playwright baseURL ignored in some tests: how to fix

TL;DR

baseURL only applies to relative URLs, so any absolute URL in a test or fixture bypasses it. Find the absolute URLs, make them relative, and build fixture URLs from the config instead of hardcoding hosts.

The query

playwright baseURL ignored in some tests: how to fix

Use this when

• some tests ignore baseURL
• tests pass locally but hit the wrong host in CI
• fixtures hardcode hosts

Not for

• baseURL unset in the config
• multi-origin testing (use absolute URLs deliberately there)
• API base URLs

Steps

1. Search the spec and its fixtures for 'http' to find absolute URLs. Expected output: a list of absolute URLs that bypass baseURL.
2. Convert page.goto calls to relative paths like page.goto('/dashboard'). Expected output: all navigations use relative paths.
3. Check fixtures and helpers that construct URLs; derive them from the baseURL config value instead of a hardcoded host. Expected output: no hardcoded hosts in fixtures.
4. Confirm the config's baseURL is set in the right project, since it can differ per project. Expected output: the active project shows the expected baseURL.
5. Re-run against a non-default baseURL to prove the tests follow the config. Expected output: tests hit the overridden host.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_lFI6dieLQRgB9pJsFplChA