Explain how you'd set up cross-browser testing. What are the common pitfalls?
- cross-browser
- browser matrix
- compatibility
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Model answer
Run core tests across Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit (Playwright handles all three natively). Use a matrix strategy in CI, parallel jobs per browser. Pitfalls: CSS rendering differences (especially flexbox/grid edge cases), Web API availability (e.g., some APIs lag in Safari/WebKit), and different JavaScript engine behaviors. Don't run every test cross-browser - focus on critical paths and UI-heavy flows. Use cloud grids (BrowserStack, LambdaTest) for real device coverage.
What interviewers listen for
- Test architecture instinctsYou can defend why your suite is shaped like a pyramid, a trophy, or a honeycomb.
- Locator disciplineYou rank selector strategies by stability and explain when to break the rule.
- Flaky test ownershipYou debug to a structural fix instead of retry-until-green.
- Parallelisation literacyYou know how your framework isolates state, fixtures, and database access across workers.