Write browser, desktop and mobile tests in plain English. Run the YAML specs from the command line. Or let a coding agent explore a flow through MCP and save it as a spec.

Jev, a small decision model, selects the element that a target describes and judges each claim. Jev reads the accessibility tree, not screenshots. Playwright, xa11y or Appium do the actions.

readme-upload.mp4

_{plain, explained in 7 minutes: plain-English specs, how Jev picks and judges, the three engines, agent mode, run modes and lock files, what Jev costs, and how it compares with a classic test framework.}

	Browser	Desktop	Mobile
Plugin and CLI	plain	plain-computer	plain-mobile
Actions by	Playwright	xa11y	Appium
Spec target	url: a website	app: a running application	platform, device, app: an installed app
Platforms	Chromium or Chrome	macOS (tested), Windows, Linux	iOS, Android, React Native

Quick start

You need Node 22 or newer, npm, and a TypeSafe API key (a Vercel AI Gateway key also works).

To let your coding agent do the setup, give it this prompt:

Set up plain for me. Read https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gabe4coding/plain/main/docs/getting-started.mdx and ask me which engines I need: browser, desktop or mobile. Then do the guide's steps for this agent host and the setup pages it links for my engines, and install the tools that are missing.
Ask me before a step that needs sudo, an Apple ID, a license or a system permission. If the API key is missing, tell me which file to put it in and wait. Do not ask me to paste the key in chat.
At the end, run the first browser spec of the guide to check the setup. Tell me what is still missing, and if I must start a new session.

To do the setup yourself:

1. Put the key in ~/.config/plain/.env. All plugins and CLIs read this file.

   TYPESAFE_API_KEY=<your key>

2. Install the browser plugin in your coding agent. In Claude Code:

   /plugin marketplace add gabe4coding/plain
   /plugin install plain@plain-marketplace

   In Codex:

   codex plugin marketplace add gabe4coding/plain
   codex plugin add plain@plain-marketplace

3. To run a spec from the command line, save the spec in A spec as todo.yaml. Then run it with npx. On the first run, npx installs the @gabe4coding/plain npm package and plain installs Chromium.

   npx -p @gabe4coding/plain plain todo.yaml

Getting started shows the desktop and mobile plugins, the key options and all environment variables.

A spec

A spec names its target and lists its steps. A browser spec starts with goto: url is only the base for goto.

name: add a todo
url: https://demo.playwright.dev/todomvc
steps:
  - goto: /
  - fill: { target: "the new todo input", value: "buy milk" }
  - press: Enter
  - expect: "a todo item named 'buy milk' is listed"

Describe each element by its role and visible text. Write each claim as a specific statement about the current state. The phrasing guide shows how.

In a comparison on six browser workflows, an agent with plain used 25–52% less time than with Playwright MCP. The API cost changed from 24% lower to 7% higher, by model.

Documentation

Guide	Contents
Getting started	Requirements, API key, plugin install, first specs, environment variables.
Spec reference	Spec format, browser steps, reusable flows, browser context, login state.
Phrasing	Targets, claims, thresholds, inconclusive results.
Hooks	Setup and teardown, test data in ${hooks.*}.
Running suites	CLI flags, config file, selection, retries, run modes, exit codes.
Reporting	Text, JSONL, JUnit and JSON output.
Artifacts	Screenshots, traces, debug dumps.
CI and containers	GitHub Action, GitLab, Docker.
Agent mode	Browser MCP tools, save, your real browser.
Snapshots	Raw, compact and smart snapshot modes.
Desktop	Desktop setup, permissions, specs and tools.
Mobile	Appium setup, mobile specs, gestures and tools.
Performance	Measured cost and speed, links to the benchmark reports.
Development	Build, tests, native smoke tests, plugin packaging.

Usage rules

• Use plain on test environments only. Stop before the last irreversible step: payment, booking, sending.
• Do not put literal credentials in a spec. Use environment references or hooks.
• Do not use plain to bypass bot protection.

License

MIT