microsoft/playwright · error · Error

Electron executablePath not found! Please install it using `

Error message

Electron executablePath not found!
Please install it using `npm install -D electron` or set the executablePath to your Electron executable.

What it means

electron.launch() needs the Electron executable. When no executablePath is provided it tries require('electron/index.js'), which the `electron` npm package resolves to its binary path. If the package is not installed, Node throws MODULE_NOT_FOUND and Playwright re-throws a boxed message telling you to install electron or pass executablePath.

Source

Thrown at packages/playwright-core/src/server/electron/electron.ts:211

      artifactsDir = options.artifactsDir;
    } else {
      artifactsDir = await progress.race(fs.promises.mkdtemp(ARTIFACTS_FOLDER));
      tempDirectories.push(artifactsDir);
    }
    const browserLogsCollector = new RecentLogsCollector();
    const env = options.env ? envArrayToObject(options.env) : process.env;

    let command: string;
    if (options.executablePath) {
      command = options.executablePath;
    } else {
      try {
        // By default we fallback to the Electron App executable path.
        // 'electron/index.js' resolves to the actual Electron App.
        command = require('electron/index.js');
      } catch (error: any) {
        if ((error as NodeJS.ErrnoException)?.code === 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND') {
          throw new Error('\n' + wrapInASCIIBox([
            'Electron executablePath not found!',
            'Please install it using `npm install -D electron` or set the executablePath to your Electron executable.',
          ].join('\n'), 1));
        }
        throw error;
      }
      // Only use our own loader for non-packaged apps.
      // Packaged apps might have their own command line handling.
      electronArguments.unshift('-r', libPath('server', 'electron', 'loader.js'));
    }
    let shell = false;
    if (process.platform === 'win32') {
      // On Windows in order to run .cmd files, shell: true is required.
      // https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/52554
      shell = true;
      // On Windows, we need to quote the executable path and arguments due to shell: true.
      // We allso pass the arguments as a single string due to DEP0190,
      // see https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/issues/38278.

View on GitHub (pinned to c8fc3bf8d3)

Solutions

1. Install Electron as a dev dependency: npm install -D electron.
2. Pass executablePath pointing at an existing Electron binary: electron.launch({ executablePath: '/path/to/electron' }).
3. If using a monorepo, ensure electron is resolvable from the workspace running the tests (add it locally or fix hoisting).
4. Re-run npm install after adding electron to package.json.

Example fix

// before
const app = await electron.launch(); // electron not installed → throws
// after
// shell: npm install -D electron
const app = await electron.launch();

// Check electron is resolvable before launching.
try {
  require.resolve('electron');
} catch {
  throw new Error('Run `npm install -D electron` first');
}
const app = await electron.launch();

When it happens

Trigger: Calling electron.launch() in a project that has not installed the `electron` npm dependency and does not pass executablePath; monorepo where electron is hoisted/resolved in a different workspace; CI that installs only @playwright/test without electron.

Common situations: New Electron testing setup missing `npm i -D electron`; pnpm/yarn workspace hoisting preventing the require from resolving; a fresh checkout where devDependencies were installed with --production.

Related errors

• Launching more browsers is not allowed.
• Unable to open X display! ================================ M
• No Mobile Safari tabs found at ${this._proxyBase}/json — ope
• Playwright Extension not found in "${userDataDir}". Install
• Skill source directory not found: ${sourceDir}

AI-assisted analysis of microsoft/playwright@c8fc3bf8d3 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/eef4aa24da9703f6. Report an issue: GitHub.