Trouble with Playwright RunAndWaitForPageAsync / WaitForURLAsync and Chrome’s “Always show full URLs”

Are you tired of wrestling with Playwright’s RunAndWaitForPageAsync and WaitForURLAsync methods, only to have them fail miserably due to Chrome’s pesky “Always show full URLs” feature? You’re not alone! In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive into the world of Playwright and Chrome to help you overcome this frustrating issue once and for all.

What’s the Problem?

Before we dive into the solution, let’s understand the problem. When you use Playwright’s RunAndWaitForPageAsync or WaitForURLAsync methods, they rely on the browser’s URL changing to determine when a page has finished loading. However, when Chrome’s “Always show full URLs” feature is enabled, the URL in the address bar doesn’t change, causing these methods to fail.

Chrome’s “Always show full URLs” Feature

This feature, introduced in Chrome 86, aims to improve user experience by displaying the full URL in the address bar, even if the page has redirected or changed. While it’s a great feature for users, it can be a nightmare for automation testing.

Solutions

Luckily, there are a few ways to tackle this issue. We’ll explore each solution in detail, so you can choose the one that best fits your needs.

Solution 1: Disable “Always show full URLs” in Chrome

The simplest solution is to disable this feature altogether. You can do this by launching Chrome with the following command-line argument:

--disable-features=msaf

This will disable the “Always show full URLs” feature, and Playwright’s RunAndWaitForPageAsync and WaitForURLAsync methods should work as expected.

Solution 2: Use WaitForLoadStateAsync

Instead of relying on the URL change, you can use Playwright’s WaitForLoadStateAsync method to wait for the page to finish loading. This method takes a load state as an argument, which can be “load”, “domcontentloaded”, or “networkidle”.

using var playwright = await Playwright.CreateAsync();
await using var browser = await playwright.Chromium.LaunchAsync();
await using var context = await browser.NewContextAsync();
await using var page = await context.NewPageAsync();
await page.GotoAsync("https://example.com");
await page.WaitForLoadStateAsync("networkidle");

In this example, we’re waiting for the page to reach the “networkidle” load state, which means the page has finished loading and there are no more network requests.

Solution 3: Monitor the Page’s Load Event

Another approach is to monitor the page’s load event and wait for it to finish loading. You can do this by adding a listener to the page’s “load” event and waiting for it to be triggered.

using var playwright = await Playwright.CreateAsync();
await using var browser = await playwright.Chromium.LaunchAsync();
await using var context = await browser.NewContextAsync();
await using var page = await context.NewPageAsync();
await page.GotoAsync("https://example.com");

TaskCompletionSource loadTask = new TaskCompletionSource();
page.once("load", () => loadTask.TrySetResult(true));
await loadTask.Task;

In this example, we’re creating a TaskCompletionSource to wait for the page’s “load” event to be triggered. Once the event is triggered, the task is completed, and we can proceed with our test.

Best Practices

When working with Playwright and Chrome, keep the following best practices in mind:

• Use the right load state

  Choose the correct load state for your use case. If you’re waiting for a page to finish loading, “networkidle” might be a good choice. If you’re waiting for a specific element to load, “domcontentloaded” might be more suitable.

• Monitor page events

  Add listeners to page events, such as “load” or “DOMContentLoaded”, to detect changes in the page’s state.

• Avoid relying on URL changes

  Instead of relying on URL changes, use other methods to detect page changes, such as monitoring the page’s title or waiting for specific elements to appear.

• Test your tests

  Test your tests thoroughly to ensure they’re working as expected. Use different scenarios and edge cases to verify their reliability.

Conclusion

Troubleshooting Playwright’s RunAndWaitForPageAsync and WaitForURLAsync methods with Chrome’s “Always show full URLs” feature can be challenging, but with the right solutions and best practices, you can overcome this issue. Remember to choose the solution that best fits your needs, monitor page events, and test your tests thoroughly.

By following this guide, you’ll be well on your way to creating reliable and efficient automation tests with Playwright and Chrome.

Solution	Description
Disable “Always show full URLs” in Chrome	Disable the feature by launching Chrome with the –disable-features=msaf command-line argument.
Use WaitForLoadStateAsync	Wait for the page to reach a specific load state, such as “networkidle” or “domcontentloaded”.
Monitor the Page’s Load Event	Add a listener to the page’s “load” event and wait for it to be triggered.

Now, go forth and conquer the world of automation testing with Playwright and Chrome!

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