Revert "feat(cli): add annotate command (#40520)"

packages/playwright-core/src/tools/cli-client/program.ts

@@ -216,6 +216,13 @@ export async function program(options?: { embedderVersion?: string}) {
         await new Promise<void>(resolve => child.on('exit', () => resolve()));
         return;
       }
+      if (args.annotate) {
+        const dashboard = spawn(process.execPath, daemonArgs, { detached: true, stdio: 'ignore' });
+        dashboard.unref();
+        const annotate = spawn(process.execPath, [...daemonArgs, '--annotate'], { stdio: 'inherit' });
+        await new Promise<void>(resolve => annotate.on('exit', () => resolve()));
+        return;
+      }
       const foreground = args.port !== undefined;
       const child = spawn(process.execPath, daemonArgs, {
         detached: !foreground,

packages/playwright-core/src/tools/cli-client/skill/SKILL.md

@@ -163,8 +163,8 @@ playwright-cli video-start video.webm
 playwright-cli video-chapter "Chapter Title" --description="Details" --duration=2000
 playwright-cli video-stop
 
-# launch the dashboard for UI review / design feedback — user annotates the page, you receive the annotated screenshot, snapshot, and notes
-playwright-cli annotate
+# launch the dashboard with annotation prompt to ask the user for input
+playwright-cli show --annotate
 
 # generate a Playwright locator for an element from its ref or selector
 playwright-cli generate-locator e5 --raw
@@ -367,11 +367,11 @@ playwright-cli close
 
 ## Example: Interactive session
 
-Ask the user for UI review or design feedback. The user draws boxes on the live page and types comments; you receive the annotated screenshot, the snapshot of the marked region, and the user's notes. Use this whenever the user asks for "UI review", "design feedback", or to "ask the user what they think / want / mean":
+Ask the user to annotate the UI. User can provide contextual tasks or ask contextual questions using annotations:
 
 ```bash
 playwright-cli open https://example.com
-playwright-cli annotate
+playwright-cli show --annotate
 ```
 
 ## Specific tasks

packages/playwright-core/src/tools/cli-client/skill/references/spec-driven-testing.md

@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ playwright-cli resume                   # resume so that seed test runs fully
 playwright-cli snapshot                 # inventory of interactive elements
 playwright-cli click e5                 # follow a flow
 playwright-cli eval "location.href"     # read URL / state
-playwright-cli annotate                  # ask the user to point at something
+playwright-cli show --annotate          # ask the user to point at something
 ```
 
 Map out:
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ The test is paused at the start. Step forward or run to until just before the fa
 playwright-cli snapshot                # did the element change / move / rename?
 playwright-cli console                 # app-side errors?
 playwright-cli network                 # failed request? wrong payload?
-playwright-cli annotate                 # ask the user to point somewhere
+playwright-cli show --annotate         # ask the user to point somewhere
 ```
 
 Common causes: selector drift, new wrapper element, label/ARIA rename, timing (transition, async load), assertion text updated in the app, test data leaking between runs.

packages/playwright-core/src/tools/cli-daemon/commands.ts

@@ -977,22 +977,13 @@ const dashboardShow = declareCommand({
   options: z.object({
     port: numberArg.optional().describe('Start as a blocking HTTP server on this port (use 0 for a random port)'),
     host: z.string().optional().describe('Host to bind to when using --port (defaults to localhost)'),
+    annotate: z.boolean().optional().describe('Switch the dashboard into annotation mode.'),
     kill: z.boolean().optional().describe('Kill the dashboard daemon.'),
   }),
   toolName: '',
   toolParams: () => ({}),
 });
 
-const annotate = declareCommand({
-  name: 'annotate',
-  description: 'Ask the user to annotate the current page.',
-  category: 'devtools',
-  raw: true,
-  args: z.object({}),
-  toolName: 'browser_annotate',
-  toolParams: () => ({}),
-});
-
 const resume = declareCommand({
   name: 'resume',
   description: 'Resume the test execution',
@@ -1207,7 +1198,6 @@ const commandsArray: AnyCommandSchema[] = [
   videoStop,
   videoChapter,
   dashboardShow,
-  annotate,
   pauseAt,
   resume,
   stepOver,

packages/playwright-core/src/tools/cli-daemon/daemon.ts

@@ -78,8 +78,6 @@ export async function startCliDaemonServer(
 
   const server = net.createServer(socket => {
     const connection = new SocketConnection(socket);
-    const abortController = new AbortController();
-    connection.onclose = () => abortController.abort();
     connection.onmessage = async message => {
       const { id, method, params } = message;
       try {
@@ -93,7 +91,7 @@ export async function startCliDaemonServer(
         } else if (method === 'run') {
           const { toolName, toolParams } = parseCliCommand(params.args);
           toolParams._meta = { cwd: params.cwd, raw: params.raw || params.json, json: !!params.json };
-          const response = await backend.callTool(toolName, toolParams, abortController.signal);
+          const response = await backend.callTool(toolName, toolParams);
           await connection.send({ id, result: formatResult(response) });
         } else {
           throw new Error(`Unknown method: ${method}`);

tests/mcp/dashboard.spec.ts

@@ -152,23 +152,24 @@ async function drawAndSubmitAnnotation(dashboard: import('playwright-core').Page
 }
 
 function verifyAnnotateOutput(output: string, expectedText: string, outputDir: string) {
-  expect(output).toMatch(new RegExp(`\\{ x: \\d+, y: \\d+, width: \\d+, height: \\d+ \\}: ${expectedText}`));
-  const imageMatch = output.match(/- \[Annotation image\]\((\.playwright-cli[\\/]annotations-.*\.png)\)/);
-  expect(imageMatch).not.toBeNull();
-  const pngPath = path.resolve(outputDir, imageMatch![1]);
+  const lines = output.trim().split('\n');
+  expect(lines[0]).toMatch(new RegExp(`^\\{ x: \\d+, y: \\d+, width: \\d+, height: \\d+ \\}: ${expectedText}$`));
+  expect(lines[lines.length - 1]).toMatch(/^image: \.playwright-cli[\\/]annotations-.*\.png$/);
+  const pngRel = lines[lines.length - 1].replace(/^image: /, '');
+  const pngPath = path.resolve(outputDir, pngRel);
   expect(fs.existsSync(pngPath)).toBe(true);
   expect(fs.statSync(pngPath).size).toBeGreaterThan(0);
 }
 
-test('should capture annotations via annotate', async ({ connectToDashboard, cli, server }) => {
+test('should capture annotations via show --annotate', async ({ connectToDashboard, cli, server }) => {
   await cli('open', server.EMPTY_PAGE);
   await cli('show');
   const browser = await connectToDashboard();
 
   const dashboard = browser.contexts()[0].pages()[0];
   await dashboard.getByRole('navigation', { name: 'Sessions' }).getByRole('option').first().click();
 
-  const annotatePromise = cli('annotate');
+  const annotatePromise = cli('show', '--annotate');
   let done = false;
   void annotatePromise.finally(() => { done = true; });
 
@@ -183,7 +184,8 @@ test('should capture annotations via annotate', async ({ connectToDashboard, cli
 test('should start dashboard and annotate when no dashboard is running', async ({ connectToDashboard, cli, server }) => {
   await cli('open', server.EMPTY_PAGE);
 
-  const annotatePromise = cli('annotate');
+  const bindTitle = `--playwright-internal--${crypto.randomUUID()}`;
+  const annotatePromise = cli('show', '--annotate', { bindTitle });
   let done = false;
   void annotatePromise.finally(() => { done = true; });
 
@@ -201,11 +203,12 @@ test('should start dashboard and annotate when no dashboard is running', async (
   verifyAnnotateOutput(output, 'hi', test.info().outputDir);
 });
 
-test('should enter annotate mode on fresh dashboard.tsx mount with -s annotate', async ({ connectToDashboard, cli, server }) => {
+test('should enter annotate mode on fresh dashboard.tsx mount with -s --annotate', async ({ connectToDashboard, cli, server }) => {
   await cli('-s=first', 'open', server.EMPTY_PAGE);
   await cli('-s=second', 'open', server.EMPTY_PAGE);
 
-  const annotatePromise = cli('-s=second', 'annotate');
+  const bindTitle = `--playwright-internal--${crypto.randomUUID()}`;
+  const annotatePromise = cli('-s=second', 'show', '--annotate', { bindTitle });
   let done = false;
   void annotatePromise.finally(() => { done = true; });
 
@@ -305,7 +308,7 @@ test('should cancel browser_annotate when the MCP client disconnects', async ({
 });
 
 
-test('should switch screencast to -s session on annotate', async ({ connectToDashboard, cli, server }) => {
+test('should switch screencast to -s session on show --annotate', async ({ connectToDashboard, cli, server }) => {
   server.setContent('/red', '<html><head><style>html,body{margin:0;height:100vh;background:#ff0000}</style></head><body></body></html>', 'text/html');
   server.setContent('/green', '<html><head><style>html,body{margin:0;height:100vh;background:#00ff00}</style></head><body></body></html>', 'text/html');
 
@@ -335,7 +338,7 @@ test('should switch screencast to -s session on annotate', async ({ connectToDas
     return !!(c && c.r > 200 && c.g < 50);
   }, { timeout: 15000 }).toBe(true);
 
-  const annotatePromise = cli('-s=second', 'annotate');
+  const annotatePromise = cli('-s=second', 'show', '--annotate');
   let done = false;
   void annotatePromise.finally(() => { done = true; });
 
@@ -353,7 +356,7 @@ test('should switch screencast to -s session on annotate', async ({ connectToDas
   expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
 });
 
-test('should disengage annotate mode when annotate client disconnects', async ({ connectToDashboard, cli, childProcess, cliEnv, mcpBrowser, mcpHeadless, server }) => {
+test('should disengage annotate mode when --annotate client disconnects', async ({ connectToDashboard, cli, childProcess, cliEnv, mcpBrowser, mcpHeadless, server }) => {
   await cli('open', server.EMPTY_PAGE);
   await cli('show');
   const browser = await connectToDashboard();
@@ -362,7 +365,7 @@ test('should disengage annotate mode when annotate client disconnects', async ({
   await dashboard.getByRole('navigation', { name: 'Sessions' }).getByRole('option').first().click();
 
   const annotateClient = childProcess({
-    command: [process.execPath, require.resolve('../../packages/playwright-core/lib/tools/cli-client/cli.js'), 'annotate'],
+    command: [process.execPath, require.resolve('../../packages/playwright-core/lib/tools/cli-client/cli.js'), 'show', '--annotate'],
     cwd: test.info().outputPath(),
     env: inheritAndCleanEnv({
       ...cliEnv,