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TheLarkInn merged 2 commits into from
Feb 4, 2026
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[playwright vscode extension] Add getting started instructions to README #5592

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35 changes: 34 additions & 1 deletion vscode-extensions/playwright-local-browser-server-vscode-extension/README.md
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Enables running Playwright tests in a remote VS Code environment (such as GitHub Codespaces) while launching and driving the actual browser process on your local machine.

This extension is a UI wrapper around the tunneling/runtime library [`@rushstack/playwright-browser-tunnel`](../../apps/playwright-browser-tunnel). It starts/stops the local browser host process and forwards Playwright’s WebSocket traffic between the remote test runner and your local browser.
This extension is a UI wrapper around the tunneling/runtime library [`@rushstack/playwright-browser-tunnel`](../../apps/playwright-browser-tunnel). It starts/stops the local browser host process and forwards Playwright's WebSocket traffic between the remote test runner and your local browser.

## Getting Started

Before running your Playwright tests in a remote environment, you must first start the browser tunnel:

1. Open the VS Code **Command Palette** (`Ctrl+Shift+P` or `Cmd+Shift+P` on macOS)
2. Search for and run **"Playwright: Start Playwright Browser Tunnel"**
3. The tunnel will begin polling for connections from your remote environment
4. Now you can run your Playwright tests in the remote workspace

To stop the tunnel, open the Command Palette and run **"Playwright: Stop Playwright Browser Tunnel"**.

### Requirements

This extension requires VS Code's terminal shell integration to be enabled. Ensure the following setting is enabled in your VS Code settings:

```json
"terminal.integrated.shellIntegration.enabled": true
```

This is typically enabled by default, but if you have explicitly disabled it, the extension will not work correctly.

### Auto-starting the tunnel

If you want the browser tunnel to start automatically when VS Code opens, you can add the following to your workspace settings (`.vscode/settings.json`):

```json
{
"playwright-local-browser-server.autoStart": true
}
```

> **Security note:** Auto-start is disabled by default because the tunnel allows a remote environment to launch browser processes on your local machine. Only enable auto-start for workspaces you trust.

## How it works

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