Module 3: Actions & User Interaction

You’ve mastered locators. Now it’s time to actually interact with the page. This module covers every user action you’ll write in a real Playwright test — from a simple click to handling a browser dialog or uploading a file inside an iframe.

🎬 Video coming soon

Click actions

.click() is the most common action in Playwright. Before clicking, Playwright automatically waits for the element to be visible, enabled, stable, and not obscured. You don’t need a manual waitFor() before most clicks.

// Basic click — the bread and butter of every test
await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Log In' }).click();

// Click a link
await page.getByRole('link', { name: 'Register' }).click();

// Click a product card
await page.locator('.product-card').filter({ hasText: 'Wireless Mouse' }).click();

Double-click

Used for inline editing UIs and other elements that distinguish single from double click.

// Double-click an editable table cell
await page.locator('.editable-cell').dblclick();

Right-click

Right-click opens the browser context menu or triggers contextmenu event listeners in the app.

// Right-click to trigger a context menu
await page.locator('.product-card').click({ button: 'right' });

Force click

Bypasses Playwright’s actionability checks. Use sparingly — only when you know the element is present but Playwright’s checks are blocking a legitimate interaction.

// Force click — bypasses visibility / actionability checks
await page.locator('#hidden-trigger').click({ force: true });

Playwright’s auto-wait means: in 95% of real tests, a plain .click() is all you need. Save the options for edge cases.

Remember: a plain .click() auto-waits (visible, enabled, stable); reach for { force: true } / { button: 'right' } only in edge cases.

`fill()` vs `pressSequentially()`

This is both a common interview question and a daily design decision.

`fill()`

Clears the field first (no need to triple-click first)
Dispatches a single input event — instantaneous
Preferred for 95% of form fields

// fill() — clears then sets the value in one operation
await page.locator('#email').fill('[email protected]');
await page.locator('#password').fill('customer123');

// Works on any element that accepts text input
await page.getByLabel('Shipping Name').fill('Jane Doe');
await page.getByLabel('Shipping Address').fill('123 Main Street');
await page.getByLabel('Shipping City').fill('Portland');
await page.getByLabel('Shipping Zip Code').fill('97201');

`pressSequentially()`

Types character by character, firing keydown, keypress, keyup for each character
Does not clear the field first — appends to existing text
Slower — use only when fill() doesn’t trigger the right behavior

// pressSequentially() — simulates real keystrokes, character by character
await page.locator('#email').pressSequentially('[email protected]', { delay: 30 });

// Common use case: search fields with autocomplete / debounced handlers
await page.locator('#search').pressSequentially('Wire', { delay: 50 });
// Each keystroke fires events that the autocomplete component listens for

When pressSequentially() is necessary: React-Select, typeahead components, rich text editors, or any input that reacts to each individual keystroke rather than the final value.

Gotcha: If a field already has pre-filled text, pressSequentially() appends to it. fill() always clears first.

// Field starts with "old value" — pressSequentially() appends:
await page.locator('#name').pressSequentially(' new suffix'); // result: "old value new suffix"

// fill() ignores whatever was there before:
await page.locator('#name').fill('fresh value'); // result: "fresh value"

Remember: fill() for ~95% of fields (clears + one event); pressSequentially() only when each keystroke must fire.

Keyboard `press()`

.press() sends a single key press to a focused element. page.keyboard.press() sends the key globally, regardless of which element has focus.

// Press Enter to submit a form (locator-scoped)
await page.locator('#password').press('Enter');

// Press Tab to move to the next focusable field
await page.locator('#shipping_name').press('Tab');

// Escape to close a modal or dropdown
await page.keyboard.press('Escape');

// Backspace to delete characters
await page.keyboard.press('Backspace');

// Arrow keys for navigation
await page.keyboard.press('ArrowDown');
await page.keyboard.press('ArrowUp');

Key combinations

Use + to combine modifier keys with other keys:

// Select all text in the focused element
await page.keyboard.press('Control+A');

// Copy selected text
await page.keyboard.press('Control+C');

// Paste
await page.keyboard.press('Control+V');

// Delete selected text
await page.keyboard.press('Control+A');
await page.keyboard.press('Delete');

Key name casing matters: The correct names are 'Control', 'Shift', 'Alt', 'Meta' — not 'ctrl' or 'shift'.

Shift+Click and hold-down patterns

// Hold Shift, click multiple items for multi-selection
await page.keyboard.down('Shift');
await page.locator('.list-item').nth(3).click();
await page.keyboard.up('Shift');

Accessibility tip: Tab navigation is a powerful tool for testing keyboard accessibility. Navigate through a form without touching the mouse to verify the tab order is logical.

Remember: .press('Enter') is locator-scoped, page.keyboard.press(...) is global; key names are capitalized (Control, not ctrl).

Checkboxes & radio buttons

Use .check() and .uncheck() rather than .click() — they read like documentation and validate intent.

// Check a checkbox
await page.getByLabel('Remember me').check();

// Uncheck a checkbox
await page.getByLabel('Subscribe to newsletter').uncheck();

// Set checkbox to a specific state regardless of current state
await page.getByLabel('Terms and conditions').setChecked(true);
await page.getByLabel('Marketing emails').setChecked(false);

Difference: .check() throws if the checkbox is already checked (self-validating). .click() toggles regardless. .setChecked(true/false) sets a specific state without throwing.

Radio buttons

Radio groups share the same name attribute. Use .check() on the option you want to select.

// Select a radio button
await page.getByLabel('Express Shipping').check();
await page.getByLabel('Standard Shipping').check();

// Assert which radio is currently selected
await expect(page.getByLabel('Express Shipping')).toBeChecked();

Assertions for checkboxes and radios

// Assert a checkbox is checked
await expect(page.getByLabel('Remember me')).toBeChecked();

// Assert a checkbox is NOT checked
await expect(page.getByLabel('Newsletter')).not.toBeChecked();

Remember: prefer .check()/.uncheck() (self-validating) over .click(); .setChecked(bool) forces a specific state.

Native `<select>` dropdowns

selectOption() is specifically for native HTML <select> elements. It dispatches the proper change events that the browser and frameworks expect.

// Select by value (the option's `value` attribute)
await page.locator('#category').selectOption('electronics');

// Select by visible label text
await page.locator('#category').selectOption({ label: 'Electronics' });

// Select by index (0-based)
await page.locator('#sort').selectOption({ index: 2 });

// Multiple selection — pass an array
await page.locator('#tags').selectOption(['javascript', 'testing', 'playwright']);

TestMarket example — filter products:

await page.goto('/products');

// Filter by category
await page.locator('#category').selectOption('electronics');

// Sort by price descending
await page.locator('#sort').selectOption('price_desc');

// Apply the filters
await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Apply Filters' }).click();

Assert the current selection:

await expect(page.locator('#category')).toHaveValue('electronics');
await expect(page.locator('#sort')).toHaveValue('price_desc');

Common mistake: selectOption('Electronics') with a capital E when the value attribute is 'electronics' (lowercase). Values are case-sensitive.

Remember: selectOption() is only for real <select> elements; match the value (case-sensitive), not the visible label.

Custom dropdowns

Not all dropdowns are native <select> elements. Modern UI frameworks (React-Select, Headless UI, Material UI) build their own. You cannot use selectOption() on these.

How to tell the difference: Open DevTools → Elements tab. If you see <select> with <option> children → use selectOption(). If you see <div>, <button>, <ul> with <li> → custom dropdown.

The pattern for custom dropdowns is always:

// Step 1: Click to open the dropdown
await page.locator('.dropdown-trigger').click();

// Step 2: Wait for the menu to appear (it may animate in)
await page.locator('.dropdown-menu').waitFor({ state: 'visible' });

// Step 3: Click the option you want
await page.locator('.dropdown-option:has-text("Option Name")').click();

// Step 4 (optional): verify the menu is now closed
await expect(page.locator('.dropdown-menu')).toBeHidden();

Debugging custom dropdowns:

Menu animating in? Wait for it properly with await page.locator('.dropdown-menu').waitFor({ state: 'visible' }) — never a fixed waitForTimeout, which is slow and flaky.
Option outside the viewport? Scroll before clicking.
Menu closing before you can click? Usually a timing issue — wait for the option to be visible first; { force: true } is a last resort that bypasses Playwright’s safety checks.

// Wait for the option, then click — robust against animation
const option = page.locator('.dropdown-option:has-text("Option Name")');
await option.waitFor({ state: 'visible' });
await option.click();

Remember: click → waitFor({ state: 'visible' }) → click the option — never a fixed waitForTimeout.

Hover & tooltips

.hover() moves the mouse over an element, triggering mouseenter and mousemove events. Tooltips, dropdown menus, and info popups revealed on hover all become testable.

// Hover over a product card to reveal the "Quick View" button
await page.locator('.product-card').filter({ hasText: 'Wireless Mouse' }).hover();

// After hovering, the tooltip/revealed element is visible
await expect(page.locator('#hover-tooltip')).toBeVisible();
await expect(page.locator('#hover-tooltip')).toContainText('Tooltip content');

// Move away — tooltip hides
await page.locator('h1').hover();
await expect(page.locator('#hover-tooltip')).toBeHidden();

Positioned hover — hover at specific coordinates within an element (useful for charts or image maps):

// Hover at exact pixel offset within the element
await page.locator('.chart-area').hover({ position: { x: 100, y: 50 } });

After hovering, wait for the revealed element:

await page.locator('#info-icon').hover();

// Tooltip has a CSS transition — wait for it to be visible
await page.locator('.tooltip').waitFor({ state: 'visible' });
await expect(page.locator('.tooltip')).toContainText('Additional info');

Remember: .hover(), then waitFor/assert the revealed element is visible before acting on it.

Date pickers

Native `<input type="date">`

Fill with an ISO format string (YYYY-MM-DD). This is the most reliable approach.

// Native date input — use ISO format, always works
await page.locator('#start-date').fill('2025-06-15');
await page.locator('#end-date').fill('2025-07-31');

Custom date picker widgets

For React DatePicker, flatpickr, Pikaday, or similar — you must interact with the widget’s UI: click the trigger, navigate months, click a day cell.

// Step 1: Open the calendar
await page.locator('[data-testid="date-trigger"]').click();

// Step 2: Navigate to the correct month
// The target: June 2025. Current month may be different.
await page.locator('button[aria-label="Next month"]').click();

// Step 3: Click the day cell
await page.locator('.calendar-day:has-text("15")').click();

// Step 4: Verify selection
await expect(page.locator('#start-date')).toHaveValue('2025-06-15');

For navigating multiple months programmatically:

// Navigate forward until we reach the target month/year heading.
// Cap the loop so a wrong target can never spin forever, and
// null-guard textContent() (it can return null).
const target = 'June 2025';
for (let i = 0; i < 24; i++) {
  const heading = await page.locator('.calendar-header').textContent();
  if (heading?.includes(target)) break;
  await page.locator('button[aria-label="Next month"]').click();
}
await page.locator('.calendar-day:has-text("15")').click();

Remember: native <input type="date"> → fill('YYYY-MM-DD'); custom widgets → click through the calendar UI.

Drag & drop

Playwright offers three approaches. Start with dragTo() — fall back to the manual sequence if the framework doesn’t respond correctly.

Method 1: `dragTo()` (simplest)

// Drag an element to a target
await page.locator('#drag-item').dragTo(page.locator('#drop-zone'));

Method 2: Manual mouse sequence (most reliable)

Some drag-and-drop libraries (react-beautiful-dnd, SortableJS, Angular CDK) use custom event handling that dragTo() doesn’t fire correctly. The manual sequence fires mousedown, mousemove, mouseup — which these libraries listen for.

const source = page.locator('.drag-handle').nth(0);
const target = page.locator('.drop-target');

const sourceBox = await source.boundingBox();
const targetBox = await target.boundingBox();

await page.mouse.move(
  sourceBox.x + sourceBox.width / 2,
  sourceBox.y + sourceBox.height / 2
);
await page.mouse.down();
await page.mouse.move(
  targetBox.x + targetBox.width / 2,
  targetBox.y + targetBox.height / 2,
  { steps: 10 } // smooth movement — some libraries need this
);
await page.mouse.up();

Method 3: `dragTo()` with coordinates

// Drag to a specific position within the target
await page.locator('#drag-item').dragTo(page.locator('#drop-zone'), {
  targetPosition: { x: 10, y: 10 },
});

When dragTo() fails: Check the browser console for errors. If the DnD library uses synthetic events, switch to Method 2.

Remember: try dragTo() first; fall back to the manual mouse.down/move/up sequence for custom drag-and-drop libraries.

File upload

setInputFiles() replaces OS file dialogs entirely. No AutoIT, no Robot class, no OS-level automation.

// Upload a single file by path
await page.locator('input[type="file"]').setInputFiles('/path/to/file.pdf');

// Upload multiple files
await page.locator('input[type="file"]').setInputFiles([
  '/path/to/file1.txt',
  '/path/to/file2.txt',
]);

// Upload from a Buffer — no physical file needed
await page.locator('input[type="file"]').setInputFiles({
  name: 'data.csv',
  mimeType: 'text/csv',
  buffer: Buffer.from('id,name,price\n1,Widget,9.99\n2,Gadget,19.99'),
});

// Clear the file selection
await page.locator('input[type="file"]').setInputFiles([]);

Portable paths — use path.join so tests work on any OS:

import path from 'node:path';

await page.locator('input[type="file"]').setInputFiles(
  path.join(import.meta.dirname, '..', 'fixtures', 'test-upload.txt')
);

Hidden file input: If the <input type="file"> is styled with display: none or opacity: 0, use { force: true }:

await page.locator('input[type="file"]').setInputFiles('file.pdf', { force: true });

Verify the file was selected:

const files = await page.locator('input[type="file"]').evaluate(el =>
  Array.from(el.files).map(f => f.name)
);
expect(files).toContain('test-upload.txt');

Remember: setInputFiles() replaces the OS dialog — pass a path, an array, or { name, mimeType, buffer }.

Dialogs & popups

page.on('dialog') is an event listener. It must be registered before the action that triggers the dialog. If you register it after clicking the delete button, the dialog has already fired and was dismissed automatically.

// ✅ CORRECT — register before the triggering action
page.on('dialog', async (dialog) => {
  await dialog.accept(); // accept / confirm
});
await page.locator('button:has-text("Delete")').click();

// ❌ WRONG — dialog fires before this handler is registered
await page.locator('button:has-text("Delete")').click();
page.on('dialog', async (dialog) => {
  await dialog.accept(); // too late
});

Dialog types and handling

// Accept a confirm dialog
page.on('dialog', async (dialog) => {
  expect(dialog.message()).toContain('Are you sure');
  await dialog.accept();
});

// Dismiss (cancel) a confirm dialog
page.on('dialog', async (dialog) => {
  await dialog.dismiss();
});

// Respond to a prompt dialog with input text
page.on('dialog', async (dialog) => {
  await dialog.accept('typed input here');
});

// Handle different dialog types selectively
page.on('dialog', async (dialog) => {
  if (dialog.type() === 'confirm') {
    await dialog.accept();
  } else if (dialog.type() === 'prompt') {
    await dialog.accept('test input');
  } else {
    await dialog.dismiss(); // alert
  }
});

Best practice: Register the dialog handler in beforeEach or inside your page object constructor — not inside individual test functions. This ensures the handler is always ready before any dialog-triggering action.

// In a page object constructor
class AdminProductsPage {
  constructor(page) {
    this.page = page;
    // Auto-accept all delete confirmations
    page.on('dialog', async (dialog) => {
      await dialog.accept();
    });
  }
}

Remember: register page.on('dialog', …) before the click that triggers the dialog.

Iframes

page.frameLocator() returns a FrameLocator — all Playwright locator methods are available on it. Use it exactly as you would use page for locators.

// Get a FrameLocator for the iframe
const frame = page.frameLocator('#payment-iframe');

// Use all normal locator methods inside the iframe
await frame.getByLabel('Card number').fill('4111 1111 1111 1111');
await frame.getByLabel('Expiry date').fill('12/28');
await frame.getByLabel('CVV').fill('123');
await frame.getByRole('button', { name: 'Pay Now' }).click();

Finding the iframe selector:

// iframe with an id
const frame = page.frameLocator('#my-iframe');

// iframe without an id — use src or other attribute
const frame = page.frameLocator('iframe[src="/payment"]');
const frame = page.frameLocator('iframe[title="Payment form"]');

Nested iframes:

// Chain frameLocators for iframes inside iframes
const innerFrame = page.frameLocator('#outer-frame').frameLocator('#inner-frame');
await innerFrame.locator('#card-number').fill('4111...');

What frameLocator does NOT have: goto(), evaluate() — it is not a Page object. For those operations, use page.frame():

// page.frame() by name or URL — for advanced scenarios
const frame = page.frame({ url: /payment/ });
await frame.evaluate(() => document.title);

Cross-origin iframes: Playwright handles these transparently. frameLocator() works regardless of the iframe’s origin.

Remember: use frameLocator() for elements inside an iframe; it has all the locator methods but not goto()/evaluate() (use page.frame() for those).

Action cheat-sheet

I want to…	Use
Click / double / right / force	`.click()` · `.dblclick()` · `.click({ button: 'right' })` · `.click({ force: true })`
Clear + set a field	`.fill(value)`
Type key by key (autocomplete)	`.pressSequentially(value)`
Press a key / combo	`.press('Enter')` · `page.keyboard.press('Control+A')`
Check / uncheck / set a box	`.check()` · `.uncheck()` · `.setChecked(bool)`
Native `<select>`	`.selectOption(value / label / index)`
Custom dropdown	click → `waitFor({ state: 'visible' })` → click option
Hover	`.hover()`
Drag & drop	`.dragTo(target)` (fallback: manual `mouse.*`)
Upload a file	`.setInputFiles(path / array / { name, buffer })`
Browser dialog	`page.on('dialog', …)` before the trigger
Inside an iframe	`page.frameLocator(sel)`

Exercises

These exercises use TestMarket Lab running locally at http://localhost:3000.

Exercise 1: Login form — `fill()` vs `pressSequentially()`

Create tests/starter/tests/actions/login-actions.spec.js:

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

test.describe('Login form actions', () => {

  test('fill() — fast, single event', async ({ page }) => {
    await page.goto('/auth/login');
    await page.locator('#email').fill('[email protected]');
    await page.locator('#password').fill('customer123');
    await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Log In' }).click();
    await expect(page.locator('.alert.alert-success')).toBeVisible();
  });

  test('pressSequentially() — character by character', async ({ page }) => {
    await page.goto('/auth/login');
    await page.locator('#email').pressSequentially('[email protected]', { delay: 30 });
    await page.locator('#password').pressSequentially('customer123', { delay: 30 });
    await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Log In' }).click();
    await expect(page.locator('.alert.alert-success')).toBeVisible();
  });

  test('press Enter to submit', async ({ page }) => {
    await page.goto('/auth/login');
    await page.locator('#email').fill('[email protected]');
    await page.locator('#password').fill('customer123');
    await page.locator('#password').press('Enter');
    await expect(page.locator('.alert.alert-success')).toBeVisible();
  });
});

Tasks:

Run with npx playwright test --headed and observe typing speed: fill() is instantaneous, pressSequentially() types character by character
Comment out { delay: 30 } and run again — what changes?
Try pressSequentially() without clearing first on a pre-filled field to see the append behavior

Exercise 2: Checkout form — fill & submit

Create tests/starter/tests/actions/checkout-actions.spec.js. A beforeEach logs in, adds a product to the cart, then opens the checkout page:

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

test.describe('Checkout actions', () => {
  test.beforeEach(async ({ page }) => {
    await page.goto('/auth/login');
    await page.locator('#email').fill('[email protected]');
    await page.locator('#password').fill('customer123');
    await page.locator('#login-btn').click();

    await page.goto('/products');
    await page.locator('[data-testid="add-to-cart"]').first().click();
    await page.goto('/checkout');
  });

  test('fill all shipping fields and place order', async ({ page }) => {
    await page.locator('#shipping_name').fill('Jane Doe');
    await page.locator('#shipping_address').fill('123 Main Street');
    await page.locator('#shipping_city').fill('Portland');
    await page.locator('#shipping_zip').fill('97201');
    await page.locator('#place-order').click();
    await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/orders\/\d+/);
    await expect(page.locator('h1')).toContainText('Order');
  });

  test('Tab through the fields, typing each value', async ({ page }) => {
    await page.locator('#shipping_name').pressSequentially('John Smith', { delay: 20 });
    await page.locator('#shipping_name').press('Tab');
    await page.locator('#shipping_address').pressSequentially('456 Oak Ave', { delay: 20 });
    await page.locator('#shipping_address').press('Tab');
    await page.locator('#shipping_city').pressSequentially('Seattle', { delay: 20 });
    await page.locator('#shipping_city').press('Tab');
    await page.locator('#shipping_zip').pressSequentially('98101', { delay: 20 });
    await page.locator('#place-order').click();
    await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/orders\/\d+/);
  });

  test('submit empty form — HTML5 validation blocks', async ({ page }) => {
    await page.locator('#place-order').click();
    await expect(page).toHaveURL('/checkout');   // required fields block submission
  });
});

Exercise 3: Product filter — `selectOption()`

Create tests/starter/tests/actions/product-filter-actions.spec.js:

test('filter by category using selectOption', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/products');
  await page.locator('#category').selectOption('electronics');
  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Apply Filters' }).click();
  expect(await page.locator('.product-card').count()).toBeGreaterThan(0);
});

test('select by visible label', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/products');
  await page.locator('#category').selectOption({ label: 'Electronics' });
  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Apply Filters' }).click();
  expect(await page.locator('.product-card').count()).toBeGreaterThan(0);
});

test('combine search + filter + sort', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/products');
  await page.locator('#search').fill('Wireless');
  await page.locator('#category').selectOption('electronics');
  await page.locator('#sort').selectOption('price_asc');
  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Apply Filters' }).click();
  await expect(page.locator('.product-card, p:has-text("No products found")'))
    .toBeVisible();
});

Tasks:

Open DevTools → Elements, find <select id="category">, expand its <option> nodes — note the value attributes
Try selectOption('nonexistent') — what error does Playwright throw?
Try selectOption('Electronics') with capital E — does it match?

Exercise 4: Keyboard shortcuts — select, copy, delete

Create tests/starter/tests/actions/keyboard-actions.spec.js:

test('select all and delete with keyboard', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/auth/register');
  await page.locator('#name').fill('Some text to clear');
  await page.locator('#name').click();
  await page.keyboard.press('Control+A');
  await page.keyboard.press('Delete');
  expect(await page.locator('#name').inputValue()).toBe('');
});

test('select all, copy, paste with keyboard', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/auth/login');
  await page.locator('#email').fill('[email protected]');
  await page.locator('#email').click();
  await page.keyboard.press('Control+A');
  await page.keyboard.press('Control+C');
  await page.locator('#email').press('Tab');
  await page.keyboard.press('Control+V');
  expect(await page.locator('#password').inputValue()).toBe('[email protected]');
});

test('backspace deletes characters', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/auth/register');
  await page.locator('#name').fill('Product Launch Event');
  for (let i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
    await page.keyboard.press('Backspace');
  }
  expect(await page.locator('#name').inputValue()).toBe('Product Launch');
});

Exercise 5: File upload — `setInputFiles()`

Create tests/starter/tests/actions/file-upload-actions.spec.js:

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
import path from 'node:path';
import fs from 'node:fs';

test('upload a file via path', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/auth/register');

  const tmpDir = path.join(import.meta.dirname, '..', '..', 'tmp');
  if (!fs.existsSync(tmpDir)) fs.mkdirSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true });
  const testFile = path.join(tmpDir, 'test-upload.txt');
  fs.writeFileSync(testFile, 'Hello from Playwright!');

  // Inject a file input (the TestMarket register page has none)
  await page.evaluate(() => {
    const input = document.createElement('input');
    input.type = 'file';
    input.id = 'test-file-upload';
    document.body.appendChild(input);
  });

  await page.locator('#test-file-upload').setInputFiles(testFile);

  const files = await page.locator('#test-file-upload').evaluate(el =>
    Array.from(el.files).map(f => f.name)
  );
  expect(files).toContain('test-upload.txt');

  fs.unlinkSync(testFile);
});

test('upload from Buffer — no file on disk', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/auth/register');

  await page.evaluate(() => {
    const input = document.createElement('input');
    input.type = 'file';
    input.id = 'test-buffer-upload';
    document.body.appendChild(input);
  });

  await page.locator('#test-buffer-upload').setInputFiles({
    name: 'data.csv',
    mimeType: 'text/csv',
    buffer: Buffer.from('id,name,price\n1,Widget,9.99\n2,Gadget,19.99'),
  });

  const fileName = await page.locator('#test-buffer-upload').evaluate(el =>
    el.files[0].name
  );
  expect(fileName).toBe('data.csv');
});

Tasks:

Observe that setInputFiles() never opens an OS file dialog
Try uploading a non-existent file path — what error does Playwright throw?
Try the multi-file variant: pass an array of two paths

Exercise 6: Browser dialogs — `page.on('dialog')`

Create tests/starter/tests/actions/dialog-actions.spec.js. The page is injected with a button that fires native confirm() / prompt() dialogs, so the exercise runs against any page:

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

test.describe('Dialog handling', () => {

  test('accept a confirm dialog', async ({ page }) => {
    await page.goto('/products');

    // Inject a "Delete" button that records whether the user confirmed
    await page.evaluate(() => {
      const btn = document.createElement('button');
      btn.id = 'confirm-btn';
      btn.textContent = 'Delete';
      btn.addEventListener('click', () => {
        const ok = confirm('Are you sure you want to delete this item?');
        btn.dataset.result = ok ? 'accepted' : 'dismissed';
      });
      document.body.appendChild(btn);
    });

    // Register the handler BEFORE the click that triggers the dialog
    page.on('dialog', async (dialog) => {
      expect(dialog.type()).toBe('confirm');
      expect(dialog.message()).toContain('Are you sure');
      await dialog.accept();
    });

    await page.locator('#confirm-btn').click();
    await expect(page.locator('#confirm-btn')).toHaveAttribute('data-result', 'accepted');
  });

  test('dismiss a confirm dialog', async ({ page }) => {
    await page.goto('/products');
    await page.evaluate(() => {
      const btn = document.createElement('button');
      btn.id = 'confirm-btn';
      btn.addEventListener('click', () => {
        const ok = confirm('Delete this item?');
        btn.dataset.result = ok ? 'accepted' : 'dismissed';
      });
      document.body.appendChild(btn);
    });

    page.on('dialog', (dialog) => dialog.dismiss());

    await page.locator('#confirm-btn').click();
    await expect(page.locator('#confirm-btn')).toHaveAttribute('data-result', 'dismissed');
  });

  test('respond to a prompt dialog with text', async ({ page }) => {
    await page.goto('/products');
    await page.evaluate(() => {
      const out = document.createElement('p');
      out.id = 'prompt-output';
      document.body.appendChild(out);
      const btn = document.createElement('button');
      btn.id = 'prompt-btn';
      btn.addEventListener('click', () => {
        out.textContent = prompt('Enter a coupon code:') || '';
      });
      document.body.appendChild(btn);
    });

    page.on('dialog', (dialog) => dialog.accept('SAVE10'));

    await page.locator('#prompt-btn').click();
    await expect(page.locator('#prompt-output')).toHaveText('SAVE10');
  });
});

Tasks:

Move the page.on('dialog', …) line to after the click — the dialog auto-dismisses and the assertion fails. This is the #1 dialog mistake.
Add console.log(dialog.type()) inside the handler to see confirm vs prompt vs alert.

Exercise 7: Iframes — `frameLocator()`

Create tests/starter/tests/actions/iframe-actions.spec.js. A beforeEach injects an iframe (a stand-in for a real payment iframe) so you can practice frameLocator() against any page:

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

test.describe('Iframe interactions', () => {
  test.beforeEach(async ({ page }) => {
    await page.goto('/products');
    await page.evaluate(() => {
      const iframe = document.createElement('iframe');
      iframe.id = 'payment-iframe';
      iframe.srcdoc =
        '<label>Card number <input id="card" /></label>' +
        '<label>CVV <input id="cvv" /></label>' +
        '<button id="pay">Pay Now</button>';
      document.body.appendChild(iframe);
    });
  });

  test('fill fields inside the iframe', async ({ page }) => {
    const frame = page.frameLocator('#payment-iframe');
    await frame.locator('#card').fill('4111 1111 1111 1111');
    await frame.locator('#cvv').fill('123');
    await expect(frame.locator('#card')).toHaveValue('4111 1111 1111 1111');
    await frame.getByRole('button', { name: 'Pay Now' }).click();
  });

  test('page-level selectors cannot see inside the frame', async ({ page }) => {
    // #card lives inside the iframe — a page locator finds nothing
    await expect(page.locator('#card')).toHaveCount(0);
    // …but the same selector via frameLocator finds it
    await expect(page.frameLocator('#payment-iframe').locator('#card')).toHaveCount(1);
  });
});

Tasks:

Query #card from page directly (no frameLocator) and watch it time out — iframe content is invisible to page-level locators.
Try calling .goto() on the result of frameLocator() — note that a FrameLocator has no navigation methods.

Self-check questions

What is the fundamental difference between fill() and pressSequentially()?
When would you use selectOption() vs the click → wait → click pattern?
How does setInputFiles() differ from using an OS file dialog?
Why must page.on('dialog', handler) be registered before clicking the button that triggers the dialog?
What method do you use to interact with elements inside an iframe?
What happens if you call selectOption('nonexistent_value')?
How do you simulate Ctrl+A (select all) in Playwright?
What is the difference between .check() and .setChecked(true)?

Key takeaways

Four rules to carry into every test:

fill() for forms, pressSequentially() for special cases — fill() is faster, always clears first, and triggers the right events for 95% of inputs
Native <select> = selectOption(), custom dropdown = click → wait → click — always check the DOM before deciding
setInputFiles() replaces OS file dialogs entirely — it works with file paths, arrays, and Buffer objects
Dialogs need listeners before triggers; iframes use frameLocator() — register dialog handlers before the action that opens them

Module 4 covers assertions — you’ll learn the full expect() API and how to write assertions that are both precise and resilient to timing.

Module 3: Actions & User Interaction

Click actions

Double-click

Right-click

Force click

fill() vs pressSequentially()

fill()

pressSequentially()

Keyboard press()

Key combinations

Shift+Click and hold-down patterns

Checkboxes & radio buttons

Radio buttons

Assertions for checkboxes and radios

Native <select> dropdowns

Custom dropdowns

Hover & tooltips

Date pickers

Native <input type="date">

Custom date picker widgets

Drag & drop

Method 1: dragTo() (simplest)

Method 2: Manual mouse sequence (most reliable)

Method 3: dragTo() with coordinates

File upload

Dialogs & popups

Dialog types and handling

Iframes

Action cheat-sheet

Exercises

Exercise 1: Login form — fill() vs pressSequentially()

Exercise 2: Checkout form — fill & submit

Exercise 3: Product filter — selectOption()

Exercise 4: Keyboard shortcuts — select, copy, delete

Exercise 5: File upload — setInputFiles()

Exercise 6: Browser dialogs — page.on('dialog')

Exercise 7: Iframes — frameLocator()

Self-check questions

Key takeaways

`fill()` vs `pressSequentially()`

`fill()`

`pressSequentially()`

Keyboard `press()`

Native `<select>` dropdowns

Native `<input type="date">`

Method 1: `dragTo()` (simplest)

Method 3: `dragTo()` with coordinates

Exercise 1: Login form — `fill()` vs `pressSequentially()`

Exercise 3: Product filter — `selectOption()`

Exercise 5: File upload — `setInputFiles()`

Exercise 6: Browser dialogs — `page.on('dialog')`

Exercise 7: Iframes — `frameLocator()`