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playwriter -e

Execute JavaScript code in the browser via the relay server and exit. Requires a session ID from playwriter session new. 
playwriter -s <sessionId> -e <code>
playwriter --session <sessionId> --eval <code>

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Options

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-s, --session
string
required
Session ID (get one with playwriter session new). Can also be set via PLAYWRITER_SESSION environment variable.
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-e, --eval
string
required
JavaScript code to execute. Read https://playwriter.dev/SKILL.md for usage.
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--timeout
number
default:"10000"
Execution timeout in milliseconds
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--host
string
Remote relay server host to connect to (or use PLAYWRITER_HOST env var). If not specified, defaults to 127.0.0.1.
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--token
string
Authentication token (or use PLAYWRITER_TOKEN env var)

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Returns

Prints execution result to stdout:
  • Text output from the code
  • Screenshot count if images were captured
  • Errors to stderr if execution failed

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Exit Codes

  • 0 - Code executed successfully
  • 1 - Error during execution:
    • Missing session ID
    • Cannot connect to relay server
    • Code execution error
    • Authentication failed
    • Timeout exceeded

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Examples

playwriter -s 1 -e "await page.goto('https://example.com')"

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Error Messages

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Missing session

Error: -s/--session is required.
Always run `playwriter session new` first to get a session ID to use.

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Connection refused

Error: Cannot connect to relay server.
The Playwriter relay server should start automatically. Check logs at:
  ~/.playwriter/relay.log

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HTTP errors

Error: 401 Unauthorized
Error: 404 Session not found

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Notes

  • The relay server starts automatically for local execution (when --host is not specified)
  • If the extension is not connected, you’ll see a warning but execution will attempt to continue
  • Screenshots are captured as base64-encoded images in the response
  • The current working directory is passed to the execution context

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