diff --git a/.npmrc b/.npmrc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1e07305
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.npmrc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+playwright_skip_browser_download=true
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8426812e..7349ddd9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,17 @@
 # deck.gl-community
 
 This repository contains a collection of community supported modules for [deck.gl](https://deck.gl).
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Playwright browser dependencies
+
+In restricted or offline environments (such as Codex) the `playwright` dependency can fail during `yarn install` because it attempts to download Chromium binaries. The repository includes an `.npmrc` file that sets `playwright_skip_browser_download=true` so installs can proceed without fetching browsers.
+
+When you regain network access, install the Chromium browser binary manually before running the browser or headless Vitest projects:
+
+```bash
+npx playwright install --with-deps chromium
+```
+
+This is the same command invoked in CI and ensures the Playwright-powered tests have the required runtime.