Run automated tests from Test Management

Run automation starts a GitHub Actions run of only the automated Playwright tests linked to the test cases you pick. You choose the test cases, a branch, and a workflow. The results arrive as a new test run in Test Runs, like any other test run from CI.

Before you start, you need:

The Pro, Team, or Enterprise plan, and the Owner, Admin, or Member role.
GitHub connected to the project. See GitHub App.
Test cases linked to automated tests. See Linked Automation Tests.
@testdino/playwright 2.11.1 or later and Playwright 1.56 or later in your project.
A workflow set up once, as shown below.

Set up your workflow

Add a testdino_selection input to the GitHub Actions workflow that runs your Playwright tests, and pass it to npx tdpw test. Keep your existing triggers, setup, and install steps; the example shows only the lines to add.

.github/workflows/playwright.yml

on:
  workflow_dispatch:
    inputs:
      testdino_selection: { required: false } # set by TestDino's Run automation
jobs:
  test:
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Run tests
        env:
          TESTDINO_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.TESTDINO_TOKEN }}
          TD_SELECTION: ${{ inputs.testdino_selection }}
        shell: bash
        run: |
          args=()
          if [ -n "$TD_SELECTION" ]; then
            args+=(--selection "$TD_SELECTION")
          fi
          npx tdpw test "${args[@]}"

On a normal push the input is empty, so your whole suite runs as before.
Pass the input through env:, as in the example.
Add the workflow to every branch you want to run from TestDino.
Don’t ignore the test command’s result: no || true, || echo, continue-on-error, | tee without pipefail, or set +e. Otherwise the CI job shows green even when tests fail or nothing ran.
If the same workflow also has the re-run inputs, set testdino_rerun_from to required: false.
Sharded workflows work. See sharded runs to report the shards as 1 test run.

Start a run

Open Run automation

Click Run automation in 1 of 3 places. Each decides which test cases are ticked when the dialog opens.

Where	Ticked when it opens
Test Cases page, next to + New	Nothing. Use Select all to run every linked test case.
Test Cases selection bar, after you select test cases	The selected test cases that are linked
The header of an open run (closed runs have no button)	The run’s linked test cases that read `Not run in automation`

If nothing is linked yet, the button looks muted and tells you what to do when you click it.

Pick test cases

Tick the test cases to run. Only linked test cases can be ticked; others show No linked automated test. Use the suite checkboxes, Select all, Clear, and search to build the list, then click Next. A run takes up to 1,000 test cases. To change them later, click Back or the step names at the top.From a run, the chips Not run in automation, Failed, and All automated filter the list by each test case’s CI result in that run.

Choose a branch and workflow

Branch: the branch to run. From a run with a release branch, it starts on that branch; otherwise on the repository’s default branch. Search the list or type a name.
Workflow: the workflows on that branch that are set up for TestDino. Show why explains the others and what to change.
When a selected test is missing: Skip missing tests (the default) or Fail the CI job. See Tests missing on the branch.

If some selected tests may not be on the branch, a N may not run · View details badge appears. Click it to see which ones and why. Those test cases are tagged Test not found or Not found last run; hover the tag for the reason. You can still run.If the workflow ignores the test command’s result, a Your workflow may hide test failures box appears. Click View fix to see the file, the job, and the line to remove.The button shows how many tests will run, such as Run 12 selected tests. A test that runs in 3 browsers counts 3 times.

Run

Click the Run button. The dialog shows Run started. Click View in GitHub to open the workflow run, or Done to close the dialog.

If GitHub is not connected yet, the dialog shows Connect GitHub instead of the branch and workflow. Connect it in the new tab, then click Check again. Your picks stay in the dialog.

See the results

The results arrive as a new test run in Test Runs when the GitHub run finishes. It shows who started it, such as Manual · <name>. When you started from a run, the run page also shows the progress:

The run page shows	Meaning
`Automated run started`	CI is running. On a run that reads the latest CI results, it clears once the results arrive.
`Nothing ran on <branch>.` and a reason	CI ran nothing, for example because none of the selected tests are on that branch.
`No results yet from the automated run started`	No results after 2 hours on a run that reads the latest CI results. Click Check GitHub.

If the run reads a specific CI run, the new results don’t appear in it, and the message stays until you dismiss it. Click Show latest results to switch the run to the latest CI results. See Pull automated results from CI. To retry only the tests that failed, open the new test run and click Re-run, then This commit. See Re-run failed tests.

Tests missing on the branch

Before running, CI checks which selected tests exist on the branch. A test renamed, moved, or deleted on that branch is not found.

Situation	Skip missing tests	Fail the CI job
Some tests are missing	Runs the rest. The CI job passes or fails based on those tests.	Runs the rest, then fails the CI job
No selected test is found	Fails the CI job and runs nothing	Same
The check itself cannot run	Runs the selection unchecked, with a warning in the CI log	Fails the CI job and runs nothing

The new test run shows a badge next to its title, such as 2 tests not found. Hover it to see why, or click it to see the missing tests and the test cases that link them. A renamed or moved test needs to be linked again from its test case.

Troubleshooting

None of your workflows on <branch> can run selected tests yet.

No active workflow on the chosen branch has the testdino_selection input. Click Show why under Workflow for the reason, then set up your workflow on that branch.

TestDino isn't allowed to start workflows

The TestDino GitHub App needs Actions write permission. Ask an admin of your GitHub organization to approve it. See GitHub App.

GitHub has no branch named <branch>.

Run stays disabled when the branch is not on GitHub. Pick an existing branch, or push the branch first.

None of the N selected tests were found, so nothing ran

None of the selected tests exist on the branch you ran: they were renamed, moved, or deleted there, or your Playwright arguments filter them out. Pick a branch that has the tests, or link the test cases again to the renamed tests.

The CI job is green, but tests were missing or nothing ran

Your workflow ignores the exit code of npx tdpw test, for example with || true, || echo, or continue-on-error. Remove it so a failed check fails the CI job. The TestDino CLI log still lists the missing tests. Step 2 warns about this with Your workflow may hide test failures.

error: unknown option '--selection'

The branch uses @testdino/playwright older than 2.11.1. Upgrade it on that branch.

--selection needs Playwright 1.56 or newer

Upgrade @playwright/test to 1.56 or later on that branch.

Selection <id> is unknown or belongs to another project than this token's.

The workflow’s TESTDINO_TOKEN is from a different TestDino project, or the selection id is wrong. Start the run from TestDino, and use an API key from the project you started it in. See Generate API keys.

This run may already have started

TestDino could not confirm the start with GitHub. Check the Actions tab in your repository before starting again, so the same tests do not run twice.

Link automated tests

Connect a test case to the automated test that covers it.

Runs

Track manual and automated test cases in 1 run.

Node.js CLI

Every npx tdpw test flag, including --selection.

Re-run failed tests

Run only the failed or flaky test cases from a finished test run.

Getting Started

Connect Your Pipeline

Test Intelligence

Guides

AI-Native Testing

Organization & Access

Integrations

Test Management

Data Security & Privacy

Resources

Run automated tests from Test Management

Set up your workflow

Start a run

See the results

Tests missing on the branch

Troubleshooting

Link automated tests

Runs

Node.js CLI

Re-run failed tests

​Set up your workflow

​Start a run

​See the results

​Tests missing on the branch

​Troubleshooting

​Related

Link automated tests

Runs

Node.js CLI

Re-run failed tests

Set up your workflow

Start a run

See the results

Tests missing on the branch

Troubleshooting

Related