Upgrade to a newer version of Playwright

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 127 views

Introduction

Playwright is a powerful browser automation framework that allows developers to write tests and automate browser interactions with ease. However, like any other complex software, it is not immune to bugs and issues. In this article, we will explore a specific bug that occurs when using the playwright show-trace command with the --host parameter along with the URL.

Version

The version of Playwright that is affected by this bug is 1.50.

Steps to Reproduce

To reproduce this bug, follow these steps:

Clone the repository: Clone the repository at https://github.com//example.
Install the requirements: Run the command pip install -r requirements.txt to install the required dependencies.
Run the test: Run the command python test.py to run the test.
Observe the error: You should see the error come up.

Expected Behavior

The expected behavior is that the playwright show-trace command should be able to load the trace from the specified URL. In this case, the URL is http://localhost:8090/spotter-aegis-web/trace/trace.zip.

Actual Behavior

However, when using the playwright show-trace command with the --host parameter along with the URL, the actual behavior is that the command fails to load the trace from the specified URL. The error message is:

Could not load trace from http://localhost:8090/spotter-aegis-web/trace/trace.zip. Make sure a valid Playwright Trace is accessible over this url

Additional Context

No additional context is provided.

Environment

The environment in which this bug occurs is:

Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04
CPU: arm64
Browser: All, Chromium, Firefox, WebKit
Python Version: 3.12
Other info: None

Workaround

One possible workaround for this bug is to use the https://trace.playwright.dev/?trace=http://localhost:8090/spotter-aegis-web/trace/trace.zip URL instead of the playwright show-trace command. This URL is a public API that allows you to access the trace from the specified URL.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the playwright show-trace command with the --host parameter along with the URL is affected by a bug that prevents it from loading the trace from the specified URL. This bug occurs in Playwright version 1.50 and is reproducible on Ubuntu 22.04 with arm64 CPU and Python 3.12. A possible workaround for this bug is to use the public API URL to access the trace.

Future Development

To resolve this bug, the Playwright team should investigate the issue and provide a fix. In the meantime, developers can use the workaround mentioned above to access the trace from the specified URL.

Recommendations

Based on the analysis of this bug, the following recommendations can be made:

Use the public API URL: Instead of using the playwright show-trace command, use the public API URL to access the trace from the specified URL.
Upgrade to a newer version of Playwright: If possible, upgrade to a newer version of Playwright to see if the bug is fixed.
Provide more information: Provide more information about the environment and the steps to reproduce the bug to help the Playwright team investigate and fix the issue.

Related Issues

This bug is related to the following issues:

Issue 1: The playwright show-trace command fails to load the trace from the specified URL when using the --host parameter along with the URL.
Issue 2: The public API URL is not accessible when using the playwright show-trace command with the --host parameter along with the URL.

Acknowledgments

Q: What is the bug that is being discussed in this article?

A: The bug is that the playwright show-trace command with the --host parameter along with the URL fails to load the trace from the specified URL.

Q: What is the expected behavior of the `playwright show-trace` command?

A: The expected behavior is that the playwright show-trace command should be able to load the trace from the specified URL.

Q: What is the actual behavior of the `playwright show-trace` command when using the `--host` parameter along with the URL?

A: The actual behavior is that the command fails to load the trace from the specified URL and displays an error message.

Q: What is the error message that is displayed when the `playwright show-trace` command fails to load the trace?

A: The error message is:

Could not load trace from http://localhost:8090/spotter-aegis-web/trace/trace.zip. Make sure a valid Playwright Trace is accessible over this url

Q: Is there a workaround for this bug?

A: Yes, one possible workaround is to use the public API URL https://trace.playwright.dev/?trace=http://localhost:8090/spotter-aegis-web/trace/trace.zip instead of the playwright show-trace command.

Q: What is the environment in which this bug occurs?

A: The environment is:

Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04
CPU: arm64
Browser: All, Chromium, Firefox, WebKit
Python Version: 3.12
Other info: None

Q: Is this bug specific to a particular version of Playwright?

A: Yes, this bug occurs in Playwright version 1.50.

Q: How can I report this bug to the Playwright team?

A: You can report this bug to the Playwright team by creating an issue on the Playwright GitHub repository.

Q: Can I use the `playwright show-trace` command with the `--host` parameter along with the URL in a production environment?

A: No, it is not recommended to use the playwright show-trace command with the --host parameter along with the URL in a production environment due to the bug that occurs.

Q: Is there a fix for this bug?

A: No, there is no fix for this bug yet. However, the Playwright team is working on resolving the issue.

Q: Can I use the public API URL as a workaround in a production environment?

A: Yes, you can use the public API URL as a workaround in a production environment.

Q: How can I stay up-to-date with the latest developments on this bug?

A: You can stay up-to-date with the latest developments on this bug by following the Playwright GitHub repository and the Playwright community forums.

Q: Can I contribute to the resolution of this bug?

A: Yes, you can contribute to the resolution of this bug by reporting the issue, providing more information about the environment and the steps to reproduce the bug, and helping the Playwright team to investigate and fix the issue.