--- id: installation title: "Installation" --- ## Managing browser binaries Each version of Playwright needs specific versions of browser binaries to operate. By default Playwright downloads Chromium, WebKit and Firefox browsers into the OS-specific cache folders: - `%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\ms-playwright` on Windows - `~/Library/Caches/ms-playwright` on MacOS - `~/.cache/ms-playwright` on Linux ```sh js npm i -D playwright ``` ```sh python pip install playwright playwright install ``` These browsers will take few hundreds of megabytes of the disk space when installed: ```sh du -hs ./Library/Caches/ms-playwright/* 281M chromium-XXXXXX 187M firefox-XXXX 180M webkit-XXXX ``` You can override default behavior using environment variables. When installing Playwright, ask it to download browsers into a specific location: ```sh js # Linux/macOS PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=$HOME/pw-browsers npm i -D playwright # Windows set PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=%USERPROFILE%\pw-browsers npm i -D playwright ``` ```sh python # Linux/macOS pip install playwright PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=$HOME/pw-browsers python -m playwright install # Windows set PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=%USERPROFILE%\pw-browsers pip install playwright playwright install ``` ```sh java # Linux/macOS PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=$HOME/pw-browsers mvn test ``` When running Playwright scripts, ask it to search for browsers in a shared location. ```sh js # Linux/macOS PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=$HOME/pw-browsers node playwright-script.js # Windows set PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=%USERPROFILE%\pw-browsers node playwright-script.js ``` ```sh python # Linux/macOS PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=$HOME/pw-browsers python playwright_script.js # Windows set PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=%USERPROFILE%\pw-browsers python playwright_script.py ``` ```sh java # Windows set PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=%USERPROFILE%\pw-browsers mvn test ``` Or you can opt into the hermetic install and place binaries in the local folder: ```sh js # Linux/macOS # Places binaries to node_modules/playwright PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=0 npm i -D playwright # Windows # Places binaries to node_modules\playwright set PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=0 npm i -D playwright ``` ```sh python # Linux/macOS pip install playwright PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=0 playwright install # Windows set PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=0 pip install playwright playwright install ``` Playwright keeps track of packages that need those browsers and will garbage collect them as you update Playwright to the newer versions. :::note Developers can opt-in in this mode via exporting `PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=$HOME/pw-browsers` in their `.bashrc`. ::: ## Install behind the firewall or proxy By default, Playwright downloads browsers from Microsoft CDN. Sometimes companies maintain an internal proxy that blocks direct access to the public resources. In this case, Playwright can be configured to download browsers via a proxy server. ```sh js # Linux/macOS HTTPS_PROXY=https://192.168.1.78 npm i -D playwright # Windows set HTTPS_PROXY=https://192.168.1.78 npm i -D playwright ``` ```sh python # Linux/macOS pip install playwright HTTPS_PROXY=https://192.168.1.78 playwright install # Windows set HTTPS_PROXY=https://192.168.1.78 pip install playwright playwright install ``` ```sh java # Linux/macOS HTTPS_PROXY=https://192.168.1.78 mvn test # Windows set HTTPS_PROXY=https://192.168.1.78 mvn test ``` ## Download from artifact repository By default, Playwright downloads browsers from Microsoft CDN. Sometimes companies maintain an internal artifact repository to host browser binaries. In this case, Playwright can be configured to download from a custom location using the `PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_HOST` env variable. ```sh js # Linux/macOS PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_HOST=192.168.1.78 npm i -D playwright # Windows set PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_HOST=192.168.1.78 npm i -D playwright ``` ```sh python # Linux/macOS pip install playwright PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_HOST=192.168.1.78 playwright install # Windows set PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_HOST=192.168.1.78 pip install playwright playwright install ``` ```sh java # Linux/macOS PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_HOST=192.168.1.78 mvn test # Windows set PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_HOST=192.168.1.78 mvn test ``` It is also possible to use a per-browser download hosts using `PLAYWRIGHT_CHROMIUM_DOWNLOAD_HOST`, `PLAYWRIGHT_FIREFOX_DOWNLOAD_HOST` and `PLAYWRIGHT_WEBKIT_DOWNLOAD_HOST` env variables that take precedence over `PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_HOST`. It is also possible to use a per-browser download hosts using `PLAYWRIGHT_CHROMIUM_DOWNLOAD_HOST`, `PLAYWRIGHT_FIREFOX_DOWNLOAD_HOST` and `PLAYWRIGHT_WEBKIT_DOWNLOAD_HOST` env variables that take precedence over `PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_HOST`. ```sh js # Linux/macOS PLAYWRIGHT_FIREFOX_DOWNLOAD_HOST=192.168.1.1 PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_HOST=192.168.1.78 npm i -D playwright ``` ```sh python # Linux/macOS pip install playwright PLAYWRIGHT_FIREFOX_DOWNLOAD_HOST=192.168.1.1 PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_HOST=192.168.1.78 python -m playwright install ``` ```sh java # Linux/macOS PLAYWRIGHT_FIREFOX_DOWNLOAD_HOST=192.168.1.1 PLAYWRIGHT_DOWNLOAD_HOST=192.168.1.78 mvn test ``` ## Skip browser downloads In certain cases, it is desired to avoid browser downloads altogether because browser binaries are managed separately. This can be done by setting `PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD` variable before installation. ```sh js # Linux/macOS PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD=1 npm i -D playwright # Windows set PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD=1 npm i -D playwright ``` ```sh python # Linux/macOS pip install playwright PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD=1 python -m playwright install # Windows set PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD=1 pip install playwright playwright install ``` ```sh java # Linux/macOS PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD=1 mvn test # Windows set PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD=1 mvn test ``` ## Download single browser binary * langs: js Playwright ships three packages that bundle only a single browser: - [`playwright-chromium`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/playwright-chromium) - [`playwright-webkit`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/playwright-webkit) - [`playwright-firefox`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/playwright-firefox) :::note All configuration environment variables also apply to these packages. ::: Using these packages is as easy as using a regular Playwright: Install a specific package ```sh npm i -D playwright-webkit ``` Require package ```js // Notice a proper package name in require const { webkit } = require('playwright-webkit'); (async () => { const browser = await webkit.launch(); // ... })(); ``` ## Download single browser binary * langs: python Playwright downloads Chromium, Firefox and WebKit browsers by default. To install a specific browser, pass it as an argument during installation. ```sh pip install playwright playwright install firefox ``` ## Stale browser removal Playwright keeps track of the clients that use its browsers. When there are no more clients that require particular version of the browser, that version is deleted from the system. That way you can safely use Playwright instances of different versions and at the same time, you don't waste disk space for the browsers that are no longer in use. To opt-out from the unused browser removal, you can set the `PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_GC=1` environment variable.