{
  "id": 1457363,
  "title": "Structuring a Playwright BDD Automation Framework: Core Architecture & Directory Guide",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/structuring-a-playwright-bdd-automation-framework-core-architecture",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-17T09:21:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/shell_qa/structuring-a-playwright-bdd-automation-framework-core-architecture-directory-guide-5hne"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A well-structured test automation framework is crucial as test suites expand across various applications, platforms, and teams. A modular, maintainable folder layout keeps features, step definitions, page objects, and utilities separate and easy to expand. This comprehensive directory guide outlines best practices for a BDD-enabled Playwright framework that supports Web UI, API, and Salesforce test automation.\n\nThe core directory structure consists of several key components:\n- `features/`: Contains feature files for API, UI, and Salesforce tests.\n- `step-definitions/`: Houses step definitions for API, UI, and Salesforce, each with its own subfolder.\n- `page-objects/`: Includes page managers, base pages, and individual page objects like HomePage, LoginPage, and SalesforceLoginPage.\n- `setup/`: Holds test hooks, API hooks, assertions, and video recording scripts.\n- `utils/`: Contains helper functions such as ApiHelper, AppiumHelper, ExcelHelper, and Logger.\n- `test-data/`: Holds JSON fixtures and Excel data generator scripts.\n- `reports/`, `test-results/`, and `logs/`: Store test reports, execution logs, and other output files.\n- `config.js`, `cucumber.config.js`, and `playwright.config.js`: Configuration files for the framework.\n- `package.json`: Manages project dependencies and scripts.\n\nWhen committing to source control, include all feature files, step definitions, page objects, test hooks, and helper files. Exclude test data and generators, as well as execution output, logs, and HTML/JSON reports from source control by adding them to the `.gitignore` file.",
  "summary": "Organizing a test automation framework cleanly is vital as your test suites scale across multiple applications, platforms, and teams. A modular, maintainable folder structure keeps features, step definitions, page objects, and utilities decoupled and easy to extend. Here is a comprehensive directory guide and best-practices layout for a BDD-enabled Playwright framework supporting Web UI, API, and…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}