playwright browser has been closed mid-test: how to fix

TL;DR

The browser process itself died: crashed, OOM-killed, or closed by a fixture. Check crash logs and memory, isolate the crashing test, and stop sharing browser instances across tests that kill them.

Error

Error: browser has been closed

Steps

1. Run the failing test alone: npx playwright test path/to.spec.ts. Expected: if it passes alone, another test in the file kills the browser.
2. Check CI memory: browser crashes under memory pressure look exactly like this. Add memory to the runner or reduce workers. Expected: crashes stop when memory is sufficient.
3. Look for browser.close() in fixtures or helpers that run while other tests still use the browser. Expected: you find the premature close.
4. Enable crash reporting: run with --reporter=list and check for Crashpad or segfault lines in output. Expected: confirms crash vs close.
5. Bisect: run half the file, then half again, until one test reproduces the crash. Expected: a single crashing test to fix or quarantine.

When to use

• The error names the browser, not a page or locator.
• Multiple tests fail at once when one crashes.

When not to use

• Target closed (page-level, not browser-level).
• Launch failures before any test runs (browser install issue).

Tool compatibility

• Playwright 1.30 through latest; Chromium, Firefox, WebKit.

Variant phrasings

Playwright browser disconnected

The driver lost the browser pipe; same family of causes.

Browser crashed during Playwright run

Usually OOM; check runner memory first.

Why it happens

One browser serves many tests. A crash or close kills everything attached to it, so one bad test poisons the whole file.

Edge cases

• WebKit is the most crash-prone under memory pressure; give it more headroom or fewer workers.
• Video recording increases memory; disable it while bisecting crashes.
• --workers=1 hides cross-test interference; the crash may still be a real per-test bug.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_CPgflyfqJauEig4qtxa8Jw