getByPlaceholder(placeholder[, options])

Returns a locator for input elements with the specified placeholder attribute. This method is useful for locating form fields that use placeholder attribute to provide hints or examples to users about the expected input format.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
placeholder	string\|RegExp	-	Required. The placeholder text to search for. Can be a string for exact match or a RegExp for pattern matching.
options	object	`null`
options.exact	boolean	`false`	Whether to match the placeholder text exactly with case sensitivity. When `true`, performs a case-sensitive match.

Returns

Type	Description
Locator	A locator object that can be used to interact with the input element(s) matching the specified placeholder text.

Examples

Find and fill inputs by their placeholder text:

import { browser } from 'k6/browser';

export const options = {
  scenarios: {
    browser: {
      executor: 'shared-iterations',
      options: {
        browser: {
          type: 'chromium',
        },
      },
    },
  },
};

export default async function () {
  const page = await browser.newPage();

  try {
    await page.setContent(`
      <input type="text" placeholder="First name">
      <input type="text" placeholder="Last name">
      <input type="text" placeholder="dd/mm/yyyy">
      <input type="text" placeholder="your.email@example.com">
      <input type="text" placeholder="+1 (555) 123-4567">
    `);

    await page.getByPlaceholder('First name').fill('First');
    await page.getByPlaceholder('Last name').fill('Last');
    await page.getByPlaceholder('dd/mm/yyyy').fill('01/01/1990');

    await page.getByPlaceholder('your.email@example.com').fill('first.last@example.com');
    await page.getByPlaceholder('+1 (555) 123-4567').fill('+1 (555) 987-6543');
  } finally {
    await page.close();
  }
}

Common use cases

Form field identification:

Login and registration forms without explicit labels
Quick search boxes
Filter and input controls
Comment and feedback forms

E-commerce:

Product search bars
Quantity input fields
Promo code entry
Address and payment information

Interactive applications:

Chat input fields
Command input interfaces
Settings and configuration forms
Data entry applications

Best practices

Complement, don’t replace labels: Placeholder text should supplement, not replace proper form labels for accessibility.
Use descriptive placeholders: Ensure placeholder text clearly indicates the expected input format or content.
Consider internationalization: When testing multi-language applications, be aware that placeholder text may change.
Accessibility considerations: Remember that placeholder text alone may not be sufficient for users with disabilities.