From e2f82d4d30bbebbf89bdbb94b3e58c7aa0185151 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Alex Knight <aknight@atlassian.com>
Date: Fri, 22 May 2026 19:36:38 +1000
Subject: [PATCH] test: add mocked Control UI E2E tests and playwright for
 local verification and development (#85278)

* test: add control ui mocked e2e
---
 .agents/skills/control-ui-e2e/SKILL.md        |  53 ++
 .../skills/control-ui-e2e/agents/openai.yaml  |   4 +
 .../openclaw-live-and-e2e-checks-reusable.yml |   3 +
 .gitignore                                    |   2 +
 docs/help/testing.md                          |  26 +-
 docs/reference/test.md                        |   4 +-
 package.json                                  |   4 +-
 scripts/test-projects.test-support.mjs        |  23 +
 test/scripts/test-projects.test.ts            |  32 ++
 test/vitest/vitest.scoped-config.ts           |   1 +
 test/vitest/vitest.ui-e2e.config.ts           |  38 ++
 test/vitest/vitest.ui.config.ts               |   4 +-
 ui/src/test-helpers/control-ui-e2e.ts         | 470 ++++++++++++++++++
 ui/src/ui/e2e/chat-flow.e2e.test.ts           |  87 ++++
 ui/vitest.config.ts                           |   2 +-
 15 files changed, 748 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 .agents/skills/control-ui-e2e/SKILL.md
 create mode 100644 .agents/skills/control-ui-e2e/agents/openai.yaml
 create mode 100644 test/vitest/vitest.ui-e2e.config.ts
 create mode 100644 ui/src/test-helpers/control-ui-e2e.ts
 create mode 100644 ui/src/ui/e2e/chat-flow.e2e.test.ts

diff --git a/.agents/skills/control-ui-e2e/SKILL.md b/.agents/skills/control-ui-e2e/SKILL.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..49354ae1c6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.agents/skills/control-ui-e2e/SKILL.md
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+---
+name: control-ui-e2e
+description: Use when testing, fixing, or extending the OpenClaw Control UI GUI with Vitest + Playwright end-to-end checks, mocked Gateway WebSocket flows, or agent-verifiable browser proof.
+---
+
+# Control UI E2E
+
+Use this for Control UI changes that need a real browser flow with deterministic Gateway data.
+
+## Test Shape
+
+- Use `ui/src/**/*.e2e.test.ts` for full GUI flows.
+- Use `ui/src/test-helpers/control-ui-e2e.ts` to start the Vite Control UI and install a mocked Gateway WebSocket.
+- Keep scenarios deterministic. Do not use live provider keys, real channel credentials, or a real Gateway unless the user explicitly asks for live proof.
+- Prefer existing `.browser.test.ts` or unit tests for narrow rendering logic; use this E2E lane when the proof should cover routing, app boot, Gateway handshake, requests, and visible UI behavior together.
+
+## Commands
+
+- Target one E2E test in a Codex worktree:
+
+```bash
+node scripts/run-vitest.mjs run --config test/vitest/vitest.ui-e2e.config.ts --configLoader runner ui/src/ui/e2e/chat-flow.e2e.test.ts
+```
+
+- Run the whole local lane in a normal checkout:
+
+```bash
+pnpm test:ui:e2e
+```
+
+If dependencies are missing in a Codex worktree, install once with `pnpm install`; for broad GUI proof or dependency-heavy checks, use Testbox/Crabbox instead of running a wide local pnpm lane.
+
+## Mock Pattern
+
+Start the app server, install the mock before `page.goto`, then assert both Gateway traffic and visible UI:
+
+```ts
+const server = await startControlUiE2eServer();
+const page = await context.newPage();
+const gateway = await installMockGateway(page, {
+  historyMessages: [{ role: "assistant", content: [{ type: "text", text: "Ready." }] }],
+});
+
+await page.goto(`${server.baseUrl}chat`);
+await page.locator(".agent-chat__composer-combobox textarea").fill("hello");
+await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Send message" }).click();
+
+const request = await gateway.waitForRequest("chat.send");
+await gateway.emitChatFinal({ runId: String(request.params.idempotencyKey), text: "Done." });
+await page.getByText("Done.").waitFor();
+```
+
+Extend `installMockGateway` with typed scenario options or method responses when a new flow needs more Gateway surface.
diff --git a/.agents/skills/control-ui-e2e/agents/openai.yaml b/.agents/skills/control-ui-e2e/agents/openai.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f13b9006e18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.agents/skills/control-ui-e2e/agents/openai.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+interface:
+  display_name: "Control UI E2E"
+  short_description: "Mocked browser E2E for Control UI"
+  default_prompt: "Use $control-ui-e2e to verify a Control UI change with the mocked Vitest + Playwright browser lane."
diff --git a/.github/workflows/openclaw-live-and-e2e-checks-reusable.yml b/.github/workflows/openclaw-live-and-e2e-checks-reusable.yml
index d35fb6d54d8..fe782ee2619 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/openclaw-live-and-e2e-checks-reusable.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/openclaw-live-and-e2e-checks-reusable.yml
@@ -547,6 +547,9 @@ jobs:
           NODE_OPTIONS: --max-old-space-size=8192
         run: pnpm build
 
+      - name: Install Playwright Chromium
+        run: pnpm --dir ui exec playwright install --with-deps chromium
+
       - name: Run repo E2E suite
         run: pnpm test:e2e
 
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1c75763dec4..20fa36d01e7 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ mantis/
 !.agents/skills/crabbox/**
 !.agents/skills/clawdtributor/
 !.agents/skills/clawdtributor/**
+!.agents/skills/control-ui-e2e/
+!.agents/skills/control-ui-e2e/**
 !.agents/skills/gitcrawl/
 !.agents/skills/gitcrawl/**
 !.agents/skills/openclaw-docs/**
diff --git a/docs/help/testing.md b/docs/help/testing.md
index c2c8c0a68c3..bdc48a590dd 100644
--- a/docs/help/testing.md
+++ b/docs/help/testing.md
@@ -608,9 +608,19 @@ Native dependency policy:
   - CI-safe and keyless
   - Narrow lane for stability-regression follow-up, not a substitute for the full Gateway suite
 
-### E2E (gateway smoke)
+### E2E (repo aggregate)
 
 - Command: `pnpm test:e2e`
+- Scope:
+  - Runs the gateway smoke E2E lane
+  - Runs the mocked Control UI browser E2E lane
+- Expectations:
+  - CI-safe and keyless
+  - Requires Playwright Chromium to be installed
+
+### E2E (gateway smoke)
+
+- Command: `pnpm test:e2e:gateway`
 - Config: `vitest.e2e.config.ts`
 - Files: `src/**/*.e2e.test.ts`, `test/**/*.e2e.test.ts`, and bundled-plugin E2E tests under `extensions/`
 - Runtime defaults:
@@ -628,6 +638,20 @@ Native dependency policy:
   - No real keys required
   - More moving parts than unit tests (can be slower)
 
+### E2E (Control UI mocked browser)
+
+- Command: `pnpm test:ui:e2e`
+- Config: `test/vitest/vitest.ui-e2e.config.ts`
+- Files: `ui/src/**/*.e2e.test.ts`
+- Scope:
+  - Starts the Vite Control UI
+  - Drives a real Chromium page through Playwright
+  - Replaces the Gateway WebSocket with deterministic in-browser mocks
+- Expectations:
+  - Runs in CI as part of `pnpm test:e2e`
+  - No real Gateway, agents, or provider keys required
+  - Browser dependency must be present (`pnpm --dir ui exec playwright install chromium`)
+
 ### E2E: OpenShell backend smoke
 
 - Command: `pnpm test:e2e:openshell`
diff --git a/docs/reference/test.md b/docs/reference/test.md
index a27e38dfac9..4884e42c294 100644
--- a/docs/reference/test.md
+++ b/docs/reference/test.md
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ title: "Tests"
 - `pnpm test`: routes explicit file/directory targets through scoped Vitest lanes. Untargeted runs use fixed shard groups and expand to leaf configs for local parallel execution; the extension group always expands to the per-extension shard configs instead of one giant root-project process.
 - Test wrapper runs end with a short `[test] passed|failed|skipped ... in ...` summary. Vitest's own duration line stays the per-shard detail.
 - Shared OpenClaw test state: use `src/test-utils/openclaw-test-state.ts` from Vitest when a test needs an isolated `HOME`, `OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR`, `OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH`, config fixture, workspace, agent dir, or auth-profile store.
+- Control UI mocked E2E: use `pnpm test:ui:e2e` for the Vitest + Playwright lane that starts the Vite Control UI and drives a real Chromium page against a mocked Gateway WebSocket. Tests live in `ui/src/**/*.e2e.test.ts`; shared mocks and controls live in `ui/src/test-helpers/control-ui-e2e.ts`. `pnpm test:e2e` includes this lane. In Codex worktrees, prefer `node scripts/run-vitest.mjs run --config test/vitest/vitest.ui-e2e.config.ts --configLoader runner ui/src/ui/e2e/chat-flow.e2e.test.ts` for tiny targeted proof after dependencies are installed, or Testbox/Crabbox for broader GUI proof.
 - Process E2E helpers: use `test/helpers/openclaw-test-instance.ts` when a Vitest process-level E2E test needs a running Gateway, CLI env, log capture, and cleanup in one place.
 - Docker/Bash E2E helpers: lanes that source `scripts/lib/docker-e2e-image.sh` can pass `docker_e2e_test_state_shell_b64 <label> <scenario>` into the container and decode it with `scripts/lib/openclaw-e2e-instance.sh`; multi-home scripts can pass `docker_e2e_test_state_function_b64` and call `openclaw_test_state_create <label> <scenario>` in each flow. Lower-level callers can use `scripts/lib/openclaw-test-state.mjs shell --label <name> --scenario <name>` for an in-container shell snippet, or `node scripts/lib/openclaw-test-state.mjs -- create --label <name> --scenario <name> --env-file <path> --json` for a sourceable host env file. The `--` before `create` keeps newer Node runtimes from treating `--env-file` as a Node flag. Docker/Bash lanes that launch a Gateway can source `scripts/lib/openclaw-e2e-instance.sh` inside the container for entrypoint resolution, mock OpenAI startup, Gateway foreground/background launch, readiness probes, state env export, log dumps, and process cleanup.
 - Full, extension, and include-pattern shard runs update local timing data in `.artifacts/vitest-shard-timings.json`; later whole-config runs use those timings to balance slow and fast shards. Include-pattern CI shards append the shard name to the timing key, which keeps filtered shard timings visible without replacing whole-config timing data. Set `OPENCLAW_TEST_PROJECTS_TIMINGS=0` to ignore the local timing artifact.
@@ -38,7 +39,8 @@ title: "Tests"
 - `pnpm test:perf:groups --full-suite --allow-failures --output .artifacts/test-perf/baseline-before.json`: runs every full-suite Vitest leaf config serially and writes grouped duration data plus per-config JSON/log artifacts. The Test Performance Agent uses this as its baseline before attempting slow-test fixes.
 - `pnpm test:perf:groups:compare .artifacts/test-perf/baseline-before.json .artifacts/test-perf/after-agent.json`: compares grouped reports after a performance-focused change.
 - Gateway integration: opt-in via `OPENCLAW_TEST_INCLUDE_GATEWAY=1 pnpm test` or `pnpm test:gateway`.
-- `pnpm test:e2e`: Runs gateway end-to-end smoke tests (multi-instance WS/HTTP/node pairing). Defaults to `threads` + `isolate: false` with adaptive workers in `vitest.e2e.config.ts`; tune with `OPENCLAW_E2E_WORKERS=<n>` and set `OPENCLAW_E2E_VERBOSE=1` for verbose logs.
+- `pnpm test:e2e`: Runs the repo E2E aggregate: gateway end-to-end smoke tests plus the Control UI mocked browser E2E lane.
+- `pnpm test:e2e:gateway`: Runs gateway end-to-end smoke tests (multi-instance WS/HTTP/node pairing). Defaults to `threads` + `isolate: false` with adaptive workers in `vitest.e2e.config.ts`; tune with `OPENCLAW_E2E_WORKERS=<n>` and set `OPENCLAW_E2E_VERBOSE=1` for verbose logs.
 - `pnpm test:live`: Runs provider live tests (minimax/zai). Requires API keys and `LIVE=1` (or provider-specific `*_LIVE_TEST=1`) to unskip.
 - `pnpm test:docker:all`: Builds the shared live-test image, packs OpenClaw once as an npm tarball, builds/reuses a bare Node/Git runner image plus a functional image that installs that tarball into `/app`, then runs Docker smoke lanes with `OPENCLAW_SKIP_DOCKER_BUILD=1` through a weighted scheduler. The bare image (`OPENCLAW_DOCKER_E2E_BARE_IMAGE`) is used for installer/update/plugin-dependency lanes; those lanes mount the prebuilt tarball instead of using copied repo sources. The functional image (`OPENCLAW_DOCKER_E2E_FUNCTIONAL_IMAGE`) is used for normal built-app functionality lanes. `scripts/package-openclaw-for-docker.mjs` is the single local/CI package packer and validates the tarball plus `dist/postinstall-inventory.json` before Docker consumes it. Docker lane definitions live in `scripts/lib/docker-e2e-scenarios.mjs`; planner logic lives in `scripts/lib/docker-e2e-plan.mjs`; `scripts/test-docker-all.mjs` executes the selected plan. `node scripts/test-docker-all.mjs --plan-json` emits the scheduler-owned CI plan for selected lanes, image kinds, package/live-image needs, state scenarios, and credential checks without building or running Docker. `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_PARALLELISM=<n>` controls process slots and defaults to 10; `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_TAIL_PARALLELISM=<n>` controls the provider-sensitive tail pool and defaults to 10. Heavy lane caps default to `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_LIVE_LIMIT=9`, `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_NPM_LIMIT=10`, and `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_SERVICE_LIMIT=7`; provider caps default to one heavy lane per provider via `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_LIVE_CLAUDE_LIMIT=4`, `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_LIVE_CODEX_LIMIT=4`, and `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_LIVE_GEMINI_LIMIT=4`. Use `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_WEIGHT_LIMIT` or `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_DOCKER_LIMIT` for larger hosts. If one lane exceeds the effective weight or resource cap on a low-parallelism host, it can still start from an empty pool and will run alone until it releases capacity. Lane starts are staggered by 2 seconds by default to avoid local Docker daemon create storms; override with `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_START_STAGGER_MS=<ms>`. The runner preflights Docker by default, cleans stale OpenClaw E2E containers, emits active-lane status every 30 seconds, shares provider CLI tool caches between compatible lanes, retries transient live-provider failures once by default (`OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_LIVE_RETRIES=<n>`), and stores lane timings in `.artifacts/docker-tests/lane-timings.json` for longest-first ordering on later runs. Use `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_DRY_RUN=1` to print the lane manifest without running Docker, `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_STATUS_INTERVAL_MS=<ms>` to tune status output, or `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_TIMINGS=0` to disable timing reuse. Use `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_LIVE_MODE=skip` for deterministic/local lanes only or `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_LIVE_MODE=only` for live-provider lanes only; package aliases are `pnpm test:docker:local:all` and `pnpm test:docker:live:all`. Live-only mode merges main and tail live lanes into one longest-first pool so provider buckets can pack Claude, Codex, and Gemini work together. The runner stops scheduling new pooled lanes after the first failure unless `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_FAIL_FAST=0` is set, and each lane has a 120-minute fallback timeout overrideable with `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_ALL_LANE_TIMEOUT_MS`; selected live/tail lanes use tighter per-lane caps. CLI backend Docker setup commands have their own timeout via `OPENCLAW_LIVE_CLI_BACKEND_SETUP_TIMEOUT_SECONDS` (default 180). Per-lane logs, `summary.json`, `failures.json`, and phase timings are written under `.artifacts/docker-tests/<run-id>/`; use `pnpm test:docker:timings <summary.json>` to inspect slow lanes and `pnpm test:docker:rerun <run-id|summary.json|failures.json>` to print cheap targeted rerun commands.
 - `pnpm test:docker:browser-cdp-snapshot`: Builds a Chromium-backed source E2E container, starts raw CDP plus an isolated Gateway, runs `browser doctor --deep`, and verifies CDP role snapshots include link URLs, cursor-promoted clickables, iframe refs, and frame metadata.
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 23febd96349..90812b5d95a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1677,7 +1677,8 @@
     "test:docker:update-migration": "env OPENCLAW_UPGRADE_SURVIVOR_PUBLISHED_BASELINE=1 OPENCLAW_UPGRADE_SURVIVOR_BASELINE_SPEC=${OPENCLAW_UPGRADE_SURVIVOR_BASELINE_SPEC:-openclaw@2026.4.23} OPENCLAW_UPGRADE_SURVIVOR_SCENARIO=${OPENCLAW_UPGRADE_SURVIVOR_SCENARIO:-plugin-deps-cleanup} bash scripts/e2e/upgrade-survivor-docker.sh",
     "test:docker:update-restart-auth": "env OPENCLAW_UPGRADE_SURVIVOR_UPDATE_RESTART_MODE=auto-auth OPENCLAW_UPGRADE_SURVIVOR_DOCKER_RUN_TIMEOUT=${OPENCLAW_UPGRADE_SURVIVOR_DOCKER_RUN_TIMEOUT:-1500s} bash scripts/e2e/upgrade-survivor-docker.sh",
     "test:docker:upgrade-survivor": "bash scripts/e2e/upgrade-survivor-docker.sh",
-    "test:e2e": "node scripts/run-vitest.mjs run --config test/vitest/vitest.e2e.config.ts",
+    "test:e2e": "pnpm test:e2e:gateway && pnpm test:ui:e2e",
+    "test:e2e:gateway": "node scripts/run-vitest.mjs run --config test/vitest/vitest.e2e.config.ts",
     "test:e2e:openshell": "OPENCLAW_E2E_OPENSHELL=1 node scripts/run-vitest.mjs run --config test/vitest/vitest.e2e.config.ts extensions/openshell/src/backend.e2e.test.ts",
     "test:extension": "node scripts/test-extension.mjs",
     "test:extensions": "node scripts/test-projects.mjs extensions",
@@ -1736,6 +1737,7 @@
     "test:restart:gateway": "node --import tsx scripts/bench-gateway-restart.ts",
     "test:startup:memory": "node scripts/check-cli-startup-memory.mjs",
     "test:ui": "pnpm ui:i18n:check && pnpm lint:ui:no-raw-window-open && pnpm --dir ui test",
+    "test:ui:e2e": "node scripts/run-vitest.mjs run --config test/vitest/vitest.ui-e2e.config.ts --configLoader runner",
     "test:unit": "pnpm test:unit:fast && node scripts/run-vitest.mjs run --config test/vitest/vitest.unit.config.ts",
     "test:unit:fast": "node scripts/run-vitest.mjs run --config test/vitest/vitest.unit-fast.config.ts",
     "test:unit:fast:audit": "node scripts/test-unit-fast-audit.mjs",
diff --git a/scripts/test-projects.test-support.mjs b/scripts/test-projects.test-support.mjs
index 0a78dafe5f5..5e7324aa7d3 100644
--- a/scripts/test-projects.test-support.mjs
+++ b/scripts/test-projects.test-support.mjs
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ const TASKS_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.tasks.config.ts";
 const TOOLING_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.tooling.config.ts";
 const TUI_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.tui.config.ts";
 const UI_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.ui.config.ts";
+const UI_E2E_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.ui-e2e.config.ts";
 const UTILS_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.utils.config.ts";
 const WIZARD_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.wizard.config.ts";
 const INCLUDE_FILE_ENV_KEY = "OPENCLAW_VITEST_INCLUDE_FILE";
@@ -300,6 +301,7 @@ const VITEST_CONFIG_BY_KIND = {
   tooling: TOOLING_VITEST_CONFIG,
   tui: TUI_VITEST_CONFIG,
   ui: UI_VITEST_CONFIG,
+  uiE2e: UI_E2E_VITEST_CONFIG,
   utils: UTILS_VITEST_CONFIG,
   wizard: WIZARD_VITEST_CONFIG,
 };
@@ -1032,6 +1034,15 @@ function isUnitUiTestTarget(relative) {
   );
 }
 
+function isControlUiE2eTarget(relative) {
+  return (
+    relative === "ui/src/test-helpers/control-ui-e2e.ts" ||
+    relative === "ui/src/ui/e2e" ||
+    relative.startsWith("ui/src/ui/e2e/") ||
+    (relative.startsWith("ui/src/") && relative.endsWith(".e2e.test.ts"))
+  );
+}
+
 function resolveChannelContractTargetKind(relative) {
   if (!relative.startsWith("src/channels/plugins/contracts/")) {
     return null;
@@ -1262,6 +1273,9 @@ function classifyTarget(arg, cwd) {
   if (resolveUnitFastTestIncludePattern(relative)) {
     return "unitFast";
   }
+  if (isControlUiE2eTarget(relative)) {
+    return "uiE2e";
+  }
   if (relative.endsWith(".e2e.test.ts")) {
     return "e2e";
   }
@@ -1432,6 +1446,9 @@ function classifyTarget(arg, cwd) {
     return "plugin";
   }
   if (relative.startsWith("ui/src/")) {
+    if (isControlUiE2eTarget(relative)) {
+      return "uiE2e";
+    }
     if (isUnitUiTestTarget(relative)) {
       return "unitUi";
     }
@@ -1467,6 +1484,10 @@ function shouldUseWholeConfigTarget(kind, targetArg, cwd) {
   if (isVitestConfigTargetForKind(kind, targetArg, cwd)) {
     return true;
   }
+  if (kind === "uiE2e") {
+    const relative = toRepoRelativeTarget(targetArg, cwd);
+    return relative === "ui/src/test-helpers/control-ui-e2e.ts";
+  }
   if (kind !== "ui") {
     return false;
   }
@@ -1483,6 +1504,7 @@ function createVitestArgs(params) {
     ...(params.watchMode ? [] : ["run"]),
     "--config",
     params.config,
+    ...(params.config === UI_E2E_VITEST_CONFIG ? ["--configLoader", "runner"] : []),
     ...params.forwardedArgs,
   ];
 }
@@ -1592,6 +1614,7 @@ export function buildVitestRunPlans(
     "agent",
     "plugin",
     "ui",
+    "uiE2e",
     "unitSrc",
     "unitSecurity",
     "unitSupport",
diff --git a/test/scripts/test-projects.test.ts b/test/scripts/test-projects.test.ts
index 211f5c5c3f7..0af5b8941c0 100644
--- a/test/scripts/test-projects.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/test-projects.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   applyDefaultVitestNoOutputTimeout,
   applyParallelVitestCachePaths,
   buildFullSuiteVitestRunPlans,
+  buildVitestArgs,
   buildVitestRunPlans,
   listFullExtensionVitestProjectConfigs,
   orderFullSuiteSpecsForParallelRun,
@@ -583,6 +584,37 @@ describe("scripts/test-projects changed-target routing", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it("routes control ui e2e tests to the ui e2e lane", () => {
+    expect(buildVitestRunPlans(["ui/src/ui/e2e/chat-flow.e2e.test.ts"])).toEqual([
+      {
+        config: "test/vitest/vitest.ui-e2e.config.ts",
+        forwardedArgs: [],
+        includePatterns: ["ui/src/ui/e2e/chat-flow.e2e.test.ts"],
+        watchMode: false,
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    expect(buildVitestRunPlans(["ui/src/test-helpers/control-ui-e2e.ts"])).toEqual([
+      {
+        config: "test/vitest/vitest.ui-e2e.config.ts",
+        forwardedArgs: [],
+        includePatterns: null,
+        watchMode: false,
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    expect(buildVitestRunPlans(["ui/src/ui/e2e"])).toEqual([
+      {
+        config: "test/vitest/vitest.ui-e2e.config.ts",
+        forwardedArgs: [],
+        includePatterns: ["ui/src/ui/e2e/**/*.test.ts"],
+        watchMode: false,
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    expect(buildVitestArgs(["ui/src/ui/e2e"])).toContain("--configLoader");
+  });
+
   it("routes changed unit ui tests to the unit ui lane", () => {
     const plans = buildVitestRunPlans(["--changed", "origin/main"], process.cwd(), () => [
       "ui/src/ui/chat/grouped-render.test.ts",
diff --git a/test/vitest/vitest.scoped-config.ts b/test/vitest/vitest.scoped-config.ts
index 294b5a3780d..5d4f0f33514 100644
--- a/test/vitest/vitest.scoped-config.ts
+++ b/test/vitest/vitest.scoped-config.ts
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ const SCOPED_PROJECT_GROUP_ORDER_BY_NAME = new Map(
     "tooling",
     "tui",
     "ui",
+    "ui-e2e",
     "unit-fast",
     "unit-security",
     "unit-src",
diff --git a/test/vitest/vitest.ui-e2e.config.ts b/test/vitest/vitest.ui-e2e.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..791eef057d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/vitest/vitest.ui-e2e.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import { defineConfig } from "vitest/config";
+import { loadPatternListFromEnv, narrowIncludePatternsForCli } from "./vitest.pattern-file.ts";
+import { sharedVitestConfig } from "./vitest.shared.config.ts";
+
+const uiE2eIncludePatterns = ["ui/src/**/*.e2e.test.ts"];
+
+export function createUiE2eVitestConfig(
+  env: Record<string, string | undefined> = process.env,
+  argv: string[] = process.argv,
+) {
+  const base = sharedVitestConfig as Record<string, unknown>;
+  const baseTest = sharedVitestConfig.test ?? {};
+  const exclude = (baseTest.exclude ?? []).filter((pattern) => pattern !== "**/*.e2e.test.ts");
+  const includeFromEnv = loadPatternListFromEnv("OPENCLAW_VITEST_INCLUDE_FILE", env);
+  const include =
+    includeFromEnv ??
+    narrowIncludePatternsForCli(uiE2eIncludePatterns, argv) ??
+    uiE2eIncludePatterns;
+
+  return defineConfig({
+    ...base,
+    cacheDir: ".artifacts/vite-ui-e2e",
+    test: {
+      ...baseTest,
+      environment: "node",
+      exclude,
+      fileParallelism: false,
+      include,
+      isolate: true,
+      name: "ui-e2e",
+      pool: "forks",
+      runner: undefined,
+      setupFiles: [],
+    },
+  });
+}
+
+export default createUiE2eVitestConfig();
diff --git a/test/vitest/vitest.ui.config.ts b/test/vitest/vitest.ui.config.ts
index 655359f2412..a5d0fdeb274 100644
--- a/test/vitest/vitest.ui.config.ts
+++ b/test/vitest/vitest.ui.config.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ export function createUiVitestConfig(
   options?: { includePatterns?: string[]; name?: string },
 ) {
   const includePatterns = options?.includePatterns ?? ["ui/src/**/*.test.ts"];
-  const exclude = options?.includePatterns ? [] : unitUiIncludePatterns;
+  const exclude = options?.includePatterns
+    ? []
+    : [...unitUiIncludePatterns, "ui/src/**/*.e2e.test.ts"];
   return createScopedVitestConfig(includePatterns, {
     deps: jsdomOptimizedDeps,
     environment: "jsdom",
diff --git a/ui/src/test-helpers/control-ui-e2e.ts b/ui/src/test-helpers/control-ui-e2e.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f2e2330bb4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/test-helpers/control-ui-e2e.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,470 @@
+import { existsSync } from "node:fs";
+import { createServer as createNetServer } from "node:net";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+import type { Page } from "playwright";
+import { createServer, type ViteDevServer } from "vite";
+import { CONTROL_UI_BOOTSTRAP_CONFIG_PATH } from "../../../src/gateway/control-ui-contract.js";
+import { PROTOCOL_VERSION } from "../../../src/gateway/protocol/version.js";
+
+export type MockGatewayRequest = {
+  id: string;
+  method: string;
+  params?: unknown;
+};
+
+export type ControlUiMockGatewayScenario = {
+  assistantAgentId?: string;
+  assistantName?: string;
+  defaultAgentId?: string;
+  historyMessages?: unknown[];
+  methodResponses?: Record<string, unknown>;
+  models?: Array<{ id: string; name: string; provider: string }>;
+  sessionKey?: string;
+};
+
+export type ControlUiE2eServer = {
+  baseUrl: string;
+  close: () => Promise<void>;
+};
+
+export type MockGatewayControls = {
+  emitChatFinal: (params: { runId: string; sessionKey?: string; text: string }) => Promise<void>;
+  emitGatewayEvent: (event: string, payload?: unknown) => Promise<void>;
+  getRequests: (method?: string) => Promise<MockGatewayRequest[]>;
+  waitForRequest: (method: string) => Promise<MockGatewayRequest>;
+};
+
+function resolveRepoRoot(): string {
+  const here = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+  return path.resolve(here, "../../..");
+}
+
+export function canRunPlaywrightChromium(chromiumExecutablePath: string): boolean {
+  return existsSync(chromiumExecutablePath);
+}
+
+export async function startControlUiE2eServer(): Promise<ControlUiE2eServer> {
+  const repoRoot = resolveRepoRoot();
+  const uiRoot = path.join(repoRoot, "ui");
+  const port = await resolveAvailableLoopbackPort();
+  const server = await createServer({
+    base: "/",
+    cacheDir: path.join(repoRoot, ".artifacts", "control-ui-e2e-vite"),
+    clearScreen: false,
+    configFile: false,
+    define: {
+      OPENCLAW_CONTROL_UI_BUILD_ID: JSON.stringify("e2e"),
+    },
+    logLevel: "error",
+    optimizeDeps: {
+      include: ["lit/directives/repeat.js"],
+    },
+    publicDir: path.join(uiRoot, "public"),
+    root: uiRoot,
+    server: {
+      host: "127.0.0.1",
+      port,
+      strictPort: true,
+    },
+  });
+  await server.listen(port);
+  return {
+    baseUrl: resolveServerBaseUrl(server),
+    close: () => server.close(),
+  };
+}
+
+async function resolveAvailableLoopbackPort(): Promise<number> {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    const probe = createNetServer();
+    probe.once("error", reject);
+    probe.listen(0, "127.0.0.1", () => {
+      const address = probe.address();
+      if (!address || typeof address === "string") {
+        probe.close(() => reject(new Error("Could not reserve a loopback port")));
+        return;
+      }
+      probe.close((err) => {
+        if (err) {
+          reject(err);
+          return;
+        }
+        resolve(address.port);
+      });
+    });
+  });
+}
+
+function resolveServerBaseUrl(server: ViteDevServer): string {
+  const address = server.httpServer?.address();
+  if (!address || typeof address === "string") {
+    throw new Error("Control UI E2E server did not expose a TCP port");
+  }
+  return `http://127.0.0.1:${address.port}/`;
+}
+
+function normalizeScenario(
+  scenario: ControlUiMockGatewayScenario,
+): Required<ControlUiMockGatewayScenario> {
+  const defaultAgentId = scenario.defaultAgentId?.trim() || "main";
+  const sessionKey = scenario.sessionKey?.trim() || "main";
+  return {
+    assistantAgentId: scenario.assistantAgentId?.trim() || defaultAgentId,
+    assistantName: scenario.assistantName?.trim() || "OpenClaw",
+    defaultAgentId,
+    historyMessages: scenario.historyMessages ?? [],
+    methodResponses: scenario.methodResponses ?? {},
+    models: scenario.models ?? [{ id: "gpt-5.5", name: "gpt-5.5", provider: "openai" }],
+    sessionKey,
+  };
+}
+
+export async function installMockGateway(
+  page: Page,
+  scenario: ControlUiMockGatewayScenario = {},
+): Promise<MockGatewayControls> {
+  const normalizedScenario = normalizeScenario(scenario);
+  await page.route(`**${CONTROL_UI_BOOTSTRAP_CONFIG_PATH}`, (route) =>
+    route.fulfill({
+      body: JSON.stringify({
+        allowExternalEmbedUrls: false,
+        assistantAgentId: normalizedScenario.assistantAgentId,
+        assistantAvatar: "",
+        assistantName: normalizedScenario.assistantName,
+        basePath: "/",
+        embedSandbox: "scripts",
+        localMediaPreviewRoots: [],
+        serverVersion: "e2e",
+      }),
+      contentType: "application/json",
+      status: 200,
+    }),
+  );
+  await page.addInitScript(
+    (input: { protocolVersion: number; scenario: Required<ControlUiMockGatewayScenario> }) => {
+      type BrowserRequest = { id: string; method: string; params?: unknown };
+      type BrowserFrame = {
+        id?: unknown;
+        method?: unknown;
+        params?: unknown;
+        type?: unknown;
+      };
+      type BrowserScenario = Required<ControlUiMockGatewayScenario>;
+      type ExposedGateway = {
+        emit: (event: string, payload?: unknown) => void;
+        findRequests: (method?: string) => BrowserRequest[];
+        requests: BrowserRequest[];
+      };
+      type WindowWithGateway = Window & {
+        openclawControlUiE2eGateway?: ExposedGateway;
+      };
+
+      const scenario: BrowserScenario = input.scenario;
+      const protocolVersion = input.protocolVersion;
+      const requests: BrowserRequest[] = [];
+      let seq = 0;
+
+      function sessionRow() {
+        return {
+          contextTokens: null,
+          displayName: "Main",
+          hasActiveRun: false,
+          key: scenario.sessionKey,
+          kind: "direct",
+          label: "Main",
+          model: "gpt-5.5",
+          modelProvider: "openai",
+          status: "done",
+          totalTokens: 0,
+          updatedAt: Date.now(),
+        };
+      }
+
+      function buildResponse(method: string, params: unknown): unknown {
+        if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(scenario.methodResponses, method)) {
+          return scenario.methodResponses[method];
+        }
+        switch (method) {
+          case "connect":
+            return {
+              auth: {
+                deviceToken: "e2e-device-token",
+                role: "operator",
+                scopes: [
+                  "operator.admin",
+                  "operator.read",
+                  "operator.write",
+                  "operator.approvals",
+                  "operator.pairing",
+                ],
+              },
+              features: { events: [], methods: [] },
+              protocol: protocolVersion,
+              server: { connId: "control-ui-e2e", version: "e2e" },
+              snapshot: {
+                sessionDefaults: {
+                  defaultAgentId: scenario.defaultAgentId,
+                  mainKey: "main",
+                  mainSessionKey: scenario.sessionKey,
+                  scope: "agent",
+                },
+              },
+              type: "hello-ok",
+            };
+          case "agent.identity.get":
+            return {
+              agentId: scenario.assistantAgentId,
+              avatar: "",
+              avatarStatus: "none",
+              name: scenario.assistantName,
+            };
+          case "agents.list":
+            return {
+              agents: [
+                {
+                  id: scenario.defaultAgentId,
+                  identity: { name: scenario.assistantName },
+                  name: scenario.assistantName,
+                },
+              ],
+              defaultId: scenario.defaultAgentId,
+              mainKey: "main",
+              scope: "agent",
+            };
+          case "chat.history":
+            return {
+              messages: scenario.historyMessages,
+              sessionId: "control-ui-e2e-session",
+              thinkingLevel: null,
+            };
+          case "chat.send":
+            return { ok: true, queued: false, params };
+          case "commands.list":
+            return { commands: [] };
+          case "health":
+            return {
+              agents: [],
+              defaultAgentId: scenario.defaultAgentId,
+              durationMs: 0,
+              heartbeatSeconds: 0,
+              ok: true,
+              sessions: { count: 1, path: "", recent: [] },
+              ts: Date.now(),
+            };
+          case "models.list":
+            return { models: scenario.models };
+          case "sessions.list":
+            return {
+              count: 1,
+              defaults: {
+                contextTokens: null,
+                model: "gpt-5.5",
+                modelProvider: "openai",
+              },
+              path: "",
+              sessions: [sessionRow()],
+              ts: Date.now(),
+            };
+          case "sessions.subscribe":
+            return { ok: true };
+          default:
+            return {};
+        }
+      }
+
+      function parseFrame(
+        raw: string | ArrayBufferLike | Blob | ArrayBufferView,
+      ): BrowserFrame | null {
+        if (typeof raw !== "string") {
+          return null;
+        }
+        try {
+          const parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as BrowserFrame;
+          return parsed && typeof parsed === "object" ? parsed : null;
+        } catch {
+          return null;
+        }
+      }
+
+      class MockWebSocket extends EventTarget {
+        static readonly CLOSED = 3;
+        static readonly CLOSING = 2;
+        static readonly CONNECTING = 0;
+        static readonly OPEN = 1;
+        static latest: MockWebSocket | null = null;
+
+        binaryType: BinaryType = "blob";
+        readonly bufferedAmount = 0;
+        readonly extensions = "";
+        onclose: ((event: CloseEvent) => void) | null = null;
+        onerror: ((event: Event) => void) | null = null;
+        onmessage: ((event: MessageEvent) => void) | null = null;
+        onopen: ((event: Event) => void) | null = null;
+        readonly protocol = "";
+        readyState = MockWebSocket.CONNECTING;
+        readonly url: string;
+
+        constructor(url: string | URL) {
+          super();
+          this.url = String(url);
+          MockWebSocket.latest = this;
+          window.setTimeout(() => {
+            if (this.readyState !== MockWebSocket.CONNECTING) {
+              return;
+            }
+            this.readyState = MockWebSocket.OPEN;
+            this.dispatchEvent(new Event("open"));
+            this.deliver({
+              event: "connect.challenge",
+              payload: { nonce: "control-ui-e2e-nonce" },
+              type: "event",
+            });
+          }, 0);
+        }
+
+        override dispatchEvent(event: Event): boolean {
+          const dispatched = super.dispatchEvent(event);
+          if (event.type === "open") {
+            this.onopen?.(event);
+          } else if (event.type === "message") {
+            this.onmessage?.(event as MessageEvent);
+          } else if (event.type === "close") {
+            this.onclose?.(event as CloseEvent);
+          } else if (event.type === "error") {
+            this.onerror?.(event);
+          }
+          return dispatched;
+        }
+
+        close(code = 1000, reason = ""): void {
+          if (this.readyState === MockWebSocket.CLOSED) {
+            return;
+          }
+          this.readyState = MockWebSocket.CLOSED;
+          this.dispatchEvent(new CloseEvent("close", { code, reason }));
+        }
+
+        send(raw: string | ArrayBufferLike | Blob | ArrayBufferView): void {
+          const frame = parseFrame(raw);
+          if (!frame || frame.type !== "req") {
+            return;
+          }
+          const id = typeof frame.id === "string" ? frame.id : "";
+          const method = typeof frame.method === "string" ? frame.method : "";
+          if (!id || !method) {
+            return;
+          }
+          requests.push({ id, method, params: frame.params });
+          window.setTimeout(() => {
+            this.deliver({
+              id,
+              ok: true,
+              payload: buildResponse(method, frame.params),
+              type: "res",
+            });
+          }, 0);
+        }
+
+        deliver(frame: unknown): void {
+          if (this.readyState !== MockWebSocket.OPEN) {
+            return;
+          }
+          this.dispatchEvent(new MessageEvent("message", { data: JSON.stringify(frame) }));
+        }
+      }
+
+      const exposed: ExposedGateway = {
+        emit(event, payload) {
+          MockWebSocket.latest?.deliver({
+            event,
+            payload,
+            seq: ++seq,
+            type: "event",
+          });
+        },
+        findRequests(method) {
+          return method ? requests.filter((request) => request.method === method) : [...requests];
+        },
+        requests,
+      };
+
+      (window as WindowWithGateway).openclawControlUiE2eGateway = exposed;
+      window.WebSocket = MockWebSocket as unknown as typeof WebSocket;
+    },
+    { protocolVersion: PROTOCOL_VERSION, scenario: normalizedScenario },
+  );
+  return createMockGatewayControls(page, normalizedScenario.sessionKey);
+}
+
+function createMockGatewayControls(page: Page, defaultSessionKey: string): MockGatewayControls {
+  const emitGatewayEvent = async (event: string, payload?: unknown) => {
+    await page.evaluate(
+      ({ eventName, eventPayload }) => {
+        const gateway = (
+          window as Window & {
+            openclawControlUiE2eGateway?: {
+              emit: (event: string, payload?: unknown) => void;
+            };
+          }
+        ).openclawControlUiE2eGateway;
+        if (!gateway) {
+          throw new Error("Mock Gateway is not installed");
+        }
+        gateway.emit(eventName, eventPayload);
+      },
+      { eventName: event, eventPayload: payload },
+    );
+  };
+
+  const getRequests = async (method?: string) =>
+    page.evaluate((targetMethod) => {
+      const gateway = (
+        window as Window & {
+          openclawControlUiE2eGateway?: {
+            findRequests: (method?: string) => MockGatewayRequest[];
+          };
+        }
+      ).openclawControlUiE2eGateway;
+      return gateway?.findRequests(targetMethod) ?? [];
+    }, method);
+
+  return {
+    async emitChatFinal(params) {
+      await emitGatewayEvent("chat", {
+        message: {
+          content: [{ text: params.text, type: "text" }],
+          role: "assistant",
+          timestamp: Date.now(),
+        },
+        runId: params.runId,
+        sessionKey: params.sessionKey ?? defaultSessionKey,
+        state: "final",
+      });
+    },
+    emitGatewayEvent,
+    getRequests,
+    async waitForRequest(method) {
+      await page.waitForFunction(
+        (targetMethod) => {
+          const gateway = (
+            window as Window & {
+              openclawControlUiE2eGateway?: {
+                requests: MockGatewayRequest[];
+              };
+            }
+          ).openclawControlUiE2eGateway;
+          return Boolean(gateway?.requests.some((request) => request.method === targetMethod));
+        },
+        method,
+        { timeout: 10_000 },
+      );
+      const requests = await getRequests(method);
+      const request = requests.at(-1);
+      if (!request) {
+        throw new Error(`No mock Gateway request found for ${method}`);
+      }
+      return request;
+    },
+  };
+}
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/e2e/chat-flow.e2e.test.ts b/ui/src/ui/e2e/chat-flow.e2e.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1c09acd81fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/ui/e2e/chat-flow.e2e.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+import { chromium, type Browser } from "playwright";
+import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import {
+  canRunPlaywrightChromium,
+  installMockGateway,
+  startControlUiE2eServer,
+  type ControlUiE2eServer,
+} from "../../test-helpers/control-ui-e2e.ts";
+
+const chromiumExecutablePath = chromium.executablePath();
+const chromiumAvailable = canRunPlaywrightChromium(chromiumExecutablePath);
+const allowMissingChromium = process.env.OPENCLAW_UI_E2E_ALLOW_MISSING_CHROMIUM === "1";
+const describeControlUiE2e = chromiumAvailable || !allowMissingChromium ? describe : describe.skip;
+
+let browser: Browser;
+let server: ControlUiE2eServer;
+
+function requireRecord(value: unknown): Record<string, unknown> {
+  if (!value || typeof value !== "object" || Array.isArray(value)) {
+    throw new Error("Expected object value");
+  }
+  return value as Record<string, unknown>;
+}
+
+function requireString(value: unknown, label: string): string {
+  if (typeof value !== "string" || !value.trim()) {
+    throw new Error(`Expected non-empty ${label}`);
+  }
+  return value;
+}
+
+describeControlUiE2e("Control UI mocked Gateway E2E", () => {
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    if (!chromiumAvailable) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `Playwright Chromium is not installed at ${chromiumExecutablePath}. Run \`pnpm --dir ui exec playwright install chromium\`, or set OPENCLAW_UI_E2E_ALLOW_MISSING_CHROMIUM=1 only when intentionally skipping this lane.`,
+      );
+    }
+    server = await startControlUiE2eServer();
+    browser = await chromium.launch();
+  });
+
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    await browser?.close();
+    await server?.close();
+  });
+
+  it("sends a chat turn through the GUI and renders the final Gateway event", async () => {
+    const context = await browser.newContext({
+      locale: "en-US",
+      serviceWorkers: "block",
+      viewport: { height: 900, width: 1280 },
+    });
+    const page = await context.newPage();
+    const gateway = await installMockGateway(page, {
+      historyMessages: [
+        {
+          content: [{ text: "Ready for an end-to-end GUI check.", type: "text" }],
+          role: "assistant",
+          timestamp: Date.now(),
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+
+    try {
+      await page.goto(`${server.baseUrl}chat`);
+      await page.getByText("Ready for an end-to-end GUI check.").waitFor({ timeout: 10_000 });
+
+      const prompt = "verify the control UI e2e harness";
+      await page.locator(".agent-chat__composer-combobox textarea").fill(prompt);
+      await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Send message" }).click();
+
+      const sendRequest = await gateway.waitForRequest("chat.send");
+      const params = requireRecord(sendRequest.params);
+      expect(params.sessionKey).toBe("main");
+      expect(params.message).toBe(prompt);
+      expect(params.deliver).toBe(false);
+
+      const runId = requireString(params.idempotencyKey, "chat send idempotency key");
+      await gateway.emitChatFinal({ runId, text: "Harness verified." });
+
+      await page.getByText("Harness verified.").waitFor({ timeout: 10_000 });
+    } finally {
+      await context.close();
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/vitest.config.ts b/ui/vitest.config.ts
index 6a101a8d5fe..c52a6c491ee 100644
--- a/ui/vitest.config.ts
+++ b/ui/vitest.config.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
           deps: jsdomOptimizedDeps,
           name: "unit",
           include: ["src/**/*.test.ts"],
-          exclude: ["src/**/*.browser.test.ts", "src/**/*.node.test.ts"],
+          exclude: ["src/**/*.browser.test.ts", "src/**/*.e2e.test.ts", "src/**/*.node.test.ts"],
           environment: "jsdom",
           setupFiles: ["./src/test-helpers/lit-warnings.setup.ts"],
         },