video">
    Videos reveal timing issues and unexpected interactions that screenshots miss.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the trace">
    [Traces](/guides/playwright-trace-viewer) provide the most detail: every action, network request, and DOM change. Use traces for complex failures.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check console logs">
    Console output shows JavaScript errors, failed API calls, and application logs.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## AI Categories

| Category | What it means | Action |
| :- | :- | :- |
| Actual Bug | Repeatable product defect | Fix application code |
| UI Change | Interface changed, test no longer matches | Update selectors or assertions |
| Unstable Test | Intermittent failure from timing or state | Stabilize the test |
| Miscellaneous | Environment or configuration problem | Fix infrastructure or CI |

<img src="https://tdstorageus.blob.core.windows.net/public/docs/debug-and-analyze/debug-failures/debug-playwright-test-failures/ai-insights.webp" alt="AI Insights showing category, confidence score, and suggested fixes" />

<Tip>
  **Tip**

  Each classification includes a confidence score. Use the feedback form to correct misclassifications.
</Tip>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Debug with AI" icon="sparkles" href="/guides/debug-playwright-failures/debug-with-ai">
    Hand a failure to your AI assistant and verify the fix
  </Card>

  <Card title="Trace Viewer" icon="timeline" href="/guides/playwright-trace-viewer">
    Step-by-step execution analysis
  </Card>

  <Card title="Visual Evidence" icon="image" href="/guides/debug-playwright-failures/visual-evidence">
    Screenshots and videos
  </Card>

  <Card title="Error Grouping" icon="layer-group" href="/guides/playwright-error-grouping">
    Find patterns across failures
  </Card>

  <Card title="Test Cases" icon="flask" href="/platform/playwright-test-cases">
    Full test case documentation
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


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