---
id: test-parameterize
title: "Parametrize tests"
---

You can either parametrize tests on a test level or on a project level.

<!-- TOC -->

## Parameterized Tests

```js js-flavor=js
// example.spec.js
const people = ['Alice', 'Bob'];
for (const name of people) {
  test(`testing with ${name}`, async () => {
    // ...
  });
  // You can also do it with test.describe() or with multiple tests as long the test name is unique.
}
```

```js js-flavor=ts
// example.spec.ts
const people = ['Alice', 'Bob'];
for (const name of people) {
  test(`testing with ${name}`, async () => {
    // ...
  });
  // You can also do it with test.describe() or with multiple tests as long the test name is unique.
}
```

## Parameterized Projects

Playwright Test supports running multiple test projects at the same time. In the following example, we'll run two projects with different options.

We declare the option `person` and set the value in the config. The first project runs with the value `Alice` and the second with the value `Bob`.

```js js-flavor=js
// my-test.js
const base = require('@playwright/test');

exports.test = base.test.extend({
  // Define an option and provide a default value.
  // We can later override it in the config.
  person: ['John', { option: true }],
});
```

```js js-flavor=ts
// my-test.ts
import { test as base } from '@playwright/test';

export type TestOptions = {
  person: string;
};

export const test = base.extend<TestOptions>({
  // Define an option and provide a default value.
  // We can later override it in the config.
  person: ['John', { option: true }],
});
```

We can use this option in the test, similarly to [fixtures](./test-fixtures.md).

```js js-flavor=js
// example.spec.js
const { test } = require('./my-test');

test('test 1', async ({ page, person }) => {
  await page.goto(`/index.html`);
  await expect(page.locator('#node')).toContainText(person);
  // ...
});
```

```js js-flavor=ts
// example.spec.ts
import { test } from './my-test';

test('test 1', async ({ page, person }) => {
  await page.goto(`/index.html`);
  await expect(page.locator('#node')).toContainText(person);
  // ...
});
```

Now, we can run tests in multiple configurations by using projects.

```js js-flavor=js
// playwright.config.js
// @ts-check

/** @type {import('@playwright/test').PlaywrightTestConfig<{ person: string }>} */
const config = {
  projects: [
    {
      name: 'alice',
      use: { person: 'Alice' },
    },
    {
      name: 'bob',
      use: { person: 'Bob' },
    },
  ]
};

module.exports = config;
```

```js js-flavor=ts
// playwright.config.ts
import { PlaywrightTestConfig } from '@playwright/test';
import { TestOptions } from './my-test';

const config: PlaywrightTestConfig<TestOptions> = {
  projects: [
    {
      name: 'alice',
      use: { person: 'Alice' },
    },
    {
      name: 'bob',
      use: { person: 'Bob' },
    },
  ]
};
export default config;
```

We can also use the option in a fixture. Learn more about [fixtures](./test-fixtures.md).

```js js-flavor=js
// my-test.js
const base = require('@playwright/test');

exports.test = base.test.extend({
  // Define an option and provide a default value.
  // We can later override it in the config.
  person: ['John', { option: true }],

  // Override default "page" fixture.
  page: async ({ page, person }, use) => {
    await page.goto('/chat');
    // We use "person" parameter as a "name" for the chat room.
    await page.locator('#name').fill(person);
    await page.click('text=Enter chat room');
    // Each test will get a "page" that already has the person name.
    await use(page);
  },
});
```

```js js-flavor=ts
// my-test.ts
import { test as base } from '@playwright/test';

export type TestOptions = {
  person: string;
};

export const test = base.test.extend<TestOptions>({
  // Define an option and provide a default value.
  // We can later override it in the config.
  person: ['John', { option: true }],

  // Override default "page" fixture.
  page: async ({ page, person }, use) => {
    await page.goto('/chat');
    // We use "person" parameter as a "name" for the chat room.
    await page.locator('#name').fill(person);
    await page.click('text=Enter chat room');
    // Each test will get a "page" that already has the person name.
    await use(page);
  },
});
```

:::note
Parametrized projects behavior has changed in version 1.18. [Learn more](./release-notes#breaking-change-custom-config-options).
:::

## Passing Environment Variables

You can use environment variables to configure tests from the command line.

For example, consider the following test file that needs a username and a password. It is usually a good idea not to store your secrets in the source code, so we'll need a way to pass secrets from outside.

```js js-flavor=js
// example.spec.js
test(`example test`, async ({ page }) => {
  // ...
  await page.locator('#username').fill(process.env.USERNAME);
  await page.locator('#password').fill(process.env.PASSWORD);
});
```

```js js-flavor=ts
// example.spec.ts
test(`example test`, async ({ page }) => {
  // ...
  await page.locator('#username').fill(process.env.USERNAME);
  await page.locator('#password').fill(process.env.PASSWORD);
});
```

You can run this test with your secrect username and password set in the command line.

```bash bash-flavor=bash
USERNAME=me PASSWORD=secret npx playwright test
```

```bash bash-flavor=batch
set USERNAME=me
set PASSWORD=secret
npx playwright test
```

```bash bash-flavor=powershell
$env:USERNAME=me
$env:PASSWORD=secret
npx playwright test
```

Similarly, configuration file can also read environment variables passed throught the command line.


```js js-flavor=js
// playwright.config.js
// @ts-check

/** @type {import('@playwright/test').PlaywrightTestConfig} */
const config = {
  use: {
    baseURL: process.env.STAGING === '1' ? 'http://staging.example.test/' : 'http://example.test/',
  }
};

module.exports = config;
```

```js js-flavor=ts
// playwright.config.ts
import { PlaywrightTestConfig } from '@playwright/test';

const config: PlaywrightTestConfig = {
  use: {
    baseURL: process.env.STAGING === '1' ? 'http://staging.example.test/' : 'http://example.test/',
  }
};
export default config;
```

Now, you can run tests against a staging or a production environment:

```bash bash-flavor=bash
STAGING=1 npx playwright test
```

```bash bash-flavor=batch
set STAGING=1
npx playwright test
```

```bash bash-flavor=powershell
$env:STAGING=1
npx playwright test
```

### .env files

To make environment variables easier to manage, consider something like `.env` files. Here is an example that uses [`dotenv`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/dotenv) package to read environment variables directly in the configuration file.

```js js-flavor=js
// playwright.config.js
// @ts-check

// Read from default ".env" file.
require('dotenv').config();

// Alternatively, read from "../my.env" file.
require('dotenv').config({ path: path.resolve(__dirname, '..', 'my.env') });

/** @type {import('@playwright/test').PlaywrightTestConfig} */
const config = {
  use: {
    baseURL: process.env.STAGING === '1' ? 'http://staging.example.test/' : 'http://example.test/',
  }
};

module.exports = config;
```

```js js-flavor=ts
// playwright.config.ts
import { PlaywrightTestConfig } from '@playwright/test';
import dotenv from 'dotenv';
import path from 'path';

// Read from default ".env" file.
dotenv.config();

// Alternatively, read from "../my.env" file.
dotenv.config({ path: path.resolve(__dirname, '..', 'my.env') });

const config: PlaywrightTestConfig = {
  use: {
    baseURL: process.env.STAGING === '1' ? 'http://staging.example.test/' : 'http://example.test/',
  }
};
export default config;
```

Now, you can just edit `.env` file to set any variables you'd like.

```bash
# .env file
STAGING=0
USERNAME=me
PASSWORD=secret
```

Run tests as usual, your environment variables should be picked up.

```bash
npx playwright test
```