diff --git a/docs/src/api/class-locator.md b/docs/src/api/class-locator.md
index d361b0b1a2f29..a1ba807d90eab 100644
--- a/docs/src/api/class-locator.md
+++ b/docs/src/api/class-locator.md
@@ -1803,6 +1803,13 @@ var banana = await page.GetByRole(AriaRole.Listitem).Last(1);
 ### option: Locator.locator.hasNotText = %%-locator-option-has-not-text-%%
 * since: v1.33
 
+## async method: Locator.normalize
+* since: v1.59
+- returns: <[Locator]>
+
+Returns a new locator that uses best practices for referencing the matched element, prioritizing test ids,
+aria roles, and other user-facing attributes over CSS selectors. This is useful for converting implementation-detail selectors into more resilient, human-readable locators.
+
 ## method: Locator.nth
 * since: v1.14
 - returns: <[Locator]>
@@ -2562,12 +2569,6 @@ If you need to assert text on the page, prefer [`method: LocatorAssertions.toHav
 ### option: Locator.textContent.timeout = %%-input-timeout-js-%%
 * since: v1.14
 
-## async method: Locator.toCode
-* since: v1.59
-- returns: <[string]>
-
-Returns a code string for a locator that uses best practices for referencing the matched element, prioritizing test ids, aria roles, and other user-facing attributes over CSS selectors.
-
 ## method: Locator.toString
 * since: v1.57
 * langs: js
diff --git a/packages/playwright-client/types/types.d.ts b/packages/playwright-client/types/types.d.ts
index 98132f06fd933..12790c2e29830 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-client/types/types.d.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-client/types/types.d.ts
@@ -14213,6 +14213,13 @@ export interface Locator {
     hasText?: string|RegExp;
   }): Locator;
 
+  /**
+   * Returns a new locator that uses best practices for referencing the matched element, prioritizing test ids, aria
+   * roles, and other user-facing attributes over CSS selectors. This is useful for converting implementation-detail
+   * selectors into more resilient, human-readable locators.
+   */
+  normalize(): Promise<Locator>;
+
   /**
    * Returns locator to the n-th matching element. It's zero based, `nth(0)` selects the first element.
    *
@@ -14802,12 +14809,6 @@ export interface Locator {
     timeout?: number;
   }): Promise<null|string>;
 
-  /**
-   * Returns a code string for a locator that uses best practices for referencing the matched element, prioritizing test
-   * ids, aria roles, and other user-facing attributes over CSS selectors.
-   */
-  toCode(): Promise<string>;
-
   /**
    * Focuses the element, and then sends a `keydown`, `keypress`/`input`, and `keyup` event for each character in the
    * text.
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/client/locator.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/client/locator.ts
index 6e543098eef4a..41a35b33b9359 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/client/locator.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/client/locator.ts
@@ -254,9 +254,9 @@ export class Locator implements api.Locator {
     return await this._frame._queryCount(this._selector, _options);
   }
 
-  async toCode(): Promise<string> {
+  async normalize(): Promise<Locator> {
     const { resolvedSelector } = await this._frame._channel.resolveSelector({ selector: this._selector });
-    return new Locator(this._frame, resolvedSelector).toString();
+    return new Locator(this._frame, resolvedSelector);
   }
 
   async getAttribute(name: string, options?: TimeoutOptions): Promise<string | null> {
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/tab.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/tab.ts
index 4fb129b9ec979..5bd83957492aa 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/tab.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/tab.ts
@@ -450,8 +450,8 @@ export class Tab extends EventEmitter<TabEventsInterface> {
           let locator = this.page.locator(`aria-ref=${param.ref}`);
           if (param.element)
             locator = locator.describe(param.element);
-          const resolved = await locator.toCode();
-          return { locator, resolved };
+          const resolved = await locator.normalize();
+          return { locator, resolved: resolved.toString() };
         } catch (e) {
           throw new Error(`Ref ${param.ref} not found in the current page snapshot. Try capturing new snapshot.`);
         }
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/verify.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/verify.ts
index 60b65272a4764..48f012216c9e0 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/verify.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/tools/backend/verify.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ const verifyElement = defineTabTool({
     for (const frame of tab.page.frames()) {
       const locator = frame.getByRole(params.role as Parameters<playwright.Frame['getByRole']>[0], { name: params.accessibleName });
       if (await locator.count() > 0) {
-        const resolved = await locator.toCode();
+        const resolved = await locator.normalize();
         response.addCode(`await expect(page.${resolved}).toBeVisible();`);
         response.addTextResult('Done');
         return;
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ const verifyText = defineTabTool({
     for (const frame of tab.page.frames()) {
       const locator = frame.getByText(params.text).filter({ visible: true });
       if (await locator.count() > 0) {
-        const resolved = await locator.toCode();
+        const resolved = await locator.normalize();
         response.addCode(`await expect(page.${resolved}).toBeVisible();`);
         response.addTextResult('Done');
         return;
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/types/types.d.ts b/packages/playwright-core/types/types.d.ts
index 98132f06fd933..12790c2e29830 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/types/types.d.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/types/types.d.ts
@@ -14213,6 +14213,13 @@ export interface Locator {
     hasText?: string|RegExp;
   }): Locator;
 
+  /**
+   * Returns a new locator that uses best practices for referencing the matched element, prioritizing test ids, aria
+   * roles, and other user-facing attributes over CSS selectors. This is useful for converting implementation-detail
+   * selectors into more resilient, human-readable locators.
+   */
+  normalize(): Promise<Locator>;
+
   /**
    * Returns locator to the n-th matching element. It's zero based, `nth(0)` selects the first element.
    *
@@ -14802,12 +14809,6 @@ export interface Locator {
     timeout?: number;
   }): Promise<null|string>;
 
-  /**
-   * Returns a code string for a locator that uses best practices for referencing the matched element, prioritizing test
-   * ids, aria roles, and other user-facing attributes over CSS selectors.
-   */
-  toCode(): Promise<string>;
-
   /**
    * Focuses the element, and then sends a `keydown`, `keypress`/`input`, and `keyup` event for each character in the
    * text.
diff --git a/tests/page/page-aria-snapshot-ai.spec.ts b/tests/page/page-aria-snapshot-ai.spec.ts
index d4cf11f00aa77..cadd01161b4b8 100644
--- a/tests/page/page-aria-snapshot-ai.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/page/page-aria-snapshot-ai.spec.ts
@@ -93,20 +93,20 @@ it('should stitch all frame snapshots', async ({ page, server }) => {
   expect(href3).toBe(server.PREFIX + '/frames/frame.html');
 
   {
-    const resolved = await page.locator('aria-ref=e1').toCode();
-    expect(resolved).toBe(`locator('body')`);
+    const resolved = await page.locator('aria-ref=e1').normalize();
+    expect(resolved.toString()).toBe(`locator('body')`);
   }
   {
-    const resolved = await page.locator('aria-ref=f4e2').toCode();
-    expect(resolved).toBe(`locator('iframe[name="2frames"]').contentFrame().locator('iframe[name="dos"]').contentFrame().getByText('Hi, I\\'m frame')`);
+    const resolved = await page.locator('aria-ref=f4e2').normalize();
+    expect(resolved.toString()).toBe(`locator('iframe[name="2frames"]').contentFrame().locator('iframe[name="dos"]').contentFrame().getByText('Hi, I\\'m frame')`);
   }
   {
     // Should tolerate .describe().
-    const resolved = await page.locator('aria-ref=f3e2').describe('foo bar').toCode();
-    expect(resolved).toBe(`locator('iframe[name=\"2frames\"]').contentFrame().locator('iframe[name=\"uno\"]').contentFrame().getByText('Hi, I\\'m frame')`);
+    const resolved = await page.locator('aria-ref=f3e2').describe('foo bar').normalize();
+    expect(resolved.toString()).toBe(`locator('iframe[name=\"2frames\"]').contentFrame().locator('iframe[name=\"uno\"]').contentFrame().getByText('Hi, I\\'m frame')`);
   }
   {
-    const error = await page.locator('aria-ref=e1000').toCode().catch(e => e);
+    const error = await page.locator('aria-ref=e1000').normalize().catch(e => e);
     expect(error.message).toContain(`No element matching aria-ref=e1000`);
   }
 });