Visual regression: browser binaries not installed in CI

Screenshot tools drive a real browser. If the browser binary or its shared libraries are not installed on the runner, capture fails before any comparison. Install the browsers (and dependencies) as an explicit CI step.

What this error means

The run fails with "Executable doesn't exist at ... run npx playwright install" or a Puppeteer "Could not find Chromium" error. No screenshots are captured because the browser never launches.

visual-regression

Error: browserType.launch: Executable doesn't exist at
/home/runner/.cache/ms-playwright/chromium-1112/chrome-linux/chrome
Looks like Playwright was just installed or updated.
Please run the following command to download new browsers:
    npx playwright install

Common causes

Browsers not installed after the npm install

Installing the npm package does not download the browser binaries; a separate install step is required and was skipped.

Missing system dependencies for the browser

Even with the binary present, the runner may lack shared libraries the browser needs to launch.

How to fix it

Install browsers with their dependencies

Run the tool's install command with --with-deps so both the binary and system libraries are provisioned.

Terminal

npx playwright install --with-deps chromium

Cache the browser download

Cache the browser cache directory keyed on the tool version so installs are fast and reliable.

.github/workflows/ci.yml

- uses: actions/cache@v4
  with:
    path: ~/.cache/ms-playwright
    key: playwright-${{ hashFiles('package-lock.json') }}

How to prevent it

Add an explicit browser install step with --with-deps.
Cache the browser cache directory keyed on the tool version.
Prefer the official tool Docker image, which bundles browsers.