Playwright Failure Explainer helps you rerun the current Playwright test file, capture a concise failure summary, and get a plain-language AI explanation directly inside VS Code.
It is designed for developers who want a faster way to understand why a Playwright test failed without digging through raw output every time.
Features
Run the current Playwright test file from VS Code
Stream Playwright output into a dedicated output channel
Generate a structured failure summary with:
test name
location
failure type
plain-language meaning
supporting evidence
Show the last stored summary
Explain the last summary with AI
Support multiple AI providers:
OpenAI
Anthropic (Claude)
OpenRouter
Groq
Commands
This extension adds the following commands:
Playwright Failure Explainer: Run Current Test File
Playwright Failure Explainer: Show Last Summary
Playwright Failure Explainer: Explain Last Summary
Playwright Failure Explainer: Set AI API Key
Requirements
A project that uses Playwright
npx playwright test must work in your project environment
A valid API key for the AI provider you want to use for explanations
How it works
Open a Playwright test file such as *.spec.js, *.spec.ts, *.test.js, or *.test.ts
Run Playwright Failure Explainer: Run Current Test File
If the test fails, the extension stores a structured summary
Run Playwright Failure Explainer: Show Last Summary to review it
Run Playwright Failure Explainer: Explain Last Summary to get a plain-language AI explanation
Supported test file types
The extension currently supports these file name patterns:
.spec.js
.spec.ts
.test.js
.test.ts
.spec.mjs
.test.mjs
.spec.cjs
.test.cjs
Extension Settings
This extension contributes the following settings:
playwrightFailureExplainer.aiProvider
Selects the AI provider used for explanation. Supported values:
openai
anthropic for Claude models
openrouter
groq
playwrightFailureExplainer.aiModel
Optional model override for the selected provider. Leave this empty to use the extension’s default model for that provider.
playwrightFailureExplainer.aiBaseUrl
Optional base URL override for the selected provider.
playwrightFailureExplainer.openaiModel
Legacy OpenAI setting kept for backward compatibility.
AI Provider Notes
The selected provider controls which API is called.
Your API key is stored securely in VS Code Secret Storage.
API keys are stored per provider.
If you switch providers, set a key for that provider too.
anthropic is the provider setting to use for Claude models.
Choosing a valid AI model name
Model availability can change over time across providers. If AI explanation fails with a model not found or decommissioned style error, set playwrightFailureExplainer.aiModel explicitly in VS Code settings.
OpenAI: Use an OpenAI-supported model name
Anthropic (Claude): Use a Claude model name supported by Anthropic
OpenRouter: Use the exact model id shown by OpenRouter
Groq: Use a Groq-supported model id
Example setup
OpenAI
playwrightFailureExplainer.aiProvider: openai
playwrightFailureExplainer.aiModel: leave empty or set a valid OpenAI model
Anthropic / Claude
playwrightFailureExplainer.aiProvider: anthropic
playwrightFailureExplainer.aiModel: leave empty or set a valid Claude model
OpenRouter
playwrightFailureExplainer.aiProvider: openrouter
playwrightFailureExplainer.aiModel: set an exact OpenRouter model id if needed
Groq
playwrightFailureExplainer.aiProvider: groq
playwrightFailureExplainer.aiModel: leave empty or set a valid Groq model id
Known Limitations
Run Current Test File runs the active Playwright test file, not a single test at cursor
The last summary is stored in memory for the current extension session
If you reload the Extension Development Host, the last stored summary is cleared
Model availability depends on the selected provider and may change over time
Known Issues
If a provider key, model, or base URL is incorrect, AI explanation will fail and the output channel will show the provider error details
Some providers may deprecate model names over time, which can require updating playwrightFailureExplainer.aiModel
Release Notes
0.0.1
Initial MVP release
Run current Playwright test file from VS Code
Generate structured failure summaries
Show last stored summary
Explain summaries with AI
Support for OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, and Groq
