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Automating API Tests with Playwright

Beginning in v7.2.0, you can automate API testing using Playwright. The test suite helps consistently verify authentication, permissions, and API endpoint behavior across different environments.

The Playwright-based API tests support:

  • Automated validation of core API functionality;
  • Execution against multiple environments (for example, dev, staging, production);
  • Secure configuration using environment-specific .env files.

This guide walks you through setting up the test suite, configuring required credentials, verifying your setup, and running tests successfully.

PREREQUISITES:

  • Node.js v18 or later
  • Git (for cloning the repository)
  • Playwright
    • Installed automatically via npm install;
    • Browsers installed separately.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

  1. Obtain External Application ID and Key
  2. Install Test Suite
  3. Create .env Files
  4. Configure .env Files
  5. Verify Setup
  6. Run Tests
  7. Troubleshooting

1. Obtain External Application ID and Key

Access Admin > System > External Applications

  1. Select an External Application.
  2. Enable Application Can Manage Users.
  3. [Show credentials], copy the values of the Application ID and Application key.

2. Install Test Suite

  1. Clone the repository and switch to the root directory:
git clone https://github.com/metricinsights/playwright-testing-guide.git
cd playwright-testing-guide
  1. Install dependencies.
    • This includes Playwright, TypeScript, and other required packages:
npm install
  1. Install Playwright browsers.
    • This step is required only for the first time you run the test suite:
npx playwright install chromium

3. Create .env Files

After installing the test suite, create one .env file per environment.

  • Single environment:
cp .env.example .env.staging
  • Multiple environments:
cp .env.example .env.dev
cp .env.example .env.staging
cp .env.example .env.production

4. Configure .env Files

NOTE: All environment variables in the .env files must be defined as strings.

Assign values to the following variables:

  1. BASE_URL: Full URL of the Metric Insights instance.
  2. APPLICATION_ID, APPLICATION_KEY: Credentials for the Metric Insights External Application.
  3. DEFAULT_USERNAME_ADMIN, DEFAULT_PASSWORD_ADMIN: Metric Insights Admin user credentials.
  4. USER_PASSWORD: Password to be used for newly created test users.
  5. AUTOTEST_EMAIL: Email address used for creating test users.

5. Verify Setup

Run a quick test to confirm that your configuration is correct:

npm run test:dev staging tests/auth/auth-admin.spec.ts

6. Run Tests

You can run the full test suite or limit execution to specific files or directories.

  • Run all tests:
npm run test:dev staging tests/
  • Run a specific test file:
npm run test:dev staging auth-admin.spec.ts
  • Run a specific directory:
npm run test:dev staging tests/auth

7. Troubleshooting

"Invalid URL" Error

Problem: Tests fail with URL-related errors.

Solution: Check that BASE_URL in .env is correct and includes https://.

"Unauthorized" (401 Error)

Problem: Authentication fails.

Solution:

  • Verify that APPLICATION_ID and APPLICATION_KEY are correct.
  • Check that the API user has the required permissions.
  • Ensure the admin user credentials are correct.