Maintaining a stable Playwright execution setup across local developer environments and CI pipelines requires clear version management strategies. Discrepancies between Node environments, test packages, and browser drivers are frequent culprits behind pipeline flakiness and runtime errors.
Here is a straightforward reference matrix and best practices guide for managing Playwright and Node.js compatibility across your test suites.
Recommended Compatibility Matrix
| Playwright / Test Packages | Node.js Runtime | Target Browsers |
|---|---|---|
| 1.55.x – 1.58.x | 24.x (pinned via package.json) | Chromium, Chrome, Edge (via channels), Firefox (optional) |
Configuration reference:
playwright: ^1.55.1
@playwright/test: ^1.58.2
package.json engine definition: node: >=24.x.x
Version Management Best Practices
Pin Node.js Environments: Explicitly target Node.js 24.x across both local development environments and CI runner Docker images (or enforce it using the engines key in package.json).
Keep Packages in Lockstep: Always upgrade core playwright drivers and @playwright/test packages simultaneously to avoid API and runner mismatches.
Validate Upgrades with Smoke Suites: Before promoting Playwright dependency upgrades, check the official Playwright release notes for browser engine shifts and run target smoke test suites across all supported browsers.
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