n8n-nodes-playwright-persistent

n8n-nodes-playwright

This is an n8n community node. It lets you automate browser actions using Playwright in your n8n workflows with session persistence support.

n8n is a fair-code licensed workflow automation platform.

Installation

Operations

Session Persistence

Compatibility

Resources

Version history

Installation

Follow the installation guide in the n8n community nodes documentation.

pnpm install n8n-nodes-playwright

Note: The package will automatically download and set up the required browser binaries during installation. This requires approximately 1GB of disk space.

If you need to manually trigger the browser setup:

pnpm rebuild n8n-nodes-playwright

Operations

This node supports the following operations:

• Navigate: Go to a specified URL
• Take Screenshot: Capture a screenshot of a webpage
• Get Text: Extract text from an element using CSS selector
• Click Element: Click on an element using CSS selector
• Fill Form: Fill a form field using CSS selector

Browser Options

• Choose between Chromium, Firefox, or WebKit
• Configure headless mode
• Adjust operation speed with slow motion option

Screenshot Options

• Full page capture
• Custom save path
• Base64 output

Session Persistence

NEW in v0.3.0: This node now supports session persistence between workflow nodes, allowing you to maintain browser state across multiple operations.

How Session Persistence Works

• Session ID: Each node can specify a unique session identifier
• State Preservation: Cookies, localStorage, sessionStorage, and form data persist between nodes
• Automatic Management: Session state is automatically saved and restored using n8n's flow context
• No Configuration: Works out of the box with minimal setup

Usage Example

// Node 1: Navigate and login
Session ID: "my-workflow"
Operation: "navigate"
URL: "https://example.com/login"

// Node 2: Fill login form  
Session ID: "my-workflow"  // Same session ID
Operation: "fillForm"
Selector: "#username"
Value: "[e-mail]"

// Node 3: Click login button
Session ID: "my-workflow"  // Same session ID
Operation: "clickElement" 
Selector: "#login-button"

// Node 4: Get dashboard content
Session ID: "my-workflow"  // Same session ID
Operation: "getText"
Selector: ".dashboard-content"

Session Management

• New Sessions: Leave Session ID empty or use a new ID to start fresh
• Existing Sessions: Use the same Session ID across nodes to maintain state
• Automatic Cleanup: Sessions are automatically cleaned up when workflows complete
• Browser Compatibility: Works with Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit

Benefits

• No Re-authentication: Login once, use across multiple nodes
• Form Data Persistence: Filled forms maintain their values
• Cookie Management: Session cookies persist between operations
• Complex Workflows: Enable sophisticated multi-step browser automation

Compatibility

• Requires n8n version 1.0.0 or later
• Tested with Playwright version 1.49.0
• Supports Windows, macOS, and Linux

System Requirements

• Node.js 18.10 or later
• Approximately 1GB disk space for browser binaries
• Additional system dependencies may be required for browser automation

Resources

• n8n community nodes documentation
• Playwright documentation

Version history

0.3.0

• NEW: Session persistence support
• NEW: Session ID parameter for maintaining browser state across nodes
• NEW: Automatic session state management using n8n's flow context
• NEW: Form data, cookies, and localStorage persistence between operations
• ENHANCED: Browser session management with automatic cleanup
• IMPROVED: Support for complex multi-step browser automation workflows

0.1.*

• Initial release
• Basic browser automation operations
• Support for Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit.
• Screenshot and form interaction capabilities

Troubleshooting

If browsers are not installed correctly:

• Clean the installation:

rm -rf ~/.cache/ms-playwright
# or for Windows:
rmdir /s /q %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\ms-playwright

• Rebuild the package:

pnpm rebuild n8n-nodes-playwright

License

MIT