From d0e5d179d28ce8a4c881509816043369e17dfd3b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Dmitry Gozman <dgozman@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2026 19:07:27 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] chore(cli): allow both selectors and locators

---
 .../playwright-core/src/tools/backend/tab.ts   | 11 +++++++----
 .../src/tools/cli-client/skill/SKILL.md        | 10 +++++-----
 tests/mcp/cli-core.spec.ts                     | 18 +++++++++---------
 3 files changed, 21 insertions(+), 18 deletions(-)

diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/tab.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/tab.ts
index 1570af91752ac..4fb129b9ec979 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/tab.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/tab.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import url from 'url';
 
 import { EventEmitter } from 'events';
 import { asLocator } from '../../utils/isomorphic/locatorGenerators';
+import { locatorOrSelectorAsSelector } from '../../utils/isomorphic/locatorParser';
 import { ManualPromise } from '../../utils/isomorphic/manualPromise';
 import { debug } from '../../utilsBundle';
 
@@ -438,10 +439,12 @@ export class Tab extends EventEmitter<TabEventsInterface> {
     await this._initializedPromise;
     return Promise.all(params.map(async param => {
       if (param.selector) {
-        const locator = this.page.locator(param.selector);
-        if (!await locator.isVisible())
-          throw new Error(`Selector ${param.selector} does not match any elements.`);
-        return { locator, resolved: asLocator('javascript', param.selector) };
+        const selector = locatorOrSelectorAsSelector('javascript', param.selector, this.context.config.testIdAttribute || 'data-testid');
+        const handle = await this.page.$(selector);
+        if (!handle)
+          throw new Error(`"${param.selector}" does not match any elements.`);
+        handle.dispose().catch(() => {});
+        return { locator: this.page.locator(selector), resolved: asLocator('javascript', selector) };
       } else {
         try {
           let locator = this.page.locator(`aria-ref=${param.ref}`);
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/cli-client/skill/SKILL.md b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/cli-client/skill/SKILL.md
index 2d417d46789f4..33bc1bc3612f7 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/cli-client/skill/SKILL.md
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/cli-client/skill/SKILL.md
@@ -222,17 +222,17 @@ playwright-cli snapshot
 playwright-cli click e15
 ```
 
-You can also use css or role selectors, for example when explicitly asked for it.
+You can also use css selectors or Playwright locators.
 
 ```bash
 # css selector
 playwright-cli click "#main > button.submit"
 
-# role selector
-playwright-cli click "role=button[name=Submit]"
+# role locator
+playwright-cli click "getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' })"
 
-# chaining css and role selectors
-playwright-cli click "#footer >> role=button[name=Submit]"
+# test id
+playwright-cli click "getByTestId('submit-button')"
 ```
 
 ## Browser Sessions
diff --git a/tests/mcp/cli-core.spec.ts b/tests/mcp/cli-core.spec.ts
index 785ba1a189b45..9a86a2bb73874 100644
--- a/tests/mcp/cli-core.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/mcp/cli-core.spec.ts
@@ -226,31 +226,31 @@ await page.locator('button').click();
 \`\`\``);
 });
 
-test('click button with role selector', async ({ cli, server }) => {
+test('click button with role locator', async ({ cli, server }) => {
   server.setContent('/', `<button>Submit</button>`, 'text/html');
 
   const { snapshot } = await cli('open', server.PREFIX);
   expect(snapshot).toContain(`- button "Submit" [ref=e2]`);
 
-  const { output, snapshot: clickSnapshot } = await cli('click', 'role=button');
+  const { output, snapshot: clickSnapshot } = await cli('click', 'getByRole("button", { name: "Submit" })');
   expect(clickSnapshot).toBeTruthy();
   expect(output).toContain(`### Ran Playwright code
 \`\`\`js
-await page.locator('role=button').click();
+await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' }).click();
 \`\`\``);
 });
 
-test('click button with mixed css + role selector', async ({ cli, server }) => {
-  server.setContent('/', `<div id=main><button>Submit</button></div>`, 'text/html');
+test('click button with test id locator', async ({ cli, server }) => {
+  server.setContent('/', `<div data-testid=main><button>Submit</button></div>`, 'text/html');
 
   const { snapshot } = await cli('open', server.PREFIX);
   expect(snapshot).toContain(`- button "Submit" [ref=e3]`);
 
-  const { output, snapshot: clickSnapshot } = await cli('click', '#main >> role=button');
+  const { output, snapshot: clickSnapshot } = await cli('click', 'getByTestId("main").getByRole("button")');
   expect(clickSnapshot).toBeTruthy();
   expect(output).toContain(`### Ran Playwright code
 \`\`\`js
-await page.locator('#main').locator('role=button').click();
+await page.getByTestId('main').getByRole('button').click();
 \`\`\``);
 });
 
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ test('click button with wrong css selector', async ({ cli, server }) => {
   expect(snapshot).toContain(`- button "Submit" [ref=e2]`);
 
   const { output } = await cli('click', '#target');
-  expect(output).toContain(`Error: Selector #target does not match any elements.`);
+  expect(output).toContain(`"#target" does not match any elements.`);
 });
 
 test('partial snapshot', async ({ cli, server }) => {
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ test('partial snapshot', async ({ cli, server }) => {
   expect(strictError).toContain(`strict mode violation`);
 
   const { output: noMatchError } = await cli('snapshot', '#target');
-  expect(noMatchError).toContain(`Selector "#target" does not match any element`);
+  expect(noMatchError).toContain(`"#target" does not match any element`);
 });
 
 test('snapshot depth', async ({ cli, server }) => {