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The Selenium Browser Automation Project

Selenium is an umbrella project for a range of tools and libraries that enable and support the automation of web browsers.

It provides extensions to emulate user interaction with browsers, a distribution server for scaling browser allocation, and the infrastructure for implementations of the W3C WebDriver specification that lets you write interchangeable code for all major web browsers.

This project is made possible by volunteer contributors who have put in thousands of hours of their own time, and made the source code freely available for anyone to use, enjoy, and improve.

Selenium brings together browser vendors, engineers, and enthusiasts to further an open discussion around automation of the web platform. The project organises an annual conference to teach and nurture the community.

At the core of Selenium is WebDriver, an interface to write instruction sets that can be run interchangeably in many browsers. Once you’ve installed everything, only a few lines of code get you inside a browser. You can find a more comprehensive example in Writing your first Selenium script

package dev.selenium.hello;

import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

public class HelloSelenium {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();

        driver.get("https://selenium.dev");

        driver.quit();
    }
}
from selenium import webdriver


driver = webdriver.Chrome()

driver.get("http://selenium.dev")

driver.quit()
using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;

namespace SeleniumDocs.Hello;

public static class HelloSelenium
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        var driver = new ChromeDriver();
            
        driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://selenium.dev");
            
        driver.Quit();
    }
}
require 'selenium-webdriver'

driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome

driver.get 'https://selenium.dev'

driver.quit
const {Builder} = require('selenium-webdriver');

(async function helloSelenium() {
  let driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();

  await driver.get('https://selenium.dev');

  await driver.quit();
})();
package dev.selenium.hello

import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver

fun main() {
    val driver = ChromeDriver()

    driver.get("https://selenium.dev")

    driver.quit()
}

See the Overview to check the different project components and decide if Selenium is the right tool for you.

You should continue on to Getting Started to understand how you can install Selenium and successfully use it as a test automation tool, and scaling simple tests like this to run in large, distributed environments on multiple browsers, on several different operating systems.

1 - Selenium Overview

Is Selenium for you? See an overview of the different project components.

Selenium is not just one tool or API; it comprises many tools.

WebDriver

If you are beginning with desktop website or mobile website test automation, then you are going to be using WebDriver APIs. WebDriver uses browser automation APIs provided by browser vendors to control the browser and run tests. This is as if a real user is operating the browser. Since WebDriver does not require its API to be compiled with application code, it is not intrusive. Hence, you are testing the same application which you push live.

IDE

IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is the tool you use to develop your Selenium test cases. It’s an easy-to-use Chrome and Firefox extension and is generally the most efficient way to develop test cases. It records the users’ actions in the browser for you, using existing Selenium commands, with parameters defined by the context of that element. This is not only a time-saver but also an excellent way of learning Selenium script syntax.

Grid

Selenium Grid allows you to run test cases in different machines across different platforms. The control of triggering the test cases is on the local end, and when the test cases are triggered, they are automatically executed by the remote end.

After the development of the WebDriver tests, you may face the need to run your tests on multiple browsers and operating system combinations. This is where Grid comes into the picture.

1.1 - Selenium components

Building a test suite using WebDriver will require you to understand and effectively use several components. As with everything in software, different people use different terms for the same idea. Below is a breakdown of how terms are used in this description.

Terminology

  • API: Application Programming Interface. This is the set of “commands” you use to manipulate WebDriver.
  • Library: A code module that contains the APIs and the code necessary to implement them. Libraries are specific to each language binding, eg .jar files for Java, .dll files for .NET, etc.
  • Driver: Responsible for controlling the actual browser. Most drivers are created by the browser vendors themselves. Drivers are generally executable modules that run on the system with the browser itself, not the system executing the test suite. (Although those may be the same system.) NOTE: Some people refer to the drivers as proxies.
  • Framework: An additional library that is used as a support for WebDriver suites. These frameworks may be test frameworks such as JUnit or NUnit. They may also be frameworks supporting natural language features such as Cucumber or Robotium. Frameworks may also be written and used for tasks such as manipulating or configuring the system under test, data creation, test oracles, etc.

The Parts and Pieces

At its minimum, WebDriver talks to a browser through a driver. Communication is two-way: WebDriver passes commands to the browser through the driver, and receives information back via the same route.

Basic Communication

The driver is specific to the browser, such as ChromeDriver for Google’s Chrome/Chromium, GeckoDriver for Mozilla’s Firefox, etc. The driver runs on the same system as the browser. This may or may not be the same system where the tests themselves are executed.

This simple example above is direct communication. Communication to the browser may also be remote communication through Selenium Server or RemoteWebDriver. RemoteWebDriver runs on the same system as the driver and the browser.

Remote Communication

Remote communication can also take place using Selenium Server or Selenium Grid, both of which in turn talk to the driver on the host system

Remote Communication with Grid

Where Frameworks fit in

WebDriver has one job and one job only: communicate with the browser via any of the methods above. WebDriver does not know a thing about testing: it does not know how to compare things, assert pass or fail, and it certainly does not know a thing about reporting or Given/When/Then grammar.

This is where various frameworks come into play. At a minimum, you will need a test framework that matches the language bindings, e.g., NUnit for .NET, JUnit for Java, RSpec for Ruby, etc.

The test framework is responsible for running and executing your WebDriver and related steps in your tests. As such, you can think of it looking akin to the following image.

Test Framework

Natural language frameworks/tools such as Cucumber may exist as part of that Test Framework box in the figure above, or they may wrap the Test Framework entirely in their custom implementation.

1.2 - A deeper look at Selenium

Selenium is an umbrella project for a range of tools and libraries that enable and support the automation of web browsers.

Selenium controls web browsers

Selenium is many things but at its core, it is a toolset for web browser automation that uses the best techniques available to remotely control browser instances and emulate a user’s interaction with the browser.

Selenium allows users to simulate common activities performed by end-users; entering text into fields, selecting drop-down values and checking boxes, and clicking links in documents. It also provides many other controls such as mouse movement, arbitrary JavaScript execution, and much more.

Although used primarily for front-end testing of websites, Selenium is, at its core, a browser user agent library. The interfaces are ubiquitous to their application, encouraging composition with other libraries to suit your purpose.

One interface to rule them all

One of the project’s guiding principles is to support a common interface for all (major) browser technologies. Web browsers are incredibly complex, highly engineered applications, performing their operations in entirely different ways but which frequently look the same while doing so. Even though the text is rendered in the same fonts, the images are displayed in the same place , and the links take you to the same destination. What is happening underneath is as different as night and day. Selenium “abstracts” these differences, hiding their details and intricacies from the person writing the code. This allows you to write several lines of code to perform a complicated workflow, but these same lines will execute on Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, and all other supported browsers.

Tools and support

Selenium’s minimalist design approach gives it the versatility to be included as a component in bigger applications. The surrounding infrastructure provided under the Selenium umbrella gives you the tools to put together your grid of browsers so tests can be run on different browsers and multiple operating systems across a range of machines.

Imagine a bank of computers in your server room or data center all firing up browsers at the same time hitting your site’s links, forms, and tables—testing your application 24 hours a day. Through the simple programming interface provided for the most common languages, these tests will run tirelessly in parallel, reporting back to you when errors occur.

It is an aim to help make this a reality for you, by providing users with tools and documentation to not only control browsers but to make it easy to scale and deploy such grids.

Who uses Selenium

Many of the most important companies in the world have adopted Selenium for their browser-based testing, often replacing years-long efforts involving other proprietary tools. As it has grown in popularity, so have its requirements and challenges multiplied.

As the web becomes more complicated and new technologies are added to websites, it’s the mission of this project to keep up with them where possible. Being an open-source project, this support is provided through the generous donation of time from many volunteers, every one of which has a “day job.”

Another mission of the project is to encourage more volunteers to partake in this effort, and build a strong community so that the project can continue to keep up with emerging technologies and remain a dominant platform for functional test automation.

2 - WebDriver

WebDriver drives a browser natively, learn more about it.

WebDriver drives a browser natively, as a user would, either locally or on a remote machine using the Selenium server, marks a leap forward in terms of browser automation.

Selenium WebDriver refers to both the language bindings and the implementations of the individual browser controlling code. This is commonly referred to as just WebDriver.

Selenium WebDriver is a W3C Recommendation

  • WebDriver is designed as a simple and more concise programming interface.

  • WebDriver is a compact object-oriented API.

  • It drives the browser effectively.

2.1 - Getting started

If you are new to Selenium, we have a few resources that can help you get up to speed right away.

Selenium supports automation of all the major browsers in the market through the use of WebDriver. WebDriver is an API and protocol that defines a language-neutral interface for controlling the behaviour of web browsers. Each browser is backed by a specific WebDriver implementation, called a driver. The driver is the component responsible for delegating down to the browser, and handles communication to and from Selenium and the browser.

This separation is part of a conscious effort to have browser vendors take responsibility for the implementation for their browsers. Selenium makes use of these third party drivers where possible, but also provides its own drivers maintained by the project for the cases when this is not a reality.

The Selenium framework ties all of these pieces together through a user-facing interface that enables the different browser backends to be used transparently, enabling cross-browser and cross-platform automation.

Selenium setup is quite different from the setup of other commercial tools. Before you can start writing Selenium code, you have to install the language bindings libraries for your language of choice, the browser you want to use, and the driver for that browser.

Follow the links below to get up and going with Selenium WebDriver.

If you wish to start with a low-code/record and playback tool, please check Selenium IDE

Once you get things working, if you want to scale up your tests, check out the Selenium Grid.

2.1.1 - Install a Selenium library

Setting up the Selenium library for your favourite programming language.

First you need to install the Selenium bindings for your automation project. The installation process for libraries depends on the language you choose to use. Make sure you check the Selenium downloads page to make sure you are using the latest version.

Requirements by language

View the minimum supported Java version here.

Installation of Selenium libraries for Java is accomplished using a build tool.

Maven

Specify the dependencies in the project’s pom.xml file:

        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.seleniumhq.selenium</groupId>
            <artifactId>selenium-java</artifactId>
            <version>4.15.0</version>
        </dependency>

Gradle

Specify the dependency in the project build.gradle file as testImplementation:

    testImplementation 'org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:4.15.0'
    testImplementation 'org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-engine:5.10.0'

The minimum supported Python version for each Selenium version can be found in Supported Python Versions on PyPi

There are a couple different ways to install Selenium.

Pip

pip install selenium

Download

Alternatively you can download the PyPI source archive (selenium-x.x.x.tar.gz) and install it using setup.py:

python setup.py install

Require in project

To use it in a project, add it to the requirements.txt file:

selenium==4.15.2

A list of all supported frameworks for each version of Selenium is available on Nuget

There are a few options for installing Selenium.

Packet Manager

Install-Package Selenium.WebDriver

.NET CLI

dotnet add package Selenium.WebDriver

CSProj

in the project’s csproj file, specify the dependency as a PackageReference in ItemGroup:

      <PackageReference Include="Selenium.WebDriver" Version="4.15.0" />

Additional considerations

Further items of note for using Visual Studio Code (vscode) and C#

Install the compatible .NET SDK as per the section above. Also install the vscode extensions (Ctrl-Shift-X) for C# and NuGet. Follow the instruction here to create and run the “Hello World” console project using C#. You may also create a NUnit starter project using the command line dotnet new NUnit. Make sure the file %appdata%\NuGet\nuget.config is configured properly as some developers reported that it will be empty due to some issues. If nuget.config is empty, or not configured properly, then .NET builds will fail for Selenium Projects. Add the following section to the file nuget.config if it is empty:

<configuration>
  <packageSources>
    <add key="nuget.org" value="https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json" protocolVersion="3" />
    <add key="nuget.org" value="https://www.nuget.org/api/v2/" />   
  </packageSources>
...

For more info about nuget.config click here. You may have to customize nuget.config to meet you needs.

Now, go back to vscode, press Ctrl-Shift-P, and type “NuGet Add Package”, and enter the required Selenium packages such as Selenium.WebDriver. Press Enter and select the version. Now you can use the examples in the documentation related to C# with vscode.

You can see the minimum required version of Ruby for any given Selenium version on rubygems.org

Selenium can be installed two different ways.

Install manually

gem install selenium-webdriver

Add to project’s gemfile

gem 'selenium-devtools', '~> 0.119'

You can find the minimum required version of Node for any given version of Selenium in the Node Support Policy section on npmjs

Selenium is typically installed using npm.

Install locally

npm install selenium-webdriver

Add to project

In your project’s package.json, add requirement to dependencies:

        "mocha": "^10.2.0"
Use the Java bindings for Kotlin.

Next Step

Create your first Selenium script

2.1.2 - Write your first Selenium script

Step-by-step instructions for constructing a Selenium script

Once you have Selenium installed, you’re ready to write Selenium code.

Eight Basic Components

Everything Selenium does is send the browser commands to do something or send requests for information. Most of what you’ll do with Selenium is a combination of these basic commands

Click on the link to “View full example on GitHub” to see the code in context.

1. Start the session

For more details on starting a session read our documentation on driver sessions

        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
driver = webdriver.Chrome()
        IWebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome
    driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();
        driver = ChromeDriver()

2. Take action on browser

In this example we are navigating to a web page.

        driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/web-form.html");
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/web-form.html")
        driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/web-form.html");
driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/web-form.html')
    await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/web-form.html');
        driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/web-form.html")

3. Request browser information

There are a bunch of types of information about the browser you can request, including window handles, browser size / position, cookies, alerts, etc.

        driver.getTitle();
title = driver.title
        var title = driver.Title;
    let title = await driver.getTitle();
        val title = driver.title

4. Establish Waiting Strategy

Synchronizing the code with the current state of the browser is one of the biggest challenges with Selenium, and doing it well is an advanced topic.

Essentially you want to make sure that the element is on the page before you attempt to locate it and the element is in an interactable state before you attempt to interact with it.

An implicit wait is rarely the best solution, but it’s the easiest to demonstrate here, so we’ll use it as a placeholder.

Read more about Waiting strategies.

        driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(Duration.ofMillis(500));
driver.implicitly_wait(0.5)
        driver.Manage().Timeouts().ImplicitWait = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(500);
driver.manage.timeouts.implicit_wait = 500
    await driver.manage().setTimeouts({implicit: 500});
        driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(Duration.ofMillis(500))

5. Find an element

The majority of commands in most Selenium sessions are element related, and you can’t interact with one without first finding an element

        WebElement textBox = driver.findElement(By.name("my-text"));
        WebElement submitButton = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("button"));
text_box = driver.find_element(by=By.NAME, value="my-text")
submit_button = driver.find_element(by=By.CSS_SELECTOR, value="button")
        var textBox = driver.FindElement(By.Name("my-text"));
        var submitButton = driver.FindElement(By.TagName("button"));
text_box = driver.find_element(name: 'my-text')
submit_button = driver.find_element(tag_name: 'button')
    let textBox = await driver.findElement(By.name('my-text'));
    let submitButton = await driver.findElement(By.css('button'));
        var textBox = driver.findElement(By.name("my-text"))
        val submitButton = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("button"))

6. Take action on element

There are only a handful of actions to take on an element, but you will use them frequently.

        textBox.sendKeys("Selenium");
        submitButton.click();
text_box.send_keys("Selenium")
submit_button.click()
        textBox.SendKeys("Selenium");
        submitButton.Click();
text_box.send_keys('Selenium')
submit_button.click
    await textBox.sendKeys('Selenium');
    await submitButton.click();
        textBox.sendKeys("Selenium")
        submitButton.click()

7. Request element information

Elements store a lot of information that can be requested.

        message.getText();
text = message.text
        var value = message.Text;
    let value = await message.getText();
        val value = message.getText()

8. End the session

This ends the driver process, which by default closes the browser as well. No more commands can be sent to this driver instance. See Quitting Sessions.

Running Selenium File

Next Steps

Most Selenium users execute many sessions and need to organize them to minimize duplication and keep the code more maintainable. Read on to learn about how to put this code into context for your use case with Using Selenium.

2.1.3 - Organizing and Executing Selenium Code

Scaling Selenium execution with an IDE and a Test Runner library

If you want to run more than a handful of one-off scripts, you need to be able to organize and work with your code. This page should give you ideas for how to actually do productive things with your Selenium code.

Common Uses

Most people use Selenium to execute automated tests for web applications, but Selenium supports any use case of browser automation.

Repetitive Tasks

Perhaps you need to log into a website and download something, or submit a form. You can create a Selenium script to run with a service at preset times.

Web Scraping

Are you looking to collect data from a site that doesn’t have an API? Selenium will let you do this, but please make sure you are familiar with the website’s terms of service as some websites do not permit it and others will even block Selenium.

Testing

Running Selenium for testing requires making assertions on actions taken by Selenium. So a good assertion library is required. Additional features to provide structure for tests require use of Test Runner.

IDEs

Regardless of how you use Selenium code, you won’t be very effective writing or executing it without a good Integrated Developer Environment. Here are some common options…

Test Runner

Even if you aren’t using Selenium for testing, if you have advanced use cases, it might make sense to use a test runner to better organize your code. Being able to use before/after hooks and run things in groups or in parallel can be very useful.

Choosing

There are many different test runners available.

All the code examples in this documentation can be found in (or is being moved to) our example directories that use test runners and get executed every release to ensure all the code is correct and updated. Here is a list of test runners with links. The first item is the one that is used by this repository and the one that will be used for all examples on this page.

  • JUnit - A widely-used testing framework for Java-based Selenium tests.
  • TestNG - Offers extra features like parallel test execution and parameterized tests.
  • pytest - A preferred choice for many, thanks to its simplicity and powerful plugins.
  • unittest - Python’s standard library testing framework.
  • NUnit - A popular unit-testing framework for .NET.
  • MS Test - Microsoft’s own unit testing framework.
  • RSpec - The most widely used testing library for running Selenium tests in Ruby.
  • Minitest - A lightweight testing framework that comes with Ruby standard library.
  • Jest - Primarily known as a testing framework for React, it can also be used for Selenium tests.
  • Mocha - The most common JS library for running Selenium tests.

Installing

This is very similar to what was required in Install a Selenium Library. This code is only showing examples for what is being used in our Documentation Examples project.

Maven

Gradle

To use it in a project, add it to the requirements.txt file:

in the project’s csproj file, specify the dependency as a PackageReference in ItemGroup:

Add to project’s gemfile

In your project’s package.json, add requirement to dependencies:

Asserting

Setting Up and Tearing Down

Executing

Maven

mvn clean test

Gradle

gradle clean test
mocha runningTests.spec.js

Examples

In First script, we saw each of the components of a Selenium script. Here’s an example of that code using a test runner:

package dev.selenium.getting_started;

import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

import java.time.Duration;

import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;

public class UsingSeleniumTest {

    @Test
    public void eightComponents() {
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
        driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/web-form.html");

        String title = driver.getTitle();
        assertEquals("Web form", title);

        driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(Duration.ofMillis(500));

        WebElement textBox = driver.findElement(By.name("my-text"));
        WebElement submitButton = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("button"));

        textBox.sendKeys("Selenium");
        submitButton.click();

        WebElement message = driver.findElement(By.id("message"));
        String value = message.getText();
        assertEquals("Received!", value);

        driver.quit();
    }

}
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By


def test_eight_components():
    driver = webdriver.Chrome()

    driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/web-form.html")

    title = driver.title
    assert title == "Web form"

    driver.implicitly_wait(0.5)

    text_box = driver.find_element(by=By.NAME, value="my-text")
    submit_button = driver.find_element(by=By.CSS_SELECTOR, value="button")

    text_box.send_keys("Selenium")
    submit_button.click()

    message = driver.find_element(by=By.ID, value="message")
    value = message.text
    assert value == "Received!"

    driver.quit()
using System;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting;
using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;

namespace SeleniumDocs.GettingStarted
{
    [TestClass]
    public class UsingSeleniumTest
    {

        [TestMethod]
        public void EightComponents()
        {
            IWebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();

            driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/web-form.html");

            var title = driver.Title;
            Assert.AreEqual("Web form", title);

            driver.Manage().Timeouts().ImplicitWait = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(500);

            var textBox = driver.FindElement(By.Name("my-text"));
            var submitButton = driver.FindElement(By.TagName("button"));
            
            textBox.SendKeys("Selenium");
            submitButton.Click();
            
            var message = driver.FindElement(By.Id("message"));
            var value = message.Text;
            Assert.AreEqual("Received!", value);
            
            driver.Quit();
        }
    }
}
# frozen_string_literal: true

require 'spec_helper'

RSpec.describe 'Using Selenium' do
  it 'uses eight components' do
    driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome

    driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/web-form.html')

    title = driver.title
    expect(title).to eq('Web form')

    driver.manage.timeouts.implicit_wait = 500

    text_box = driver.find_element(name: 'my-text')
    submit_button = driver.find_element(tag_name: 'button')

    text_box.send_keys('Selenium')
    submit_button.click

    message = driver.find_element(id: 'message')
    value = message.text
    expect(value).to eq('Received!')

    driver.quit
  end
end
const {By, Builder} = require('selenium-webdriver');
const assert = require("assert");

  describe('First script', function () {
    let driver;
    
    before(async function () {
      driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();
    });
    
    it('First Selenium script with mocha', async function () {
      await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/web-form.html');
      
      let title = await driver.getTitle();
      assert.equal("Web form", title);
      
      await driver.manage().setTimeouts({implicit: 500});
      
      let textBox = await driver.findElement(By.name('my-text'));
      let submitButton = await driver.findElement(By.css('button'));
      
      await textBox.sendKeys('Selenium');
      await submitButton.click();
      
      let message = await driver.findElement(By.id('message'));
      let value = await message.getText();
      assert.equal("Received!", value);
    });
  
    after(async () => await driver.quit());
  });

Next Steps

Take what you’ve learned and build out your Selenium code!

As you find more functionality that you need, read up on the rest of our WebDriver documentation.

2.2 - Driver Sessions

Starting and stopping a session is for opening and closing a browser.

Creating Sessions

Creating a new session corresponds with the W3C command for New session

The session is created automatically by initializing a new Driver class object.

Each language allows a session to be created with arguments from one of these classes (or equivalent):

  • Options to describe the kind of session you want; default values are used for local, but this is required for remote
  • Some form of HTTP Client configuration (the implementation varies between languages)
  • Listeners

Local Driver

The primary unique argument for starting a local driver includes information about starting the required driver service on the local machine.

  • Service object applies only to local drivers and provides information about the browser driver

Remote Driver

The primary unique argument for starting a remote driver includes information about where to execute the code. Read the details in the Remote Driver Section

Quitting Sessions

Quitting a session corresponds to W3C command for Deleting a Session.

Important note: the quit method is different from the close method, and it is recommended to always use quit to end the session

2.2.1 - Browser Options

These capabilities are shared by all browsers.

In Selenium 3, capabilities were defined in a session by using Desired Capabilities classes. As of Selenium 4, you must use the browser options classes. For remote driver sessions, a browser options instance is required as it determines which browser will be used.

These options are described in the w3c specification for Capabilities.

Each browser has custom options that may be defined in addition to the ones defined in the specification.

browserName

Browser name is set by default when using an Options class instance.

browserVersion

This capability is optional, this is used to set the available browser version at remote end. In recent versions of Selenium, if the version is not found on the system, it will be automatically downloaded by Selenium Manager

pageLoadStrategy

Three types of page load strategies are available.

The page load strategy queries the document.readyState as described in the table below:

StrategyReady StateNotes
normalcompleteUsed by default, waits for all resources to download
eagerinteractiveDOM access is ready, but other resources like images may still be loading
noneAnyDoes not block WebDriver at all

The document.readyState property of a document describes the loading state of the current document.

When navigating to a new page via URL, by default, WebDriver will hold off on completing a navigation method (e.g., driver.navigate().get()) until the document ready state is complete. This does not necessarily mean that the page has finished loading, especially for sites like Single Page Applications that use JavaScript to dynamically load content after the Ready State returns complete. Note also that this behavior does not apply to navigation that is a result of clicking an element or submitting a form.

If a page takes a long time to load as a result of downloading assets (e.g., images, css, js) that aren’t important to the automation, you can change from the default parameter of normal to eager or none to speed up the session. This value applies to the entire session, so make sure that your waiting strategy is sufficient to minimize flakiness.

normal (default)

WebDriver waits until the load event fire is returned.

Move Code

import org.openqa.selenium.PageLoadStrategy;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeOptions;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

public class pageLoadStrategy {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    ChromeOptions chromeOptions = new ChromeOptions();
    chromeOptions.setPageLoadStrategy(PageLoadStrategy.NORMAL);
    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(chromeOptions);
    try {
      // Navigate to Url
      driver.get("https://google.com");
    } finally {
      driver.quit();
    }
  }
}
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options
options = Options()
options.page_load_strategy = 'normal'
driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)
driver.get("http://www.google.com")
driver.quit()
using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;

namespace pageLoadStrategy {
  class pageLoadStrategy {
    public static void Main(string[] args) {
      var chromeOptions = new ChromeOptions();
      chromeOptions.PageLoadStrategy = PageLoadStrategy.Normal;
      IWebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(chromeOptions);
      try {
        driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://example.com");
      } finally {
        driver.Quit();
      }
    }
  }
}
require 'selenium-webdriver'
options = Selenium::WebDriver::Options.chrome
options.page_load_strategy = :normal

driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome, options: options
driver.get('https://www.google.com')
    it('Navigate using normal page loading strategy', async function () {
      let driver = await env
        .builder()
        .setChromeOptions(options.setPageLoadStrategy('normal'))
        .build();

      await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/blank.html');
import org.openqa.selenium.PageLoadStrategy
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeOptions

fun main() {
  val chromeOptions = ChromeOptions()
  chromeOptions.setPageLoadStrategy(PageLoadStrategy.NORMAL)
  val driver = ChromeDriver(chromeOptions)
  try {
    driver.get("https://www.google.com")
  }
  finally {
    driver.quit()
  }
}

eager

WebDriver waits until DOMContentLoaded event fire is returned.

Move Code

import org.openqa.selenium.PageLoadStrategy;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeOptions;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

public class pageLoadStrategy {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    ChromeOptions chromeOptions = new ChromeOptions();
    chromeOptions.setPageLoadStrategy(PageLoadStrategy.EAGER);
    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(chromeOptions);
    try {
      // Navigate to Url
      driver.get("https://google.com");
    } finally {
      driver.quit();
    }
  }
}
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options
options = Options()
options.page_load_strategy = 'eager'
driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)
driver.get("http://www.google.com")
driver.quit()
using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;

namespace pageLoadStrategy {
  class pageLoadStrategy {
    public static void Main(string[] args) {
      var chromeOptions = new ChromeOptions();
      chromeOptions.PageLoadStrategy = PageLoadStrategy.Eager;
      IWebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(chromeOptions);
      try {
        driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://example.com");
      } finally {
        driver.Quit();
      }
    }
  }
}
require 'selenium-webdriver'
options = Selenium::WebDriver::Options.chrome
options.page_load_strategy = :eager

driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome, options: options
driver.get('https://www.google.com')
    it('Navigate using eager page loading strategy', async function () {
      let driver = await env
        .builder()
        .setChromeOptions(options.setPageLoadStrategy('eager'))
        .build();

      await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/blank.html');
import org.openqa.selenium.PageLoadStrategy
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeOptions

fun main() {
  val chromeOptions = ChromeOptions()
  chromeOptions.setPageLoadStrategy(PageLoadStrategy.EAGER)
  val driver = ChromeDriver(chromeOptions)
  try {
    driver.get("https://www.google.com")
  }
  finally {
    driver.quit()
  }
}

none

WebDriver only waits until the initial page is downloaded.

Move Code

import org.openqa.selenium.PageLoadStrategy;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeOptions;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

public class pageLoadStrategy {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    ChromeOptions chromeOptions = new ChromeOptions();
    chromeOptions.setPageLoadStrategy(PageLoadStrategy.NONE);
    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(chromeOptions);
    try {
      // Navigate to Url
      driver.get("https://google.com");
    } finally {
      driver.quit();
    }
  }
}
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options
options = Options()
options.page_load_strategy = 'none'
driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)
driver.get("http://www.google.com")
driver.quit()
using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;

namespace pageLoadStrategy {
  class pageLoadStrategy {
    public static void Main(string[] args) {
      var chromeOptions = new ChromeOptions();
      chromeOptions.PageLoadStrategy = PageLoadStrategy.None;
      IWebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(chromeOptions);
      try {
        driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://example.com");
      } finally {
        driver.Quit();
      }
    }
  }
}
require 'selenium-webdriver'
options = Selenium::WebDriver::Options.chrome
options.page_load_strategy = :none

driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome, options: options
driver.get('https://www.google.com')
    it('Navigate using none page loading strategy', async function () {
      let driver = await env
        .builder()
        .setChromeOptions(options.setPageLoadStrategy('none'))
        .build();

      await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/blank.html');
import org.openqa.selenium.PageLoadStrategy
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeOptions

fun main() {
  val chromeOptions = ChromeOptions()
  chromeOptions.setPageLoadStrategy(PageLoadStrategy.NONE)
  val driver = ChromeDriver(chromeOptions)
  try {
    driver.get("https://www.google.com")
  }
  finally {
    driver.quit()
  }
}

platformName

This identifies the operating system at the remote-end, fetching the platformName returns the OS name.

In cloud-based providers, setting platformName sets the OS at the remote-end.

acceptInsecureCerts

This capability checks whether an expired (or) invalid TLS Certificate is used while navigating during a session.

If the capability is set to false, an insecure certificate error will be returned as navigation encounters any domain certificate problems. If set to true, invalid certificate will be trusted by the browser.

All self-signed certificates will be trusted by this capability by default. Once set, acceptInsecureCerts capability will have an effect for the entire session.

timeouts

A WebDriver session is imposed with a certain session timeout interval, during which the user can control the behaviour of executing scripts or retrieving information from the browser.

Each session timeout is configured with combination of different timeouts as described below:

Script Timeout

Specifies when to interrupt an executing script in a current browsing context. The default timeout 30,000 is imposed when a new session is created by WebDriver.

Page Load Timeout

Specifies the time interval in which web page needs to be loaded in a current browsing context. The default timeout 300,000 is imposed when a new session is created by WebDriver. If page load limits a given/default time frame, the script will be stopped by TimeoutException.

Implicit Wait Timeout

This specifies the time to wait for the implicit element location strategy when locating elements. The default timeout 0 is imposed when a new session is created by WebDriver.

unhandledPromptBehavior

Specifies the state of current session’s user prompt handler. Defaults to dismiss and notify state

User Prompt Handler

This defines what action must take when a user prompt encounters at the remote-end. This is defined by unhandledPromptBehavior capability and has the following states:

  • dismiss
  • accept
  • dismiss and notify
  • accept and notify
  • ignore

setWindowRect

Indicates whether the remote end supports all of the resizing and repositioning commands.

strictFileInteractability

This new capability indicates if strict interactability checks should be applied to input type=file elements. As strict interactability checks are off by default, there is a change in behaviour when using Element Send Keys with hidden file upload controls.

proxy

A proxy server acts as an intermediary for requests between a client and a server. In simple terms, the traffic flows through the proxy server on its way to the address you requested and back.

A proxy server for automation scripts with Selenium could be helpful for:

  • Capture network traffic
  • Mock backend calls made by the website
  • Access the required website under complex network topologies or strict corporate restrictions/policies.

If you are in a corporate environment, and a browser fails to connect to a URL, this is most likely because the environment needs a proxy to be accessed.

Selenium WebDriver provides a way to proxy settings:

Move Code

import org.openqa.selenium.Proxy;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeOptions;

public class ProxyTest {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    Proxy proxy = new Proxy();
    proxy.setHttpProxy("<HOST:PORT>");
    ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();
    options.setCapability("proxy", proxy);
    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(options);
    driver.get("https://www.google.com/");
    driver.manage().window().maximize();
    driver.quit();
  }
}
from selenium import webdriver

PROXY = "<HOST:PORT>"
webdriver.DesiredCapabilities.FIREFOX['proxy'] = {
"httpProxy": PROXY,
"ftpProxy": PROXY,
"sslProxy": PROXY,
"proxyType": "MANUAL",

}

with webdriver.Firefox() as driver:
    driver.get("https://selenium.dev")
using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;

public class ProxyTest{
public static void Main() {
ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();
Proxy proxy = new Proxy();
proxy.Kind = ProxyKind.Manual;
proxy.IsAutoDetect = false;
proxy.SslProxy = "<HOST:PORT>";
options.Proxy = proxy;
options.AddArgument("ignore-certificate-errors");
IWebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(options);
driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://www.selenium.dev/");
}
}
proxy = Selenium::WebDriver::Proxy.new(http: '<HOST:PORT>')
cap   = Selenium::WebDriver::Remote::Capabilities.chrome(proxy: proxy)

driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for(:chrome, capabilities: cap)
driver.get('http://google.com')
let webdriver = require('selenium-webdriver');
let chrome = require('selenium-webdriver/chrome');
let proxy = require('selenium-webdriver/proxy');
let opts = new chrome.Options();

(async function example() {
opts.setProxy(proxy.manual({http: '<HOST:PORT>'}));
let driver = new webdriver.Builder()
.forBrowser('chrome')
.setChromeOptions(opts)
.build();
try {
await driver.get("https://selenium.dev");
}
finally {
await driver.quit();
}
}());
import org.openqa.selenium.Proxy
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeOptions

class proxyTest {
fun main() {

        val proxy = Proxy()
        proxy.setHttpProxy("<HOST:PORT>")
        val options = ChromeOptions()
        options.setCapability("proxy", proxy)
        val driver: WebDriver = ChromeDriver(options)
        driver["https://www.google.com/"]
        driver.manage().window().maximize()
        driver.quit()
    }
}

2.2.2 - HTTP Client Configuration

These allow you to set various parameters for the HTTP library

2.2.3 - Driver Service Class

The Service classes are for managing the starting and stopping of local drivers. They cannot be used with a Remote WebDriver session.

Service classes allow you to specify information about the driver, like location and which port to use. They also let you specify what arguments get passed to the command line. Most of the useful arguments are related to logging.

Default Service instance

To start a driver with a default service instance:

    ChromeDriverService service = new ChromeDriverService.Builder().build();
    driver = new ChromeDriver(service);

Note: Java Service classes only allow values to be set during construction with a Builder pattern.

    service = webdriver.ChromeService()
    driver = webdriver.Chrome(service=service)

Note: Python Service classes only allow values to be set as arguments to the constructor.

            var service = ChromeDriverService.CreateDefaultService();
            driver = new ChromeDriver(service);

Note: .NET Service classes allow values to be set as properties.

    service = Selenium::WebDriver::Service.chrome
    @driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome, service: service

Note: Ruby Service classes allow values to be set either as arguments in the constructor or as attributes.

Driver location

Note: If you are using Selenium 4.6 or greater, you shouldn’t need to set a driver location. If you cannot update Selenium or have an advanced use case, here is how to specify the driver location:

    ChromeDriverService service =
        new ChromeDriverService.Builder().usingDriverExecutable(driverPath).build();
    service = webdriver.ChromeService(executable_path=chromedriver_bin)
            var service = ChromeDriverService.CreateDefaultService(GetDriverLocation(options));
    service.executable_path = driver_path

Driver port

If you want the driver to run on a specific port, you may specify it as follows:

    ChromeDriverService service = new ChromeDriverService.Builder().usingPort(1234).build();
    service = webdriver.ChromeService(port=1234)
            service.Port = 1234;
    service.port = 1234

Logging

Logging functionality varies between browsers. Most browsers allow you to specify location and level of logs. Take a look at the respective browser page:

2.2.4 - Remote WebDriver

Selenium lets you automate browsers on remote computers if there is a Selenium Grid running on them. The computer that executes the code is referred to as the client computer, and the computer with the browser and driver is referred to as the remote computer or sometimes as an end-node. To direct Selenium tests to the remote computer, you need to use a Remote WebDriver class and pass the URL including the port of the grid on that machine. Please see the grid documentation for all the various ways the grid can be configured.

Basic Example

The driver needs to know where to send commands to and which browser to start on the Remote computer. So an address and an options instance are both required.

    ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();
    driver = new RemoteWebDriver(gridUrl, options);
    options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
    driver = webdriver.Remote(command_executor=server, options=options)
            var options = new ChromeOptions();
            driver = new RemoteWebDriver(GridUrl, options);
    options = Selenium::WebDriver::Options.chrome
    driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :remote, url: grid_url, options: options

Uploads

Uploading a file is more complicated for Remote WebDriver sessions because the file you want to upload is likely on the computer executing the code, but the driver on the remote computer is looking for the provided path on its local file system. The solution is to use a Local File Detector. When one is set, Selenium will bundle the file, and send it to the remote machine, so the driver can see the reference to it. Some bindings include a basic local file detector by default, and all of them allow for a custom file detector.

Java does not include a Local File Detector by default, so you must always add one to do uploads.
    ((RemoteWebDriver) driver).setFileDetector(new LocalFileDetector());
    WebElement fileInput = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("input[type=file]"));
    fileInput.sendKeys(uploadFile.getAbsolutePath());
    driver.findElement(By.id("file-submit")).click();

Python adds a local file detector to remote webdriver instances by default, but you can also create your own class.

    driver.file_detector = LocalFileDetector()
    file_input = driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, "input[type='file']")
    file_input.send_keys(upload_file)
    driver.find_element(By.ID, "file-submit").click()
.NET adds a local file detector to remote webdriver instances by default, but you can also create your own class.
            ((RemoteWebDriver)driver).FileDetector = new LocalFileDetector();
            IWebElement fileInput = driver.FindElement(By.CssSelector("input[type=file]"));
            fileInput.SendKeys(uploadFile);
            driver.FindElement(By.Id("file-submit")).Click();
Ruby adds a local file detector to remote webdriver instances by default, but you can also create your own lambda:
    driver.file_detector = ->((filename, *)) { filename.include?('selenium') && filename }
    file_input = driver.find_element(css: 'input[type=file]')
    file_input.send_keys(upload_file)
    driver.find_element(id: 'file-submit').click

Downloads

Chrome, Edge and Firefox each allow you to set the location of the download directory. When you do this on a remote computer, though, the location is on the remote computer’s local file system. Selenium allows you to enable downloads to get these files onto the client computer.

Enable Downloads in the Grid

Regardless of the client, when starting the grid in node or standalone mode, you must add the flag:

--enable-managed-downloads true

Enable Downloads in the Client

The grid uses the se:downloadsEnabled capability to toggle whether to be responsible for managing the browser location. Each of the bindings have a method in the options class to set this.

    ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();
    options.setEnableDownloads(true);
    driver = new RemoteWebDriver(gridUrl, options);
    options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
    options.enable_downloads = True
    driver = webdriver.Remote(command_executor=server, options=options)
            ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions
            {
                EnableDownloads = true
            };
            driver = new RemoteWebDriver(GridUrl, options);
    options = Selenium::WebDriver::Options.chrome(enable_downloads: true)
    driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :remote, url: grid_url, options: options

List Downloadable Files

Be aware that Selenium is not waiting for files to finish downloading, so the list is an immediate snapshot of what file names are currently in the directory for the given session.

    List<String> files = ((HasDownloads) driver).getDownloadableFiles();
    files = driver.get_downloadable_files()
            List<string> names = ((RemoteWebDriver)driver).GetDownloadableFiles();
    files = driver.downloadable_files

Download a File

Selenium looks for the name of the provided file in the list and downloads it to the provided target directory.

    ((HasDownloads) driver).downloadFile(downloadableFile, targetDirectory);
    driver.download_file(downloadable_file, target_directory)
            ((RemoteWebDriver)driver).DownloadFile(downloadableFile, targetDirectory);
    driver.download_file(downloadable_file, target_directory)

Delete Downloaded Files

By default, the download directory is deleted at the end of the applicable session, but you can also delete all files during the session.

    ((HasDownloads) driver).deleteDownloadableFiles();
    driver.delete_downloadable_files()
            ((RemoteWebDriver)driver).DeleteDownloadableFiles();
    driver.delete_downloadable_files

Browser specific functionalities

Each browser has implemented special functionality that is available only to that browser. Each of the Selenium bindings has implemented a different way to use those features in a Remote Session

Java requires you to use the Augmenter class, which allows it to automatically pull in implementations for all interfaces that match the capabilities used with the RemoteWebDriver

    driver = new Augmenter().augment(driver);

Of interest, using the RemoteWebDriverBuilder automatically augments the driver, so it is a great way to get all the functionality by default:

    driver =
        RemoteWebDriver.builder()
            .address(gridUrl)
            .oneOf(new ChromeOptions())
            .setCapability("ext:options", Map.of("key", "value"))
            .config(ClientConfig.defaultConfig())
            .build();
.NET uses a custom command executor for executing commands that are valid for the given browser in the remote driver.
            var customCommandDriver = driver as ICustomDriverCommandExecutor;
            customCommandDriver.RegisterCustomDriverCommands(FirefoxDriver.CustomCommandDefinitions);

            var screenshotResponse = customCommandDriver
                .ExecuteCustomDriverCommand(FirefoxDriver.GetFullPageScreenshotCommand, null);
Ruby uses mixins to add applicable browser specific methods to the Remote WebDriver session; the methods should always just work for you.

Tracing client requests

This feature is only available for Java client binding (Beta onwards). The Remote WebDriver client sends requests to the Selenium Grid server, which passes them to the WebDriver. Tracing should be enabled at the server and client-side to trace the HTTP requests end-to-end. Both ends should have a trace exporter setup pointing to the visualization framework. By default, tracing is enabled for both client and server. To set up the visualization framework Jaeger UI and Selenium Grid 4, please refer to Tracing Setup for the desired version.

For client-side setup, follow the steps below.

Add the required dependencies

Installation of external libraries for tracing exporter can be done using Maven. Add the opentelemetry-exporter-jaeger and grpc-netty dependency in your project pom.xml:

  <dependency>
      <groupId>io.opentelemetry</groupId>
      <artifactId>opentelemetry-exporter-jaeger</artifactId>
      <version>1.0.0</version>
    </dependency>
    <dependency>
      <groupId>io.grpc</groupId>
      <artifactId>grpc-netty</artifactId>
      <version>1.35.0</version>
    </dependency>

Add/pass the required system properties while running the client

System.setProperty("otel.traces.exporter", "jaeger");
System.setProperty("otel.exporter.jaeger.endpoint", "http://localhost:14250");
System.setProperty("otel.resource.attributes", "service.name=selenium-java-client");

ImmutableCapabilities capabilities = new ImmutableCapabilities("browserName", "chrome");

WebDriver driver = new RemoteWebDriver(new URL("http://www.example.com"), capabilities);

driver.get("http://www.google.com");

driver.quit();

  

Please refer to Tracing Setup for more information on external dependencies versions required for the desired Selenium version.

More information can be found at:

2.3 - Supported Browsers

Each browser has custom capabilities and unique features.

2.3.1 - Chrome specific functionality

These are capabilities and features specific to Google Chrome browsers.

By default, Selenium 4 is compatible with Chrome v75 and greater. Note that the version of the Chrome browser and the version of chromedriver must match the major version.

Options

Capabilities common to all browsers are described on the Options page.

Capabilities unique to Chrome and Chromium are documented at Google’s page for Capabilities & ChromeOptions

Starting a Chrome session with basic defined options looks like this:

    ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();
    driver = new ChromeDriver(options);
    options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
    driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)
            var options = new ChromeOptions();
            driver = new ChromeDriver(options);
      options = Selenium::WebDriver::Options.chrome
      @driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome, options: options
      const Options = new Chrome.Options();
      let driver = await env
        .builder()
        .setChromeOptions(Options)
        .build();

Arguments

The args parameter is for a list of command line switches to be used when starting the browser. There are two excellent resources for investigating these arguments:

Commonly used args include --start-maximized, --headless=new and --user-data-dir=...

Add an argument to options:

    options.addArguments("--start-maximized");
    options.add_argument("--start-maximized")
            options.AddArgument("--start-maximized");
      options.args << '--start-maximized'
      let driver = await env
        .builder()
        .setChromeOptions(options.addArguments('--headless=new'))
        .build();

Start browser in a specified location

The binary parameter takes the path of an alternate location of browser to use. With this parameter you can use chromedriver to drive various Chromium based browsers.

Add a browser location to options:

    options.setBinary(getChromeLocation());
    options.binary_location = chrome_bin
            options.BinaryLocation = GetChromeLocation();
      options.binary = chrome_location
      let driver = await env
        .builder()
        .setChromeOptions(options.setChromeBinaryPath(`Path to chrome binary`))
        .build();

Add extensions

The extensions parameter accepts crx files. As for unpacked directories, please use the load-extension argument instead, as mentioned in this post.

Add an extension to options:

    options.addExtensions(extensionFilePath);
    options.add_extension(extension_file_path)
            options.AddExtension(extensionFilePath);
      options.add_extension(extension_file_path)
      const options = new Chrome.Options();
      let driver = await env
        .builder()
        .setChromeOptions(options.addExtensions(['./test/resources/extensions/webextensions-selenium-example.crx']))
        .build();

Keeping browser open

Setting the detach parameter to true will keep the browser open after the process has ended, so long as the quit command is not sent to the driver.

Note: This is already the default behavior in Java.

    options.add_experimental_option("detach", True)

Note: This is already the default behavior in .NET.

      options.detach = true
      let driver = await env
        .builder()
        .setChromeOptions(options.detachDriver(true))
        .build();

Excluding arguments

Chromedriver has several default arguments it uses to start the browser. If you do not want those arguments added, pass them into excludeSwitches. A common example is to turn the popup blocker back on. A full list of default arguments can be parsed from the Chromium Source Code

Set excluded arguments on options:

    options.setExperimentalOption("excludeSwitches", List.of("disable-popup-blocking"));
    options.add_experimental_option('excludeSwitches', ['disable-popup-blocking'])
            options.AddExcludedArgument("disable-popup-blocking");
      options.exclude_switches << 'disable-popup-blocking'
      let driver = await env
        .builder()
        .setChromeOptions(options.excludeSwitches('enable-automation'))
        .build();

Service

Examples for creating a default Service object, and for setting driver location and port can be found on the Driver Service page.

Log output

Getting driver logs can be helpful for debugging issues. The Service class lets you direct where the logs will go. Logging output is ignored unless the user directs it somewhere.

File output

To change the logging output to save to a specific file:

    ChromeDriverService service =
        new ChromeDriverService.Builder().withLogFile(logLocation).build();

Note: Java also allows setting file output by System Property:
Property key: ChromeDriverService.CHROME_DRIVER_LOG_PROPERTY
Property value: String representing path to log file

    service = webdriver.ChromeService(log_output=log_path)
            service.LogPath = GetLogLocation();
      service.log = file_name

Console output

To change the logging output to display in the console as STDOUT:

    ChromeDriverService service =
        new ChromeDriverService.Builder().withLogOutput(System.out).build();

Note: Java also allows setting console output by System Property;
Property key: ChromeDriverService.CHROME_DRIVER_LOG_PROPERTY
Property value: DriverService.LOG_STDOUT or DriverService.LOG_STDERR

    service = webdriver.ChromeService(log_output=subprocess.STDOUT)

$stdout and $stderr are both valid values

      service.log = $stdout

Log level

There are 6 available log levels: ALL, DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, SEVERE, and OFF. Note that --verbose is equivalent to --log-level=ALL and --silent is equivalent to --log-level=OFF, so this example is just setting the log level generically:

    ChromeDriverService service =
        new ChromeDriverService.Builder().withLogLevel(ChromiumDriverLogLevel.DEBUG).build();

Note: Java also allows setting log level by System Property:
Property key: ChromeDriverService.CHROME_DRIVER_LOG_LEVEL_PROPERTY
Property value: String representation of ChromiumDriverLogLevel enum

    service = webdriver.ChromeService(service_args=['--log-level=DEBUG'], log_output=subprocess.STDOUT)
      service.args << '--log-level=DEBUG'

Log file features

There are 2 features that are only available when logging to a file:

  • append log
  • readable timestamps

To use them, you need to also explicitly specify the log path and log level. The log output will be managed by the driver, not the process, so minor differences may be seen.

    ChromeDriverService service =
        new ChromeDriverService.Builder().withAppendLog(true).withReadableTimestamp(true).build();

Note: Java also allows toggling these features by System Property:
Property keys: ChromeDriverService.CHROME_DRIVER_APPEND_LOG_PROPERTY and ChromeDriverService.CHROME_DRIVER_READABLE_TIMESTAMP
Property value: "true" or "false"

    service = webdriver.ChromeService(service_args=['--append-log', '--readable-timestamp'], log_output=log_path)
      service.args << '--append-log'
      service.args << '--readable-timestamp'

Disabling build check

Chromedriver and Chrome browser versions should match, and if they don’t the driver will error. If you disable the build check, you can force the driver to be used with any version of Chrome. Note that this is an unsupported feature, and bugs will not be investigated.

    ChromeDriverService service =
        new ChromeDriverService.Builder().withBuildCheckDisabled(true).build();

Note: Java also allows disabling build checks by System Property:
Property key: ChromeDriverService.CHROME_DRIVER_DISABLE_BUILD_CHECK
Property value: "true" or "false"

    service = webdriver.ChromeService(service_args=['--disable-build-check'], log_output=subprocess.STDOUT)
            service.DisableBuildCheck = true;
      service.args << '--disable-build-check'

Special Features

Some browsers have implemented additional features that are unique to them.

Casting

You can drive Chrome Cast devices, including sharing tabs

Network conditions

You can simulate various network conditions.

Logs

Permissions

DevTools

See the Chrome DevTools section for more information about using Chrome DevTools

2.3.2 - Edge specific functionality

These are capabilities and features specific to Microsoft Edge browsers.

Microsoft Edge is implemented with Chromium, with the earliest supported version of v79. Similar to Chrome, the major version number of edgedriver must match the major version of the Edge browser.

Options

Capabilities common to all browsers are described on the Options page.

Capabilities unique to Chromium are documented at Google’s page for Capabilities & ChromeOptions

Starting an Edge session with basic defined options looks like this:

    EdgeOptions options = new EdgeOptions();
    driver = new EdgeDriver(options);
    options = webdriver.EdgeOptions()
    driver = webdriver.Edge(options=options)
            var options = new EdgeOptions();
            driver = new EdgeDriver(options);
      options = Selenium::WebDriver::Options.edge
      @driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :edge, options: options
      driver = await env.builder()
        .setEdgeOptions(options)
        .build();
    });

Arguments

The args parameter is for a list of command line switches to be used when starting the browser. There are two excellent resources for investigating these arguments:

Commonly used args include --start-maximized, --headless=new and --user-data-dir=...

Add an argument to options:

    options.addArguments("--start-maximized");
    options.add_argument("--start-maximized")
            options.AddArgument("--start-maximized");
      options.args << '--start-maximized'

Start browser in a specified location

The binary parameter takes the path of an alternate location of browser to use. With this parameter you can use chromedriver to drive various Chromium based browsers.

Add a browser location to options:

    options.setBinary(getEdgeLocation());
    options.binary_location = edge_bin
            options.BinaryLocation = GetEdgeLocation();
      options.binary = edge_location

Add extensions

The extensions parameter accepts crx files. As for unpacked directories, please use the load-extension argument instead, as mentioned in this post.

Add an extension to options:

    options.addExtensions(extensionFilePath);
    options.add_extension(extension_file_path)
            options.AddExtension(extensionFilePath);
      options.add_extension(extension_file_path)

Keeping browser open

Setting the detach parameter to true will keep the browser open after the process has ended, so long as the quit command is not sent to the driver.

Note: This is already the default behavior in Java.

    options.add_experimental_option("detach", True)

Note: This is already the default behavior in .NET.

      options.detach = true

Excluding arguments

MSEdgedriver has several default arguments it uses to start the browser. If you do not want those arguments added, pass them into excludeSwitches. A common example is to turn the popup blocker back on. A full list of default arguments can be parsed from the Chromium Source Code

Set excluded arguments on options:

    options.setExperimentalOption("excludeSwitches", List.of("disable-popup-blocking"));
    options.add_experimental_option('excludeSwitches', ['disable-popup-blocking'])
            options.AddExcludedArgument("disable-popup-blocking");
      options.exclude_switches << 'disable-popup-blocking'

Service

Examples for creating a default Service object, and for setting driver location and port can be found on the Driver Service page.

Log output

Getting driver logs can be helpful for debugging issues. The Service class lets you direct where the logs will go. Logging output is ignored unless the user directs it somewhere.

File output

To change the logging output to save to a specific file:

    EdgeDriverService service = new EdgeDriverService.Builder().withLogFile(logLocation).build();

Note: Java also allows setting file output by System Property:
Property key: EdgeDriverService.EDGE_DRIVER_LOG_PROPERTY
Property value: String representing path to log file

    service = webdriver.EdgeService(log_output=log_path)
            service.LogPath = GetLogLocation();
      service.log = file_name

Console output

To change the logging output to display in the console as STDOUT:

    EdgeDriverService service = new EdgeDriverService.Builder().withLogOutput(System.out).build();

Note: Java also allows setting console output by System Property;
Property key: EdgeDriverService.EDGE_DRIVER_LOG_PROPERTY
Property value: DriverService.LOG_STDOUT or DriverService.LOG_STDERR

$stdout and $stderr are both valid values

      service.log = $stdout

Log level

There are 6 available log levels: ALL, DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, SEVERE, and OFF. Note that --verbose is equivalent to --log-level=ALL and --silent is equivalent to --log-level=OFF, so this example is just setting the log level generically:

    EdgeDriverService service =
        new EdgeDriverService.Builder().withLoglevel(ChromiumDriverLogLevel.DEBUG).build();

Note: Java also allows setting log level by System Property:
Property key: EdgeDriverService.EDGE_DRIVER_LOG_LEVEL_PROPERTY
Property value: String representation of ChromiumDriverLogLevel enum

    service = webdriver.EdgeService(service_args=['--log-level=DEBUG'], log_output=log_path)
      service.args << '--log-level=DEBUG'

Log file features

There are 2 features that are only available when logging to a file:

  • append log
  • readable timestamps

To use them, you need to also explicitly specify the log path and log level. The log output will be managed by the driver, not the process, so minor differences may be seen.

    EdgeDriverService service =
        new EdgeDriverService.Builder().withAppendLog(true).withReadableTimestamp(true).build();

Note: Java also allows toggling these features by System Property:
Property keys: EdgeDriverService.EDGE_DRIVER_APPEND_LOG_PROPERTY and EdgeDriverService.EDGE_DRIVER_READABLE_TIMESTAMP
Property value: "true" or "false"

    service = webdriver.EdgeService(service_args=['--append-log', '--readable-timestamp'], log_output=log_path)
      service.args << '--append-log'
      service.args << '--readable-timestamp'

Disabling build check

Edge browser and msedgedriver versions should match, and if they don’t the driver will error. If you disable the build check, you can force the driver to be used with any version of Edge. Note that this is an unsupported feature, and bugs will not be investigated.

    EdgeDriverService service =
        new EdgeDriverService.Builder().withBuildCheckDisabled(true).build();

Note: Java also allows disabling build checks by System Property:
Property key: EdgeDriverService.EDGE_DRIVER_DISABLE_BUILD_CHECK
Property value: "true" or "false"

    service = webdriver.EdgeService(service_args=['--disable-build-check'], log_output=log_path)
            service.DisableBuildCheck = true;
      service.args << '--disable-build-check'

Internet Explorer Mode

Microsoft Edge can be driven in “Internet Explorer Compatibility Mode”, which uses the Internet Explorer Driver classes in conjunction with Microsoft Edge. Read the Internet Explorer page for more details.

Special Features

Some browsers have implemented additional features that are unique to them.

Casting

You can drive Chrome Cast devices with Edge, including sharing tabs

Network conditions

You can simulate various network conditions.

Logs

Permissions

DevTools

See the Chrome DevTools section for more information about using DevTools in Edge

2.3.3 - Firefox specific functionality

These are capabilities and features specific to Mozilla Firefox browsers.

Selenium 4 requires Firefox 78 or greater. It is recommended to always use the latest version of geckodriver.

Options

Capabilities common to all browsers are described on the Options page.

Capabilities unique to Firefox can be found at Mozilla’s page for firefoxOptions

Starting a Firefox session with basic defined options looks like this:

    FirefoxOptions options = new FirefoxOptions();
    driver = new FirefoxDriver(options);
    options = webdriver.FirefoxOptions()
    driver = webdriver.Firefox(options=options)
            var options = new FirefoxOptions();
            driver = new FirefoxDriver(options);
      options = Selenium::WebDriver::Options.firefox
      @driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :firefox, options: options
      let options = new firefox.Options();
      driver = await env.builder()
        .setFirefoxOptions(options)
        .build();

Arguments

The args parameter is for a list of Command line switches used when starting the browser.
Commonly used args include -headless and "-profile", "/path/to/profile"

Add an argument to options:

    options.addArguments("-headless");
    options.add_argument("-headless")
            options.AddArgument("-headless");
      options.args << '-headless'
    let driver = await env.builder()
      .setFirefoxOptions(options.addArguments('--headless'))
      .build();

Start browser in a specified location

The binary parameter takes the path of an alternate location of browser to use. For example, with this parameter you can use geckodriver to drive Firefox Nightly instead of the production version when both are present on your computer.

Add a browser location to options:

    options.setBinary(getFirefoxLocation());
    options.binary_location = firefox_bin
            options.BinaryLocation = GetFirefoxLocation();
      options.binary = firefox_location

Profiles

There are several ways to work with Firefox profiles.

Move Code

FirefoxProfile profile = new FirefoxProfile();
FirefoxOptions options = new FirefoxOptions();
options.setProfile(profile);
driver = new FirefoxDriver(options);
  
from selenium.webdriver.firefox.options import Options
from selenium.webdriver.firefox.firefox_profile import FirefoxProfile
options=Options()
firefox_profile = FirefoxProfile()
firefox_profile.set_preference("javascript.enabled", False)
options.profile = firefox_profile
  
var options = new FirefoxOptions();
var profile = new FirefoxProfile();
options.Profile = profile;
var driver = new FirefoxDriver(options);
  
profile = Selenium::WebDriver::Firefox::Profile.new
profile['browser.download.dir'] = "/tmp/webdriver-downloads"
options = Selenium::WebDriver::Firefox::Options.new(profile: profile)
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :firefox, options: options
  
const { Builder } = require("selenium-webdriver");
const firefox = require('selenium-webdriver/firefox');

const options = new firefox.Options();
let profile = '/path to custom profile';
options.setProfile(profile);
const driver = new Builder()
    .forBrowser('firefox')
    .setFirefoxOptions(options)
    .build();
  
val options = FirefoxOptions()
options.profile = FirefoxProfile()
driver = FirefoxDriver(options)
  

Service

Service settings common to all browsers are described on the Service page.

Log output

Getting driver logs can be helpful for debugging various issues. The Service class lets you direct where the logs will go. Logging output is ignored unless the user directs it somewhere.

File output

To change the logging output to save to a specific file:

    FirefoxDriverService service =
        new GeckoDriverService.Builder().withLogFile(logLocation).build();

Note: Java also allows setting file output by System Property:
Property key: GeckoDriverService.GECKO_DRIVER_LOG_PROPERTY
Property value: String representing path to log file

    service = webdriver.FirefoxService(log_output=log_path, service_args=['--log', 'debug'])
      service.log = file_name

Console output

To change the logging output to display in the console:

    FirefoxDriverService service =
        new GeckoDriverService.Builder().withLogOutput(System.out).build();

Note: Java also allows setting console output by System Property;
Property key: GeckoDriverService.GECKO_DRIVER_LOG_PROPERTY
Property value: DriverService.LOG_STDOUT or DriverService.LOG_STDERR

    service = webdriver.FirefoxService(log_output=subprocess.STDOUT)
      service.log = $stdout

Log level

There are 7 available log levels: fatal, error, warn, info, config, debug, trace. If logging is specified the level defaults to info.

Note that -v is equivalent to -log debug and -vv is equivalent to log trace, so this examples is just for setting the log level generically:

    FirefoxDriverService service =
        new GeckoDriverService.Builder().withLogLevel(FirefoxDriverLogLevel.DEBUG).build();

Note: Java also allows setting log level by System Property:
Property key: GeckoDriverService.GECKO_DRIVER_LOG_LEVEL_PROPERTY
Property value: String representation of FirefoxDriverLogLevel enum

    service = webdriver.FirefoxService(log_output=log_path, service_args=['--log', 'debug'])
      service.args += %w[--log debug]

Truncated Logs

The driver logs everything that gets sent to it, including string representations of large binaries, so Firefox truncates lines by default. To turn off truncation:

    FirefoxDriverService service =
        new GeckoDriverService.Builder().withTruncatedLogs(false).build();

Note: Java also allows setting log level by System Property:
Property key: GeckoDriverService.GECKO_DRIVER_LOG_NO_TRUNCATE
Property value: "true" or "false"

    service = webdriver.FirefoxService(service_args=['--log-no-truncate', '--log', 'debug'], log_output=log_path)
      service.args << '--log-no-truncate'

Profile Root

The default directory for profiles is the system temporary directory. If you do not have access to that directory, or want profiles to be created some place specific, you can change the profile root directory:

    FirefoxDriverService service =
        new GeckoDriverService.Builder().withProfileRoot(profileDirectory).build();

Note: Java also allows setting log level by System Property:
Property key: GeckoDriverService.GECKO_DRIVER_PROFILE_ROOT
Property value: String representing path to profile root directory

    service = webdriver.FirefoxService(service_args=['--profile-root', temp_dir])
      service.args += ['--profile-root', root_directory]

Special Features

Some browsers have implemented additional features that are unique to them.

Add-ons

Unlike Chrome, Firefox extensions are not added as part of capabilities as mentioned in this issue, they are created after starting the driver.

The following examples are for local webdrivers. For remote webdrivers, please refer to the Remote WebDriver page.

Installation

A signed xpi file you would get from Mozilla Addon page

    driver.installExtension(xpiPath);
    driver.install_addon(addon_path)
            driver.InstallAddOnFromFile(Path.GetFullPath(extensionFilePath));
      driver.install_addon(extension_file_path)
    const xpiPath = path.resolve('./test/resources/extensions/selenium-example.xpi')
    let driver = await env.builder().build();
    let id = await driver.installAddon(xpiPath);

Uninstallation

Uninstalling an addon requires knowing its id. The id can be obtained from the return value when installing the add-on.

    driver.uninstallExtension(id);
    driver.uninstall_addon(id)
            driver.UninstallAddOn(extensionId);
      driver.uninstall_addon(extension_id)
    const xpiPath = path.resolve('./test/resources/extensions/selenium-example.xpi')
    let driver = await env.builder().build();
    let id = await driver.installAddon(xpiPath);
    await driver.uninstallAddon(id);

Unsigned installation

When working with an unfinished or unpublished extension, it will likely not be signed. As such, it can only be installed as “temporary.” This can be done by passing in either a zip file or a directory, here’s an example with a directory:

    driver.installExtension(path, true);
    driver.install_addon(addon_path, temporary=True)
            driver.InstallAddOnFromDirectory(Path.GetFullPath(extensionDirPath), true);
      driver.install_addon(extension_dir_path, true)

Full page screenshots

The following examples are for local webdrivers. For remote webdrivers, please refer to the Remote WebDriver page.

Context

The following examples are for local webdrivers. For remote webdrivers, please refer to the Remote WebDriver page.

2.3.4 - IE specific functionality

These are capabilities and features specific to Microsoft Internet Explorer browsers.

As of June 2022, Selenium officially no longer supports standalone Internet Explorer. The Internet Explorer driver still supports running Microsoft Edge in “IE Compatibility Mode.”

Special considerations

The IE Driver is the only driver maintained by the Selenium Project directly. While binaries for both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Internet Explorer are available, there are some known limitations with the 64-bit driver. As such it is recommended to use the 32-bit driver.

Additional information about using Internet Explorer can be found on the IE Driver Server page

Options

Starting a Microsoft Edge browser in Internet Explorer Compatibility mode with basic defined options looks like this:

        InternetExplorerOptions options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
        options.attachToEdgeChrome();
        options.withEdgeExecutablePath(getEdgeLocation());
        driver = new InternetExplorerDriver(options);
    options = webdriver.IeOptions()
    options.attach_to_edge_chrome = True
    options.edge_executable_path = edge_bin
    driver = webdriver.Ie(options=options)
            var options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
            options.AttachToEdgeChrome = true;
            options.EdgeExecutablePath = GetEdgeLocation();
            driver = new InternetExplorerDriver(options);
      options = Selenium::WebDriver::Options.ie
      options.attach_to_edge_chrome = true
      options.edge_executable_path = edge_location
      @driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :ie, options: options

As of Internet Explorer Driver v4.5.0:

  • If IE is not present on the system (default in Windows 11), you do not need to use the two parameters above. IE Driver will use Edge and will automatically locate it.
  • If IE and Edge are both present on the system, you only need to set attaching to Edge, IE Driver will automatically locate Edge on your system.

So, if IE is not on the system, you only need:

Move Code

        InternetExplorerOptions options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
        driver = new InternetExplorerDriver(options);
    options = webdriver.IeOptions()
    driver = webdriver.Ie(options=options)
            var options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
            driver = new InternetExplorerDriver(options);
      options = Selenium::WebDriver::Options.ie
      @driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :ie, options: options
let driver = await new Builder()
.forBrowser('internet explorer')
.setIEOptions(options)
.build();
val options = InternetExplorerOptions()
val driver = InternetExplorerDriver(options)

Here are a few common use cases with different capabilities:

fileUploadDialogTimeout

In some environments, Internet Explorer may timeout when opening the File Upload dialog. IEDriver has a default timeout of 1000ms, but you can increase the timeout using the fileUploadDialogTimeout capability.

Move Code

InternetExplorerOptions options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
options.waitForUploadDialogUpTo(Duration.ofSeconds(2));
WebDriver driver = new RemoteWebDriver(options);
  
from selenium import webdriver

options = webdriver.IeOptions()
options.file_upload_dialog_timeout = 2000
driver = webdriver.Ie(options=options)

driver.get("http://www.google.com")

driver.quit()
  
var options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
options.FileUploadDialogTimeout = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(2000);
var driver = new RemoteWebDriver(options);
  
options = Selenium::WebDriver::IE::Options.new
options.file_upload_dialog_timeout = 2000
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for(:ie, options: options)
  
const ie = require('selenium-webdriver/ie');
let options = new ie.Options().fileUploadDialogTimeout(2000);
let driver = await Builder()
          .setIeOptions(options)
          .build(); 
  
val options = InternetExplorerOptions()
options.waitForUploadDialogUpTo(Duration.ofSeconds(2))
val driver = RemoteWebDriver(options)
  

ensureCleanSession

When set to true, this capability clears the Cache, Browser History and Cookies for all running instances of InternetExplorer including those started manually or by the driver. By default, it is set to false.

Using this capability will cause performance drop while launching the browser, as the driver will wait until the cache gets cleared before launching the IE browser.

This capability accepts a Boolean value as parameter.

Move Code

InternetExplorerOptions options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
options.destructivelyEnsureCleanSession();
WebDriver driver = new RemoteWebDriver(options);
  
from selenium import webdriver

options = webdriver.IeOptions()
options.ensure_clean_session = True
driver = webdriver.Ie(options=options)

driver.get("http://www.google.com")

driver.quit()
  
var options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
options.EnsureCleanSession = true;
var driver = new RemoteWebDriver(options);
  
options = Selenium::WebDriver::IE::Options.new
options.ensure_clean_session = true
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for(:ie, options: options)
  
const ie = require('selenium-webdriver/ie');
let options = new ie.Options().ensureCleanSession(true);
let driver = await Builder()
          .setIeOptions(options)
          .build(); 
  
val options = InternetExplorerOptions()
options.destructivelyEnsureCleanSession()
val driver = RemoteWebDriver(options)
  

ignoreZoomSetting

InternetExplorer driver expects the browser zoom level to be 100%, else the driver will throw an exception. This default behaviour can be disabled by setting the ignoreZoomSetting to true.

This capability accepts a Boolean value as parameter.

Move Code

InternetExplorerOptions options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
options.ignoreZoomSettings();
WebDriver driver = new RemoteWebDriver(options);
  
from selenium import webdriver

options = webdriver.IeOptions()
options.ignore_zoom_level = True
driver = webdriver.Ie(options=options)

driver.get("http://www.google.com")

driver.quit()
  
var options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
options.IgnoreZoomLevel = true;
var driver = new RemoteWebDriver(options);
  
options = Selenium::WebDriver::IE::Options.new
options.ignore_zoom_level = true
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for(:ie, options: options)
  
const ie = require('selenium-webdriver/ie');
let options = new ie.Options().ignoreZoomSetting(true);
let driver = await Builder()
          .setIeOptions(options)
          .build(); 
  
val options = InternetExplorerOptions()
options.ignoreZoomSettings()
val driver = RemoteWebDriver(options)
  

ignoreProtectedModeSettings

Whether to skip the Protected Mode check while launching a new IE session.

If not set and Protected Mode settings are not same for all zones, an exception will be thrown by the driver.

If capability is set to true, tests may become flaky, unresponsive, or browsers may hang. However, this is still by far a second-best choice, and the first choice should always be to actually set the Protected Mode settings of each zone manually. If a user is using this property, only a “best effort” at support will be given.

This capability accepts a Boolean value as parameter.

Move Code

InternetExplorerOptions options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
options.introduceFlakinessByIgnoringSecurityDomains();
WebDriver driver = new RemoteWebDriver(options);
  
from selenium import webdriver

options = webdriver.IeOptions()
options.ignore_protected_mode_settings = True
driver = webdriver.Ie(options=options)

driver.get("http://www.google.com")

driver.quit()
  
var options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
options.IntroduceInstabilityByIgnoringProtectedModeSettings = true;
var driver = new RemoteWebDriver(options);
  
options = Selenium::WebDriver::IE::Options.new
options.ignore_protected_mode_settings = true
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for(:ie, options: options)
  
const ie = require('selenium-webdriver/ie');
let options = new ie.Options().introduceFlakinessByIgnoringProtectedModeSettings(true);
let driver = await Builder()
          .setIeOptions(options)
          .build(); 
  
val options = InternetExplorerOptions()
options.introduceFlakinessByIgnoringSecurityDomains()
val driver = RemoteWebDriver(options)
  

silent

When set to true, this capability suppresses the diagnostic output of the IEDriverServer.

This capability accepts a Boolean value as parameter.

Move Code

InternetExplorerOptions options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
options.setCapability("silent", true);
WebDriver driver = new InternetExplorerDriver(options);
  
from selenium import webdriver

options = webdriver.IeOptions()
options.set_capability("silent", True)
driver = webdriver.Ie(options=options)

driver.get("http://www.google.com")

driver.quit()
  
InternetExplorerOptions options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
options.AddAdditionalInternetExplorerOption("silent", true);
IWebDriver driver = new InternetExplorerDriver(options);
  
    
    
    
    
    <p><a href=/documentation/about/contributing/#creating-examples>
    <span class="selenium-badge-code" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-placement="right"
          title="This code example is missing. Examples are added to the examples directory; click for details in the contribution guide">Add Example</span></a></p>
    

  
const {Builder,By, Capabilities} = require('selenium-webdriver');
let caps = Capabilities.ie();
caps.set('silent', true);

(async function example() {
    let driver = await new Builder()
        .forBrowser('internet explorer')
        .withCapabilities(caps)
        .build();
    try {
        await driver.get('http://www.google.com/ncr');
    }
    finally {
        await driver.quit();
    }
})();
  
import org.openqa.selenium.Capabilities
import org.openqa.selenium.ie.InternetExplorerDriver
import org.openqa.selenium.ie.InternetExplorerOptions

fun main() {
    val options = InternetExplorerOptions()
    options.setCapability("silent", true)
    val driver = InternetExplorerDriver(options)
    try {
        driver.get("https://google.com/ncr")
        val caps = driver.getCapabilities()
        println(caps)
    } finally {
        driver.quit()
    }
}
  

Command-Line Options

Internet Explorer includes several command-line options that enable you to troubleshoot and configure the browser.

The following describes few supported command-line options

  • -private : Used to start IE in private browsing mode. This works for IE 8 and later versions.

  • -k : Starts Internet Explorer in kiosk mode. The browser opens in a maximized window that does not display the address bar, the navigation buttons, or the status bar.

  • -extoff : Starts IE in no add-on mode. This option specifically used to troubleshoot problems with browser add-ons. Works in IE 7 and later versions.

Note: forceCreateProcessApi should to enabled in-order for command line arguments to work.

Move Code

import org.openqa.selenium.Capabilities;
import org.openqa.selenium.ie.InternetExplorerDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.ie.InternetExplorerOptions;

public class ieTest {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        InternetExplorerOptions options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
        options.useCreateProcessApiToLaunchIe();
        options.addCommandSwitches("-k");
        InternetExplorerDriver driver = new InternetExplorerDriver(options);
        try {
            driver.get("https://google.com/ncr");
            Capabilities caps = driver.getCapabilities();
            System.out.println(caps);
        } finally {
            driver.quit();
        }
    }
}
  
from selenium import webdriver

options = webdriver.IeOptions()
options.add_argument('-private')
options.force_create_process_api = True
driver = webdriver.Ie(options=options)

driver.get("http://www.google.com")

driver.quit()
  
using System;
using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.IE;

namespace ieTest {
 class Program {
  static void Main(string[] args) {
   InternetExplorerOptions options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
   options.ForceCreateProcessApi = true;
   options.BrowserCommandLineArguments = "-k";
   IWebDriver driver = new InternetExplorerDriver(options);
   driver.Url = "https://google.com/ncr";
  }
 }
}
  
require 'selenium-webdriver'
options = Selenium::WebDriver::IE::Options.new
options.force_create_process_api = true
options.add_argument('-k')
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for(:ie, options: options)

begin
  driver.get 'https://google.com'
  puts(driver.capabilities.to_json)
ensure
  driver.quit
end
  
const ie = require('selenium-webdriver/ie');
let options = new ie.Options();
options.addBrowserCommandSwitches('-k');
options.addBrowserCommandSwitches('-private');
options.forceCreateProcessApi(true);

driver = await env.builder()
          .setIeOptions(options)
          .build();
  
import org.openqa.selenium.Capabilities
import org.openqa.selenium.ie.InternetExplorerDriver
import org.openqa.selenium.ie.InternetExplorerOptions

fun main() {
    val options = InternetExplorerOptions()
    options.useCreateProcessApiToLaunchIe()
    options.addCommandSwitches("-k")
    val driver = InternetExplorerDriver(options)
    try {
        driver.get("https://google.com/ncr")
        val caps = driver.getCapabilities()
        println(caps)
    } finally {
        driver.quit()
    }
}
  

forceCreateProcessApi

Forces launching Internet Explorer using the CreateProcess API. The default value is false.

For IE 8 and above, this option requires the “TabProcGrowth” registry value to be set to 0.

Move Code

import org.openqa.selenium.Capabilities;
import org.openqa.selenium.ie.InternetExplorerDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.ie.InternetExplorerOptions;

public class ieTest {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        InternetExplorerOptions options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
        options.useCreateProcessApiToLaunchIe();
        InternetExplorerDriver driver = new InternetExplorerDriver(options);
        try {
            driver.get("https://google.com/ncr");
            Capabilities caps = driver.getCapabilities();
            System.out.println(caps);
        } finally {
            driver.quit();
        }
    }
}
  
from selenium import webdriver

options = webdriver.IeOptions()
options.force_create_process_api = True
driver = webdriver.Ie(options=options)

driver.get("http://www.google.com")

driver.quit()
  
using System;
using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.IE;

namespace ieTest {
 class Program {
  static void Main(string[] args) {
   InternetExplorerOptions options = new InternetExplorerOptions();
   options.ForceCreateProcessApi = true;
   IWebDriver driver = new InternetExplorerDriver(options);
   driver.Url = "https://google.com/ncr";
  }
 }
}
  
require 'selenium-webdriver'
options = Selenium::WebDriver::IE::Options.new
options.force_create_process_api = true
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for(:ie, options: options)

begin
  driver.get 'https://google.com'
  puts(driver.capabilities.to_json)
ensure
  driver.quit
end
  
const ie = require('selenium-webdriver/ie');
let options = new ie.Options();
options.forceCreateProcessApi(true);

driver = await env.builder()
          .setIeOptions(options)
          .build();
  
import org.openqa.selenium.Capabilities
import org.openqa.selenium.ie.InternetExplorerDriver
import org.openqa.selenium.ie.InternetExplorerOptions

fun main() {
    val options = InternetExplorerOptions()
    options.useCreateProcessApiToLaunchIe()
    val driver = InternetExplorerDriver(options)
    try {
        driver.get("https://google.com/ncr")
        val caps = driver.getCapabilities()
        println(caps)
    } finally {
        driver.quit()
    }
}
  

Service

Service settings common to all browsers are described on the Service page.

Log output

Getting driver logs can be helpful for debugging various issues. The Service class lets you direct where the logs will go. Logging output is ignored unless the user directs it somewhere.

File output

To change the logging output to save to a specific file:

                .withLogFile(getLogLocation())

Note: Java also allows setting file output by System Property:
Property key: InternetExplorerDriverService.IE_DRIVER_LOGFILE_PROPERTY
Property value: String representing path to log file

    service = webdriver.IeService(log_output=log_path, log_level='INFO')
      service.log = file_name

Console output

To change the logging output to display in the console as STDOUT:

                .withLogOutput(System.out)

Note: Java also allows setting console output by System Property;
Property key: InternetExplorerDriverService.IE_DRIVER_LOGFILE_PROPERTY
Property value: DriverService.LOG_STDOUT or DriverService.LOG_STDERR

    service = webdriver.IeService(log_output=subprocess.STDOUT)
      service.log = $stdout

Log Level

There are 6 available log levels: FATAL, ERROR, WARN, INFO, DEBUG, and TRACE If logging output is specified, the default level is FATAL

                .withLogLevel(InternetExplorerDriverLogLevel.WARN)

Note: Java also allows setting log level by System Property:
Property key: InternetExplorerDriverService.IE_DRIVER_LOGLEVEL_PROPERTY
Property value: String representation of InternetExplorerDriverLogLevel.DEBUG.toString() enum

    service = webdriver.IeService(log_output=log_path, log_level='WARN')
            service.LoggingLevel = InternetExplorerDriverLogLevel.Warn;
      service.args << '-log-level=WARN'

Supporting Files Path

                .withExtractPath(getTempDirectory())
**Note**: Java also allows setting log level by System Property:\ Property key: `InternetExplorerDriverService.IE_DRIVER_EXTRACT_PATH_PROPERTY`\ Property value: String representing path to supporting files directory
    service = webdriver.IeService(service_args=["–extract-path="+temp_dir])
            service.LibraryExtractionPath = GetTempDirectory();
      service.args << "–extract-path=#{root_directory}"

2.3.5 - Safari specific functionality

These are capabilities and features specific to Apple Safari browsers.

Unlike Chromium and Firefox drivers, the safaridriver is installed with the Operating System. To enable automation on Safari, run the following command from the terminal:

safaridriver --enable

Options

Capabilities common to all browsers are described on the Options page.

Capabilities unique to Safari can be found at Apple’s page About WebDriver for Safari

Starting a Safari session with basic defined options looks like this:

Move Code

        SafariOptions options = new SafariOptions();
        driver = new SafariDriver(options);
    options = webdriver.SafariOptions()
    driver = webdriver.Safari(options=options)
            var options = new SafariOptions();
            driver = new SafariDriver(options);
      options = Selenium::WebDriver::Options.safari
      @driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :safari, options: options
      let driver = await env.builder()
      .setSafariOptions(options)
      .build();
  val options = SafariOptions()
  val driver = SafariDriver(options)

Mobile

Those looking to automate Safari on iOS should look to the Appium project.

Service

Service settings common to all browsers are described on the Service page.

Logging

Unlike other browsers, Safari doesn’t let you choose where logs are output, or change levels. The one option available is to turn logs off or on. If logs are toggled on, they can be found at:~/Library/Logs/com.apple.WebDriver/.

                .withLogging(true)

Note: Java also allows setting console output by System Property;
Property key: SafariDriverService.SAFARI_DRIVER_LOGGING
Property value: "true" or "false"

    service = webdriver.SafariService(service_args=["--diagnose"])
      service.args << '--diagnose'

Safari Technology Preview

Apple provides a development version of their browser — Safari Technology Preview

2.4 - Waiting Strategies

Perhaps the most common challenge for browser automation is ensuring that the web application is in a state to execute a particular Selenium command as desired. The processes often end up in a race condition where sometimes the browser gets into the right state first (things work as intended) and sometimes the Selenium code executes first (things do not work as intended). This is one of the primary causes of flaky tests.

All navigation commands wait for a specific readyState value based on the page load strategy (the default value to wait for is "complete") before the driver returns control to the code. The readyState only concerns itself with loading assets defined in the HTML, but loaded JavaScript assets often result in changes to the site, and elements that need to be interacted with may not yet be on the page when the code is ready to execute the next Selenium command.

Similarly, in a lot of single page applications, elements get dynamically added to a page or change visibility based on a click. An element must be both present and displayed on the page in order for Selenium to interact with it.

Take this page for example: https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/dynamic.html When the “Add a box!” button is clicked, a “div” element that does not exist is created. When the “Reveal a new input” button is clicked, a hidden text field element is displayed. In both cases the transition takes a couple seconds. If the Selenium code is to click one of these buttons and interact with the resulting element, it will do so before that element is ready and fail.

The first solution many people turn to is adding a sleep statement to pause the code execution for a set period of time. Because the code can’t know exactly how long it needs to wait, this can fail when it doesn’t sleep long enough. Alternately, if the value is set too high and a sleep statement is added in every place it is needed, the duration of the session can become prohibitive.

Selenium provides two different mechanisms for synchronization that are better.

Implicit waits

Selenium has a built-in way to automatically wait for elements called an implicit wait. An implicit wait value can be set either with the timeouts capability in the browser options, or with a driver method (as shown below).

This is a global setting that applies to every element location call for the entire session. The default value is 0, which means that if the element is not found, it will immediately return an error. If an implicit wait is set, the driver will wait for the duration of the provided value before returning the error. Note that as soon as the element is located, the driver will return the element reference and the code will continue executing, so a larger implicit wait value won’t necessarily increase the duration of the session.

Warning: Do not mix implicit and explicit waits. Doing so can cause unpredictable wait times. For example, setting an implicit wait of 10 seconds and an explicit wait of 15 seconds could cause a timeout to occur after 20 seconds.

Solving our example with an implicit wait looks like this:

    driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(Duration.ofSeconds(2));
    driver.implicitly_wait(2)
            driver.Manage().Timeouts().ImplicitWait = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(2);
    driver.manage.timeouts.implicit_wait = 2
            await driver.manage().setTimeouts({ implicit: 2000 });
            await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/dynamic.html');
            await driver.findElement(By.id("adder")).click();

            let added = await driver.findElement(By.id("box0"));

Explicit waits

Explicit waits are loops added to the code that poll the application for a specific condition to evaluate as true before it exits the loop and continues to the next command in the code. If the condition is not met before a designated timeout value, the code will give a timeout error. Since there are many ways for the application not to be in the desired state, so explicit waits are a great choice to specify the exact condition to wait for in each place it is needed. Another nice feature is that, by default, the Selenium Wait class automatically waits for the designated element to exist.

This example shows the condition being waited for as a lambda. Java also supports Expected Conditions

    Wait<WebDriver> wait = new WebDriverWait(driver, Duration.ofSeconds(2));
    wait.until(d -> revealed.isDisplayed());

This example shows the condition being waited for as a lambda. Python also supports Expected Conditions

    wait = WebDriverWait(driver, timeout=2)
    wait.until(lambda d : revealed.is_displayed())
            WebDriverWait wait = new WebDriverWait(driver, TimeSpan.FromSeconds(2));
            wait.Until(d => revealed.Displayed);
    wait = Selenium::WebDriver::Wait.new
    wait.until { revealed.displayed? }

JavaScript also supports Expected Conditions

            await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/dynamic.html');
            let revealed = await driver.findElement(By.id("revealed"));
            await driver.findElement(By.id("reveal")).click();
            await driver.wait(until.elementIsVisible(revealed), 2000);
            await revealed.sendKeys("Displayed");

Customization

The Wait class can be instantiated with various parameters that will change how the conditions are evaluated.

This can include:

  • Changing how often the code is evaluated (polling interval)
  • Specifying which exceptions should be handled automatically
  • Changing the total timeout length
  • Customizing the timeout message

For instance, if the element not interactable error is retried by default, then we can add an action on a method inside the code getting executed (we just need to make sure that the code returns true when it is successful):

The easiest way to customize Waits in Java is to use the FluentWait class:

    Wait<WebDriver> wait =
        new FluentWait<>(driver)
            .withTimeout(Duration.ofSeconds(2))
            .pollingEvery(Duration.ofMillis(300))
            .ignoring(ElementNotInteractableException.class);

    wait.until(
        d -> {
          revealed.sendKeys("Displayed");
          return true;
        });
    errors = [NoSuchElementException, ElementNotInteractableException]
    wait = WebDriverWait(driver, timeout=2, poll_frequency=.2, ignored_exceptions=errors)
    wait.until(lambda d : revealed.send_keys("Displayed") or True)
            WebDriverWait wait = new WebDriverWait(driver, TimeSpan.FromSeconds(2))
            {
                PollingInterval = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(300),
            };
            wait.IgnoreExceptionTypes(typeof(ElementNotInteractableException));

            wait.Until(d => {
                revealed.SendKeys("Displayed");
                return true;
            });
    errors = [Selenium::WebDriver::Error::NoSuchElementError,
              Selenium::WebDriver::Error::ElementNotInteractableError]
    wait = Selenium::WebDriver::Wait.new(timeout: 2,
                                         interval: 0.3,
                                         ignore: errors)

    wait.until { revealed.send_keys('Displayed') || true }

2.5 - Web elements

Identifying and working with element objects in the DOM.

The majority of most people’s Selenium code involves working with web elements.

2.5.1 - File Upload

Because Selenium cannot interact with the file upload dialog, it provides a way to upload files without opening the dialog. If the element is an input element with type file, you can use the send keys method to send the full path to the file that will be uploaded.

    WebElement fileInput = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("input[type=file]"));
    fileInput.sendKeys(uploadFile.getAbsolutePath());
    driver.findElement(By.id("file-submit")).click();
    file_input = driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, "input[type='file']")
    file_input.send_keys(upload_file)
    driver.find_element(By.ID, "file-submit").click()
            IWebElement fileInput = driver.FindElement(By.CssSelector("input[type=file]"));
            fileInput.SendKeys(uploadFile);
            driver.FindElement(By.Id("file-submit")).Click();
    file_input = driver.find_element(css: 'input[type=file]')
    file_input.send_keys(upload_file)
    driver.find_element(id: 'file-submit').click
      await driver.findElement(By.id("file-upload")).sendKeys(image);
      await driver.findElement(By.id("file-submit")).submit();

Move Code

```java import org.openqa.selenium.By import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver fun main() { val driver = ChromeDriver() driver.get("https://the-internet.herokuapp.com/upload") driver.findElement(By.id("file-upload")).sendKeys("selenium-snapshot.jpg") driver.findElement(By.id("file-submit")).submit() if(driver.pageSource.contains("File Uploaded!")) { println("file uploaded") } else{ println("file not uploaded") } } ```

2.5.2 - Locator strategies

Ways to identify one or more specific elements in the DOM.

A locator is a way to identify elements on a page. It is the argument passed to the Finding element methods.

Check out our encouraged test practices for tips on locators, including which to use when and why to declare locators separately from the finding methods.

Traditional Locators

Selenium provides support for these 8 traditional location strategies in WebDriver:

LocatorDescription
class nameLocates elements whose class name contains the search value (compound class names are not permitted)
css selectorLocates elements matching a CSS selector
idLocates elements whose ID attribute matches the search value
nameLocates elements whose NAME attribute matches the search value
link textLocates anchor elements whose visible text matches the search value
partial link textLocates anchor elements whose visible text contains the search value. If multiple elements are matching, only the first one will be selected.
tag nameLocates elements whose tag name matches the search value
xpathLocates elements matching an XPath expression

Creating Locators

To work on a web element using Selenium, we need to first locate it on the web page. Selenium provides us above mentioned ways, using which we can locate element on the page. To understand and create locator we will use the following HTML snippet.

<html>
<body>
<style>
.information {
  background-color: white;
  color: black;
  padding: 10px;
}
</style>
<h2>Contact Selenium</h2>

<form action="/action_page.php">
  <input type="radio" name="gender" value="m" />Male &nbsp;
  <input type="radio" name="gender" value="f" />Female <br>
  <br>
  <label for="fname">First name:</label><br>
  <input class="information" type="text" id="fname" name="fname" value="Jane"><br><br>
  <label for="lname">Last name:</label><br>
  <input class="information" type="text" id="lname" name="lname" value="Doe"><br><br>
  <label for="newsletter">Newsletter:</label>
  <input type="checkbox" name="newsletter" value="1" /><br><br>
  <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form> 

<p>To know more about Selenium, visit the official page 
<a href ="www.selenium.dev">Selenium Official Page</a> 
</p>

</body>
</html>

class name

The HTML page web element can have attribute class. We can see an example in the above shown HTML snippet. We can identify these elements using the class name locator available in Selenium.

Move Code

    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.findElement(By.className("information"));
  
    driver = webdriver.Chrome()
	driver.find_element(By.CLASS_NAME, "information")
  
    var driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.FindElement(By.ClassName("information"));
  
    driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome
	driver.find_element(class: 'information')
  
    let driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();
	const loc = await driver.findElement(By.className('information'));
  
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
	val loc: WebElement = driver.findElement(By.className("information"))
  

css selector

CSS is the language used to style HTML pages. We can use css selector locator strategy to identify the element on the page. If the element has an id, we create the locator as css = #id. Otherwise the format we follow is css =[attribute=value] . Let us see an example from above HTML snippet. We will create locator for First Name textbox, using css.

Move Code

    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("#fname"));
  
    driver = webdriver.Chrome()
	driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, "#fname")
  
    var driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.FindElement(By.CssSelector("#fname"));
  
    driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome
	driver.find_element(css: '#fname')
  
    let driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();
	const loc = await driver.findElement(By.css('#fname'));
  
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
	val loc: WebElement = driver.findElement(By.css("#fname"))
  

id

We can use the ID attribute of an element in a web page to locate it. Generally the ID property should be unique for each element on the web page. We will identify the Last Name field using it.

Move Code

    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.findElement(By.id("lname"));
  
    driver = webdriver.Chrome()
	driver.find_element(By.ID, "lname")
  
    var driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.FindElement(By.Id("lname"));
  
    driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome
	driver.find_element(id: 'lname')
  
    let driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();
	const loc = await driver.findElement(By.id('lname'));
  
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
	val loc: WebElement = driver.findElement(By.id("lname"))
  

name

We can use the NAME attribute of an element in a web page to locate it. Generally the NAME property should be unique for each element on the web page. We will identify the Newsletter checkbox using it.

Move Code

    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.findElement(By.name("newsletter"));
  
    driver = webdriver.Chrome()
	driver.find_element(By.NAME, "newsletter")
  
    var driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.FindElement(By.Name("newsletter"));
  
    driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome
	driver.find_element(name: 'newsletter')
  
    let driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();
	const loc = await driver.findElement(By.name('newsletter'));
  
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
	val loc: WebElement = driver.findElement(By.name("newsletter"))
  

If the element we want to locate is a link, we can use the link text locator to identify it on the web page. The link text is the text displayed of the link. In the HTML snippet shared, we have a link available, let’s see how will we locate it.

Move Code

    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.findElement(By.linkText("Selenium Official Page"));
  
    driver = webdriver.Chrome()
	driver.find_element(By.LINK_TEXT, "Selenium Official Page")
  
    var driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.FindElement(By.LinkText("Selenium Official Page"));
  
    driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome
	driver.find_element(link_text: 'Selenium Official Page')
  
    let driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();
	const loc = await driver.findElement(By.linkText('Selenium Official Page'));
  
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
	val loc: WebElement = driver.findElement(By.linkText("Selenium Official Page"))
  

If the element we want to locate is a link, we can use the partial link text locator to identify it on the web page. The link text is the text displayed of the link. We can pass partial text as value. In the HTML snippet shared, we have a link available, lets see how will we locate it.

Move Code

    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.findElement(By.partialLinkText("Official Page"));
  
    driver = webdriver.Chrome()
	driver.find_element(By.PARTIAL_LINK_TEXT, "Official Page")
  
    var driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.FindElement(By.PartialLinkText("Official Page"));
  
    driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome
	driver.find_element(partial_link_text: 'Official Page')
  
    let driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();
	const loc = await driver.findElement(By.partialLinkText('Official Page'));
  
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
	val loc: WebElement = driver.findElement(By.partialLinkText("Official Page"))
  

tag name

We can use the HTML TAG itself as a locator to identify the web element on the page. From the above HTML snippet shared, lets identify the link, using its html tag “a”.

Move Code

    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.findElement(By.tagName("a"));
  
    driver = webdriver.Chrome()
	driver.find_element(By.TAG_NAME, "a")
  
    var driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.FindElement(By.TagName("a"));
  
    driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome
	driver.find_element(tag_name: 'a')
  
    let driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();
	const loc = await driver.findElement(By.tagName('a'));
  
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
	val loc: WebElement = driver.findElement(By.tagName("a"))
  

xpath

A HTML document can be considered as a XML document, and then we can use xpath which will be the path traversed to reach the element of interest to locate the element. The XPath could be absolute xpath, which is created from the root of the document. Example - /html/form/input[1]. This will return the male radio button. Or the xpath could be relative. Example- //input[@name=‘fname’]. This will return the first name text box. Let us create locator for female radio button using xpath.

Move Code

    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.findElement(By.xpath("//input[@value='f']"));
  
    driver = webdriver.Chrome()
	driver.find_element(By.XPATH, "//input[@value='f']")
  
    var driver = new ChromeDriver();
	driver.FindElement(By.Xpath("//input[@value='f']"));
  
    driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome
	driver.find_element(xpath: '//input[@value='f']')
  
    let driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();
	const loc = await driver.findElement(By.xpath('//input[@value='f']'));
  
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
	val loc: WebElement = driver.findElement(By.xpath('//input[@value='f']'))
  

Relative Locators

Selenium 4 introduces Relative Locators (previously called Friendly Locators). These locators are helpful when it is not easy to construct a locator for the desired element, but easy to describe spatially where the element is in relation to an element that does have an easily constructed locator.

How it works

Selenium uses the JavaScript function getBoundingClientRect() to determine the size and position of elements on the page, and can use this information to locate neighboring elements.

Relative locator methods can take as the argument for the point of origin, either a previously located element reference, or another locator. In these examples we’ll be using locators only, but you could swap the locator in the final method with an element object and it will work the same.

Let us consider the below example for understanding the relative locators.

Relative Locators

Available relative locators

Above

If the email text field element is not easily identifiable for some reason, but the password text field element is, we can locate the text field element using the fact that it is an “input” element “above” the password element.

Move Code

By emailLocator = RelativeLocator.with(By.tagName("input")).above(By.id("password"));
email_locator = locate_with(By.TAG_NAME, "input").above({By.ID: "password"})
var emailLocator = RelativeBy.WithLocator(By.TagName("input")).Above(By.Id("password"));
email_locator = {relative: {tag_name: 'input', above: {id: 'password'}}}
let emailLocator = locateWith(By.tagName('input')).above(By.id('password'));
val emailLocator = RelativeLocator.with(By.tagName("input")).above(By.id("password"))

Below

If the password text field element is not easily identifiable for some reason, but the email text field element is, we can locate the text field element using the fact that it is an “input” element “below” the email element.

Move Code

By passwordLocator = RelativeLocator.with(By.tagName("input")).below(By.id("email"));
password_locator = locate_with(By.TAG_NAME, "input").below({By.ID: "email"})
var passwordLocator = RelativeBy.WithLocator(By.TagName("input")).Below(By.Id("email"));
password_locator = {relative: {tag_name: 'input', below: {id: 'email'}}}
let passwordLocator = locateWith(By.tagName('input')).below(By.id('email'));
val passwordLocator = RelativeLocator.with(By.tagName("input")).below(By.id("email"))

Left of

If the cancel button is not easily identifiable for some reason, but the submit button element is, we can locate the cancel button element using the fact that it is a “button” element to the “left of” the submit element.

Move Code

By cancelLocator = RelativeLocator.with(By.tagName("button")).toLeftOf(By.id("submit"));
cancel_locator = locate_with(By.TAG_NAME, "button").to_left_of({By.ID: "submit"})
var cancelLocator = RelativeBy.WithLocator(By.tagName("button")).LeftOf(By.Id("submit"));
cancel_locator = {relative: {tag_name: 'button', left: {id: 'submit'}}}
let cancelLocator = locateWith(By.tagName('button')).toLeftOf(By.id('submit'));
val cancelLocator = RelativeLocator.with(By.tagName("button")).toLeftOf(By.id("submit"))

Right of

If the submit button is not easily identifiable for some reason, but the cancel button element is, we can locate the submit button element using the fact that it is a “button” element “to the right of” the cancel element.

Move Code

By submitLocator = RelativeLocator.with(By.tagName("button")).toRightOf(By.id("cancel"));
submit_locator = locate_with(By.TAG_NAME, "button").to_right_of({By.ID: "cancel"})
var submitLocator = RelativeBy.WithLocator(By.tagName("button")).RightOf(By.Id("cancel"));
submit_locator = {relative: {tag_name: 'button', right: {id: 'cancel'}}}
let submitLocator = locateWith(By.tagName('button')).toRightOf(By.id('cancel'));
val submitLocator = RelativeLocator.with(By.tagName("button")).toRightOf(By.id("cancel"))

Near

If the relative positioning is not obvious, or it varies based on window size, you can use the near method to identify an element that is at most 50px away from the provided locator. One great use case for this is to work with a form element that doesn’t have an easily constructed locator, but its associated input label element does.

Move Code

By emailLocator = RelativeLocator.with(By.tagName("input")).near(By.id("lbl-email"));
email_locator = locate_with(By.TAG_NAME, "input").near({By.ID: "lbl-email"})
var emailLocator = RelativeBy.WithLocator(By.tagName("input")).Near(By.Id("lbl-email"));
email_locator = {relative: {tag_name: 'input', near: {id: 'lbl-email'}}}
let emailLocator = locateWith(By.tagName('input')).near(By.id('lbl-email'));
val emailLocator = RelativeLocator.with(By.tagName("input")).near(By.id("lbl-email"));

Chaining relative locators

You can also chain locators if needed. Sometimes the element is most easily identified as being both above/below one element and right/left of another.

Move Code

By submitLocator = RelativeLocator.with(By.tagName("button")).below(By.id("email")).toRightOf(By.id("cancel"));
submit_locator = locate_with(By.TAG_NAME, "button").below({By.ID: "email"}).to_right_of({By.ID: "cancel"})
var submitLocator = RelativeBy.WithLocator(By.tagName("button")).Below(By.Id("email")).RightOf(By.Id("cancel"));
submit_locator = {relative: {tag_name: 'button', below: {id: 'email'}, right: {id: 'cancel'}}}
let submitLocator = locateWith(By.tagName('button')).below(By.id('email')).toRightOf(By.id('cancel'));
val submitLocator = RelativeLocator.with(By.tagName("button")).below(By.id("email")).toRightOf(By.id("cancel"))

2.5.3 - Finding web elements

Locating the elements based on the provided locator values.

One of the most fundamental aspects of using Selenium is obtaining element references to work with. Selenium offers a number of built-in locator strategies to uniquely identify an element. There are many ways to use the locators in very advanced scenarios. For the purposes of this documentation, let’s consider this HTML snippet:

<ol id="vegetables">
 <li class="potatoes"> <li class="onions"> <li class="tomatoes"><span>Tomato is a Vegetable</span></ol>
<ul id="fruits">
  <li class="bananas">  <li class="apples">  <li class="tomatoes"><span>Tomato is a Fruit</span></ul>

First matching element

Many locators will match multiple elements on the page. The singular find element method will return a reference to the first element found within a given context.

Evaluating entire DOM

When the find element method is called on the driver instance, it returns a reference to the first element in the DOM that matches with the provided locator. This value can be stored and used for future element actions. In our example HTML above, there are two elements that have a class name of “tomatoes” so this method will return the element in the “vegetables” list.

Move Code

WebElement vegetable = driver.findElement(By.className("tomatoes"));
  
vegetable = driver.find_element(By.CLASS_NAME, "tomatoes")
  
var vegetable = driver.FindElement(By.ClassName("tomatoes"));
  
vegetable = driver.find_element(class: 'tomatoes')
  
const vegetable = await driver.findElement(By.className('tomatoes'));
  
val vegetable: WebElement = driver.findElement(By.className("tomatoes"))
  

Evaluating a subset of the DOM

Rather than finding a unique locator in the entire DOM, it is often useful to narrow the search to the scope of another located element. In the above example there are two elements with a class name of “tomatoes” and it is a little more challenging to get the reference for the second one.

One solution is to locate an element with a unique attribute that is an ancestor of the desired element and not an ancestor of the undesired element, then call find element on that object:

Move Code

WebElement fruits = driver.findElement(By.id("fruits"));
WebElement fruit = fruits.findElement(By.className("tomatoes"));
  
fruits = driver.find_element(By.ID, "fruits")
fruit = fruits.find_element(By.CLASS_NAME,"tomatoes")
  
IWebElement fruits = driver.FindElement(By.Id("fruits"));
IWebElement fruit = fruits.FindElement(By.ClassName("tomatoes"));
  
fruits = driver.find_element(id: 'fruits')
fruit = fruits.find_element(class: 'tomatoes')
  
const fruits = await driver.findElement(By.id('fruits'));
const fruit = fruits.findElement(By.className('tomatoes'));
  
val fruits = driver.findElement(By.id("fruits"))
val fruit = fruits.findElement(By.className("tomatoes"))
  

Java and C#
WebDriver, WebElement and ShadowRoot classes all implement a SearchContext interface, which is considered a role-based interface. Role-based interfaces allow you to determine whether a particular driver implementation supports a given feature. These interfaces are clearly defined and try to adhere to having only a single role of responsibility.

Optimized locator

A nested lookup might not be the most effective location strategy since it requires two separate commands to be issued to the browser.

To improve the performance slightly, we can use either CSS or XPath to find this element in a single command. See the Locator strategy suggestions in our Encouraged test practices section.

For this example, we’ll use a CSS Selector:

Move Code

WebElement fruit = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("#fruits .tomatoes"));
  
fruit = driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR,"#fruits .tomatoes")
  
var fruit = driver.FindElement(By.CssSelector("#fruits .tomatoes"));
  
fruit = driver.find_element(css: '#fruits .tomatoes')
  
const fruit = await driver.findElement(By.css('#fruits .tomatoes'));
  
val fruit = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("#fruits .tomatoes"))
  

All matching elements

There are several use cases for needing to get references to all elements that match a locator, rather than just the first one. The plural find elements methods return a collection of element references. If there are no matches, an empty list is returned. In this case, references to all fruits and vegetable list items will be returned in a collection.

Move Code

List<WebElement> plants = driver.findElements(By.tagName("li"));
  
plants = driver.find_elements(By.TAG_NAME, "li")
  
IReadOnlyList<IWebElement> plants = driver.FindElements(By.TagName("li"));
  
plants = driver.find_elements(tag_name: 'li')
  
const plants = await driver.findElements(By.tagName('li'));
  
val plants: List<WebElement> = driver.findElements(By.tagName("li"))
  

Get element

Often you get a collection of elements but want to work with a specific element, which means you need to iterate over the collection and identify the one you want.

Move Code

List<WebElement> elements = driver.findElements(By.tagName("li"));

for (WebElement element : elements) {
    System.out.println("Paragraph text:" + element.getText());
}
  
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By

driver = webdriver.Firefox()

    # Navigate to Url
driver.get("https://www.example.com")

    # Get all the elements available with tag name 'p'
elements = driver.find_elements(By.TAG_NAME, 'p')

for e in elements:
    print(e.text)
  
using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.Firefox;
using System.Collections.Generic;

namespace FindElementsExample {
 class FindElementsExample {
  public static void Main(string[] args) {
   IWebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver();
   try {
    // Navigate to Url
    driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://example.com");

    // Get all the elements available with tag name 'p'
    IList < IWebElement > elements = driver.FindElements(By.TagName("p"));
    foreach(IWebElement e in elements) {
     System.Console.WriteLine(e.Text);
    }

   } finally {
    driver.Quit();
   }
  }
 }
}
  
require 'selenium-webdriver'
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :firefox
begin
     # Navigate to URL
  driver.get 'https://www.example.com'

     # Get all the elements available with tag name 'p'
  elements = driver.find_elements(:tag_name,'p')

  elements.each { |e|
    puts e.text
  }
ensure
  driver.quit
end
  
const {Builder, By} = require('selenium-webdriver');
(async function example() {
    let driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('firefox').build();
    try {
        // Navigate to Url
        await driver.get('https://www.example.com');

        // Get all the elements available with tag 'p'
        let elements = await driver.findElements(By.css('p'));
        for(let e of elements) {
            console.log(await e.getText());
        }
    }
    finally {
        await driver.quit();
    }
})();
  
import org.openqa.selenium.By
import org.openqa.selenium.firefox.FirefoxDriver

fun main() {
    val driver = FirefoxDriver()
    try {
        driver.get("https://example.com")
        // Get all the elements available with tag name 'p'
        val elements = driver.findElements(By.tagName("p"))
        for (element in elements) {
            println("Paragraph text:" + element.text)
        }
    } finally {
        driver.quit()
    }
}
  

Find Elements From Element

It is used to find the list of matching child WebElements within the context of parent element. To achieve this, the parent WebElement is chained with ‘findElements’ to access child elements

Move Code

  import org.openqa.selenium.By;
  import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
  import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement;
  import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
  import java.util.List;

  public class findElementsFromElement {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
          WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
          try {
              driver.get("https://example.com");

              // Get element with tag name 'div'
              WebElement element = driver.findElement(By.tagName("div"));

              // Get all the elements available with tag name 'p'
              List<WebElement> elements = element.findElements(By.tagName("p"));
              for (WebElement e : elements) {
                  System.out.println(e.getText());
              }
          } finally {
              driver.quit();
          }
      }
  }
  
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By

driver = webdriver.Chrome()
driver.get("https://www.example.com")

    # Get element with tag name 'div'
element = driver.find_element(By.TAG_NAME, 'div')

    # Get all the elements available with tag name 'p'
elements = element.find_elements(By.TAG_NAME, 'p')
for e in elements:
    print(e.text)
  
using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;
using System.Collections.Generic;

namespace FindElementsFromElement {
 class FindElementsFromElement {
  public static void Main(string[] args) {
   IWebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
   try {
    driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://example.com");

    // Get element with tag name 'div'
    IWebElement element = driver.FindElement(By.TagName("div"));

    // Get all the elements available with tag name 'p'
    IList < IWebElement > elements = element.FindElements(By.TagName("p"));
    foreach(IWebElement e in elements) {
     System.Console.WriteLine(e.Text);
    }
   } finally {
    driver.Quit();
   }
  }
 }
}
  
  require 'selenium-webdriver'
  driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome
  begin
    # Navigate to URL
    driver.get 'https://www.example.com'

    # Get element with tag name 'div'
    element = driver.find_element(:tag_name,'div')

    # Get all the elements available with tag name 'p'
    elements = element.find_elements(:tag_name,'p')

    elements.each { |e|
      puts e.text
    }
  ensure
    driver.quit
  end
  
  const {Builder, By} = require('selenium-webdriver');

  (async function example() {
      let driver = new Builder()
          .forBrowser('chrome')
          .build();

      await driver.get('https://www.example.com');

      // Get element with tag name 'div'
      let element = driver.findElement(By.css("div"));

      // Get all the elements available with tag name 'p'
      let elements = await element.findElements(By.css("p"));
      for(let e of elements) {
          console.log(await e.getText());
      }
  })();
  
  import org.openqa.selenium.By
  import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver

  fun main() {
      val driver = ChromeDriver()
      try {
          driver.get("https://example.com")

          // Get element with tag name 'div'
          val element = driver.findElement(By.tagName("div"))

          // Get all the elements available with tag name 'p'
          val elements = element.findElements(By.tagName("p"))
          for (e in elements) {
              println(e.text)
          }
      } finally {
          driver.quit()
      }
  }
  

Get Active Element

It is used to track (or) find DOM element which has the focus in the current browsing context.

Move Code

  import org.openqa.selenium.*;
  import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

  public class activeElementTest {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
      WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
      try {
        driver.get("http://www.google.com");
        driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("[name='q']")).sendKeys("webElement");

        // Get attribute of current active element
        String attr = driver.switchTo().activeElement().getAttribute("title");
        System.out.println(attr);
      } finally {
        driver.quit();
      }
    }
  }
  
  from selenium import webdriver
  from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By

  driver = webdriver.Chrome()
  driver.get("https://www.google.com")
  driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, '[name="q"]').send_keys("webElement")

    # Get attribute of current active element
  attr = driver.switch_to.active_element.get_attribute("title")
  print(attr)
  
    using OpenQA.Selenium;
    using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;

    namespace ActiveElement {
     class ActiveElement {
      public static void Main(string[] args) {
       IWebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
       try {
        // Navigate to Url
        driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://www.google.com");
        driver.FindElement(By.CssSelector("[name='q']")).SendKeys("webElement");

        // Get attribute of current active element
        string attr = driver.SwitchTo().ActiveElement().GetAttribute("title");
        System.Console.WriteLine(attr);
       } finally {
        driver.Quit();
       }
      }
     }
    }
  
  require 'selenium-webdriver'
  driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome
  begin
    driver.get 'https://www.google.com'
    driver.find_element(css: '[name="q"]').send_keys('webElement')

    # Get attribute of current active element
    attr = driver.switch_to.active_element.attribute('title')
    puts attr
  ensure
    driver.quit
  end
  
  const {Builder, By} = require('selenium-webdriver');

  (async function example() {
      let driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();
      await driver.get('https://www.google.com');
      await  driver.findElement(By.css('[name="q"]')).sendKeys("webElement");

      // Get attribute of current active element
      let attr = await driver.switchTo().activeElement().getAttribute("title");
      console.log(`${attr}`)
  })();
  
  import org.openqa.selenium.By
  import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver

  fun main() {
      val driver = ChromeDriver()
      try {
          driver.get("https://www.google.com")
          driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("[name='q']")).sendKeys("webElement")

          // Get attribute of current active element
          val attr = driver.switchTo().activeElement().getAttribute("title")
          print(attr)
      } finally {
          driver.quit()
      }
  }
  

2.5.4 - Interacting with web elements

A high-level instruction set for manipulating form controls.

There are only 5 basic commands that can be executed on an element:

  • click (applies to any element)
  • send keys (only applies to text fields and content editable elements)
  • clear (only applies to text fields and content editable elements)
  • submit (only applies to form elements)
  • select (see Select List Elements)

Additional validations

These methods are designed to closely emulate a user’s experience, so, unlike the Actions API, it attempts to perform two things before attempting the specified action.

  1. If it determines the element is outside the viewport, it scrolls the element into view, specifically it will align the bottom of the element with the bottom of the viewport.
  2. It ensures the element is interactable before taking the action. This could mean that the scrolling was unsuccessful, or that the element is not otherwise displayed. Determining if an element is displayed on a page was too difficult to define directly in the webdriver specification, so Selenium sends an execute command with a JavaScript atom that checks for things that would keep the element from being displayed. If it determines an element is not in the viewport, not displayed, not keyboard-interactable, or not pointer-interactable, it returns an element not interactable error.

Click

The element click command is executed on the center of the element. If the center of the element is obscured for some reason, Selenium will return an element click intercepted error.

        driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

	    // Click on the element 
        WebElement checkInput=driver.findElement(By.name("checkbox_input"));
        checkInput.click();
    # Navigate to url
	driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

    # Click on the element 
	driver.find_element(By.NAME, "color_input").click()
  
  // Navigate to Url
  driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

  // Click the element
  driver.FindElement(By.Name("color_input")).Click();
  
  
    # Navigate to URL
  driver.get 'https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html'

    # Click the element
  driver.find_element(name: 'color_input').click

  
    // Navigate to Url
    await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html');

    // Click the element
    await driver.findElement(By.name('color_input')).click();
  
  
    // Navigate to Url
    driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

    // Click the element
    driver.findElement(By.name("color_input")).click();
  
  

Send keys

The element send keys command types the provided keys into an editable element. Typically, this means an element is an input element of a form with a text type or an element with a content-editable attribute. If it is not editable, an invalid element state error is returned.

Here is the list of possible keystrokes that WebDriver Supports.

        // Clear field to empty it from any previous data
        WebElement emailInput=driver.findElement(By.name("email_input"));
        emailInput.clear();
	    //Enter Text
        String email="admin@localhost.dev";
	    emailInput.sendKeys(email);
    # Navigate to url
	driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

    # Clear field to empty it from any previous data
	driver.find_element(By.NAME, "email_input").clear()

	# Enter Text
	driver.find_element(By.NAME, "email_input").send_keys("admin@localhost.dev" )

  
  // Navigate to Url
  driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

  // Clear field to empty it from any previous data
  driver.FindElement(By.Name("email_input")).Clear();
  
  //Enter Text
  driver.FindElement(By.Name("email_input")).SendKeys("admin@localhost.dev");
  
  
}
  
    # Navigate to URL
	driver.get 'https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html'

    # Clear field to empty it from any previous data
	driver.find_element(name: 'email_input').clear
	
	# Enter Text
	driver.find_element(name: 'email_input').send_keys 'admin@localhost.dev'

  
    // Navigate to Url
    await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html');

	//Clear field to empty it from any previous data
	await driver.findElement(By.name('email_input')).clear();

    // Enter text 
    await driver.findElement(By.name('email_input')).sendKeys('admin@localhost.dev');
  
  
  
    // Navigate to Url
    driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

	//Clear field to empty it from any previous data
	driver.findElement(By.name("email_input")).clear()
	
    // Enter text 
    driver.findElement(By.name("email_input")).sendKeys("admin@localhost.dev")
  
  

Clear

The element clear command resets the content of an element. This requires an element to be editable, and resettable. Typically, this means an element is an input element of a form with a text type or an element with acontent-editable attribute. If these conditions are not met, an invalid element state error is returned.

        //Clear Element
        // Clear field to empty it from any previous data
        emailInput.clear();
    # Navigate to url
	driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

    # Clear field to empty it from any previous data
	driver.find_element(By.NAME, "email_input").clear()

	
  
  // Navigate to Url
  driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

  // Clear field to empty it from any previous data
  driver.FindElement(By.Name("email_input")).Clear();
  
 
  
}
  
    # Navigate to URL
	driver.get 'https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html'

    # Clear field to empty it from any previous data
	driver.find_element(name: 'email_input').clear

  
    // Navigate to Url
    await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html');

	//Clear field to empty it from any previous data
	await driver.findElement(By.name('email_input')).clear();

   
  
  
    // Navigate to Url
    driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

	//Clear field to empty it from any previous data
	driver.findElement(By.name("email_input")).clear()
	
  
  

Submit

In Selenium 4 this is no longer implemented with a separate endpoint and functions by executing a script. As such, it is recommended not to use this method and to click the applicable form submission button instead.

2.5.5 - Information about web elements

What you can learn about an element.

There are a number of details you can query about a specific element.

Is Displayed

This method is used to check if the connected Element is displayed on a webpage. Returns a Boolean value, True if the connected element is displayed in the current browsing context else returns false.

This functionality is mentioned in, but not defined by the w3c specification due to the impossibility of covering all potential conditions. As such, Selenium cannot expect drivers to implement this functionality directly, and now relies on executing a large JavaScript function directly. This function makes many approximations about an element’s nature and relationship in the tree to return a value.

Move Code

// Navigate to the url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

// Get boolean value for is element display
boolean isEmailVisible = driver.findElement(By.name("email_input")).isDisplayed();
# Navigate to the url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

# Get boolean value for is element display
is_email_visible = driver.find_element(By.NAME, "email_input").is_displayed()
//Navigate to the url
driver.Url = "https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html";

//Get boolean value for is element display
Boolean is_email_visible = driver.FindElement(By.Name("email_input")).Displayed;
# Navigate to the url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

#fetch display status
val = driver.find_element(name: 'email_input').displayed?
    // Resolves Promise and returns boolean value
    let result =  await driver.findElement(By.name("email_input")).isDisplayed();
 //navigates to url
 driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

 //returns true if element is displayed else returns false
 val flag = driver.findElement(By.name("email_input")).isDisplayed()

Is Enabled

This method is used to check if the connected Element is enabled or disabled on a webpage. Returns a boolean value, True if the connected element is enabled in the current browsing context else returns false.

Move Code

  //navigates to url
  driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

  //returns true if element is enabled else returns false
  boolean value = driver.findElement(By.name("button_input")).isEnabled();
  
    # Navigate to url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

    # Returns true if element is enabled else returns false
value = driver.find_element(By.NAME, 'button_input').is_enabled()
  
// Navigate to Url
driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

// Store the WebElement
IWebElement element = driver.FindElement(By.Name("button_input"));

// Prints true if element is enabled else returns false
System.Console.WriteLine(element.Enabled);
  
    # Navigate to url
driver.get 'https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html'

    # Returns true if element is enabled else returns false
ele = driver.find_element(name: 'button_input').enabled?
  
    // Resolves Promise and returns boolean value
    let element =  await driver.findElement(By.name("button_input")).isEnabled();
 //navigates to url
 driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

 //returns true if element is enabled else returns false
 val attr = driver.findElement(By.name("button_input")).isEnabled()
  

Is Selected

This method determines if the referenced Element is Selected or not. This method is widely used on Check boxes, radio buttons, input elements, and option elements.

Returns a boolean value, True if referenced element is selected in the current browsing context else returns false.

Move Code

 //navigates to url
 driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

 //returns true if element is checked else returns false
 boolean value = driver.findElement(By.name("checkbox_input")).isSelected();
  
    # Navigate to url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

    # Returns true if element is checked else returns false
value = driver.find_element(By.NAME, "checkbox_input").is_selected()
  
// Navigate to Url
driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

// Returns true if element ins checked else returns false
bool value = driver.FindElement(By.Name("checkbox_input")).Selected;
  
    # Navigate to url
driver.get 'https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html'

    # Returns true if element is checked else returns false
ele = driver.find_element(name: "checkbox_input").selected?
  
    // Returns true if element ins checked else returns false
    let isSelected = await driver.findElement(By.name("checkbox_input")).isSelected();
 //navigates to url
 driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

 //returns true if element is checked else returns false
 val attr =  driver.findElement(By.name("checkbox_input")).isSelected()
  

Tag Name

It is used to fetch the TagName of the referenced Element which has the focus in the current browsing context.

Move Code

 //navigates to url
 driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

 //returns TagName of the element
 String value = driver.findElement(By.name("email_input")).getTagName();
  
    # Navigate to url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

    # Returns TagName of the element
attr = driver.find_element(By.NAME, "email_input").tag_name
  
// Navigate to Url
driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

// Returns TagName of the element
string attr = driver.FindElement(By.Name("email_input")).TagName;
  
    # Navigate to url
driver.get 'https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html'

    # Returns TagName of the element
attr = driver.find_element(name: "email_input").tag_name
  
    // Returns TagName of the element
    let value = await driver.findElement(By.name('email_input')).getTagName();
 //navigates to url
 driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

 //returns TagName of the element
 val attr =  driver.findElement(By.name("email_input")).getTagName()
  

Size and Position

It is used to fetch the dimensions and coordinates of the referenced element.

The fetched data body contain the following details:

  • X-axis position from the top-left corner of the element
  • y-axis position from the top-left corner of the element
  • Height of the element
  • Width of the element

Move Code

// Navigate to url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

// Returns height, width, x and y coordinates referenced element
Rectangle res =  driver.findElement(By.name("range_input")).getRect();

// Rectangle class provides getX,getY, getWidth, getHeight methods
System.out.println(res.getX());
  
    # Navigate to url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

    # Returns height, width, x and y coordinates referenced element
res = driver.find_element(By.NAME, "range_input").rect
  
// Navigate to Url
driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

var res = driver.FindElement(By.Name("range_input"));
// Return x and y coordinates referenced element
System.Console.WriteLine(res.Location);
// Returns height, width
System.Console.WriteLine(res.Size);
  
    # Navigate to url
driver.get 'https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html'

    # Returns height, width, x and y coordinates referenced element
res = driver.find_element(name: "range_input").rect
  
    let object = await driver.findElement(By.name('range_input')).getRect();
// Navigate to url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

// Returns height, width, x and y coordinates referenced element
val res = driver.findElement(By.name("range_input")).rect

// Rectangle class provides getX,getY, getWidth, getHeight methods
println(res.getX())
  

Get CSS Value

Retrieves the value of specified computed style property of an element in the current browsing context.

Move Code

// Navigate to Url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/colorPage.html");

// Retrieves the computed style property 'color' of linktext
String cssValue = driver.findElement(By.id("namedColor")).getCssValue("background-color");

  
    # Navigate to Url
driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/colorPage.html')

    # Retrieves the computed style property 'color' of linktext
cssValue = driver.find_element(By.ID, "namedColor").value_of_css_property('background-color')

  
// Navigate to Url
driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/colorPage.html");

// Retrieves the computed style property 'color' of linktext
String cssValue = driver.FindElement(By.Id("namedColor")).GetCssValue("background-color");

  
    # Navigate to Url
driver.get 'https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/colorPage.html'

    # Retrieves the computed style property 'color' of linktext
cssValue = driver.find_element(:id, 'namedColor').css_value('background-color')

  
    await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/colorPage.html');
      // Returns background color of the element
      let value = await driver.findElement(By.id('namedColor')).getCssValue('background-color');
// Navigate to Url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/colorPage.html")

// Retrieves the computed style property 'color' of linktext
val cssValue = driver.findElement(By.id("namedColor")).getCssValue("background-color")

  

Text Content

Retrieves the rendered text of the specified element.

Move Code

// Navigate to url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/linked_image.html");

// Retrieves the text of the element
String text = driver.findElement(By.id("justanotherlink")).getText();
  
    # Navigate to url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/linked_image.html")

    # Retrieves the text of the element
text = driver.find_element(By.ID, "justanotherlink").text
  
// Navigate to url
driver.Url="https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/linked_image.html";

// Retrieves the text of the element
String text = driver.FindElement(By.Id("justanotherlink")).Text;
  
    # Navigate to url
driver.get 'https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/linked_image.html'

    # Retrieves the text of the element
text = driver.find_element(:id, 'justanotherlink').text
  
    await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/linked_image.html');
    // Returns text of the element
    let text = await driver.findElement(By.id('justanotherLink')).getText();
// Navigate to URL
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/linked_image.html")

// retrieves the text of the element
val text = driver.findElement(By.id("justanotherlink")).getText()
  

Fetching Attributes or Properties

Fetches the run time value associated with a DOM attribute. It returns the data associated with the DOM attribute or property of the element.

Move Code

//Navigate to the url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

//identify the email text box
WebElement emailTxt = driver.findElement(By.name(("email_input")));

//fetch the value property associated with the textbox
String valueInfo = eleSelLink.getAttribute("value");
  
# Navigate to the url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

# Identify the email text box
email_txt = driver.find_element(By.NAME, "email_input")

# Fetch the value property associated with the textbox
value_info = email_txt.get_attribute("value")
  
 //Navigate to the url
driver.Url="https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html";

//identify the email text box
IWebElement emailTxt = driver.FindElement(By.Name(("email_input")));

//fetch the value property associated with the textbox
String valueInfo = eleSelLink.GetAttribute("value");
  
# Navigate to the url
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html");

#identify the email text box
email_element=driver.find_element(name: 'email_input')

#fetch the value property associated with the textbox
emailVal = email_element.attribute("value");
  
    // identify the email text box
    const emailElement = await driver.findElement(By.xpath('//input[@name="email_input"]'));
    
    //fetch the attribute "name" associated with the textbox
    const nameAttribute = await emailElement.getAttribute("name");
// Navigate to URL
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/inputs.html")

//fetch the value property associated with the textbox
val attr = driver.findElement(By.name("email_input")).getAttribute("value")
  

2.6 - Browser interactions

Get browser information

Get title

You can read the current page title from the browser:

Move Code

driver.getTitle();
driver.title
driver.Title;
driver.title
await driver.getTitle();
driver.title

Get current URL

You can read the current URL from the browser’s address bar using:

Move Code

driver.getCurrentUrl();
driver.current_url
driver.Url;
driver.current_url
await driver.getCurrentUrl();
driver.currentUrl

2.6.1 - Browser navigation

The first thing you will want to do after launching a browser is to open your website. This can be achieved in a single line:

Move Code

//Convenient
driver.get("https://selenium.dev");

//Longer way
driver.navigate().to("https://selenium.dev");
  
driver.get("https://selenium.dev")
  
driver.Navigate().GoToUrl(@"https://selenium.dev");
  
driver.navigate.to 'https://selenium.dev'
  
await driver.get('https://selenium.dev');
  
//Convenient
driver.get("https://selenium.dev")

//Longer way
driver.navigate().to("https://selenium.dev")
  

Back

Pressing the browser’s back button:

Move Code

driver.navigate().back();
driver.back()
driver.Navigate().Back();
driver.navigate.back
await driver.navigate().back();
driver.navigate().back() 

Forward

Pressing the browser’s forward button:

Move Code

driver.navigate().forward();
driver.forward()
driver.Navigate().Forward();
driver.navigate.forward
await driver.navigate().forward();
driver.navigate().forward()

Refresh

Refresh the current page:

Move Code

driver.navigate().refresh();
driver.refresh()
driver.Navigate().Refresh();
driver.navigate.refresh
await driver.navigate().refresh();
driver.navigate().refresh()

2.6.2 - JavaScript alerts, prompts and confirmations

WebDriver provides an API for working with the three types of native popup messages offered by JavaScript. These popups are styled by the browser and offer limited customisation.

Alerts

The simplest of these is referred to as an alert, which shows a custom message, and a single button which dismisses the alert, labelled in most browsers as OK. It can also be dismissed in most browsers by pressing the close button, but this will always do the same thing as the OK button. See an example alert.

WebDriver can get the text from the popup and accept or dismiss these alerts.

Move Code

//Click the link to activate the alert
driver.findElement(By.linkText("See an example alert")).click();

//Wait for the alert to be displayed and store it in a variable
Alert alert = wait.until(ExpectedConditions.alertIsPresent());

//Store the alert text in a variable
String text = alert.getText();

//Press the OK button
alert.accept();
  
# Click the link to activate the alert
driver.find_element(By.LINK_TEXT, "See an example alert").click()

# Wait for the alert to be displayed and store it in a variable
alert = wait.until(expected_conditions.alert_is_present())

# Store the alert text in a variable
text = alert.text

# Press the OK button
alert.accept()
  
//Click the link to activate the alert
driver.FindElement(By.LinkText("See an example alert")).Click();

//Wait for the alert to be displayed and store it in a variable
IAlert alert = wait.Until(ExpectedConditions.AlertIsPresent());

//Store the alert text in a variable
string text = alert.Text;

//Press the OK button
alert.Accept();
  
# Click the link to activate the alert
driver.find_element(:link_text, 'See an example alert').click

# Store the alert reference in a variable
alert = driver.switch_to.alert

# Store the alert text in a variable
alert_text = alert.text

# Press on OK button
alert.accept
  
//Click the link to activate the alert
await driver.findElement(By.linkText('See an example alert')).click();

// Wait for the alert to be displayed
await driver.wait(until.alertIsPresent());

// Store the alert in a variable
let alert = await driver.switchTo().alert();

//Store the alert text in a variable
let alertText = await alert.getText();

//Press the OK button
await alert.accept();

// Note: To use await, the above code should be inside an async function
  
//Click the link to activate the alert
driver.findElement(By.linkText("See an example alert")).click()

//Wait for the alert to be displayed and store it in a variable
val alert = wait.until(ExpectedConditions.alertIsPresent())

//Store the alert text in a variable
val text = alert.getText()

//Press the OK button
alert.accept()
  

Confirm

A confirm box is similar to an alert, except the user can also choose to cancel the message. See a sample confirm.

This example also shows a different approach to storing an alert:

Move Code

//Click the link to activate the alert
driver.findElement(By.linkText("See a sample confirm")).click();

//Wait for the alert to be displayed
wait.until(ExpectedConditions.alertIsPresent());

//Store the alert in a variable
Alert alert = driver.switchTo().alert();

//Store the alert in a variable for reuse
String text = alert.getText();

//Press the Cancel button
alert.dismiss();
  
# Click the link to activate the alert
driver.find_element(By.LINK_TEXT, "See a sample confirm").click()

# Wait for the alert to be displayed
wait.until(expected_conditions.alert_is_present())

# Store the alert in a variable for reuse
alert = driver.switch_to.alert

# Store the alert text in a variable
text = alert.text

# Press the Cancel button
alert.dismiss()
  
//Click the link to activate the alert
driver.FindElement(By.LinkText("See a sample confirm")).Click();

//Wait for the alert to be displayed
wait.Until(ExpectedConditions.AlertIsPresent());

//Store the alert in a variable
IAlert alert = driver.SwitchTo().Alert();

//Store the alert in a variable for reuse
string text = alert.Text;

//Press the Cancel button
alert.Dismiss();
  
# Click the link to activate the alert
driver.find_element(:link_text, 'See a sample confirm').click

# Store the alert reference in a variable
alert = driver.switch_to.alert

# Store the alert text in a variable
alert_text = alert.text

# Press on Cancel button
alert.dismiss
  
//Click the link to activate the alert
await driver.findElement(By.linkText('See a sample confirm')).click();

// Wait for the alert to be displayed
await driver.wait(until.alertIsPresent());

// Store the alert in a variable
let alert = await driver.switchTo().alert();

//Store the alert text in a variable
let alertText = await alert.getText();

//Press the Cancel button
await alert.dismiss();

// Note: To use await, the above code should be inside an async function
  
//Click the link to activate the alert
driver.findElement(By.linkText("See a sample confirm")).click()

//Wait for the alert to be displayed
wait.until(ExpectedConditions.alertIsPresent())

//Store the alert in a variable
val alert = driver.switchTo().alert()

//Store the alert in a variable for reuse
val text = alert.text

//Press the Cancel button
alert.dismiss()
  

Prompt

Prompts are similar to confirm boxes, except they also include a text input. Similar to working with form elements, you can use WebDriver’s send keys to fill in a response. This will completely replace the placeholder text. Pressing the cancel button will not submit any text. See a sample prompt.

Move Code

//Click the link to activate the alert
driver.findElement(By.linkText("See a sample prompt")).click();

//Wait for the alert to be displayed and store it in a variable
Alert alert = wait.until(ExpectedConditions.alertIsPresent());

//Type your message
alert.sendKeys("Selenium");

//Press the OK button
alert.accept();
  
# Click the link to activate the alert
driver.find_element(By.LINK_TEXT, "See a sample prompt").click()

# Wait for the alert to be displayed
wait.until(expected_conditions.alert_is_present())

# Store the alert in a variable for reuse
alert = Alert(driver)

# Type your message
alert.send_keys("Selenium")

# Press the OK button
alert.accept()
  
//Click the link to activate the alert
driver.FindElement(By.LinkText("See a sample prompt")).Click();

//Wait for the alert to be displayed and store it in a variable
IAlert alert = wait.Until(ExpectedConditions.AlertIsPresent());

//Type your message
alert.SendKeys("Selenium");

//Press the OK button
alert.Accept();
  
# Click the link to activate the alert
driver.find_element(:link_text, 'See a sample prompt').click

# Store the alert reference in a variable
alert = driver.switch_to.alert

# Type a message
alert.send_keys("selenium")

# Press on Ok button
alert.accept
  
//Click the link to activate the alert
await driver.findElement(By.linkText('See a sample prompt')).click();

// Wait for the alert to be displayed
await driver.wait(until.alertIsPresent());

// Store the alert in a variable
let alert = await driver.switchTo().alert();

//Type your message
await alert.sendKeys("Selenium");

//Press the OK button
await alert.accept();

//Note: To use await, the above code should be inside an async function
  
//Click the link to activate the alert
driver.findElement(By.linkText("See a sample prompt")).click()

//Wait for the alert to be displayed and store it in a variable
val alert = wait.until(ExpectedConditions.alertIsPresent())

//Type your message
alert.sendKeys("Selenium")

//Press the OK button
alert.accept()
  

2.6.3 - Working with cookies

A cookie is a small piece of data that is sent from a website and stored in your computer. Cookies are mostly used to recognise the user and load the stored information.

WebDriver API provides a way to interact with cookies with built-in methods:

It is used to add a cookie to the current browsing context. Add Cookie only accepts a set of defined serializable JSON object. Here is the link to the list of accepted JSON key values

First of all, you need to be on the domain that the cookie will be valid for. If you are trying to preset cookies before you start interacting with a site and your homepage is large / takes a while to load an alternative is to find a smaller page on the site (typically the 404 page is small, e.g. http://example.com/some404page)

Move Code

import org.openqa.selenium.*;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

public class addCookie {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
        try {
            driver.get("http://www.example.com");

            // Adds the cookie into current browser context
            driver.manage().addCookie(new Cookie("key", "value"));
        } finally {
            driver.quit();
        }
    }
}
  
from selenium import webdriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome()

driver.get("http://www.example.com")

# Adds the cookie into current browser context
driver.add_cookie({"name": "key", "value": "value"})
  
using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;

namespace AddCookie {
 class AddCookie {
  public static void Main(string[] args) {
   IWebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
   try {
    // Navigate to Url
    driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://example.com");

    // Adds the cookie into current browser context
    driver.Manage().Cookies.AddCookie(new Cookie("key", "value"));
   } finally {
    driver.Quit();
   }
  }
 }
}
  
require 'selenium-webdriver'
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome

begin
  driver.get 'https://www.example.com'
  
  # Adds the cookie into current browser context
  driver.manage.add_cookie(name: "key", value: "value")
ensure
  driver.quit
end
  

        it('Create a cookie', async function() {
            await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/blank.html');

            // set a cookie on the current domain
            await driver.manage().addCookie({ name: 'key', value: 'value' });
import org.openqa.selenium.Cookie
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver

fun main() {
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
    try {
        driver.get("https://example.com")

        // Adds the cookie into current browser context
        driver.manage().addCookie(Cookie("key", "value"))
    } finally {
        driver.quit()
    }
}
  

It returns the serialized cookie data matching with the cookie name among all associated cookies.

Move Code

import org.openqa.selenium.*;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

public class getCookieNamed {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
        try {
            driver.get("http://www.example.com");
            driver.manage().addCookie(new Cookie("foo", "bar"));

            // Get cookie details with named cookie 'foo'
            Cookie cookie1 = driver.manage().getCookieNamed("foo");
            System.out.println(cookie1);
        } finally {
            driver.quit();
        }
    }
}
  
from selenium import webdriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome()

# Navigate to url
driver.get("http://www.example.com")

# Adds the cookie into current browser context
driver.add_cookie({"name": "foo", "value": "bar"})

# Get cookie details with named cookie 'foo'
print(driver.get_cookie("foo"))
  
using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;

namespace GetCookieNamed {
 class GetCookieNamed {
  public static void Main(string[] args) {
   IWebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
   try {
    // Navigate to Url
    driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://example.com");
    driver.Manage().Cookies.AddCookie(new Cookie("foo", "bar"));

    // Get cookie details with named cookie 'foo'
    var cookie = driver.Manage().Cookies.GetCookieNamed("foo");
    System.Console.WriteLine(cookie);
   } finally {
    driver.Quit();
   }
  }
 }
}
  
require 'selenium-webdriver'
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome

begin
  driver.get 'https://www.example.com'
  driver.manage.add_cookie(name: "foo", value: "bar")

  # Get cookie details with named cookie 'foo'
  puts driver.manage.cookie_named('foo')
ensure
  driver.quit
end
  

        it('Read cookie', async function() {
            await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/blank.html');

            // set a cookie on the current domain
            await driver.manage().addCookie({ name: 'foo', value: 'bar' });

            // Get cookie details with named cookie 'foo'
            await driver.manage().getCookie('foo').then(function(cookie) {
                console.log('cookie details => ', cookie);
            });
import org.openqa.selenium.Cookie
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver

fun main() {
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
    try {
        driver.get("https://example.com")
        driver.manage().addCookie(Cookie("foo", "bar"))

        // Get cookie details with named cookie 'foo'
        val cookie = driver.manage().getCookieNamed("foo")
        println(cookie)
    } finally {
        driver.quit()
    }
}  
  

Get All Cookies

It returns a ‘successful serialized cookie data’ for current browsing context. If browser is no longer available it returns error.

Move Code

import org.openqa.selenium.*;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import java.util.Set;

public class getAllCookies {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
        try {
            driver.get("http://www.example.com");
            // Add few cookies
            driver.manage().addCookie(new Cookie("test1", "cookie1"));
            driver.manage().addCookie(new Cookie("test2", "cookie2"));

            // Get All available cookies
            Set<Cookie> cookies = driver.manage().getCookies();
            System.out.println(cookies);
        } finally {
            driver.quit();
        }
    }
}
  
from selenium import webdriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome()

# Navigate to url
driver.get("http://www.example.com")

driver.add_cookie({"name": "test1", "value": "cookie1"})
driver.add_cookie({"name": "test2", "value": "cookie2"})

# Get all available cookies
print(driver.get_cookies())
  
using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;

namespace GetAllCookies {
 class GetAllCookies {
  public static void Main(string[] args) {
   IWebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
   try {
    // Navigate to Url
    driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://example.com");
    driver.Manage().Cookies.AddCookie(new Cookie("test1", "cookie1"));
    driver.Manage().Cookies.AddCookie(new Cookie("test2", "cookie2"));

    // Get All available cookies
    var cookies = driver.Manage().Cookies.AllCookies;
   } finally {
    driver.Quit();
   }
  }
 }
}
  
require 'selenium-webdriver'
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome

begin
  driver.get 'https://www.example.com'
  driver.manage.add_cookie(name: "test1", value: "cookie1")
  driver.manage.add_cookie(name: "test2", value: "cookie2")

  # Get all available cookies
  puts driver.manage.all_cookies
ensure
  driver.quit
end
  

        it('Read all cookies', async function() {
            await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/blank.html');

            // Add few cookies
            await driver.manage().addCookie({ name: 'test1', value: 'cookie1' });
            await driver.manage().addCookie({ name: 'test2', value: 'cookie2' });

            // Get all Available cookies
            await driver.manage().getCookies().then(function(cookies) {
                console.log('cookie details => ', cookies);
            });
import org.openqa.selenium.Cookie
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver

fun main() {
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
    try {
        driver.get("https://example.com")
        driver.manage().addCookie(Cookie("test1", "cookie1"))
        driver.manage().addCookie(Cookie("test2", "cookie2"))

        // Get All available cookies
        val cookies = driver.manage().cookies
        println(cookies)
    } finally {
        driver.quit()
    }
}  
  

It deletes the cookie data matching with the provided cookie name.

Move Code

import org.openqa.selenium.*;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

public class deleteCookie {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
        try {
            driver.get("http://www.example.com");
            driver.manage().addCookie(new Cookie("test1", "cookie1"));
            Cookie cookie1 = new Cookie("test2", "cookie2");
            driver.manage().addCookie(cookie1);

            // delete a cookie with name 'test1'
            driver.manage().deleteCookieNamed("test1");

            /*
             Selenium Java bindings also provides a way to delete
             cookie by passing cookie object of current browsing context
             */
            driver.manage().deleteCookie(cookie1);
        } finally {
            driver.quit();
        }
    }
}
  
from selenium import webdriver
driver = webdriver.Chrome()

# Navigate to url
driver.get("http://www.example.com")
driver.add_cookie({"name": "test1", "value": "cookie1"})
driver.add_cookie({"name": "test2", "value": "cookie2"})

# Delete a cookie with name 'test1'
driver.delete_cookie("test1")
  
using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;

namespace DeleteCookie {
 class DeleteCookie {
  public static void Main(string[] args) {
   IWebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
   try {
    // Navigate to Url
    driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://example.com");
    driver.Manage().Cookies.AddCookie(new Cookie("test1", "cookie1"));
    var cookie = new Cookie("test2", "cookie2");
    driver.Manage().Cookies.AddCookie(cookie);

    // delete a cookie with name 'test1'	
    driver.Manage().Cookies.DeleteCookieNamed("test1");

    // Selenium .net bindings also provides a way to delete
    // cookie by passing cookie object of current browsing context
    driver.Manage().Cookies.DeleteCookie(cookie);
   } finally {
    driver.Quit();
   }
  }
 }
}
  
require 'selenium-webdriver'
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome

begin
  driver.get 'https://www.example.com'
  driver.manage.add_cookie(name: "test1", value: "cookie1")
  driver.manage.add_cookie(name: "test2", value: "cookie2")

  # delete a cookie with name 'test1'
  driver.manage.delete_cookie('test1')
ensure
  driver.quit
end
  

        it('Delete a cookie', async function() {
            await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/blank.html');

            // Add few cookies
            await driver.manage().addCookie({ name: 'test1', value: 'cookie1' });
            await driver.manage().addCookie({ name: 'test2', value: 'cookie2' });

            // Delete a cookie with name 'test1'
            await driver.manage().deleteCookie('test1');

            // Get all Available cookies
            await driver.manage().getCookies().then(function(cookies) {
                console.log('cookie details => ', cookies);
            });
import org.openqa.selenium.Cookie
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver

fun main() {
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
    try {
        driver.get("https://example.com")
        driver.manage().addCookie(Cookie("test1", "cookie1"))
        val cookie1 = Cookie("test2", "cookie2")
        driver.manage().addCookie(cookie1)

        // delete a cookie with name 'test1'
        driver.manage().deleteCookieNamed("test1")
        
        // delete cookie by passing cookie object of current browsing context.
        driver.manage().deleteCookie(cookie1)
    } finally {
        driver.quit()
    }
}  
  

Delete All Cookies

It deletes all the cookies of the current browsing context.

Move Code

import org.openqa.selenium.*;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

public class deleteAllCookies {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
        try {
            driver.get("http://www.example.com");
            driver.manage().addCookie(new Cookie("test1", "cookie1"));
            driver.manage().addCookie(new Cookie("test2", "cookie2"));

            // deletes all cookies
            driver.manage().deleteAllCookies();
        } finally {
            driver.quit();
        }
    }
}
  
from selenium import webdriver
driver = webdriver.Chrome()

# Navigate to url
driver.get("http://www.example.com")
driver.add_cookie({"name": "test1", "value": "cookie1"})
driver.add_cookie({"name": "test2", "value": "cookie2"})

#  Deletes all cookies
driver.delete_all_cookies()
  
using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;

namespace DeleteAllCookies {
 class DeleteAllCookies {
  public static void Main(string[] args) {
   IWebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
   try {
    // Navigate to Url
    driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://example.com");
    driver.Manage().Cookies.AddCookie(new Cookie("test1", "cookie1"));
    driver.Manage().Cookies.AddCookie(new Cookie("test2", "cookie2"));

    // deletes all cookies
    driver.Manage().Cookies.DeleteAllCookies();
   } finally {
    driver.Quit();
   }
  }
 }
}
  
require 'selenium-webdriver'
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome

begin
  driver.get 'https://www.example.com'
  driver.manage.add_cookie(name: "test1", value: "cookie1")
  driver.manage.add_cookie(name: "test2", value: "cookie2")

  # deletes all cookies
  driver.manage.delete_all_cookies
ensure
  driver.quit
end
  

        it('Delete all cookies', async function() {
            await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/blank.html');

            // Add few cookies
            await driver.manage().addCookie({ name: 'test1', value: 'cookie1' });
            await driver.manage().addCookie({ name: 'test2', value: 'cookie2' });

            // Delete all cookies
            await driver.manage().deleteAllCookies();
import org.openqa.selenium.Cookie
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver

fun main() {
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
    try {
        driver.get("https://example.com")
        driver.manage().addCookie(Cookie("test1", "cookie1"))
        driver.manage().addCookie(Cookie("test2", "cookie2"))

        // deletes all cookies
        driver.manage().deleteAllCookies()
    } finally {
        driver.quit()
    }
}  
  

It allows a user to instruct browsers to control whether cookies are sent along with the request initiated by third party sites. It is introduced to prevent CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) attacks.

Same-Site cookie attribute accepts two parameters as instructions

Strict:

When the sameSite attribute is set as Strict, the cookie will not be sent along with requests initiated by third party websites.

Lax:

When you set a cookie sameSite attribute to Lax, the cookie will be sent along with the GET request initiated by third party website.

Note: As of now this feature is landed in chrome(80+version), Firefox(79+version) and works with Selenium 4 and later versions.

Move Code

import org.openqa.selenium.*;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

public class cookieTest {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
    try {
      driver.get("http://www.example.com");
      Cookie cookie = new Cookie.Builder("key", "value").sameSite("Strict").build();
      Cookie cookie1 = new Cookie.Builder("key", "value").sameSite("Lax").build();
      driver.manage().addCookie(cookie);
      driver.manage().addCookie(cookie1);
      System.out.println(cookie.getSameSite());
      System.out.println(cookie1.getSameSite());
    } finally {
      driver.quit();
    }
  }
}
  
from selenium import webdriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome()

driver.get("http://www.example.com")
# Adds the cookie into current browser context with sameSite 'Strict' (or) 'Lax'
driver.add_cookie({"name": "foo", "value": "value", 'sameSite': 'Strict'})
driver.add_cookie({"name": "foo1", "value": "value", 'sameSite': 'Lax'})
cookie1 = driver.get_cookie('foo')
cookie2 = driver.get_cookie('foo1')
print(cookie1)
print(cookie2)
  
using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;

namespace SameSiteCookie {
  class SameSiteCookie {
    static void Main(string[] args) {
      IWebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
      try {
        driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("http://www.example.com");

        var cookie1Dictionary = new System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary<string, object>() {
          { "name", "test1" }, { "value", "cookie1" }, { "sameSite", "Strict" } };
        var cookie1 = Cookie.FromDictionary(cookie1Dictionary);

        var cookie2Dictionary = new System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary<string, object>() {
          { "name", "test2" }, { "value", "cookie2" }, { "sameSite", "Lax" } };
        var cookie2 = Cookie.FromDictionary(cookie2Dictionary);

        driver.Manage().Cookies.AddCookie(cookie1);
        driver.Manage().Cookies.AddCookie(cookie2);

        System.Console.WriteLine(cookie1.SameSite);
        System.Console.WriteLine(cookie2.SameSite);
      } finally {
        driver.Quit();
      }
    }
  }
}
  
require 'selenium-webdriver'
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome

begin
  driver.get 'https://www.example.com'
  # Adds the cookie into current browser context with sameSite 'Strict' (or) 'Lax'
  driver.manage.add_cookie(name: "foo", value: "bar", same_site: "Strict")
  driver.manage.add_cookie(name: "foo1", value: "bar", same_site: "Lax")
  puts driver.manage.cookie_named('foo')
  puts driver.manage.cookie_named('foo1')
ensure
  driver.quit
end
  

        it('Create cookies with sameSite', async function() {
            await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/blank.html');

            // set a cookie on the current domain with sameSite 'Strict' (or) 'Lax'
            await driver.manage().addCookie({ name: 'key', value: 'value', sameSite: 'Strict' });
            await driver.manage().addCookie({ name: 'key', value: 'value', sameSite: 'Lax' });
import org.openqa.selenium.Cookie
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver

fun main() {
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
    try {
        driver.get("http://www.example.com")
        val cookie = Cookie.Builder("key", "value").sameSite("Strict").build()
        val cookie1 = Cookie.Builder("key", "value").sameSite("Lax").build()
        driver.manage().addCookie(cookie)
        driver.manage().addCookie(cookie1)
        println(cookie.getSameSite())
        println(cookie1.getSameSite())
    } finally {
        driver.quit()
    }
}
  

2.6.4 - Working with IFrames and frames

Frames are a now deprecated means of building a site layout from multiple documents on the same domain. You are unlikely to work with them unless you are working with an pre HTML5 webapp. Iframes allow the insertion of a document from an entirely different domain, and are still commonly used.

If you need to work with frames or iframes, WebDriver allows you to work with them in the same way. Consider a button within an iframe. If we inspect the element using the browser development tools, we might see the following:

<div id="modal">
  <iframe id="buttonframe" name="myframe"  src="https://seleniumhq.github.io">
   <button>Click here</button>
 </iframe>
</div>

If it was not for the iframe we would expect to click on the button using something like:

Move Code

//This won't work
driver.findElement(By.tagName("button")).click();
  
    # This Wont work
driver.find_element(By.TAG_NAME, 'button').click()
  
//This won't work
driver.FindElement(By.TagName("button")).Click();
  
    # This won't work
driver.find_element(:tag_name,'button').click
  
// This won't work
await driver.findElement(By.css('button')).click();
  
//This won't work
driver.findElement(By.tagName("button")).click()
  

However, if there are no buttons outside of the iframe, you might instead get a no such element error. This happens because Selenium is only aware of the elements in the top level document. To interact with the button, we will need to first switch to the frame, in a similar way to how we switch windows. WebDriver offers three ways of switching to a frame.

Using a WebElement

Switching using a WebElement is the most flexible option. You can find the frame using your preferred selector and switch to it.

Move Code

//Store the web element
WebElement iframe = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("#modal>iframe"));

//Switch to the frame
driver.switchTo().frame(iframe);

//Now we can click the button
driver.findElement(By.tagName("button")).click();
  
    # Store iframe web element
iframe = driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, "#modal > iframe")

    # switch to selected iframe
driver.switch_to.frame(iframe)

    # Now click on button
driver.find_element(By.TAG_NAME, 'button').click()
  
//Store the web element
IWebElement iframe = driver.FindElement(By.CssSelector("#modal>iframe"));

//Switch to the frame
driver.SwitchTo().Frame(iframe);

//Now we can click the button
driver.FindElement(By.TagName("button")).Click();
  
    # Store iframe web element
iframe = driver.find_element(:css,'#modal > iframe')

    # Switch to the frame
driver.switch_to.frame iframe

    # Now, Click on the button
driver.find_element(:tag_name,'button').click
  
// Store the web element
const iframe = driver.findElement(By.css('#modal > iframe'));

// Switch to the frame
await driver.switchTo().frame(iframe);

// Now we can click the button
await driver.findElement(By.css('button')).click();
  
//Store the web element
val iframe = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("#modal>iframe"))

//Switch to the frame
driver.switchTo().frame(iframe)

//Now we can click the button
driver.findElement(By.tagName("button")).click()
  

Using a name or ID

If your frame or iframe has an id or name attribute, this can be used instead. If the name or ID is not unique on the page, then the first one found will be switched to.

Move Code

//Using the ID
driver.switchTo().frame("buttonframe");

//Or using the name instead
driver.switchTo().frame("myframe");

//Now we can click the button
driver.findElement(By.tagName("button")).click();
  
    # Switch frame by id
driver.switch_to.frame('buttonframe')

    # Now, Click on the button
driver.find_element(By.TAG_NAME, 'button').click()
  
//Using the ID
driver.SwitchTo().Frame("buttonframe");

//Or using the name instead
driver.SwitchTo().Frame("myframe");

//Now we can click the button
driver.FindElement(By.TagName("button")).Click();
  
    # Switch by ID
driver.switch_to.frame 'buttonframe'

    # Now, Click on the button
driver.find_element(:tag_name,'button').click
  
// Using the ID
await driver.switchTo().frame('buttonframe');

// Or using the name instead
await driver.switchTo().frame('myframe');

// Now we can click the button
await driver.findElement(By.css('button')).click();
  
//Using the ID
driver.switchTo().frame("buttonframe")

//Or using the name instead
driver.switchTo().frame("myframe")

//Now we can click the button
driver.findElement(By.tagName("button")).click()
  

Using an index

It is also possible to use the index of the frame, such as can be queried using window.frames in JavaScript.

Move Code

// Switches to the second frame
driver.switchTo().frame(1);
  
    # Switch to the second frame
driver.switch_to.frame(1)
  
// Switches to the second frame
driver.SwitchTo().Frame(1);
  
    # switching to second iframe based on index
iframe = driver.find_elements(By.TAG_NAME,'iframe')[1]

    # switch to selected iframe
driver.switch_to.frame(iframe)
  
// Switches to the second frame
await driver.switchTo().frame(1);
  
// Switches to the second frame
driver.switchTo().frame(1)
  

Leaving a frame

To leave an iframe or frameset, switch back to the default content like so:

Move Code

// Return to the top level
driver.switchTo().defaultContent();
  
    # switch back to default content
driver.switch_to.default_content()
  
// Return to the top level
driver.SwitchTo().DefaultContent();
  
    # Return to the top level
driver.switch_to.default_content
  
// Return to the top level
await driver.switchTo().defaultContent();
  
// Return to the top level
driver.switchTo().defaultContent()
  

2.6.5 - Working with windows and tabs

Windows and tabs

Get window handle

WebDriver does not make the distinction between windows and tabs. If your site opens a new tab or window, Selenium will let you work with it using a window handle. Each window has a unique identifier which remains persistent in a single session. You can get the window handle of the current window by using:

Move Code

driver.getWindowHandle();
driver.current_window_handle
driver.CurrentWindowHandle;
driver.window_handle
await driver.getWindowHandle();
driver.windowHandle

Switching windows or tabs

Clicking a link which opens in a new window will focus the new window or tab on screen, but WebDriver will not know which window the Operating System considers active. To work with the new window you will need to switch to it. If you have only two tabs or windows open, and you know which window you start with, by the process of elimination you can loop over both windows or tabs that WebDriver can see, and switch to the one which is not the original.

However, Selenium 4 provides a new api NewWindow which creates a new tab (or) new window and automatically switches to it.

Move Code

//Store the ID of the original window
String originalWindow = driver.getWindowHandle();

//Check we don't have other windows open already
assert driver.getWindowHandles().size() == 1;

//Click the link which opens in a new window
driver.findElement(By.linkText("new window")).click();

//Wait for the new window or tab
wait.until(numberOfWindowsToBe(2));

//Loop through until we find a new window handle
for (String windowHandle : driver.getWindowHandles()) {
    if(!originalWindow.contentEquals(windowHandle)) {
        driver.switchTo().window(windowHandle);
        break;
    }
}

//Wait for the new tab to finish loading content
wait.until(titleIs("Selenium documentation"));
  
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.support.ui import WebDriverWait
from selenium.webdriver.support import expected_conditions as EC

with webdriver.Firefox() as driver:
    # Open URL
    driver.get("https://seleniumhq.github.io")

    # Setup wait for later
    wait = WebDriverWait(driver, 10)

    # Store the ID of the original window
    original_window = driver.current_window_handle

    # Check we don't have other windows open already
    assert len(driver.window_handles) == 1

    # Click the link which opens in a new window
    driver.find_element(By.LINK_TEXT, "new window").click()

    # Wait for the new window or tab
    wait.until(EC.number_of_windows_to_be(2))

    # Loop through until we find a new window handle
    for window_handle in driver.window_handles:
        if window_handle != original_window:
            driver.switch_to.window(window_handle)
            break

    # Wait for the new tab to finish loading content
    wait.until(EC.title_is("SeleniumHQ Browser Automation"))
  
//Store the ID of the original window
string originalWindow = driver.CurrentWindowHandle;

//Check we don't have other windows open already
Assert.AreEqual(driver.WindowHandles.Count, 1);

//Click the link which opens in a new window
driver.FindElement(By.LinkText("new window")).Click();

//Wait for the new window or tab
wait.Until(wd => wd.WindowHandles.Count == 2);

//Loop through until we find a new window handle
foreach(string window in driver.WindowHandles)
{
    if(originalWindow != window)
    {
        driver.SwitchTo().Window(window);
        break;
    }
}
//Wait for the new tab to finish loading content
wait.Until(wd => wd.Title == "Selenium documentation");
  
    # Store the ID of the original window
original_window = driver.window_handle

    # Check we don't have other windows open already
assert(driver.window_handles.length == 1, 'Expected one window')

    # Click the link which opens in a new window
driver.find_element(link: 'new window').click

    # Wait for the new window or tab
wait.until { driver.window_handles.length == 2 }

    #Loop through until we find a new window handle
driver.window_handles.each do |handle|
    if handle != original_window
        driver.switch_to.window handle
        break
    end
end

    #Wait for the new tab to finish loading content
wait.until { driver.title == 'Selenium documentation'}
  
//Store the ID of the original window
const originalWindow = await driver.getWindowHandle();

//Check we don't have other windows open already
assert((await driver.getAllWindowHandles()).length === 1);

//Click the link which opens in a new window
await driver.findElement(By.linkText('new window')).click();

//Wait for the new window or tab
await driver.wait(
    async () => (await driver.getAllWindowHandles()).length === 2,
    10000
  );

//Loop through until we find a new window handle
const windows = await driver.getAllWindowHandles();
windows.forEach(async handle => {
  if (handle !== originalWindow) {
    await driver.switchTo().window(handle);
  }
});

//Wait for the new tab to finish loading content
await driver.wait(until.titleIs('Selenium documentation'), 10000);
  
//Store the ID of the original window
val originalWindow = driver.getWindowHandle()

//Check we don't have other windows open already
assert(driver.getWindowHandles().size() === 1)

//Click the link which opens in a new window
driver.findElement(By.linkText("new window")).click()

//Wait for the new window or tab
wait.until(numberOfWindowsToBe(2))

//Loop through until we find a new window handle
for (windowHandle in driver.getWindowHandles()) {
    if (!originalWindow.contentEquals(windowHandle)) {
        driver.switchTo().window(windowHandle)
        break
    }
}

//Wait for the new tab to finish loading content
wait.until(titleIs("Selenium documentation"))

  

Create new window (or) new tab and switch

Creates a new window (or) tab and will focus the new window or tab on screen. You don’t need to switch to work with the new window (or) tab. If you have more than two windows (or) tabs opened other than the new window, you can loop over both windows or tabs that WebDriver can see, and switch to the one which is not the original.

Note: This feature works with Selenium 4 and later versions.

Move Code

// Opens a new tab and switches to new tab
driver.switchTo().newWindow(WindowType.TAB);

// Opens a new window and switches to new window
driver.switchTo().newWindow(WindowType.WINDOW);
  
    # Opens a new tab and switches to new tab
driver.switch_to.new_window('tab')

    # Opens a new window and switches to new window
driver.switch_to.new_window('window')
  
// Opens a new tab and switches to new tab
driver.SwitchTo().NewWindow(WindowType.Tab)

// Opens a new window and switches to new window
driver.SwitchTo().NewWindow(WindowType.Window)
  
    # Note: The new_window in ruby only opens a new tab (or) Window and will not switch automatically
    # The user has to switch to new tab (or) new window

    # Opens a new tab and switches to new tab
driver.manage.new_window(:tab)

    # Opens a new window and switches to new window
driver.manage.new_window(:window)
  
// Opens a new tab and switches to new tab
await driver.switchTo().newWindow('tab');

// Opens a new window and switches to new window
await driver.switchTo().newWindow('window');

  
// Opens a new tab and switches to new tab
driver.switchTo().newWindow(WindowType.TAB)

// Opens a new window and switches to new window
driver.switchTo().newWindow(WindowType.WINDOW)
  

Closing a window or tab

When you are finished with a window or tab and it is not the last window or tab open in your browser, you should close it and switch back to the window you were using previously. Assuming you followed the code sample in the previous section you will have the previous window handle stored in a variable. Put this together and you will get:

Move Code

//Close the tab or window
driver.close();

//Switch back to the old tab or window
driver.switchTo().window(originalWindow);
  
    #Close the tab or window
driver.close()

    #Switch back to the old tab or window
driver.switch_to.window(original_window)
  
//Close the tab or window
driver.Close();

//Switch back to the old tab or window
driver.SwitchTo().Window(originalWindow);
  
    #Close the tab or window
driver.close

    #Switch back to the old tab or window
driver.switch_to.window original_window
  
//Close the tab or window
await driver.close();

//Switch back to the old tab or window
await driver.switchTo().window(originalWindow);
  
//Close the tab or window
driver.close()

//Switch back to the old tab or window
driver.switchTo().window(originalWindow)

  

Forgetting to switch back to another window handle after closing a window will leave WebDriver executing on the now closed page, and will trigger a No Such Window Exception. You must switch back to a valid window handle in order to continue execution.

Quitting the browser at the end of a session

When you are finished with the browser session you should call quit, instead of close:

Move Code

driver.quit();
driver.quit()
driver.Quit();
driver.quit
await driver.quit();
driver.quit()
  • Quit will:
    • Close all the windows and tabs associated with that WebDriver session
    • Close the browser process
    • Close the background driver process
    • Notify Selenium Grid that the browser is no longer in use so it can be used by another session (if you are using Selenium Grid)

Failure to call quit will leave extra background processes and ports running on your machine which could cause you problems later.

Some test frameworks offer methods and annotations which you can hook into to tear down at the end of a test.

Move Code

/**
 * Example using JUnit
 * https://junit.org/junit5/docs/current/api/org/junit/jupiter/api/AfterAll.html
 */
@AfterAll
public static void tearDown() {
    driver.quit();
}
  
    # unittest teardown
    # https://docs.python.org/3/library/unittest.html?highlight=teardown#unittest.TestCase.tearDown
def tearDown(self):
    self.driver.quit()
  
/*
    Example using Visual Studio's UnitTesting
    https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.visualstudio.testtools.unittesting.aspx
*/
[TestCleanup]
public void TearDown()
{
    driver.Quit();
}
  
    # UnitTest Teardown
    # https://www.rubydoc.info/github/test-unit/test-unit/Test/Unit/TestCase
def teardown
    @driver.quit
end
  
/**
 * Example using Mocha
 * https://mochajs.org/#hooks
 */
after('Tear down', async function () {
  await driver.quit();
});
  
/**
 * Example using JUnit
 * https://junit.org/junit5/docs/current/api/org/junit/jupiter/api/AfterAll.html
 */
@AfterAll
fun tearDown() {
    driver.quit()
}
  

If not running WebDriver in a test context, you may consider using try / finally which is offered by most languages so that an exception will still clean up the WebDriver session.

Move Code

try {
    //WebDriver code here...
} finally {
    driver.quit();
}
  
try:
    #WebDriver code here...
finally:
    driver.quit()
  
try {
    //WebDriver code here...
} finally {
    driver.Quit();
}
  
begin
    #WebDriver code here...
ensure
    driver.quit
end
  
try {
    //WebDriver code here...
} finally {
    await driver.quit();
}
  
try {
    //WebDriver code here...
} finally {
    driver.quit()
}
  

Python’s WebDriver now supports the python context manager, which when using the with keyword can automatically quit the driver at the end of execution.

with webdriver.Firefox() as driver:
  # WebDriver code here...

# WebDriver will automatically quit after indentation

Window management

Screen resolution can impact how your web application renders, so WebDriver provides mechanisms for moving and resizing the browser window.

Get window size

Fetches the size of the browser window in pixels.

Move Code

//Access each dimension individually
int width = driver.manage().window().getSize().getWidth();
int height = driver.manage().window().getSize().getHeight();

//Or store the dimensions and query them later
Dimension size = driver.manage().window().getSize();
int width1 = size.getWidth();
int height1 = size.getHeight();
  
    # Access each dimension individually
width = driver.get_window_size().get("width")
height = driver.get_window_size().get("height")

    # Or store the dimensions and query them later
size = driver.get_window_size()
width1 = size.get("width")
height1 = size.get("height")
  
//Access each dimension individually
int width = driver.Manage().Window.Size.Width;
int height = driver.Manage().Window.Size.Height;

//Or store the dimensions and query them later
System.Drawing.Size size = driver.Manage().Window.Size;
int width1 = size.Width;
int height1 = size.Height;
  
    # Access each dimension individually
width = driver.manage.window.size.width
height = driver.manage.window.size.height

    # Or store the dimensions and query them later
size = driver.manage.window.size
width1 = size.width
height1 = size.height
  
// Access each dimension individually
const { width, height } = await driver.manage().window().getRect();

// Or store the dimensions and query them later
const rect = await driver.manage().window().getRect();
const width1 = rect.width;
const height1 = rect.height;
  
//Access each dimension individually
val width = driver.manage().window().size.width
val height = driver.manage().window().size.height

//Or store the dimensions and query them later
val size = driver.manage().window().size
val width1 = size.width
val height1 = size.height
  

Set window size

Restores the window and sets the window size.

Move Code

driver.manage().window().setSize(new Dimension(1024, 768));
driver.set_window_size(1024, 768)
driver.Manage().Window.Size = new Size(1024, 768);
driver.manage.window.resize_to(1024,768)
await driver.manage().window().setRect({ width: 1024, height: 768 });
driver.manage().window().size = Dimension(1024, 768)

Get window position

Fetches the coordinates of the top left coordinate of the browser window.

Move Code

// Access each dimension individually
int x = driver.manage().window().getPosition().getX();
int y = driver.manage().window().getPosition().getY();

// Or store the dimensions and query them later
Point position = driver.manage().window().getPosition();
int x1 = position.getX();
int y1 = position.getY();
  
    # Access each dimension individually
x = driver.get_window_position().get('x')
y = driver.get_window_position().get('y')

    # Or store the dimensions and query them later
position = driver.get_window_position()
x1 = position.get('x')
y1 = position.get('y')
  
//Access each dimension individually
int x = driver.Manage().Window.Position.X;
int y = driver.Manage().Window.Position.Y;

//Or store the dimensions and query them later
Point position = driver.Manage().Window.Position;
int x1 = position.X;
int y1 = position.Y;
  
    #Access each dimension individually
x = driver.manage.window.position.x
y = driver.manage.window.position.y

    # Or store the dimensions and query them later
rect  = driver.manage.window.rect
x1 = rect.x
y1 = rect.y
  
// Access each dimension individually
const { x, y } = await driver.manage().window().getRect();

// Or store the dimensions and query them later
const rect = await driver.manage().window().getRect();
const x1 = rect.x;
const y1 = rect.y;
  
// Access each dimension individually
val x = driver.manage().window().position.x
val y = driver.manage().window().position.y

// Or store the dimensions and query them later
val position = driver.manage().window().position
val x1 = position.x
val y1 = position.y

  

Set window position

Moves the window to the chosen position.

Move Code

// Move the window to the top left of the primary monitor
driver.manage().window().setPosition(new Point(0, 0));
  
    # Move the window to the top left of the primary monitor
driver.set_window_position(0, 0)
  
// Move the window to the top left of the primary monitor
driver.Manage().Window.Position = new Point(0, 0);
  
driver.manage.window.move_to(0,0)
  
// Move the window to the top left of the primary monitor
await driver.manage().window().setRect({ x: 0, y: 0 });
  
// Move the window to the top left of the primary monitor
driver.manage().window().position = Point(0,0)
    

Maximize window

Enlarges the window. For most operating systems, the window will fill the screen, without blocking the operating system’s own menus and toolbars.

Move Code

driver.manage().window().maximize();
driver.maximize_window()
driver.Manage().Window.Maximize();
driver.manage.window.maximize
await driver.manage().window().maximize();
driver.manage().window().maximize()

Minimize window

Minimizes the window of current browsing context. The exact behavior of this command is specific to individual window managers.

Minimize Window typically hides the window in the system tray.

Note: This feature works with Selenium 4 and later versions.

Move Code

driver.manage().window().minimize();
driver.minimize_window()
driver.Manage().Window.Minimize();
driver.manage.window.minimize
await driver.manage().window().minimize();
driver.manage().window().minimize()

Fullscreen window

Fills the entire screen, similar to pressing F11 in most browsers.

Move Code

driver.manage().window().fullscreen();
driver.fullscreen_window()
driver.Manage().Window.FullScreen();
driver.manage.window.full_screen
await driver.manage().window().fullscreen();
driver.manage().window().fullscreen()

TakeScreenshot

Used to capture screenshot for current browsing context. The WebDriver endpoint screenshot returns screenshot which is encoded in Base64 format.

Move Code

import org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import java.io.*;
import org.openqa.selenium.*;

public class SeleniumTakeScreenshot {
    public static void main(String args[]) throws IOException {
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
        driver.get("http://www.example.com");
        File scrFile = ((TakesScreenshot)driver).getScreenshotAs(OutputType.FILE);
        FileUtils.copyFile(scrFile, new File("./image.png"));
        driver.quit();
    }
}
  
from selenium import webdriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome()

driver.get("http://www.example.com")

    # Returns and base64 encoded string into image
driver.save_screenshot('./image.png')

driver.quit()
  using OpenQA.Selenium;
  using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;
  using OpenQA.Selenium.Support.UI;

  var driver = new ChromeDriver();
  driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("http://www.example.com");
  Screenshot screenshot = (driver as ITakesScreenshot).GetScreenshot();
  screenshot.SaveAsFile("screenshot.png", ScreenshotImageFormat.Png); // Format values are Bmp, Gif, Jpeg, Png, Tiff
  
require 'selenium-webdriver'
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome

begin
  driver.get 'https://example.com/'

    # Takes and Stores the screenshot in specified path
  driver.save_screenshot('./image.png')

end
  
let {Builder} = require('selenium-webdriver');
let fs = require('fs');

(async function example() {
    let driver = await new Builder()
      .forBrowser('chrome')
      .build();

    await driver.get('https://www.example.com');
    // Returns base64 encoded string
    let encodedString = await driver.takeScreenshot();
    await fs.writeFileSync('./image.png', encodedString, 'base64');
    await driver.quit();
}())
  
import com.oracle.tools.packager.IOUtils.copyFile
import org.openqa.selenium.*
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver
import java.io.File

fun main(){
    val driver =  ChromeDriver()
    driver.get("https://www.example.com")
    val scrFile = (driver as TakesScreenshot).getScreenshotAs<File>(OutputType.FILE)
    copyFile(scrFile, File("./image.png"))
    driver.quit()
}
   

TakeElementScreenshot

Used to capture screenshot of an element for current browsing context. The WebDriver endpoint screenshot returns screenshot which is encoded in Base64 format.

Move Code

import org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils;
import org.openqa.selenium.*;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;

public class SeleniumelementTakeScreenshot {
  public static void main(String args[]) throws IOException {
    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
    driver.get("https://www.example.com");
    WebElement element = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("h1"));
    File scrFile = element.getScreenshotAs(OutputType.FILE);
    FileUtils.copyFile(scrFile, new File("./image.png"));
    driver.quit();
  }
}
  
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By

driver = webdriver.Chrome()

driver.get("http://www.example.com")

ele = driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, 'h1')

    # Returns and base64 encoded string into image
ele.screenshot('./image.png')

driver.quit()
  
    using OpenQA.Selenium;
    using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;
    using OpenQA.Selenium.Support.UI;

    // Webdriver
    var driver = new ChromeDriver();
    driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("http://www.example.com");

    // Fetch element using FindElement
    var webElement = driver.FindElement(By.CssSelector("h1"));

    // Screenshot for the element
    var elementScreenshot = (webElement as ITakesScreenshot).GetScreenshot();
    elementScreenshot.SaveAsFile("screenshot_of_element.png");
  
    # Works with Selenium4-alpha7 Ruby bindings and above
require 'selenium-webdriver'
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome

begin
  driver.get 'https://example.com/'
  ele = driver.find_element(:css, 'h1')

    # Takes and Stores the element screenshot in specified path
  ele.save_screenshot('./image.jpg')
end
  
const {Builder, By} = require('selenium-webdriver');
let fs = require('fs');

(async function example() {
   let driver = await new Builder()
       .forBrowser('chrome')
       .build();

   await driver.get('https://www.example.com');
   let ele = await driver.findElement(By.css("h1"));
   // Captures the element screenshot
   let encodedString = await ele.takeScreenshot(true);
   await fs.writeFileSync('./image.png', encodedString, 'base64');
   await driver.quit();
}())
  
import org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver
import org.openqa.selenium.*
import java.io.File

fun main() {
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
    driver.get("https://www.example.com")
    val element = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("h1"))
    val scrFile: File = element.getScreenshotAs(OutputType.FILE)
    FileUtils.copyFile(scrFile, File("./image.png"))
    driver.quit()
}
  

Execute Script

Executes JavaScript code snippet in the current context of a selected frame or window.

Move Code

    //Creating the JavascriptExecutor interface object by Type casting
      JavascriptExecutor js = (JavascriptExecutor)driver;
    //Button Element
      WebElement button =driver.findElement(By.name("btnLogin"));
    //Executing JavaScript to click on element
      js.executeScript("arguments[0].click();", button);
    //Get return value from script
      String text = (String) js.executeScript("return arguments[0].innerText", button);
    //Executing JavaScript directly
      js.executeScript("console.log('hello world')");
  
    # Stores the header element
header = driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, "h1")

    # Executing JavaScript to capture innerText of header element
driver.execute_script('return arguments[0].innerText', header)
  
	//creating Chromedriver instance
	IWebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
	//Creating the JavascriptExecutor interface object by Type casting
	IJavaScriptExecutor js = (IJavaScriptExecutor) driver;
	//Button Element
	IWebElement button = driver.FindElement(By.Name("btnLogin"));
	//Executing JavaScript to click on element
	js.ExecuteScript("arguments[0].click();", button);
	//Get return value from script
	String text = (String)js.ExecuteScript("return arguments[0].innerText", button);
	//Executing JavaScript directly
	js.ExecuteScript("console.log('hello world')");
  
    # Stores the header element
header = driver.find_element(css: 'h1')

    # Get return value from script
result = driver.execute_script("return arguments[0].innerText", header)

    # Executing JavaScript directly
driver.execute_script("alert('hello world')")
  
// Stores the header element
let header = await driver.findElement(By.css('h1'));

// Executing JavaScript to capture innerText of header element
let text = await driver.executeScript('return arguments[0].innerText', header);
  
// Stores the header element
val header = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("h1"))

// Get return value from script
val result = driver.executeScript("return arguments[0].innerText", header)

// Executing JavaScript directly
driver.executeScript("alert('hello world')")
  

Prints the current page within the browser.

Note: This requires Chromium Browsers to be in headless mode

Move Code

    import org.openqa.selenium.print.PrintOptions;

    driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev");
    printer = (PrintsPage) driver;

    PrintOptions printOptions = new PrintOptions();
    printOptions.setPageRanges("1-2");

    Pdf pdf = printer.print(printOptions);
    String content = pdf.getContent();
  
    from selenium.webdriver.common.print_page_options import PrintOptions

    print_options = PrintOptions()
    print_options.page_ranges = ['1-2']

    driver.get("printPage.html")

    base64code = driver.print_page(print_options)
  
    // code sample not available please raise a PR
  
    driver.navigate_to 'https://www.selenium.dev'

    base64encodedContent = driver.print_page(orientation: 'landscape')
  
  const {Builder} = require('selenium-webdriver');
  const chrome = require('selenium-webdriver/chrome');
  let opts = new chrome.Options();
  let fs = require('fs');
  (async function example() {
    let driver = new Builder()
      .forBrowser('chrome')
      .setChromeOptions(opts.headless())
      .build();
    await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev');
    try {
      let base64 = await driver.printPage({pageRanges:["1-2"]});
      await fs.writeFileSync('./test.pdf', base64, 'base64');
    } catch (e) {
      console.log(e)
    }
    await driver.quit();
  })();
  
    driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev")
    val printer = driver as PrintsPage

    val printOptions = PrintOptions()
    printOptions.setPageRanges("1-2")
    
    val pdf: Pdf = printer.print(printOptions)
    val content = pdf.content
  

2.6.6 - Virtual Authenticator

A representation of the Web Authenticator model.

Web applications can enable a public key-based authentication mechanism known as Web Authentication to authenticate users in a passwordless manner. Web Authentication defines APIs that allows a user to create a public-key credential and register it with an authenticator. An authenticator can be a hardware device or a software entity that stores user’s public-key credentials and retrieves them on request.

As the name suggests, Virtual Authenticator emulates such authenticators for testing.

Virtual Authenticator Options

A Virtual Authenticatior has a set of properties. These properties are mapped as VirtualAuthenticatorOptions in the Selenium bindings.

    VirtualAuthenticatorOptions options = new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions()
      .setIsUserVerified(true)
      .setHasUserVerification(true)
      .setIsUserConsenting(true)
      .setTransport(VirtualAuthenticatorOptions.Transport.USB)
      .setProtocol(VirtualAuthenticatorOptions.Protocol.U2F)
      .setHasResidentKey(false);
            // Create virtual authenticator options
            VirtualAuthenticatorOptions options = new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions()
                .SetIsUserVerified(true)
                .SetHasUserVerification(true)
                .SetIsUserConsenting(true)
                .SetTransport(VirtualAuthenticatorOptions.Transport.USB)
                .SetProtocol(VirtualAuthenticatorOptions.Protocol.U2F)
                .SetHasResidentKey(false);
    it('Virtual options', async function () {
      options = new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions();
      options.setIsUserVerified(true);
      options.setHasUserVerification(true);
      options.setIsUserConsenting(true);
      options.setTransport(Transport['USB']);
      options.setProtocol(Protocol['U2F']);

Add Example

Add Virtual Authenticator

It creates a new virtual authenticator with the provided properties.

    VirtualAuthenticatorOptions options = new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions()
      .setProtocol(VirtualAuthenticatorOptions.Protocol.U2F)
      .setHasResidentKey(false);

    VirtualAuthenticator authenticator =
      ((HasVirtualAuthenticator) driver).addVirtualAuthenticator(options);
            // Create virtual authenticator options
            VirtualAuthenticatorOptions options = new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions()
                .SetProtocol(VirtualAuthenticatorOptions.Protocol.U2F)
                .SetHasResidentKey(false);

            // Register a virtual authenticator
            ((WebDriver)driver).AddVirtualAuthenticator(options);

            List<Credential> credentialList = ((WebDriver)driver).GetCredentials();
            options.setProtocol(Protocol['U2F']);
            options.setHasResidentKey(false);

            // Register a virtual authenticator
            await driver.addVirtualAuthenticator(options);

Remove Virtual Authenticator

Removes the previously added virtual authenticator.

    ((HasVirtualAuthenticator) driver).removeVirtualAuthenticator(authenticator);
            VirtualAuthenticatorOptions options = new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions()
                .SetProtocol(VirtualAuthenticatorOptions.Protocol.U2F)
                .SetHasResidentKey(false);

            String virtualAuthenticatorId = ((WebDriver)driver).AddVirtualAuthenticator(options);

            ((WebDriver)driver).RemoveVirtualAuthenticator(virtualAuthenticatorId);
            await driver.addVirtualAuthenticator(options);
            await driver.removeVirtualAuthenticator();

Create Resident Credential

Creates a resident (stateful) credential with the given required credential parameters.

    byte[] credentialId = {1, 2, 3, 4};
    byte[] userHandle = {1};
    Credential residentCredential = Credential.createResidentCredential(
      credentialId, "localhost", rsaPrivateKey, userHandle, /*signCount=*/0);
            byte[] credentialId = { 1, 2, 3, 4 };
            byte[] userHandle = { 1 };

            Credential residentCredential = Credential.CreateResidentCredential(
              credentialId, "localhost", base64EncodedPK, userHandle, 0);

Create Non-Resident Credential

Creates a resident (stateless) credential with the given required credential parameters.

    byte[] credentialId = {1, 2, 3, 4};
    Credential nonResidentCredential = Credential.createNonResidentCredential(
      credentialId, "localhost", ec256PrivateKey, /*signCount=*/0);
            byte[] credentialId = { 1, 2, 3, 4 };

            Credential nonResidentCredential = Credential.CreateNonResidentCredential(
              credentialId, "localhost", base64EncodedEC256PK, 0);

Add Credential

Registers the credential with the authenticator.

    VirtualAuthenticatorOptions options = new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions()
      .setProtocol(VirtualAuthenticatorOptions.Protocol.U2F)
      .setHasResidentKey(false);

    VirtualAuthenticator authenticator = ((HasVirtualAuthenticator) driver).addVirtualAuthenticator(options);

    byte[] credentialId = {1, 2, 3, 4};
    Credential nonResidentCredential = Credential.createNonResidentCredential(
      credentialId, "localhost", ec256PrivateKey, /*signCount=*/0);
    authenticator.addCredential(nonResidentCredential);
            VirtualAuthenticatorOptions options = new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions()
                .SetProtocol(VirtualAuthenticatorOptions.Protocol.U2F)
                .SetHasResidentKey(false);

            ((WebDriver)driver).AddVirtualAuthenticator(options);

            byte[] credentialId = { 1, 2, 3, 4 };

            Credential nonResidentCredential = Credential.CreateNonResidentCredential(
              credentialId, "localhost", base64EncodedEC256PK, 0);

            ((WebDriver)driver).AddCredential(nonResidentCredential);

Get Credential

Returns the list of credentials owned by the authenticator.

    VirtualAuthenticatorOptions options = new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions()
      .setProtocol(VirtualAuthenticatorOptions.Protocol.CTAP2)
      .setHasResidentKey(true)
      .setHasUserVerification(true)
      .setIsUserVerified(true);
    VirtualAuthenticator authenticator = ((HasVirtualAuthenticator) driver).addVirtualAuthenticator(options);

    byte[] credentialId = {1, 2, 3, 4};
    byte[] userHandle = {1};
    Credential residentCredential = Credential.createResidentCredential(
      credentialId, "localhost", rsaPrivateKey, userHandle, /*signCount=*/0);

    authenticator.addCredential(residentCredential);

    List<Credential> credentialList = authenticator.getCredentials();
            VirtualAuthenticatorOptions options = new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions()
                .SetProtocol(Protocol.CTAP2)
                .SetHasResidentKey(true)
                .SetHasUserVerification(true)
                .SetIsUserVerified(true);

            ((WebDriver)driver).AddVirtualAuthenticator(options);

            byte[] credentialId = { 1, 2, 3, 4 };
            byte[] userHandle = { 1 };

            Credential residentCredential = Credential.CreateResidentCredential(
              credentialId, "localhost", base64EncodedPK, userHandle, 0);

            ((WebDriver)driver).AddCredential(residentCredential);

            List<Credential> credentialList = ((WebDriver)driver).GetCredentials();

Remove Credential

Removes a credential from the authenticator based on the passed credential id.

    VirtualAuthenticator authenticator =
      ((HasVirtualAuthenticator) driver).addVirtualAuthenticator(new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions());

    byte[] credentialId = {1, 2, 3, 4};
    Credential credential = Credential.createNonResidentCredential(
      credentialId, "localhost", rsaPrivateKey, 0);

    authenticator.addCredential(credential);

    authenticator.removeCredential(credentialId);
            ((WebDriver)driver).AddVirtualAuthenticator(new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions());

            byte[] credentialId = { 1, 2, 3, 4 };

            Credential nonResidentCredential = Credential.CreateNonResidentCredential(
              credentialId, "localhost", base64EncodedEC256PK, 0);

            ((WebDriver)driver).AddCredential(nonResidentCredential);

            ((WebDriver)driver).RemoveCredential(credentialId);

Remove All Credentials

Removes all the credentials from the authenticator.

    VirtualAuthenticator authenticator =
      ((HasVirtualAuthenticator) driver).addVirtualAuthenticator(new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions());

    byte[] credentialId = {1, 2, 3, 4};
    Credential residentCredential = Credential.createNonResidentCredential(
      credentialId, "localhost", rsaPrivateKey, /*signCount=*/0);

    authenticator.addCredential(residentCredential);

    authenticator.removeAllCredentials();
            ((WebDriver)driver).AddVirtualAuthenticator(new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions());

            byte[] credentialId = { 1, 2, 3, 4 };

            Credential nonResidentCredential = Credential.CreateNonResidentCredential(
              credentialId, "localhost", base64EncodedEC256PK, 0);

            ((WebDriver)driver).AddCredential(nonResidentCredential);

            ((WebDriver)driver).RemoveAllCredentials();

Set User Verified

Sets whether the authenticator will simulate success or fail on user verification.

    VirtualAuthenticatorOptions options = new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions()
      .setIsUserVerified(true);
            VirtualAuthenticatorOptions options = new VirtualAuthenticatorOptions()
                .SetIsUserVerified(true);

2.7 - Actions API

A low-level interface for providing virtualized device input actions to the web browser.

In addition to the high-level element interactions, the Actions API provides granular control over exactly what designated input devices can do. Selenium provides an interface for 3 kinds of input sources: a key input for keyboard devices, a pointer input for a mouse, pen or touch devices, and wheel inputs for scroll wheel devices (introduced in Selenium 4.2). Selenium allows you to construct individual action commands assigned to specific inputs and chain them together and call the associated perform method to execute them all at once.

Action Builder

In the move from the legacy JSON Wire Protocol to the new W3C WebDriver Protocol, the low level building blocks of actions became especially detailed. It is extremely powerful, but each input device has a number of ways to use it and if you need to manage more than one device, you are responsible for ensuring proper synchronization between them.

Thankfully, you likely do not need to learn how to use the low level commands directly, since almost everything you might want to do has been given a convenience method that combines the lower level commands for you. These are all documented in keyboard, mouse, pen, and wheel pages.

Pause

Pointer movements and Wheel scrolling allow the user to set a duration for the action, but sometimes you just need to wait a beat between actions for things to work correctly.

        WebElement clickable = driver.findElement(By.id("clickable"));
        new Actions(driver)
                .moveToElement(clickable)
                .pause(Duration.ofSeconds(1))
                .clickAndHold()
                .pause(Duration.ofSeconds(1))
                .sendKeys("abc")
                .perform();
    clickable = driver.find_element(By.ID, "clickable")
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .move_to_element(clickable)\
        .pause(1)\
        .click_and_hold()\
        .pause(1)\
        .send_keys("abc")\
        .perform()
            IWebElement clickable = driver.FindElement(By.Id("clickable"));
            new Actions(driver)
                .MoveToElement(clickable)
                .Pause(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1))
                .ClickAndHold()
                .Pause(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1))
                .SendKeys("abc")
                .Perform();
    clickable = driver.find_element(id: 'clickable')
    driver.action
          .move_to(clickable)
          .pause(duration: 1)
          .click_and_hold
          .pause(duration: 1)
          .send_keys('abc')
          .perform
      const clickable = await driver.findElement(By.id('clickable'))
      await driver.actions()
        .move({ origin: clickable })
        .pause(1000)
        .press()
        .pause(1000)
        .sendKeys('abc')
        .perform()
        val clickable = driver.findElement(By.id("clickable"))
        Actions(driver)
            .moveToElement(clickable)
            .pause(Duration.ofSeconds(1))
            .clickAndHold()
            .pause(Duration.ofSeconds(1))
            .sendKeys("abc")
            .perform() 

Release All Actions

An important thing to note is that the driver remembers the state of all the input items throughout a session. Even if you create a new instance of an actions class, the depressed keys and the location of the pointer will be in whatever state a previously performed action left them.

There is a special method to release all currently depressed keys and pointer buttons. This method is implemented differently in each of the languages because it does not get executed with the perform method.

        ((RemoteWebDriver) driver).resetInputState();
    ActionBuilder(driver).clear_actions()
            ((WebDriver)driver).ResetInputState();
    driver.action.release_actions
      await driver.actions().clear()
        (driver as RemoteWebDriver).resetInputState()

2.7.1 - Keyboard actions

A representation of any key input device for interacting with a web page.

There are only 2 actions that can be accomplished with a keyboard: pressing down on a key, and releasing a pressed key. In addition to supporting ASCII characters, each keyboard key has a representation that can be pressed or released in designated sequences.

Keys

In addition to the keys represented by regular unicode, unicode values have been assigned to other keyboard keys for use with Selenium. Each language has its own way to reference these keys; the full list can be found here.

Key down

        new Actions(driver)
                .keyDown(Keys.SHIFT)
                .sendKeys("a")
                .perform();
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .key_down(Keys.SHIFT)\
        .send_keys("abc")\
        .perform()
                .KeyDown(Keys.Shift)
                .SendKeys("a")
                .Perform();
    driver.action
          .key_down(:shift)
          .send_keys('a')
          .perform
      await driver.actions()
        .keyDown(Key.SHIFT)
        .sendKeys('a')
        .perform()
        Actions(driver)
                .keyDown(Keys.SHIFT)
                .sendKeys("a")
                .perform()

Key up

        new Actions(driver)
                .keyDown(Keys.SHIFT)
                .sendKeys("a")
                .keyUp(Keys.SHIFT)
                .sendKeys("b")
                .perform();
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .key_down(Keys.SHIFT)\
        .send_keys("a")\
        .key_up(Keys.SHIFT)\
        .send_keys("b")\
        .perform()
            new Actions(driver)
                .KeyDown(Keys.Shift)
                .SendKeys("a")
                .KeyUp(Keys.Shift)
                .SendKeys("b")
                .Perform();
    driver.action
          .key_down(:shift)
          .send_keys('a')
          .key_up(:shift)
          .send_keys('b')
          .perform
      await driver.actions()
        .keyDown(Key.SHIFT)
        .sendKeys('a')
        .keyUp(Key.SHIFT)
        .sendKeys('b')
        .perform()
        Actions(driver)
                .keyDown(Keys.SHIFT)
                .sendKeys("a")
                .keyUp(Keys.SHIFT)
                .sendKeys("b")
                .perform()

Send keys

This is a convenience method in the Actions API that combines keyDown and keyUp commands in one action. Executing this command differs slightly from using the element method, but primarily this gets used when needing to type multiple characters in the middle of other actions.

Active Element

        new Actions(driver)
                .sendKeys("abc")
                .perform();
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .send_keys("abc")\
        .perform()

            new Actions(driver)
                .SendKeys("abc")
    driver.action
          .send_keys('abc')
          .perform
      const textField = driver.findElement(By.id('textInput'))
      await textField.click()
        Actions(driver)
                .sendKeys("abc")
                .perform()

Designated Element

        new Actions(driver)
                .sendKeys(textField, "Selenium!")
                .perform();
    text_input = driver.find_element(By.ID, "textInput")
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .send_keys_to_element(text_input, "abc")\
        .perform()
            driver.FindElement(By.TagName("body")).Click();
            
            IWebElement textField = driver.FindElement(By.Id("textInput"));
            new Actions(driver)
    text_field = driver.find_element(id: 'textInput')
    driver.action
          .send_keys(text_field, 'Selenium!')
          .perform
      const textField = await driver.findElement(By.id('textInput'))

      await driver.actions()
        .sendKeys(textField, 'abc')
        .perform()
        val textField = driver.findElement(By.id("textInput"))
        Actions(driver)
                .sendKeys(textField, "Selenium!")
                .perform()

Copy and Paste

Here’s an example of using all of the above methods to conduct a copy / paste action. Note that the key to use for this operation will be different depending on if it is a Mac OS or not. This code will end up with the text: SeleniumSelenium!

        Keys cmdCtrl = Platform.getCurrent().is(Platform.MAC) ? Keys.COMMAND : Keys.CONTROL;

        WebElement textField = driver.findElement(By.id("textInput"));
        new Actions(driver)
                .sendKeys(textField, "Selenium!")
                .sendKeys(Keys.ARROW_LEFT)
                .keyDown(Keys.SHIFT)
                .sendKeys(Keys.ARROW_UP)
                .keyUp(Keys.SHIFT)
                .keyDown(cmdCtrl)
                .sendKeys("xvv")
                .keyUp(cmdCtrl)
                .perform();

        Assertions.assertEquals("SeleniumSelenium!", textField.getAttribute("value"));
    cmd_ctrl = Keys.COMMAND if sys.platform == 'darwin' else Keys.CONTROL

    ActionChains(driver)\
        .send_keys("Selenium!")\
        .send_keys(Keys.ARROW_LEFT)\
        .key_down(Keys.SHIFT)\
        .send_keys(Keys.ARROW_UP)\
        .key_up(Keys.SHIFT)\
        .key_down(cmd_ctrl)\
        .send_keys("xvv")\
        .key_up(cmd_ctrl)\
        .perform()

            var capabilities = ((WebDriver)driver).Capabilities;
            String platformName = (string)capabilities.GetCapability("platformName");

            String cmdCtrl = platformName.Contains("mac") ? Keys.Command : Keys.Control;

            new Actions(driver)
                .SendKeys("Selenium!")
                .SendKeys(Keys.ArrowLeft)
                .KeyDown(Keys.Shift)
                .SendKeys(Keys.ArrowUp)
    cmd_ctrl = driver.capabilities.platform_name.include?('mac') ? :command : :control
    driver.action
          .send_keys('Selenium!')
          .send_keys(:arrow_left)
          .key_down(:shift)
          .send_keys(:arrow_up)
          .key_up(:shift)
          .key_down(cmd_ctrl)
          .send_keys('xvv')
          .key_up(cmd_ctrl)
          .perform
      const cmdCtrl = platform.includes('darwin') ? Key.COMMAND : Key.CONTROL

      await driver.actions()
        .click(textField)
        .sendKeys('Selenium!')
        .sendKeys(Key.ARROW_LEFT)
        .keyDown(Key.SHIFT)
        .sendKeys(Key.ARROW_UP)
        .keyUp(Key.SHIFT)
        .keyDown(cmdCtrl)
        .sendKeys('xvv')
        .keyUp(cmdCtrl)
        .perform()
        val cmdCtrl = if(platformName == Platform.MAC) Keys.COMMAND else Keys.CONTROL

        val textField = driver.findElement(By.id("textInput"))
        Actions(driver)
                .sendKeys(textField, "Selenium!")
                .sendKeys(Keys.ARROW_LEFT)
                .keyDown(Keys.SHIFT)
                .sendKeys(Keys.ARROW_UP)
                .keyUp(Keys.SHIFT)
                .keyDown(cmdCtrl)
                .sendKeys("xvv")
                .keyUp(cmdCtrl)
                .perform()

2.7.2 - Mouse actions

A representation of any pointer device for interacting with a web page.

There are only 3 actions that can be accomplished with a mouse: pressing down on a button, releasing a pressed button, and moving the mouse. Selenium provides convenience methods that combine these actions in the most common ways.

Click and hold

This method combines moving the mouse to the center of an element with pressing the left mouse button. This is useful for focusing a specific element:

        WebElement clickable = driver.findElement(By.id("clickable"));
        new Actions(driver)
                .clickAndHold(clickable)
                .perform();
    clickable = driver.find_element(By.ID, "clickable")
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .click_and_hold(clickable)\
        .perform()
            IWebElement clickable = driver.FindElement(By.Id("clickable"));
            new Actions(driver)
                .ClickAndHold(clickable)
                .Perform();
    clickable = driver.find_element(id: 'clickable')
    driver.action
          .click_and_hold(clickable)
          .perform
      let clickable = driver.findElement(By.id("clickable"));
      const actions = driver.actions({async: true});
      await actions.move({origin: clickable}).press().perform();
        val clickable = driver.findElement(By.id("clickable"))
        Actions(driver)
                .clickAndHold(clickable)
                .perform()

Click and release

This method combines moving to the center of an element with pressing and releasing the left mouse button. This is otherwise known as “clicking”:

        WebElement clickable = driver.findElement(By.id("click"));
        new Actions(driver)
                .click(clickable)
                .perform();
    clickable = driver.find_element(By.ID, "click")
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .click(clickable)\
        .perform()
            IWebElement clickable = driver.FindElement(By.Id("click"));
            new Actions(driver)
                .Click(clickable)
                .Perform();
    clickable = driver.find_element(id: 'click')
    driver.action
          .click(clickable)
          .perform
      let click = driver.findElement(By.id("click"));
      const actions = driver.actions({async: true});
      await actions.move({origin: click}).click().perform();
        val clickable = driver.findElement(By.id("click"))
        Actions(driver)
                .click(clickable)
                .perform()

Alternate Button Clicks

There are a total of 5 defined buttons for a Mouse:

  • 0 — Left Button (the default)
  • 1 — Middle Button (currently unsupported)
  • 2 — Right Button
  • 3 — X1 (Back) Button
  • 4 — X2 (Forward) Button

Context Click

This method combines moving to the center of an element with pressing and releasing the right mouse button (button 2). This is otherwise known as “right-clicking”:

        WebElement clickable = driver.findElement(By.id("clickable"));
        new Actions(driver)
                .contextClick(clickable)
                .perform();
    clickable = driver.find_element(By.ID, "clickable")
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .context_click(clickable)\
        .perform()
            IWebElement clickable = driver.FindElement(By.Id("clickable"));
            new Actions(driver)
                .ContextClick(clickable)
                .Perform();
      clickable = driver.find_element(id: 'clickable')
      driver.action
            .context_click(clickable)
            .perform
      const clickable = driver.findElement(By.id("clickable"));
      const actions = driver.actions({async: true});
      await actions.contextClick(clickable).perform();
        val clickable = driver.findElement(By.id("clickable"))
        Actions(driver)
                .contextClick(clickable)
                .perform()

Back Click

There is no convenience method for this, it is just pressing and releasing mouse button 3

        PointerInput mouse = new PointerInput(PointerInput.Kind.MOUSE, "default mouse");

        Sequence actions = new Sequence(mouse, 0)
                .addAction(mouse.createPointerDown(PointerInput.MouseButton.BACK.asArg()))
                .addAction(mouse.createPointerUp(PointerInput.MouseButton.BACK.asArg()));

        ((RemoteWebDriver) driver).perform(Collections.singletonList(actions));
    action = ActionBuilder(driver)
    action.pointer_action.pointer_down(MouseButton.BACK)
    action.pointer_action.pointer_up(MouseButton.BACK)
    action.perform()
            ActionBuilder actionBuilder = new ActionBuilder();
            PointerInputDevice mouse = new PointerInputDevice(PointerKind.Mouse, "default mouse");
            actionBuilder.AddAction(mouse.CreatePointerDown(MouseButton.Back));
            actionBuilder.AddAction(mouse.CreatePointerUp(MouseButton.Back));
            ((IActionExecutor)driver).PerformActions(actionBuilder.ToActionSequenceList());
      driver.action
            .pointer_down(:back)
            .pointer_up(:back)
            .perform
      const actions = driver.actions({async: true});
      await actions.press(Button.BACK).release(Button.BACK).perform()
        val mouse = PointerInput(PointerInput.Kind.MOUSE, "default mouse")

        val actions = Sequence(mouse, 0)
                .addAction(mouse.createPointerDown(PointerInput.MouseButton.BACK.asArg()))
                .addAction(mouse.createPointerUp(PointerInput.MouseButton.BACK.asArg()))

        (driver as RemoteWebDriver).perform(Collections.singletonList(actions))

Forward Click

There is no convenience method for this, it is just pressing and releasing mouse button 4

        PointerInput mouse = new PointerInput(PointerInput.Kind.MOUSE, "default mouse");

        Sequence actions = new Sequence(mouse, 0)
                .addAction(mouse.createPointerDown(PointerInput.MouseButton.FORWARD.asArg()))
                .addAction(mouse.createPointerUp(PointerInput.MouseButton.FORWARD.asArg()));

        ((RemoteWebDriver) driver).perform(Collections.singletonList(actions));
    action = ActionBuilder(driver)
    action.pointer_action.pointer_down(MouseButton.FORWARD)
    action.pointer_action.pointer_up(MouseButton.FORWARD)
    action.perform()
            ActionBuilder actionBuilder = new ActionBuilder();
            PointerInputDevice mouse = new PointerInputDevice(PointerKind.Mouse, "default mouse");
            actionBuilder.AddAction(mouse.CreatePointerDown(MouseButton.Forward));
            actionBuilder.AddAction(mouse.CreatePointerUp(MouseButton.Forward));
            ((IActionExecutor)driver).PerformActions(actionBuilder.ToActionSequenceList());
      driver.action
            .pointer_down(:forward)
            .pointer_up(:forward)
            .perform
      const actions = driver.actions({async: true});
      await actions.press(Button.FORWARD).release(Button.FORWARD).perform()
        val mouse = PointerInput(PointerInput.Kind.MOUSE, "default mouse")

        val actions = Sequence(mouse, 0)
                .addAction(mouse.createPointerDown(PointerInput.MouseButton.FORWARD.asArg()))
                .addAction(mouse.createPointerUp(PointerInput.MouseButton.FORWARD.asArg()))

        (driver as RemoteWebDriver).perform(Collections.singletonList(actions))

Double click

This method combines moving to the center of an element with pressing and releasing the left mouse button twice.

        WebElement clickable = driver.findElement(By.id("clickable"));
        new Actions(driver)
                .doubleClick(clickable)
                .perform();
    clickable = driver.find_element(By.ID, "clickable")
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .double_click(clickable)\
        .perform()
            IWebElement clickable = driver.FindElement(By.Id("clickable"));
            new Actions(driver)
                .DoubleClick(clickable)
                .Perform();
    clickable = driver.find_element(id: 'clickable')
    driver.action
          .double_click(clickable)
          .perform
      const clickable = driver.findElement(By.id("clickable"));
      const actions = driver.actions({async: true});
      await actions.doubleClick(clickable).perform();
        val clickable = driver.findElement(By.id("clickable"))
        Actions(driver)
                .doubleClick(clickable)
                .perform()

Move to element

This method moves the mouse to the in-view center point of the element. This is otherwise known as “hovering.” Note that the element must be in the viewport or else the command will error.

        WebElement hoverable = driver.findElement(By.id("hover"));
        new Actions(driver)
                .moveToElement(hoverable)
                .perform();
    hoverable = driver.find_element(By.ID, "hover")
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .move_to_element(hoverable)\
        .perform()
            IWebElement hoverable = driver.FindElement(By.Id("hover"));
            new Actions(driver)
                .MoveToElement(hoverable)
                .Perform();
    hoverable = driver.find_element(id: 'hover')
    driver.action
          .move_to(hoverable)
          .perform
      const hoverable = driver.findElement(By.id("hover"));
      const actions = driver.actions({async: true});
      await actions.move({origin: hoverable}).perform();
        val hoverable = driver.findElement(By.id("hover"))
        Actions(driver)
                .moveToElement(hoverable)
                .perform()

Move by offset

These methods first move the mouse to the designated origin and then by the number of pixels in the provided offset. Note that the position of the mouse must be in the viewport or else the command will error.

Offset from Element

This method moves the mouse to the in-view center point of the element, then moves by the provided offset.

        WebElement tracker = driver.findElement(By.id("mouse-tracker"));
        new Actions(driver)
                .moveToElement(tracker, 8, 0)
                .perform();
    mouse_tracker = driver.find_element(By.ID, "mouse-tracker")
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .move_to_element_with_offset(mouse_tracker, 8, 0)\
        .perform()
            IWebElement tracker = driver.FindElement(By.Id("mouse-tracker"));
            new Actions(driver)
                .MoveToElement(tracker, 8, 0)
                .Perform();
      mouse_tracker = driver.find_element(id: 'mouse-tracker')
      driver.action
            .move_to(mouse_tracker, 8, 11)
            .perform
        val tracker = driver.findElement(By.id("mouse-tracker"))
        Actions(driver)
                .moveToElement(tracker, 8, 0)
                .perform()

Offset from Viewport

This method moves the mouse from the upper left corner of the current viewport by the provided offset.

        PointerInput mouse = new PointerInput(PointerInput.Kind.MOUSE, "default mouse");

        Sequence actions = new Sequence(mouse, 0)
                .addAction(mouse.createPointerMove(Duration.ZERO, PointerInput.Origin.viewport(), 8, 12));

        ((RemoteWebDriver) driver).perform(Collections.singletonList(actions));
    action = ActionBuilder(driver)
    action.pointer_action.move_to_location(8, 0)
    action.perform()
            ActionBuilder actionBuilder = new ActionBuilder();
            PointerInputDevice mouse = new PointerInputDevice(PointerKind.Mouse, "default mouse");
            actionBuilder.AddAction(mouse.CreatePointerMove(CoordinateOrigin.Viewport,
                8, 0, TimeSpan.Zero));
            ((IActionExecutor)driver).PerformActions(actionBuilder.ToActionSequenceList());
      driver.action
            .move_to_location(8, 12)
            .perform
      const actions = driver.actions({async: true});
      await actions.move({x: 8, y: 0}).perform();
        val mouse = PointerInput(PointerInput.Kind.MOUSE, "default mouse")

        val actions = Sequence(mouse, 0)
                .addAction(mouse.createPointerMove(Duration.ZERO, PointerInput.Origin.viewport(), 8, 12))

        (driver as RemoteWebDriver).perform(Collections.singletonList(actions))

Offset from Current Pointer Location

This method moves the mouse from its current position by the offset provided by the user. If the mouse has not previously been moved, the position will be in the upper left corner of the viewport. Note that the pointer position does not change when the page is scrolled.

Note that the first argument X specifies to move right when positive, while the second argument Y specifies to move down when positive. So moveByOffset(30, -10) moves right 30 and up 10 from the current mouse position.

        new Actions(driver)
                .moveByOffset(13, 15)
                .perform();
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .move_by_offset( 13, 15)\
        .perform()
            new Actions(driver)
                .MoveByOffset(13, 15)
                .Perform();
      driver.action
            .move_by(13, 15)
            .perform
      await actions.move({x: 13, y: 15, origin: Origin.POINTER}).perform()
        Actions(driver)
                .moveByOffset(13, 15)
                .perform()

Drag and Drop on Element

This method firstly performs a click-and-hold on the source element, moves to the location of the target element and then releases the mouse.

        WebElement draggable = driver.findElement(By.id("draggable"));
        WebElement droppable = driver.findElement(By.id("droppable"));
        new Actions(driver)
                .dragAndDrop(draggable, droppable)
                .perform();
    draggable = driver.find_element(By.ID, "draggable")
    droppable = driver.find_element(By.ID, "droppable")
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .drag_and_drop(draggable, droppable)\
        .perform()
            IWebElement draggable = driver.FindElement(By.Id("draggable"));
            IWebElement droppable = driver.FindElement(By.Id("droppable"));
            new Actions(driver)
                .DragAndDrop(draggable, droppable)
                .Perform();
    draggable = driver.find_element(id: 'draggable')
    droppable = driver.find_element(id: 'droppable')
    driver.action
          .drag_and_drop(draggable, droppable)
          .perform
      const draggable = driver.findElement(By.id("draggable"));
      const droppable = await driver.findElement(By.id("droppable"));
      const actions = driver.actions({async: true});
      await actions.dragAndDrop(draggable, droppable).perform();
        val draggable = driver.findElement(By.id("draggable"))
        val droppable = driver.findElement(By.id("droppable"))
        Actions(driver)
                .dragAndDrop(draggable, droppable)
                .perform()

Drag and Drop by Offset

This method firstly performs a click-and-hold on the source element, moves to the given offset and then releases the mouse.

        WebElement draggable = driver.findElement(By.id("draggable"));
        Rectangle start = draggable.getRect();
        Rectangle finish = driver.findElement(By.id("droppable")).getRect();
        new Actions(driver)
                .dragAndDropBy(draggable, finish.getX() - start.getX(), finish.getY() - start.getY())
                .perform();
    draggable = driver.find_element(By.ID, "draggable")
    start = draggable.location
    finish = driver.find_element(By.ID, "droppable").location
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .drag_and_drop_by_offset(draggable, finish['x'] - start['x'], finish['y'] - start['y'])\
        .perform()
            IWebElement draggable = driver.FindElement(By.Id("draggable"));
            Point start = draggable.Location;
            Point finish = driver.FindElement(By.Id("droppable")).Location;
            new Actions(driver)
                .DragAndDropToOffset(draggable, finish.X - start.X, finish.Y - start.Y)
                .Perform();
    draggable = driver.find_element(id: 'draggable')
    start = draggable.rect
    finish = driver.find_element(id: 'droppable').rect
    driver.action
          .drag_and_drop_by(draggable, finish.x - start.x, finish.y - start.y)
          .perform
      const draggable = driver.findElement(By.id("draggable"));
      let start = await draggable.getRect();
      let finish = await driver.findElement(By.id("droppable")).getRect();
      const actions = driver.actions({async: true});
      await actions.dragAndDrop(draggable, {x: finish.x - start.x, y: finish.y - start.y}).perform();
        val draggable = driver.findElement(By.id("draggable"))
        val start = draggable.getRect()
        val finish = driver.findElement(By.id("droppable")).getRect()
        Actions(driver)
                .dragAndDropBy(draggable, finish.getX() - start.getX(), finish.getY() - start.getY())
                .perform()

2.7.3 - Pen actions

A representation of a pen stylus kind of pointer input for interacting with a web page.

Chromium Only

A Pen is a type of pointer input that has most of the same behavior as a mouse, but can also have event properties unique to a stylus. Additionally, while a mouse has 5 buttons, a pen has 3 equivalent button states:

  • 0 — Touch Contact (the default; equivalent to a left click)
  • 2 — Barrel Button (equivalent to a right click)
  • 5 — Eraser Button (currently unsupported by drivers)

Using a Pen

        WebElement pointerArea = driver.findElement(By.id("pointerArea"));
        new Actions(driver)
                .setActivePointer(PointerInput.Kind.PEN, "default pen")
                .moveToElement(pointerArea)
                .clickAndHold()
                .moveByOffset(2, 2)
                .release()
                .perform();
    pointer_area = driver.find_element(By.ID, "pointerArea")
    pen_input = PointerInput(POINTER_PEN, "default pen")
    action = ActionBuilder(driver, mouse=pen_input)
    action.pointer_action\
        .move_to(pointer_area)\
        .pointer_down()\
        .move_by(2, 2)\
        .pointer_up()
    action.perform()
            IWebElement pointerArea = driver.FindElement(By.Id("pointerArea"));
            ActionBuilder actionBuilder = new ActionBuilder();
            PointerInputDevice pen = new PointerInputDevice(PointerKind.Pen, "default pen");
            
            actionBuilder.AddAction(pen.CreatePointerMove(pointerArea, 0, 0, TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(800)));
            actionBuilder.AddAction(pen.CreatePointerDown(MouseButton.Left));
            actionBuilder.AddAction(pen.CreatePointerMove(CoordinateOrigin.Pointer,
                2, 2, TimeSpan.Zero));
            actionBuilder.AddAction(pen.CreatePointerUp(MouseButton.Left));
            ((IActionExecutor)driver).PerformActions(actionBuilder.ToActionSequenceList());
    pointer_area = driver.find_element(id: 'pointerArea')
    driver.action(devices: :pen)
          .move_to(pointer_area)
          .pointer_down
          .move_by(2, 2)
          .pointer_up
          .perform
        val pointerArea = driver.findElement(By.id("pointerArea"))
        Actions(driver)
                .setActivePointer(PointerInput.Kind.PEN, "default pen")
                .moveToElement(pointerArea)
                .clickAndHold()
                .moveByOffset(2, 2)
                .release()
                .perform()

Adding Pointer Event Attributes

        WebElement pointerArea = driver.findElement(By.id("pointerArea"));
        PointerInput pen = new PointerInput(PointerInput.Kind.PEN, "default pen");
        PointerInput.PointerEventProperties eventProperties = PointerInput.eventProperties()
                .setTiltX(-72)
                .setTiltY(9)
                .setTwist(86);
        PointerInput.Origin origin = PointerInput.Origin.fromElement(pointerArea);

        Sequence actionListPen = new Sequence(pen, 0)
                .addAction(pen.createPointerMove(Duration.ZERO, origin, 0, 0))
                .addAction(pen.createPointerDown(0))
                .addAction(pen.createPointerMove(Duration.ZERO, origin, 2, 2, eventProperties))
                .addAction(pen.createPointerUp(0));

        ((RemoteWebDriver) driver).perform(Collections.singletonList(actionListPen));
    pointer_area = driver.find_element(By.ID, "pointerArea")
    pen_input = PointerInput(POINTER_PEN, "default pen")
    action = ActionBuilder(driver, mouse=pen_input)
    action.pointer_action\
        .move_to(pointer_area)\
        .pointer_down()\
        .move_by(2, 2, tilt_x=-72, tilt_y=9, twist=86)\
        .pointer_up(0)
    action.perform()
            IWebElement pointerArea = driver.FindElement(By.Id("pointerArea"));
            ActionBuilder actionBuilder = new ActionBuilder();
            PointerInputDevice pen = new PointerInputDevice(PointerKind.Pen, "default pen");
            PointerInputDevice.PointerEventProperties properties = new PointerInputDevice.PointerEventProperties() {
                TiltX = -72,
                TiltY = 9,
                Twist = 86,
            };            
            actionBuilder.AddAction(pen.CreatePointerMove(pointerArea, 0, 0, TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(800)));
            actionBuilder.AddAction(pen.CreatePointerDown(MouseButton.Left));
            actionBuilder.AddAction(pen.CreatePointerMove(CoordinateOrigin.Pointer,
                2, 2, TimeSpan.Zero, properties));
            actionBuilder.AddAction(pen.CreatePointerUp(MouseButton.Left));
            ((IActionExecutor)driver).PerformActions(actionBuilder.ToActionSequenceList());
    pointer_area = driver.find_element(id: 'pointerArea')
    driver.action(devices: :pen)
          .move_to(pointer_area)
          .pointer_down
          .move_by(2, 2, tilt_x: -72, tilt_y: 9, twist: 86)
          .pointer_up
          .perform
        val pointerArea = driver.findElement(By.id("pointerArea"))
        val pen = PointerInput(PointerInput.Kind.PEN, "default pen")
        val eventProperties = PointerInput.eventProperties()
                .setTiltX(-72)
                .setTiltY(9)
                .setTwist(86)
        val origin = PointerInput.Origin.fromElement(pointerArea)
        
        val actionListPen = Sequence(pen, 0)
                .addAction(pen.createPointerMove(Duration.ZERO, origin, 0, 0))
                .addAction(pen.createPointerDown(0))
                .addAction(pen.createPointerMove(Duration.ZERO, origin, 2, 2, eventProperties))
                .addAction(pen.createPointerUp(0))

        (driver as RemoteWebDriver).perform(listOf(actionListPen))

2.7.4 - Scroll wheel actions

A representation of a scroll wheel input device for interacting with a web page.

Chromium Only

There are 5 scenarios for scrolling on a page.

Scroll to element

This is the most common scenario. Unlike traditional click and send keys methods, the actions class does not automatically scroll the target element into view, so this method will need to be used if elements are not already inside the viewport.

This method takes a web element as the sole argument.

Regardless of whether the element is above or below the current viewscreen, the viewport will be scrolled so the bottom of the element is at the bottom of the screen.

        WebElement iframe = driver.findElement(By.tagName("iframe"));
        new Actions(driver)
                .scrollToElement(iframe)
                .perform();
    iframe = driver.find_element(By.TAG_NAME, "iframe")
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .scroll_to_element(iframe)\
        .perform()
            IWebElement iframe = driver.FindElement(By.TagName("iframe"));
            new Actions(driver)
                .ScrollToElement(iframe)
                .Perform();
    iframe = driver.find_element(tag_name: 'iframe')
    driver.action
          .scroll_to(iframe)
          .perform
      const iframe = await driver.findElement(By.css("iframe"))

      await driver.actions()
        .scroll(0, 0, 0, 0, iframe)
        .perform()
        val iframe = driver.findElement(By.tagName("iframe"))
        Actions(driver)
                .scrollToElement(iframe)
                .perform()

Scroll by given amount

This is the second most common scenario for scrolling. Pass in an delta x and a delta y value for how much to scroll in the right and down directions. Negative values represent left and up, respectively.

        WebElement footer = driver.findElement(By.tagName("footer"));
        int deltaY = footer.getRect().y;
        new Actions(driver)
                .scrollByAmount(0, deltaY)
                .perform();
    footer = driver.find_element(By.TAG_NAME, "footer")
    delta_y = footer.rect['y']
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .scroll_by_amount(0, delta_y)\
        .perform()
            IWebElement footer = driver.FindElement(By.TagName("footer"));
            int deltaY = footer.Location.Y;
            new Actions(driver)
                .ScrollByAmount(0, deltaY)
                .Perform();
    footer = driver.find_element(tag_name: 'footer')
    delta_y = footer.rect.y
    driver.action
          .scroll_by(0, delta_y)
          .perform
      const footer = await driver.findElement(By.css("footer"))
      const deltaY = (await footer.getRect()).y

      await driver.actions()
        .scroll(0, 0, 0, deltaY)
        .perform()
        val footer = driver.findElement(By.tagName("footer"))
        val deltaY = footer.getRect().y
        Actions(driver)
                .scrollByAmount(0, deltaY)
                .perform()

Scroll from an element by a given amount

This scenario is effectively a combination of the above two methods.

To execute this use the “Scroll From” method, which takes 3 arguments. The first represents the origination point, which we designate as the element, and the second two are the delta x and delta y values.

If the element is out of the viewport, it will be scrolled to the bottom of the screen, then the page will be scrolled by the provided delta x and delta y values.

        WebElement iframe = driver.findElement(By.tagName("iframe"));
        WheelInput.ScrollOrigin scrollOrigin = WheelInput.ScrollOrigin.fromElement(iframe);
        new Actions(driver)
                .scrollFromOrigin(scrollOrigin, 0, 200)
                .perform();
    iframe = driver.find_element(By.TAG_NAME, "iframe")
    scroll_origin = ScrollOrigin.from_element(iframe)
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .scroll_from_origin(scroll_origin, 0, 200)\
        .perform()
            IWebElement iframe = driver.FindElement(By.TagName("iframe"));
            WheelInputDevice.ScrollOrigin scrollOrigin = new WheelInputDevice.ScrollOrigin
            {
                Element = iframe
            };
            new Actions(driver)
                .ScrollFromOrigin(scrollOrigin, 0, 200)
                .Perform();
    iframe = driver.find_element(tag_name: 'iframe')
    scroll_origin = Selenium::WebDriver::WheelActions::ScrollOrigin.element(iframe)
    driver.action
          .scroll_from(scroll_origin, 0, 200)
          .perform
      const iframe = await driver.findElement(By.css("iframe"))

      await driver.actions()
        .scroll(0, 0, 0, 200, iframe)
        .perform()
        val iframe = driver.findElement(By.tagName("iframe"))
        val scrollOrigin = WheelInput.ScrollOrigin.fromElement(iframe)
        Actions(driver)
                .scrollFromOrigin(scrollOrigin, 0, 200)
                .perform()

Scroll from an element with an offset

This scenario is used when you need to scroll only a portion of the screen, and it is outside the viewport. Or is inside the viewport and the portion of the screen that must be scrolled is a known offset away from a specific element.

This uses the “Scroll From” method again, and in addition to specifying the element, an offset is specified to indicate the origin point of the scroll. The offset is calculated from the center of the provided element.

If the element is out of the viewport, it first will be scrolled to the bottom of the screen, then the origin of the scroll will be determined by adding the offset to the coordinates of the center of the element, and finally the page will be scrolled by the provided delta x and delta y values.

Note that if the offset from the center of the element falls outside of the viewport, it will result in an exception.

        WebElement footer = driver.findElement(By.tagName("footer"));
        WheelInput.ScrollOrigin scrollOrigin = WheelInput.ScrollOrigin.fromElement(footer, 0, -50);
        new Actions(driver)
                .scrollFromOrigin(scrollOrigin,0, 200)
                .perform();
    footer = driver.find_element(By.TAG_NAME, "footer")
    scroll_origin = ScrollOrigin.from_element(footer, 0, -50)
    ActionChains(driver)\
        .scroll_from_origin(scroll_origin, 0, 200)\
        .perform()
            IWebElement footer = driver.FindElement(By.TagName("footer"));
            var scrollOrigin = new WheelInputDevice.ScrollOrigin
            {
                Element = footer,
                XOffset = 0,
                YOffset = -50
            };
            new Actions(driver)
                .ScrollFromOrigin(scrollOrigin, 0, 200)
                .Perform();
    footer = driver.find_element(tag_name: 'footer')
    scroll_origin = Selenium::WebDriver::WheelActions::ScrollOrigin.element(footer, 0, -50)
    driver.action
          .scroll_from(scroll_origin, 0, 200)
          .perform
      const footer = await driver.findElement(By.css("footer"))

      await driver.actions()
        .scroll(0, -50, 0, 200, footer)
        .perform()
        val footer = driver.findElement(By.tagName("footer"))
        val scrollOrigin = WheelInput.ScrollOrigin.fromElement(footer, 0, -50)
        Actions(driver)
                .scrollFromOrigin(scrollOrigin,0, 200)
                .perform()

Scroll from a offset of origin (element) by given amount

The final scenario is used when you need to scroll only a portion of the screen, and it is already inside the viewport.

This uses the “Scroll From” method again, but the viewport is designated instead of an element. An offset is specified from the upper left corner of the current viewport. After the origin point is determined, the page will be scrolled by the provided delta x and delta y values.

Note that if the offset from the upper left corner of the viewport falls outside of the screen, it will result in an exception.

        WheelInput.ScrollOrigin scrollOrigin = WheelInput.ScrollOrigin.fromViewport(10, 10);
        new Actions(driver)
                .scrollFromOrigin(scrollOrigin, 0, 200)
                .perform();
    scroll_origin = ScrollOrigin.from_viewport(10, 10)

    ActionChains(driver)\
        .scroll_from_origin(scroll_origin, 0, 200)\
        .perform()
            var scrollOrigin = new WheelInputDevice.ScrollOrigin
            {
                Viewport = true,
                XOffset = 10,
                YOffset = 10
            };
            new Actions(driver)
                .ScrollFromOrigin(scrollOrigin, 0, 200)
                .Perform();
    scroll_origin = Selenium::WebDriver::WheelActions::ScrollOrigin.viewport(10, 10)
    driver.action
          .scroll_from(scroll_origin, 0, 200)
          .perform
      await driver.actions()
        .scroll(10, 10, 0, 200)
        .perform()
        val scrollOrigin = WheelInput.ScrollOrigin.fromViewport(10, 10)
        Actions(driver)
                .scrollFromOrigin(scrollOrigin, 0, 200)
                .perform()

2.8 - BiDirectional functionality

Selenium is working with browser vendors to create the WebDriver BiDirectional Protocol as a means to provide a stable, cross-browser API that uses the bidirectional functionality useful for both browser automation generally and testing specifically. Before now, users seeking this functionality have had to rely on CDP (Chrome DevTools Protocol) with all of its frustrations and limitations.

The traditional WebDriver model of strict request/response commands will be supplemented with the ability to stream events from the user agent to the controlling software via WebSockets, better matching the evented nature of the browser DOM.

As it is not a good idea to tie your tests to a specific version of any browser, the Selenium project recommends using WebDriver BiDi wherever possible.

While the specification is in works, the browser vendors are parallely implementing the WebDriver BiDirectional Protocol. Refer web-platform-tests dashboard to see how far along the browser vendors are. Selenium is trying to keep up with the browser vendors and has started implementing W3C BiDi APIs. The goal is to ensure APIs are W3C compliant and uniform among the different language bindings.

However, until the specification and corresponding Selenium implementation is complete there are many useful things that CDP offers. Selenium offers some useful helper classes that use CDP.

2.8.1 - Chrome DevTools

Many browsers provide “DevTools” – a set of tools that are integrated with the browser that developers can use to debug web apps and explore the performance of their pages. Google Chrome’s DevTools make use of a protocol called the Chrome DevTools Protocol (or “CDP” for short). As the name suggests, this is not designed for testing, nor to have a stable API, so functionality is highly dependent on the version of the browser.

The WebDriver BiDirectional Protocol is the next generation of the W3C WebDriver protocol and aims to provide a stable API implemented by all browsers, but it’s not yet complete. Until it is, Selenium provides access to the CDP for those browsers that implement it (such as Google Chrome, or Microsoft Edge, and Firefox), allowing you to enhance your tests in interesting ways. Some examples of what you can do with it are given below.

Ways to Use Chrome DevTools With Selenium

There are three different ways to access Chrome DevTools in Selenium. If you look for other examples online, you will likely see each of these mixed and matched.

  • The CDP Endpoint was the first option available to users. It only works for the most simple things (setting state, getting basic information), and you have to know the “magic strings” for the domain and methods and key value pairs. For basic requirements, this might be simpler than the other options. These methods are only temporarily supported.
  • The CDP API is an improvement on just using the endpoint because you can set do things asynchronously. Instead of a String and a Map, you can access the supported classes, methods and parameters in the code. These methods are also only temporarily supported.
  • The BiDi API option should be used whenever possible because it abstracts away the implementation details entirely and will work with either CDP or WebDriver-BiDi when Selenium moves away from CDP.

Examples With Limited Value

There are a number of commonly cited examples for using CDP that are of limited practical value.

  • Geo Location — almost all sites use the IP address to determine physical location, so setting an emulated geolocation rarely has the desired effect.
  • Overriding Device Metrics — Chrome provides a great API for setting Mobile Emulation in the Options classes, which is generally superior to attempting to do this with CDP.

Check out the examples in these documents for ways to do additional useful things:

2.8.1.1 - Chrome DevTools Protocol Endpoint

Google provides a /cdp/execute endpoint that can be accessed directly. Each Selenium binding provides a method that allows you to pass the CDP domain as a String, and the required parameters as a simple Map.

These methods will eventually be removed. It is recommended to use the WebDriver-BiDi or WebDriver Bidi APIs methods where possible to ensure future compatibility.

Usage

Generally you should prefer the use of the CDP API over this approach, but sometimes the syntax is cleaner or significantly more simple.

Limitations include:

  • It only works for use cases that are limited to setting or getting information; any actual asynchronous interactions require another implementation
  • You have to know the exactly correct “magic strings” for domains and keys
  • It is possible that an update to Chrome will change the required parameters

Examples

An alternate implementation can be found at CDP API Set Cookie

    Map<String, Object> cookie = new HashMap<>();
    cookie.put("name", "cheese");
    cookie.put("value", "gouda");
    cookie.put("domain", "www.selenium.dev");
    cookie.put("secure", true);

    ((HasCdp) driver).executeCdpCommand("Network.setCookie", cookie);
    cookie = {'name': 'cheese',
              'value': 'gouda',
              'domain': 'www.selenium.dev',
              'secure': True}

    driver.execute_cdp_cmd('Network.setCookie', cookie)
            var cookie = new Dictionary<string, object>
            {
                { "name", "cheese" },
                { "value", "gouda" },
                { "domain", "www.selenium.dev" },
                { "secure", true }
            };

            ((ChromeDriver)driver).ExecuteCdpCommand("Network.setCookie", cookie);

The CDP API Set Cookie implementation should be preferred

    cookie = {name: 'cheese',
              value: 'gouda',
              domain: 'www.selenium.dev',
              secure: true}

    driver.execute_cdp('Network.setCookie', **cookie)

Performance Metrics

An alternate implementation can be found at CDP API Performance Metrics

The CDP API Performance Metrics implementation should be preferred

    ((HasCdp) driver).executeCdpCommand("Performance.enable", new HashMap<>());

    Map<String, Object> response =
        ((HasCdp) driver).executeCdpCommand("Performance.getMetrics", new HashMap<>());
    driver.execute_cdp_cmd('Performance.enable', {})

    metric_list = driver.execute_cdp_cmd('Performance.getMetrics', {})["metrics"]
            ((ChromeDriver)driver).ExecuteCdpCommand("Performance.enable", emptyDictionary);

            Dictionary<string, object> response = (Dictionary<string, object>)((ChromeDriver)driver)
                .ExecuteCdpCommand("Performance.getMetrics", emptyDictionary);

The CDP API Performance Metrics implementation should be preferred

    driver.execute_cdp('Performance.enable')

    metric_list = driver.execute_cdp('Performance.getMetrics')['metrics']

Basic authentication

Alternate implementations can be found at CDP API Basic Authentication and BiDi API Basic Authentication

The BiDi API Basic Authentication implementation should be preferred

    ((HasCdp) driver).executeCdpCommand("Network.enable", new HashMap<>());

    String encodedAuth = Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString("admin:admin".getBytes());
    Map<String, Object> headers =
        ImmutableMap.of("headers", ImmutableMap.of("authorization", "Basic " + encodedAuth));

    ((HasCdp) driver).executeCdpCommand("Network.setExtraHTTPHeaders", headers);
    driver.execute_cdp_cmd("Network.enable", {})

    credentials = base64.b64encode("admin:admin".encode()).decode()
    headers = {'headers': {'authorization': 'Basic ' + credentials}}

    driver.execute_cdp_cmd('Network.setExtraHTTPHeaders', headers)
            ((ChromeDriver)driver).ExecuteCdpCommand("Network.enable", emptyDictionary);
            
            string encodedAuth = Convert.ToBase64String(Encoding.Default.GetBytes("admin:admin"));
            var headers = new Dictionary<string, object>
            {
                { "headers", new Dictionary<string, string> { { "authorization", "Basic " + encodedAuth } } }
            };

            ((ChromeDriver)driver).ExecuteCdpCommand("Network.setExtraHTTPHeaders", headers);

The BiDi API Basic Authentication implementation should be preferred

    driver.execute_cdp('Network.enable')

    credentials = Base64.strict_encode64('admin:admin')
    headers = {authorization: "Basic #{credentials}"}

    driver.execute_cdp('Network.setExtraHTTPHeaders', headers: headers)

2.8.1.2 - Chrome DevTools Protocol API

Each of the Selenium bindings dynamically generates classes and methods for the various CDP domains and features; these are tied to specific versions of Chrome.

While Selenium 4 provides direct access to the Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP), these methods will eventually be removed. It is recommended to use the WebDriver Bidi APIs methods where possible to ensure future compatibility.

Usage

If your use case has been implemented by WebDriver Bidi or the BiDi API, you should use those implementations instead of this one. Generally you should prefer this approach over executing with the CDP Endpoint, especially in Ruby.

Examples

An alternate implementation can be found at CDP Endpoint Set Cookie

Because Java requires using all the parameters example, the Map approach used in CDP Endpoint Set Cookie might be more simple.

    devTools = ((HasDevTools) driver).getDevTools();
    devTools.createSession();

    devTools.send(
        Network.setCookie(
            "cheese",
            "gouda",
            Optional.empty(),
            Optional.of("www.selenium.dev"),
            Optional.empty(),
            Optional.of(true),
            Optional.empty(),
            Optional.empty(),
            Optional.empty(),
            Optional.empty(),
            Optional.empty(),
            Optional.empty(),
            Optional.empty(),
            Optional.empty()));

Because Python requires using async methods for this example, the synchronous approach found in CDP Endpoint Set Cookie might be easier.

    async with driver.bidi_connection() as connection:
        execution = connection.devtools.network.set_cookie(
            name="cheese",
            value="gouda",
            domain="www.selenium.dev",
            secure=True
        )

        await connection.session.execute(execution)

Due to the added complexity in .NET of obtaining the domains and executing with awaits, the CDP Endpoint Set Cookie might be easier.

            var session = ((IDevTools)driver).GetDevToolsSession();
            var domains = session.GetVersionSpecificDomains<OpenQA.Selenium.DevTools.V118.DevToolsSessionDomains>();
            await domains.Network.Enable(new OpenQA.Selenium.DevTools.V118.Network.EnableCommandSettings());

            var cookieCommandSettings = new SetCookieCommandSettings
            {
                Name = "cheese",
                Value = "gouda",
                Domain = "www.selenium.dev",
                Secure = true
            };

            await domains.Network.SetCookie(cookieCommandSettings);
    driver.devtools.network.set_cookie(name: 'cheese',
                                       value: 'gouda',
                                       domain: 'www.selenium.dev',
                                       secure: true)

Performance Metrics

An alternate implementation can be found at CDP Endpoint Performance Metrics

    devTools = ((HasDevTools) driver).getDevTools();
    devTools.createSession();
    devTools.send(Performance.enable(Optional.empty()));

    List<Metric> metricList = devTools.send(Performance.getMetrics());

Because Python requires using async methods for this example, the synchronous approach found in CDP Endpoint Performance Metrics might be easier.

    async with driver.bidi_connection() as connection:
        await connection.session.execute(connection.devtools.performance.enable())

        metric_list = await connection.session.execute(connection.devtools.performance.get_metrics())

Due to the added complexity in .NET of obtaining the domains and executing with awaits, the CDP Endpoint Performance Metrics might be easier.

            var session = ((IDevTools)driver).GetDevToolsSession();
            var domains = session.GetVersionSpecificDomains<OpenQA.Selenium.DevTools.V118.DevToolsSessionDomains>();
            await domains.Performance.Enable(new OpenQA.Selenium.DevTools.V118.Performance.EnableCommandSettings());

            var metricsResponse =
                await session.SendCommand<GetMetricsCommandSettings, GetMetricsCommandResponse>(
                    new GetMetricsCommandSettings()
                );
    driver.devtools.performance.enable

    metric_list = driver.devtools.performance.get_metrics.dig('result', 'metrics')

Basic authentication

Alternate implementations can be found at CDP Endpoint Basic Authentication and BiDi API Basic Authentication

The BiDi API Basic Authentication implementation should be preferred

    devTools = ((HasDevTools) driver).getDevTools();
    devTools.createSession();
    devTools.send(Network.enable(Optional.of(100000), Optional.of(100000), Optional.of(100000)));

    String encodedAuth = Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString("admin:admin".getBytes());
    Map<String, Object> headers = ImmutableMap.of("Authorization", "Basic " + encodedAuth);

    devTools.send(Network.setExtraHTTPHeaders(new Headers(headers)));

Because Python requires using async methods for this example, the synchronous approach found in CDP Endpoint Basic Authentication might be easier.

    async with driver.bidi_connection() as connection:
        await connection.session.execute(connection.devtools.network.enable())

        credentials = base64.b64encode("admin:admin".encode()).decode()
        auth = {'authorization': 'Basic ' + credentials}

        await connection.session.execute(connection.devtools.network.set_extra_http_headers(Headers(auth)))

Due to the added complexity in .NET of obtaining the domains and executing with awaits, the CDP Endpoint Basic Authentication might be easier.

            var session = ((IDevTools)driver).GetDevToolsSession();
            var domains = session.GetVersionSpecificDomains<OpenQA.Selenium.DevTools.V118.DevToolsSessionDomains>();
            await domains.Network.Enable(new OpenQA.Selenium.DevTools.V118.Network.EnableCommandSettings());

            var encodedAuth = Convert.ToBase64String(Encoding.Default.GetBytes("admin:admin"));
            var headerSettings = new SetExtraHTTPHeadersCommandSettings
            {
                Headers = new Headers()
                {
                    { "authorization", "Basic " + encodedAuth }
                }
            };

            await domains.Network.SetExtraHTTPHeaders(headerSettings);

The BiDi API Basic Authentication implementation should be preferred

    driver.devtools.network.enable

    credentials = Base64.strict_encode64('admin:admin')

    driver.devtools.network.set_extra_http_headers(headers: {authorization: "Basic #{credentials}"})

Console logs

Because reading console logs requires setting an event listener, this cannot be done with a CDP Endpoint implementation Alternate implementations can be found at BiDi API Console logs and errors and WebDriver BiDi Console logs

Use the WebDriver BiDi Console logs implementation

    DevTools devTools = ((HasDevTools) driver).getDevTools();
    devTools.createSession();
    devTools.send(Runtime.enable());

    CopyOnWriteArrayList<String> logs = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
    devTools.addListener(
        Runtime.consoleAPICalled(),
        event -> logs.add((String) event.getArgs().get(0).getValue().orElse("")));

The BiDi API Console logs and errors implementation should be preferred

    driver.devtools.runtime.enable

    logs = []
    driver.devtools.runtime.on(:console_api_called) do |params|
      logs << params['args'].first['value']
    end

JavaScript exceptions

Similar to console logs, but this listens for actual javascript exceptions not just logged errors Alternate implementations can be found at BiDi API JavaScript exceptions and WebDriver BiDi JavaScript exceptions

Use the WebDriver BiDi JavaScript exceptions implementation

    DevTools devTools = ((HasDevTools) driver).getDevTools();
    devTools.createSession();
    devTools.send(Runtime.enable());

    CopyOnWriteArrayList<JavascriptException> errors = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
    devTools.getDomains().events().addJavascriptExceptionListener(errors::add);

Download complete

Wait for a download to finish before continuing. Because getting download status requires setting a listener, this cannot be done with a CDP Endpoint implementation.

    devTools = ((HasDevTools) driver).getDevTools();
    devTools.createSession();
    devTools.send(
        Browser.setDownloadBehavior(
            Browser.SetDownloadBehaviorBehavior.ALLOWANDNAME,
            Optional.empty(),
            Optional.of(""),
            Optional.of(true)));

    AtomicBoolean completed = new AtomicBoolean(false);
    devTools.addListener(
        Browser.downloadProgress(),
        e -> completed.set(Objects.equals(e.getState().toString(), "completed")));
    driver.devtools.browser.set_download_behavior(behavior: 'allow',
                                                  download_path: '',
                                                  events_enabled: true)

    driver.devtools.browser.on(:download_progress) do |progress|
      @completed = progress['state'] == 'completed'
    end

2.8.1.3 - Chrome Devtools Protocol with BiDi API

These examples are currently implemented with CDP, but the same code should work when the functionality is re-implemented with WebDriver-BiDi.

Usage

The following list of APIs will be growing as the Selenium project works through supporting real world use cases. If there is additional functionality you’d like to see, please raise a feature request.

As these examples are re-implemented with the WebDriver-Bidi protocol, they will be moved to the WebDriver Bidi pages.

Examples

Basic authentication

Some applications make use of browser authentication to secure pages. It used to be common to handle them in the URL, but browser stopped supporting this. With BiDi, you can now provide the credentials when necessary

Alternate implementations can be found at CDP Endpoint Basic Authentication and CDP API Basic Authentication

    Predicate<URI> uriPredicate = uri -> uri.toString().contains("herokuapp.com");
    Supplier<Credentials> authentication = UsernameAndPassword.of("admin", "admin");

    ((HasAuthentication) driver).register(uriPredicate, authentication);

An alternate implementation may be found at CDP Endpoint Basic Authentication

Implementation Missing

            var handler = new NetworkAuthenticationHandler()
            {
                UriMatcher = uri => uri.AbsoluteUri.Contains("herokuapp"),
                Credentials = new PasswordCredentials("admin", "admin")
            };

            var networkInterceptor = driver.Manage().Network;
            networkInterceptor.AddAuthenticationHandler(handler);

            await networkInterceptor.StartMonitoring();
    driver.register(username: 'admin',
                    password: 'admin',
                    uri: /herokuapp/)

Move Code

const {Builder} = require('selenium-webdriver');

(async function example() {
  try {
    let driver = await new Builder()
      .forBrowser('chrome')
      .build();

    const pageCdpConnection = await driver.createCDPConnection('page');
    await driver.register('username', 'password', pageCdpConnection);
    await driver.get('https://the-internet.herokuapp.com/basic_auth');
    await driver.quit();
  }catch (e){
    console.log(e)
  }
}())

Move Code

val uriPredicate = Predicate { uri: URI ->
        uri.host.contains("your-domain.com")
    }
(driver as HasAuthentication).register(uriPredicate, UsernameAndPassword.of("admin", "password"))
driver.get("https://your-domain.com/login")

Pin scripts

This can be especially useful when executing on a remote server. For example, whenever you check the visibility of an element, or whenever you use the classic get attribute method, Selenium is sending the contents of a js file to the script execution endpoint. These files are each about 50kB, which adds up.

            var key = await new JavaScriptEngine(driver).PinScript("return arguments;");

            var arguments = ((WebDriver)driver).ExecuteScript(key, 1, true, element);
    key = driver.pin_script('return arguments;')
    arguments = driver.execute_script(key, 1, true, element)

Mutation observation

Mutation Observation is the ability to capture events via WebDriver BiDi when there are DOM mutations on a specific element in the DOM.

    CopyOnWriteArrayList<WebElement> mutations = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
    ((HasLogEvents) driver).onLogEvent(domMutation(e -> mutations.add(e.getElement())));
    async with driver.bidi_connection() as session:
        log = Log(driver, session)
            var mutations = new List<IWebElement>();
            using IJavaScriptEngine monitor = new JavaScriptEngine(driver);
            monitor.DomMutated += (_, e) =>
            {
                var locator = By.CssSelector($"*[data-__webdriver_id='{e.AttributeData.TargetId}']");
                mutations.Add(driver.FindElement(locator));
            };

            await monitor.StartEventMonitoring();
            await monitor.EnableDomMutationMonitoring();
    mutations = []
    driver.on_log_event(:mutation) { |mutation| mutations << mutation.element }

Move Code

const {Builder, until} = require('selenium-webdriver');
const assert = require("assert");

(async function example() {
  try {
    let driver = await new Builder()
      .forBrowser('chrome')
      .build();

    const cdpConnection = await driver.createCDPConnection('page');
    await driver.logMutationEvents(cdpConnection, event => {
      assert.deepStrictEqual(event['attribute_name'], 'style');
      assert.deepStrictEqual(event['current_value'], "");
      assert.deepStrictEqual(event['old_value'], "display:none;");
    });

    await driver.get('dynamic.html');
    await driver.findElement({id: 'reveal'}).click();
    let revealed = driver.findElement({id: 'revealed'});
    await driver.wait(until.elementIsVisible(revealed), 5000);
    await driver.quit();
  }catch (e){
    console.log(e)
  }
}())

Console logs and errors

Listen to the console.log events and register callbacks to process the event.

CDP API Console logs and WebDriver BiDi Console logs

Use the WebDriver BiDi Console logs implementation. HasLogEvents will likely end up deprecated because it does not implement Closeable.

    CopyOnWriteArrayList<String> messages = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
    ((HasLogEvents) driver).onLogEvent(consoleEvent(e -> messages.add(e.getMessages().get(0))));
    async with driver.bidi_connection() as session:
        log = Log(driver, session)

        async with log.add_listener(Console.ALL) as messages:
            using IJavaScriptEngine monitor = new JavaScriptEngine(driver);
            var messages = new List<string>();
            monitor.JavaScriptConsoleApiCalled += (_, e) =>
            {
                messages.Add(e.MessageContent);
            };

            await monitor.StartEventMonitoring();
    logs = []
    driver.on_log_event(:console) { |log| logs << log.args.first }

Move Code

const {Builder} = require('selenium-webdriver');
(async () => {
  try {
    let driver = new Builder()
      .forBrowser('chrome')
      .build();

    const cdpConnection = await driver.createCDPConnection('page');
    await driver.onLogEvent(cdpConnection, function (event) {
      console.log(event['args'][0]['value']);
    });
    await driver.executeScript('console.log("here")');
    await driver.quit();
  }catch (e){
    console.log(e);
  }
})()

Move Code

fun kotlinConsoleLogExample() {
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
    val devTools = driver.devTools
    devTools.createSession()

    val logConsole = { c: ConsoleEvent -> print("Console log message is: " + c.messages)}
    devTools.domains.events().addConsoleListener(logConsole)

    driver.get("https://www.google.com")

    val executor = driver as JavascriptExecutor
    executor.executeScript("console.log('Hello World')")

    val input = driver.findElement(By.name("q"))
    input.sendKeys("Selenium 4")
    input.sendKeys(Keys.RETURN)
    driver.quit()
}

JavaScript exceptions

Listen to the JS Exceptions and register callbacks to process the exception details.

    async with driver.bidi_connection() as session:
        log = Log(driver, session)

        async with log.add_js_error_listener() as messages:
            using IJavaScriptEngine monitor = new JavaScriptEngine(driver);
            var messages = new List<string>();
            monitor.JavaScriptExceptionThrown += (_, e) =>
            {
                messages.Add(e.Message);
            };

            await monitor.StartEventMonitoring();
    exceptions = []
    driver.on_log_event(:exception) { |exception| exceptions << exception }

Network Interception

Both requests and responses can be recorded or transformed.

Response information

    CopyOnWriteArrayList<String> contentType = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();

    try (NetworkInterceptor ignored =
        new NetworkInterceptor(
            driver,
            (Filter)
                next ->
                    req -> {
                      HttpResponse res = next.execute(req);
                      contentType.add(res.getHeader("Content-Type"));
                      return res;
                    })) {
            var contentType = new List<string>();

            INetwork networkInterceptor = driver.Manage().Network;
            networkInterceptor.NetworkResponseReceived += (_, e)  =>
            {
                contentType.Add(e.ResponseHeaders["content-type"]);
            };

            await networkInterceptor.StartMonitoring();
    content_type = []
    driver.intercept do |request, &continue|
      continue.call(request) do |response|
        content_type << response.headers['content-type']
      end
    end

Response transformation

    try (NetworkInterceptor ignored =
        new NetworkInterceptor(
            driver,
            Route.matching(req -> true)
                .to(
                    () ->
                        req ->
                            new HttpResponse()
                                .setStatus(200)
                                .addHeader("Content-Type", MediaType.HTML_UTF_8.toString())
                                .setContent(Contents.utf8String("Creamy, delicious cheese!"))))) {
            var handler = new NetworkResponseHandler()
            {
                ResponseMatcher = _ => true,
                ResponseTransformer = _ => new HttpResponseData
                {
                    StatusCode = 200,
                    Body = "Creamy, delicious cheese!"
                }
            };

            INetwork networkInterceptor = driver.Manage().Network;
            networkInterceptor.AddResponseHandler(handler);

            await networkInterceptor.StartMonitoring();
    driver.intercept do |request, &continue|
      continue.call(request) do |response|
        response.body = 'Creamy, delicious cheese!' if request.url.include?('blank')
      end
    end

Move Code

const connection = await driver.createCDPConnection('page')
let url = fileServer.whereIs("/cheese")
let httpResponse = new HttpResponse(url)
httpResponse.addHeaders("Content-Type", "UTF-8")
httpResponse.body = "sausages"
await driver.onIntercept(connection, httpResponse, async function () {
  let body = await driver.getPageSource()
  assert.strictEqual(body.includes("sausages"), true, `Body contains: ${body}`)
})
driver.get(url)

Move Code

val driver = ChromeDriver()
val interceptor = new NetworkInterceptor(
      driver,
      Route.matching(req -> true)
        .to(() -> req -> new HttpResponse()
          .setStatus(200)
          .addHeader("Content-Type", MediaType.HTML_UTF_8.toString())
          .setContent(utf8String("Creamy, delicious cheese!"))))

    driver.get(appServer.whereIs("/cheese"))

    String source = driver.getPageSource()

Request interception

            var handler = new NetworkRequestHandler
            {
                RequestMatcher = request => request.Url.Contains("one.js"),
                RequestTransformer = request =>
                {
                    request.Url = request.Url.Replace("one", "two");

                    return request;
                }
            };

            INetwork networkInterceptor = driver.Manage().Network;
            networkInterceptor.AddRequestHandler(handler);

            await networkInterceptor.StartMonitoring();
    driver.intercept do |request, &continue|
      uri = URI(request.url)
      request.url = uri.to_s.gsub('one', 'two') if uri.path&.end_with?('one.js')
      continue.call(request)
    end

2.8.2 - BiDirectional API (W3C compliant)

The following list of APIs will be growing as the WebDriver BiDirectional Protocol grows and browser vendors implement the same. Additionally, Selenium will try to support real-world use cases that internally use a combination of W3C BiDi protocol APIs.

If there is additional functionality you’d like to see, please raise a feature request.

2.8.2.1 - Browsing Context

This section contains the APIs related to browsing context commands.

Open a new window

Creates a new browsing context in a new window.

        BrowsingContext browsingContext = new BrowsingContext(driver, WindowType.WINDOW);

Open a new tab

Creates a new browsing context in a new tab.

        BrowsingContext browsingContext = new BrowsingContext(driver, WindowType.TAB);

Use existing window handle

Creates a browsing context for the existing tab/window to run commands.

        String id = driver.getWindowHandle();
        BrowsingContext browsingContext = new BrowsingContext(driver, id);

Open a window with a reference browsing context

A reference browsing context is a top-level browsing context. The API allows to pass the reference browsing context, which is used to create a new window. The implementation is operating system specific.

        BrowsingContext
                browsingContext =
                new BrowsingContext(driver, WindowType.WINDOW, driver.getWindowHandle());

Open a tab with a reference browsing context

A reference browsing context is a top-level browsing context. The API allows to pass the reference browsing context, which is used to create a new tab. The implementation is operating system specific.

        BrowsingContext
                browsingContext =
                new BrowsingContext(driver, WindowType.TAB, driver.getWindowHandle());
        BrowsingContext browsingContext = new BrowsingContext(driver, WindowType.TAB);

        NavigationResult info = browsingContext.navigate("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/bidi/logEntryAdded.html");
        BrowsingContext browsingContext = new BrowsingContext(driver, WindowType.TAB);

        NavigationResult info = browsingContext.navigate("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/bidi/logEntryAdded.html",
                ReadinessState.COMPLETE);

Get browsing context tree

Provides a tree of all browsing contexts descending from the parent browsing context, including the parent browsing context.

        String referenceContextId = driver.getWindowHandle();
        BrowsingContext parentWindow = new BrowsingContext(driver, referenceContextId);

        parentWindow.navigate("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/iframes.html", ReadinessState.COMPLETE);

        List<BrowsingContextInfo> contextInfoList = parentWindow.getTree();

Get browsing context tree with depth

Provides a tree of all browsing contexts descending from the parent browsing context, including the parent browsing context upto the depth value passed.

        String referenceContextId = driver.getWindowHandle();
        BrowsingContext parentWindow = new BrowsingContext(driver, referenceContextId);

        parentWindow.navigate("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/iframes.html", ReadinessState.COMPLETE);

Get All Top level browsing contexts

        BrowsingContext window1 = new BrowsingContext(driver, driver.getWindowHandle());
        BrowsingContext window2 = new BrowsingContext(driver, WindowType.WINDOW);

        List<BrowsingContextInfo> contextInfoList = window1.getTopLevelContexts();

Close a tab/window

        BrowsingContext window1 = new BrowsingContext(driver, WindowType.WINDOW);
        BrowsingContext window2 = new BrowsingContext(driver, WindowType.WINDOW);

        window2.close();

2.8.2.2 - Log

This section contains the APIs related to logging.

Console logs

Listen to the console.log events and register callbacks to process the event.

    public void jsErrors() {
        CopyOnWriteArrayList<ConsoleLogEntry> logs = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();

        try (LogInspector logInspector = new LogInspector(driver)) {
            logInspector.onConsoleEntry(logs::add);
        }

        driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/bidi/logEntryAdded.html");
            const inspector = await LogInspector(driver)
            await inspector.onConsoleEntry(function (log) {
              logEntry = log
            })
    
            await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/bidi/logEntryAdded.html')
            await driver.findElement({ id: 'consoleLog' }).click()
            
            assert.equal(logEntry.text, 'Hello, world!')
            assert.equal(logEntry.realm, null)
            assert.equal(logEntry.type, 'console')
            assert.equal(logEntry.level, 'info')
            assert.equal(logEntry.method, 'log')
            assert.equal(logEntry.stackTrace, null)
            assert.equal(logEntry.args.length, 1)

JavaScript exceptions

Listen to the JS Exceptions and register callbacks to process the exception details.

            logInspector.onJavaScriptLog(future::complete);

            driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/bidi/logEntryAdded.html");
            driver.findElement(By.id("jsException")).click();

            JavascriptLogEntry logEntry = future.get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS);

            Assertions.assertEquals("Error: Not working", logEntry.getText());
        const inspector = await LogInspector(driver)
        await inspector.onJavascriptException(function (log) {
            logEntry = log
        })

        await driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/bidi/logEntryAdded.html')
        await driver.findElement({ id: 'jsException' }).click()

        assert.equal(logEntry.text, 'Error: Not working')
        assert.equal(logEntry.type, 'javascript')
        assert.equal(logEntry.level, 'error')

Listen to JS Logs

Listen to all JS logs at all levels and register callbacks to process the log.

            driver.findElement(By.id("consoleLog")).click();

            ConsoleLogEntry logEntry = future.get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS);

            Assertions.assertEquals("Hello, world!", logEntry.getText());
            Assertions.assertNull(logEntry.getRealm());
            Assertions.assertEquals(1, logEntry.getArgs().size());
            Assertions.assertEquals("console", logEntry.getType());

2.9 - Support features

Support classes provide optional higher level features.

The core libraries of Selenium try to be low level and non-opinionated. The Support classes in each language provide opinionated wrappers for common interactions that may be used to simplify some behaviors.

2.9.1 - Waiting with Expected Conditions

These are classes used to describe what needs to be waited for.

Expected Conditions are used with Explicit Waits. Instead of defining the block of code to be executed with a lambda, an expected conditions method can be created to represent common things that get waited on. Some methods take locators as arguments, others take elements as arguments.

These methods can include conditions such as:

  • element exists
  • element is stale
  • element is visible
  • text is visible
  • title contains specified value
[Expected Conditions Documentation](https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/docs/api/py/webdriver_support/selenium.webdriver.support.expected_conditions.html)

Add Example

.NET stopped supporting Expected Conditions in Selenium 4 to minimize maintenance hassle and redundancy.
Ruby makes frequent use of blocks, procs and lambdas and does not need Expected Conditions classes

2.9.2 - Command Listeners

These allow you to execute custom actions in every time specific Selenium commands are sent

2.9.3 - Working With Colors

You will occasionally want to validate the colour of something as part of your tests; the problem is that colour definitions on the web are not constant. Would it not be nice if there was an easy way to compare a HEX representation of a colour with a RGB representation of a colour, or a RGBA representation of a colour with a HSLA representation of a colour?

Worry not. There is a solution: the Color class!

First of all, you will need to import the class:

Move Code

import org.openqa.selenium.support.Color;
  
from selenium.webdriver.support.color import Color
  
include Selenium::WebDriver::Support
  
import org.openqa.selenium.support.Color

You can now start creating colour objects. Every colour object will need to be created from a string representation of your colour. Supported colour representations are:

Move Code

private final Color HEX_COLOUR = Color.fromString("#2F7ED8");
private final Color RGB_COLOUR = Color.fromString("rgb(255, 255, 255)");
private final Color RGB_COLOUR = Color.fromString("rgb(40%, 20%, 40%)");
private final Color RGBA_COLOUR = Color.fromString("rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5)");
private final Color RGBA_COLOUR = Color.fromString("rgba(40%, 20%, 40%, 0.5)");
private final Color HSL_COLOUR = Color.fromString("hsl(100, 0%, 50%)");
private final Color HSLA_COLOUR = Color.fromString("hsla(100, 0%, 50%, 0.5)");
  
HEX_COLOUR = Color.from_string('#2F7ED8')
RGB_COLOUR = Color.from_string('rgb(255, 255, 255)')
RGB_COLOUR = Color.from_string('rgb(40%, 20%, 40%)')
RGBA_COLOUR = Color.from_string('rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5)')
RGBA_COLOUR = Color.from_string('rgba(40%, 20%, 40%, 0.5)')
HSL_COLOUR = Color.from_string('hsl(100, 0%, 50%)')
HSLA_COLOUR = Color.from_string('hsla(100, 0%, 50%, 0.5)')
  
HEX_COLOUR = Color.from_string('#2F7ED8')
RGB_COLOUR = Color.from_string('rgb(255, 255, 255)')
RGB_COLOUR = Color.from_string('rgb(40%, 20%, 40%)')
RGBA_COLOUR = Color.from_string('rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5)')
RGBA_COLOUR = Color.from_string('rgba(40%, 20%, 40%, 0.5)')
HSL_COLOUR = Color.from_string('hsl(100, 0%, 50%)')
HSLA_COLOUR = Color.from_string('hsla(100, 0%, 50%, 0.5)')
  
private val HEX_COLOUR = Color.fromString("#2F7ED8")
private val RGB_COLOUR = Color.fromString("rgb(255, 255, 255)")
private val RGB_COLOUR_PERCENT = Color.fromString("rgb(40%, 20%, 40%)")
private val RGBA_COLOUR = Color.fromString("rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5)")
private val RGBA_COLOUR_PERCENT = Color.fromString("rgba(40%, 20%, 40%, 0.5)")
private val HSL_COLOUR = Color.fromString("hsl(100, 0%, 50%)")
private val HSLA_COLOUR = Color.fromString("hsla(100, 0%, 50%, 0.5)")
  

The Color class also supports all of the base colour definitions specified in http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-color/#html4.

Move Code

private final Color BLACK = Color.fromString("black");
private final Color CHOCOLATE = Color.fromString("chocolate");
private final Color HOTPINK = Color.fromString("hotpink");
  
BLACK = Color.from_string('black')
CHOCOLATE = Color.from_string('chocolate')
HOTPINK = Color.from_string('hotpink')
  
BLACK = Color.from_string('black')
CHOCOLATE = Color.from_string('chocolate')
HOTPINK = Color.from_string('hotpink')
  
private val BLACK = Color.fromString("black")
private val CHOCOLATE = Color.fromString("chocolate")
private val HOTPINK = Color.fromString("hotpink")
  

Sometimes browsers will return a colour value of “transparent” if no colour has been set on an element. The Color class also supports this:

Move Code

private final Color TRANSPARENT = Color.fromString("transparent");
  
TRANSPARENT = Color.from_string('transparent')
  
TRANSPARENT = Color.from_string('transparent')
  
private val TRANSPARENT = Color.fromString("transparent")
  

You can now safely query an element to get its colour/background colour knowing that any response will be correctly parsed and converted into a valid Color object:

Move Code

Color loginButtonColour = Color.fromString(driver.findElement(By.id("login")).getCssValue("color"));

Color loginButtonBackgroundColour = Color.fromString(driver.findElement(By.id("login")).getCssValue("background-color"));
  
login_button_colour = Color.from_string(driver.find_element(By.ID,'login').value_of_css_property('color'))

login_button_background_colour = Color.from_string(driver.find_element(By.ID,'login').value_of_css_property('background-color'))
  
login_button_colour = Color.from_string(driver.find_element(id: 'login').css_value('color'))

login_button_background_colour = Color.from_string(driver.find_element(id: 'login').css_value('background-color'))
  
val loginButtonColour = Color.fromString(driver.findElement(By.id("login")).getCssValue("color"))

val loginButtonBackgroundColour = Color.fromString(driver.findElement(By.id("login")).getCssValue("background-color"))
  

You can then directly compare colour objects:

Move Code

assert loginButtonBackgroundColour.equals(HOTPINK);
  
assert login_button_background_colour == HOTPINK
  
assert(login_button_background_colour == HOTPINK)
  
assert(loginButtonBackgroundColour.equals(HOTPINK))
  

Or you can convert the colour into one of the following formats and perform a static validation:

Move Code

assert loginButtonBackgroundColour.asHex().equals("#ff69b4");
assert loginButtonBackgroundColour.asRgba().equals("rgba(255, 105, 180, 1)");
assert loginButtonBackgroundColour.asRgb().equals("rgb(255, 105, 180)");
  
assert login_button_background_colour.hex == '#ff69b4'
assert login_button_background_colour.rgba == 'rgba(255, 105, 180, 1)'
assert login_button_background_colour.rgb == 'rgb(255, 105, 180)'
  
assert(login_button_background_colour.hex == '#ff69b4')
assert(login_button_background_colour.rgba == 'rgba(255, 105, 180, 1)')
assert(login_button_background_colour.rgb == 'rgb(255, 105, 180)')
  
assert(loginButtonBackgroundColour.asHex().equals("#ff69b4"))
assert(loginButtonBackgroundColour.asRgba().equals("rgba(255, 105, 180, 1)"))
assert(loginButtonBackgroundColour.asRgb().equals("rgb(255, 105, 180)"))
  

Colours are no longer a problem.

2.9.4 - Working with select list elements

Select lists have special behaviors compared to other elements.

The Select object will now give you a series of commands that allow you to interact with a <select> element.

If you are using Java or .NET make sure that you’ve properly required the support package in your code. See the full code from GitHub in any of the examples below.

Note that this class only works for HTML elements select and option. It is possible to design drop-downs with JavaScript overlays using div or li, and this class will not work for those.

Types

Select methods may behave differently depending on which type of <select> element is being worked with.

Single select

This is the standard drop-down object where one and only one option may be selected.

<select name="selectomatic">
    <option selected="selected" id="non_multi_option" value="one">One</option>
    <option value="two">Two</option>
    <option value="four">Four</option>
    <option value="still learning how to count, apparently">Still learning how to count, apparently</option>
</select>

Multiple select

This select list allows selecting and deselecting more than one option at a time. This only applies to <select> elements with the multiple attribute.

<select name="multi" id="multi" multiple="multiple">
    <option selected="selected" value="eggs">Eggs</option>
    <option value="ham">Ham</option>
    <option selected="selected" value="sausages">Sausages</option>
    <option value="onion gravy">Onion gravy</option>
</select>

Create class

First locate a <select> element, then use it to initialize a Select object. Note that as of Selenium 4.5, you can’t create a Select object if the <select> element is disabled.

        WebElement selectElement = driver.findElement(By.name("selectomatic"));
        Select select = new Select(selectElement);
    select_element = driver.find_element(By.NAME, 'selectomatic')
    select = Select(select_element)
            var selectElement = driver.FindElement(By.Name("selectomatic"));
            var select = new SelectElement(selectElement);
    select_element = driver.find_element(name: 'selectomatic')
    select = Selenium::WebDriver::Support::Select.new(select_element)
      const selectElement = await driver.findElement(By.name('selectomatic'))
      const select = new Select(selectElement)
    val selectElement = driver.findElement(By.name("selectomatic"))
    val select = Select(selectElement)

List options

There are two lists that can be obtained:

All options

Get a list of all options in the <select> element:

        List<WebElement> optionList = select.getOptions();
    option_list = select.options
            IList<IWebElement> optionList = select.Options;
    option_list = select.options
      const optionList = await select.getOptions()
    val optionList = select.getOptions()

Selected options

Get a list of selected options in the <select> element. For a standard select list this will only be a list with one element, for a multiple select list it can contain zero or many elements.

        List<WebElement> selectedOptionList = select.getAllSelectedOptions();
    selected_option_list = select.all_selected_options
            IList<IWebElement> selectedOptionList = select.AllSelectedOptions;
    selected_option_list = select.selected_options
      const selectedOptionList = await select.getAllSelectedOptions()
    val selectedOptionList = select.getAllSelectedOptions()

Select option

The Select class provides three ways to select an option. Note that for multiple select type Select lists, you can repeat these methods for each element you want to select.

Text

Select the option based on its visible text

        select.selectByVisibleText("Four");
    select.select_by_visible_text('Four')
            select.SelectByText("Four");
    select.select_by(:text, 'Four')
      await select.selectByVisibleText('Four')
    select.selectByVisibleText("Four")

Value

Select the option based on its value attribute

        select.selectByValue("two");
    select.select_by_value('two')
            select.SelectByValue("two");
    select.select_by(:value, 'two')
      await select.selectByValue('two')
    select.selectByValue("two")

Index

Select the option based on its position in the list

        select.selectByIndex(3);
    select.select_by_index(3)
            select.SelectByIndex(3);
    select.select_by(:index, 3)
      await select.selectByIndex(3)
    select.selectByIndex(3)

Disabled options

Options with a disabled attribute may not be selected.

    <select name="single_disabled">
      <option id="sinlge_disabled_1" value="enabled">Enabled</option>
      <option id="sinlge_disabled_2" value="disabled" disabled="disabled">Disabled</option>
    </select>
        Assertions.assertThrows(UnsupportedOperationException.class, () -> {
            select.selectByValue("disabled");
        });
    with pytest.raises(NotImplementedError):
        select.select_by_value('disabled')
            Assert.ThrowsException<InvalidOperationException>(() => select.SelectByValue("disabled"));
    expect {
      select.select_by(:value, 'disabled')
    }.to raise_exception(Selenium::WebDriver::Error::UnsupportedOperationError)
      await assert.rejects(async () => {
        await select.selectByValue("disabled")
      }, {
        name: 'UnsupportedOperationError',
    Assertions.assertThrows(UnsupportedOperationException::class.java) {
      select.selectByValue("disabled")
    }

De-select option

Only multiple select type select lists can have options de-selected. You can repeat these methods for each element you want to select.

        select.deselectByValue("eggs");
    select.deselect_by_value('eggs')
            select.DeselectByValue("eggs");
    select.deselect_by(:value, 'eggs')
      await select.deselectByValue('eggs')
    select.deselectByValue("eggs")

2.9.5 - ThreadGuard

This class is only available in the Java Binding

ThreadGuard checks that a driver is called only from the same thread that created it. Threading issues especially when running tests in Parallel may have mysterious and hard to diagnose errors. Using this wrapper prevents this category of errors and will raise an exception when it happens.

The following example simulate a clash of threads:

public class DriverClash {
  //thread main (id 1) created this driver
  private WebDriver protectedDriver = ThreadGuard.protect(new ChromeDriver()); 

  static {
    System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", "<Set path to your Chromedriver>");
  }
  
  //Thread-1 (id 24) is calling the same driver causing the clash to happen
  Runnable r1 = () -> {protectedDriver.get("https://selenium.dev");};
  Thread thr1 = new Thread(r1);
   
  void runThreads(){
    thr1.start();
  }

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    new DriverClash().runThreads();
  }
}

The result shown below:

Exception in thread "Thread-1" org.openqa.selenium.WebDriverException:
Thread safety error; this instance of WebDriver was constructed
on thread main (id 1)and is being accessed by thread Thread-1 (id 24)
This is not permitted and *will* cause undefined behaviour

As seen in the example:

  • protectedDriver Will be created in Main thread
  • We use Java Runnable to spin up a new process and a new Thread to run the process
  • Both Thread will clash because the Main Thread does not have protectedDriver in it’s memory.
  • ThreadGuard.protect will throw an exception.

Note:

This does not replace the need for using ThreadLocal to manage drivers when running parallel.

2.10 - Troubleshooting Assistance

How to get manage WebDriver problems.

It is not always obvious the root cause of errors in Selenium.

  1. The most common Selenium-related error is a result of poor synchronization. Read about Waiting Strategies. If you aren’t sure if it is a synchronization strategy you can try temporarily hard coding a large sleep where you see the issue, and you’ll know if adding an explicit wait can help.

  2. Note that many errors that get reported to the project are actually caused by issues in the underlying drivers that Selenium sends the commands to. You can rule out a driver problem by executing the command in multiple browsers.

  3. If you have questions about how to do things, check out the Support options for ways get assistance.

  4. If you think you’ve found a problem with Selenium code, go ahead and file a Bug Report on GitHub.

2.10.1 - Understanding Common Errors

How to get deal with various problems in your Selenium code.

Invalid Selector Exception

CSS and XPath Selectors are sometimes difficult to get correct.

Likely Cause

The CSS or XPath selector you are trying to use has invalid characters or an invalid query.

Possible Solutions

Run your selector through a validator service:

Or use a browser extension to get a known good value:

No Such Element Exception

The element can not be found at the exact moment you attempted to locate it.

Likely Cause

  • You are looking for the element in the wrong place (perhaps a previous action was unsuccessful).
  • You are looking for the element at the wrong time (the element has not shown up in the DOM, yet)
  • The locator has changed since you wrote the code

Possible Solutions

  • Make sure you are on the page you expect to be on, and that previous actions in your code completed correctly
  • Make sure you are using a proper Waiting Strategy
  • Update the locator with the browser’s devtools console or use a browser extension like:

Stale Element Reference Exception

An element goes stale when it was previously located, but can not be currently accessed. Elements do not get relocated automatically; the driver creates a reference ID for the element and has a particular place it expects to find it in the DOM. If it can not find the element in the current DOM, any action using that element will result in this exception.

Common Causes

This can happen when:

  • You have refreshed the page, or the DOM of the page has dynamically changed.
  • You have navigated to a different page.
  • You have switched to another window or into or out of a frame or iframe.

Common Solutions

The DOM has changed

When the page is refreshed or items on the page have moved around, there is still an element with the desired locator on the page, it is just no longer accessible by the element object being used, and the element must be relocated before it can be used again. This is often done in one of two ways:

  • Always relocate the element every time you go to use it. The likelihood of the element going stale in the microseconds between locating and using the element is small, though possible. The downside is that this is not the most efficient approach, especially when running on a remote grid.

  • Wrap the Web Element with another object that stores the locator, and caches the located Selenium element. When taking actions with this wrapped object, you can attempt to use the cached object if previously located, and if it is stale, exception can be caught, the element relocated with the stored locator, and the method re-tried. This is more efficient, but it can cause problems if the locator you’re using references a different element (and not the one you want) after the page has changed.

The Context has changed

Element objects are stored for a given context, so if you move to a different context — like a different window or a different frame or iframe — the element reference will still be valid, but will be temporarily inaccessible. In this scenario, it won’t help to relocate the element, because it doesn’t exist in the current context. To fix this, you need to make sure to switch back to the correct context before using the element.

The Page has changed

This scenario is when you haven’t just changed contexts, you have navigated to another page and have destroyed the context in which the element was located. You can’t just relocate it from the current context, and you can’t switch back to an active context where it is valid. If this is the reason for your error, you must both navigate back to the correct location and relocate it.

2.10.1.1 - Unable to Locate Driver Error

Troubleshooting missing path to driver executable.

Historically, this is the most common error beginning Selenium users get when trying to run code for the first time:

The path to the driver executable must be set by the webdriver.chrome.driver system property; for more information, see https://chromedriver.chromium.org/. The latest version can be downloaded from https://chromedriver.chromium.org/downloads
The executable chromedriver needs to be available in the path.
The file geckodriver does not exist. The driver can be downloaded at https://github.com/mozilla/geckodriver/releases"
Unable to locate the chromedriver executable;

Likely cause

Through WebDriver, Selenium supports all major browsers. In order to drive the requested browser, Selenium needs to send commands to it via an executable driver. This error means the necessary driver could not be found by any of the means Selenium attempts to use.

Possible solutions

There are several ways to ensure Selenium gets the driver it needs.

Use the latest version of Selenium

As of Selenium 4.6, Selenium downloads the correct driver for you. You shouldn’t need to do anything. If you are using the latest version of Selenium and you are getting an error, please turn on logging and file a bug report with that information.

If you want to read more information about how Selenium manages driver downloads for you, you can read about the Selenium Manager.

Use the PATH environment variable

This option first requires manually downloading the driver.

This is a flexible option to change location of drivers without having to update your code, and will work on multiple machines without requiring that each machine put the drivers in the same place.

You can either place the drivers in a directory that is already listed in PATH, or you can place them in a directory and add it to PATH.

To see what directories are already on PATH, open a Terminal and execute:

echo $PATH

If the location to your driver is not already in a directory listed, you can add a new directory to PATH:

echo 'export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/driver' >> ~/.bash_profile
source ~/.bash_profile

You can test if it has been added correctly by checking the version of the driver:

chromedriver --version

To see what directories are already on PATH, open a Terminal and execute:

echo $PATH

If the location to your driver is not already in a directory listed, you can add a new directory to PATH:

echo 'export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/driver' >> ~/.zshenv
source ~/.zshenv

You can test if it has been added correctly by checking the version of the driver:

chromedriver --version

To see what directories are already on PATH, open a Command Prompt and execute:

echo %PATH%

If the location to your driver is not already in a directory listed, you can add a new directory to PATH:

setx PATH "%PATH%;C:\WebDriver\bin"

You can test if it has been added correctly by checking the version of the driver:

chromedriver.exe --version

Specify the location of the driver

If you cannot upgrade to the latest version of Selenium, you do not want Selenium to download drivers for you, and you can’t figure out the environment variables, you can specify the location of the driver in the Service object.

You first need to download the desired driver, then create an instance of the applicable Service class and set the path.

Specifying the location in the code itself has the advantage of not needing to figure out Environment Variables on your system, but has the drawback of making the code less flexible.

Driver management libraries

Before Selenium managed drivers itself, other projects were created to do so for you.

If you can’t use Selenium Manager because you are using an older version of Selenium (please upgrade), or need an advanced feature not yet implemented by Selenium Manager, you might try one of these tools to keep your drivers automatically updated:

Download the driver

BrowserSupported OSMaintained byDownloadIssue Tracker
Chromium/ChromeWindows/macOS/LinuxGoogleDownloadsIssues
FirefoxWindows/macOS/LinuxMozillaDownloadsIssues
EdgeWindows/macOS/LinuxMicrosoftDownloadsIssues
Internet ExplorerWindowsSelenium ProjectDownloadsIssues
SafarimacOS High Sierra and newerAppleBuilt inIssues

Note: The Opera driver no longer works with the latest functionality of Selenium and is currently officially unsupported.

2.10.2 - Logging Selenium commands

Getting information about Selenium execution.

Turning on logging is a valuable way to get extra information that might help you determine why you might be having a problem.

Getting a logger

Java logs are typically created per class. You can work with the default logger to work with all loggers. To filter out specific classes, see Filtering

Get the root logger:

        Logger logger = Logger.getLogger("");

Java Logging is not exactly straightforward, and if you are just looking for an easy way to look at the important Selenium logs, take a look at the Selenium Logger project

Python logs are typically created per module. You can match all submodules by referencing the top level module. So to work with all loggers in selenium module, you can do this:

    logger = logging.getLogger('selenium')
.NET does not currently have a Logging implementation

If you want to see as much debugging as possible in all the classes, you can turn on debugging globally in Ruby by setting $DEBUG = true.

For more fine-tuned control, Ruby Selenium created its own Logger class to wrap the default Logger class. This implementation provides some interesting additional features. Obtain the logger directly from the #loggerclass method on the Selenium::WebDriver module:

    logger = Selenium::WebDriver.logger
const logging = require('selenium-webdriver/lib/logging')
logger = logging.getLogger('webdriver')

Logger level

Logger level helps to filter out logs based on their severity.

Java has 7 logger levels: SEVERE, WARNING, INFO, CONFIG, FINE, FINER, and FINEST. The default is INFO.

You have to change both the level of the logger and the level of the handlers on the root logger:

        logger.setLevel(Level.FINE);
        Arrays.stream(logger.getHandlers()).forEach(handler -> {
            handler.setLevel(Level.FINE);
        });

Python has 6 logger levels: CRITICAL, ERROR, WARNING, INFO, DEBUG, and NOTSET. The default is WARNING

To change the level of the logger:

    logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)

Things get complicated when you use PyTest, though. By default, PyTest hides logging unless the test fails. You need to set 3 things to get PyTest to display logs on passing tests.

To always output logs with PyTest you need to run with additional arguments. First, -s to prevent PyTest from capturing the console. Second, -p no:logging, which allows you to override the default PyTest logging settings so logs can be displayed regardless of errors.

So you need to set these flags in your IDE, or run PyTest on command line like:

pytest -s -p no:logging

Finally, since you turned off logging in the arguments above, you now need to add configuration to turn it back on:

logging.basicConfig(level=logging.WARN)
.NET does not currently have a Logging implementation

Ruby logger has 5 logger levels: :debug, :info, :warn, :error, :fatal. The default is :info.

To change the level of the logger:

    logger.level = :debug

JavaScript has 9 logger levels: OFF, SEVERE, WARNING, INFO, DEBUG, FINE, FINER, FINEST, ALL. The default is OFF.

To change the level of the logger:

logger.setLevel(logging.Level.INFO)

Actionable items

Things are logged as warnings if they are something the user needs to take action on. This is often used for deprecations. For various reasons, Selenium project does not follow standard Semantic Versioning practices. Our policy is to mark things as deprecated for 3 releases and then remove them, so deprecations may be logged as warnings.

Java logs actionable content at logger level WARN

Example:

May 08, 2023 9:23:38 PM dev.selenium.troubleshooting.LoggingTest logging
WARNING: this is a warning

Python logs actionable content at logger level — WARNING Details about deprecations are logged at this level.

Example:

WARNING  selenium:test_logging.py:23 this is a warning
.NET does not currently have a Logging implementation

Ruby logs actionable content at logger level — :warn. Details about deprecations are logged at this level.

For example:

2023-05-08 20:53:13 WARN Selenium [:example_id] this is a warning 

Because these items can get annoying, we’ve provided an easy way to turn them off, see filtering section below.

Useful information

This is the default level where Selenium logs things that users should be aware of but do not need to take actions on. This might reference a new method or direct users to more information about something

Java logs useful information at logger level INFO

Example:

May 08, 2023 9:23:38 PM dev.selenium.troubleshooting.LoggingTest logging
INFO: this is useful information

Python logs useful information at logger level — INFO

Example:

INFO     selenium:test_logging.py:22 this is useful information
.NET does not currently have a Logging implementation

Ruby logs useful information at logger level — :info.

Example:

2023-05-08 20:53:13 INFO Selenium [:example_id] this is useful information 

Logs useful information at level: INFO

Debugging Details

The debug log level is used for information that may be needed for diagnosing issues and troubleshooting problems.

Java logs most debug content at logger level FINE

Example:

May 08, 2023 9:23:38 PM dev.selenium.troubleshooting.LoggingTest logging
FINE: this is detailed debug information

Python logs debugging details at logger level — DEBUG

Example:

DEBUG    selenium:test_logging.py:24 this is detailed debug information
.NET does not currently have a Logging implementation

Ruby only provides one level for debugging, so all details are at logger level — :debug.

Example:

2023-05-08 20:53:13 DEBUG Selenium [:example_id] this is detailed debug information 

Logs debugging details at level: FINER and FINEST

Logger output

Logs can be displayed in the console or stored in a file. Different languages have different defaults.

By default all logs are sent to System.err. To direct output to a file, you need to add a handler:

        Handler handler = new FileHandler("selenium.xml");
        logger.addHandler(handler);

By default all logs are sent to sys.stderr. To direct output somewhere else, you need to add a handler with either a StreamHandler or a FileHandler:

    handler = logging.FileHandler(log_path)
    logger.addHandler(handler)
.NET does not currently have a Logging implementation

By default, logs are sent to the console in stdout.
To store the logs in a file:

    logger.output = file_name

JavaScript does not currently support sending output to a file.

To send logs to console output:

logging.installConsoleHandler()

Logger filtering

Java logging is managed on a per class level, so instead of using the root logger (Logger.getLogger("")), set the level you want to use on a per-class basis:

        Logger.getLogger(RemoteWebDriver.class.getName()).setLevel(Level.FINEST);
        Logger.getLogger(SeleniumManager.class.getName()).setLevel(Level.SEVERE);
Because logging is managed by module, instead of working with just "selenium", you can specify different levels for different modules:
    logging.getLogger('selenium.webdriver.remote').setLevel(logging.WARN)
    logging.getLogger('selenium.webdriver.common').setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
.NET does not currently have a Logging implementation

Ruby’s logger allows you to opt in (“allow”) or opt out (“ignore”) of log messages based on their IDs. Everything that Selenium logs includes an ID. You can also turn on or off all deprecation notices by using :deprecations.

These methods accept one or more symbols or an array of symbols:

    logger.ignore(:jwp_caps, :logger_info)

or

    logger.allow(%i[selenium_manager example_id])

2.10.3 - Upgrade to Selenium 4

Are you still using Selenium 3? This guide will help you upgrade to the latest release!

Upgrading to Selenium 4 should be a painless process if you are using one of the officially supported languages (Ruby, JavaScript, C#, Python, and Java). There might be some cases where a few issues can happen, and this guide will help you to sort them out. We will go through the steps to upgrade your project dependencies and understand the major deprecations and changes the version upgrade brings.

These are the steps we will follow to upgrade to Selenium 4:

  • Preparing our test code
  • Upgrading dependencies
  • Potential errors and deprecation messages

Note: while Selenium 3.x versions were being developed, support for the W3C WebDriver standard was implemented. Both this new protocol and the legacy JSON Wire Protocol were supported. Around version 3.11, Selenium code became compliant with the level W3C 1 specification. The W3C compliant code in the latest version of Selenium 3 will work as expected in Selenium 4.

Preparing our test code

Selenium 4 removes support for the legacy protocol and uses the W3C WebDriver standard by default under the hood. For most things, this implementation will not affect end users. The major exceptions are Capabilities and the Actions class.

Capabilities

If the test capabilities are not structured to be W3C compliant, may cause a session to not be started. Here is the list of W3C WebDriver standard capabilities:

  • browserName
  • browserVersion (replaces version)
  • platformName (replaces platform)
  • acceptInsecureCerts
  • pageLoadStrategy
  • proxy
  • timeouts
  • unhandledPromptBehavior

An up-to-date list of standard capabilities can be found at W3C WebDriver.

Any capability that is not contained in the list above, needs to include a vendor prefix. This applies to browser specific capabilities as well as cloud vendor specific capabilities. For example, if your cloud vendor uses build and name capabilities for your tests, you need to wrap them in a cloud:options block (check with your cloud vendor for the appropriate prefix).

Before

Move Code

DesiredCapabilities caps = DesiredCapabilities.firefox();
caps.setCapability("platform", "Windows 10");
caps.setCapability("version", "92");
caps.setCapability("build", myTestBuild);
caps.setCapability("name", myTestName);
WebDriver driver = new RemoteWebDriver(new URL(cloudUrl), caps);
caps = {};
caps['browserName'] = 'Firefox';
caps['platform'] = 'Windows 10';
caps['version'] = '92';
caps['build'] = myTestBuild;
caps['name'] = myTestName;
DesiredCapabilities caps = new DesiredCapabilities();
caps.SetCapability("browserName", "firefox");
caps.SetCapability("platform", "Windows 10");
caps.SetCapability("version", "92");
caps.SetCapability("build", myTestBuild);
caps.SetCapability("name", myTestName);
var driver = new RemoteWebDriver(new Uri(CloudURL), caps);
caps = Selenium::WebDriver::Remote::Capabilities.firefox
caps[:platform] = 'Windows 10'
caps[:version] = '92'
caps[:build] = my_test_build
caps[:name] = my_test_name
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :remote, url: cloud_url, desired_capabilities: caps
caps = {}
caps['browserName'] = 'firefox'
caps['platform'] = 'Windows 10'
caps['version'] = '92'
caps['build'] = my_test_build
caps['name'] = my_test_name
driver = webdriver.Remote(cloud_url, desired_capabilities=caps)

After

Move Code

FirefoxOptions browserOptions = new FirefoxOptions();
browserOptions.setPlatformName("Windows 10");
browserOptions.setBrowserVersion("92");
Map<String, Object> cloudOptions = new HashMap<>();
cloudOptions.put("build", myTestBuild);
cloudOptions.put("name", myTestName);
browserOptions.setCapability("cloud:options", cloudOptions);
WebDriver driver = new RemoteWebDriver(new URL(cloudUrl), browserOptions);
capabilities = {
  browserName: 'firefox',
  browserVersion: '92',
  platformName: 'Windows 10',
  'cloud:options': {
     build: myTestBuild,
     name: myTestName,
  }
}
var browserOptions = new FirefoxOptions();
browserOptions.PlatformName = "Windows 10";
browserOptions.BrowserVersion = "92";
var cloudOptions = new Dictionary<string, object>();
cloudOptions.Add("build", myTestBuild);
cloudOptions.Add("name", myTestName);
browserOptions.AddAdditionalOption("cloud:options", cloudOptions);
var driver = new RemoteWebDriver(new Uri(CloudURL), browserOptions);
options = Selenium::WebDriver::Options.firefox
options.browser_version = 'latest'
options.platform_name = 'Windows 10'
cloud_options = {}
cloud_options[:build] = my_test_build
cloud_options[:name] = my_test_name
options.add_option('cloud:options', cloud_options)
driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :remote, url: cloud_url, capabilities: options
from selenium.webdriver.firefox.options import Options as FirefoxOptions
options = FirefoxOptions()
options.browser_version = '92'
options.platform_name = 'Windows 10'
cloud_options = {}
cloud_options['build'] = my_test_build
cloud_options['name'] = my_test_name
options.set_capability('cloud:options', cloud_options)
driver = webdriver.Remote(cloud_url, options=options)

Find element(s) utility methods in Java

The utility methods to find elements in the Java bindings (FindsBy interfaces) have been removed as they were meant for internal use only. The following code samples explain this better.

Finding a single element with findElement*

Before

driver.findElementByClassName("className");
driver.findElementByCssSelector(".className");
driver.findElementById("elementId");
driver.findElementByLinkText("linkText");
driver.findElementByName("elementName");
driver.findElementByPartialLinkText("partialText");
driver.findElementByTagName("elementTagName");
driver.findElementByXPath("xPath");
After

driver.findElement(By.className("className"));
driver.findElement(By.cssSelector(".className"));
driver.findElement(By.id("elementId"));
driver.findElement(By.linkText("linkText"));
driver.findElement(By.name("elementName"));
driver.findElement(By.partialLinkText("partialText"));
driver.findElement(By.tagName("elementTagName"));
driver.findElement(By.xpath("xPath"));

Finding a multiple elements with findElements*

Before

driver.findElementsByClassName("className");
driver.findElementsByCssSelector(".className");
driver.findElementsById("elementId");
driver.findElementsByLinkText("linkText");
driver.findElementsByName("elementName");
driver.findElementsByPartialLinkText("partialText");
driver.findElementsByTagName("elementTagName");
driver.findElementsByXPath("xPath");
After

driver.findElements(By.className("className"));
driver.findElements(By.cssSelector(".className"));
driver.findElements(By.id("elementId"));
driver.findElements(By.linkText("linkText"));
driver.findElements(By.name("elementName"));
driver.findElements(By.partialLinkText("partialText"));
driver.findElements(By.tagName("elementTagName"));
driver.findElements(By.xpath("xPath"));

Upgrading dependencies

Check the subsections below to install Selenium 4 and have your project dependencies upgraded.

Java

The process of upgrading Selenium depends on which build tool is being used. We will cover the most common ones for Java, which are Maven and Gradle. The minimum Java version required is still 8.

Maven

Before

<dependencies>
  <!-- more dependencies ... -->
  <dependency>
    <groupId>org.seleniumhq.selenium</groupId>
    <artifactId>selenium-java</artifactId>
    <version>3.141.59</version>
  </dependency>
  <!-- more dependencies ... -->
</dependencies>
After

<dependencies>
    <!-- more dependencies ... -->
    <dependency>
        <groupId>org.seleniumhq.selenium</groupId>
        <artifactId>selenium-java</artifactId>
        <version>4.4.0</version>
    </dependency>
    <!-- more dependencies ... -->
</dependencies>

After making the change, you could execute mvn clean compile on the same directory where the pom.xml file is.

Gradle

Before

plugins {
    id 'java'
}
group 'org.example'
version '1.0-SNAPSHOT'
repositories {
    mavenCentral()
}
dependencies {
    testImplementation 'org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-api:5.7.0'
    testRuntimeOnly 'org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-engine:5.7.0'
    implementation group: 'org.seleniumhq.selenium', name: 'selenium-java', version: '3.141.59'
}
test {
    useJUnitPlatform()
}
After

plugins {
    id 'java'
}
group 'org.example'
version '1.0-SNAPSHOT'
repositories {
    mavenCentral()
}
dependencies {
    testImplementation 'org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-api:5.7.0'
    testRuntimeOnly 'org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-engine:5.7.0'
    implementation group: 'org.seleniumhq.selenium', name: 'selenium-java', version: '4.4.0'
}
test {
    useJUnitPlatform()
}

After making the change, you could execute ./gradlew clean build on the same directory where the build.gradle file is.

To check all the Java releases, you can head to MVNRepository.

C#

The place to get updates for Selenium 4 in C# is NuGet. Under the Selenium.WebDriver package you can get the instructions to update to the latest version. Inside of Visual Studio, through the NuGet Package Manager you can execute:

PM> Install-Package Selenium.WebDriver -Version 4.4.0

Python

The most important change to use Python is the minimum required version. Selenium 4 will require a minimum Python 3.7 or higher. More details can be found at the Python Package Index. To upgrade from the command line, you can execute:

pip install selenium==4.4.3

Ruby

The update details for Selenium 4 can be seen at the selenium-webdriver gem in RubyGems. To install the latest version, you can execute:

gem install selenium-webdriver

To add it to your Gemfile:

gem 'selenium-webdriver', '~> 4.4.0'

JavaScript

The selenium-webdriver package can be found at the Node package manager, npmjs. Selenium 4 can be found here. To install it, you could either execute:

npm install selenium-webdriver

Or, update your package.json and run npm install:

{
  "name": "selenium-tests",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "dependencies": {
    "selenium-webdriver": "^4.4.0"
  }
}

Potential errors and deprecation messages

Here is a set of code examples that will help to overcome the deprecation messages you might encounter after upgrading to Selenium 4.

Java

Waits and Timeout

The parameters received in Timeout have switched from expecting (long time, TimeUnit unit) to expect (Duration duration).

Before

driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
driver.manage().timeouts().setScriptTimeout(2, TimeUnit.MINUTES);
driver.manage().timeouts().pageLoadTimeout(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
After

driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(Duration.ofSeconds(10));
driver.manage().timeouts().scriptTimeout(Duration.ofMinutes(2));
driver.manage().timeouts().pageLoadTimeout(Duration.ofSeconds(10));

Waits are also expecting different parameters now. WebDriverWait is now expecting a Duration instead of a long for timeout in seconds and milliseconds. The withTimeout and pollingEvery utility methods from FluentWait have switched from expecting (long time, TimeUnit unit) to expect (Duration duration).

Before

new WebDriverWait(driver, 3)
.until(ExpectedConditions.elementToBeClickable(By.cssSelector("#id")));

Wait<WebDriver> wait = new FluentWait<WebDriver>(driver)
  .withTimeout(30, TimeUnit.SECONDS)
  .pollingEvery(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS)
  .ignoring(NoSuchElementException.class);
After

new WebDriverWait(driver, Duration.ofSeconds(3))
  .until(ExpectedConditions.elementToBeClickable(By.cssSelector("#id")));

  Wait<WebDriver> wait = new FluentWait<WebDriver>(driver)
  .withTimeout(Duration.ofSeconds(30))
  .pollingEvery(Duration.ofSeconds(5))
  .ignoring(NoSuchElementException.class);

Merging capabilities is no longer changing the calling object

It was possible to merge a different set of capabilities into another set, and it was mutating the calling object. Now, the result of the merge operation needs to be assigned.

Before

MutableCapabilities capabilities = new MutableCapabilities();
capabilities.setCapability("platformVersion", "Windows 10");
FirefoxOptions options = new FirefoxOptions();
options.setHeadless(true);
options.merge(capabilities);

// As a result, the `options` object was getting modified.
After

MutableCapabilities capabilities = new MutableCapabilities();
capabilities.setCapability("platformVersion", "Windows 10");
FirefoxOptions options = new FirefoxOptions();
options.setHeadless(true);
options = options.merge(capabilities);

// The result of the `merge` call needs to be assigned to an object.

Firefox Legacy

Before GeckoDriver was around, the Selenium project had a driver implementation to automate Firefox (version <48). However, this implementation is not needed anymore as it does not work in recent versions of Firefox. To avoid major issues when upgrading to Selenium 4, the setLegacy option will be shown as deprecated. The recommendation is to stop using the old implementation and rely only on GeckoDriver. The following code will show the setLegacy line deprecated after upgrading.

FirefoxOptions options = new FirefoxOptions();
options.setLegacy(true);

BrowserType

The BrowserType interface has been around for a long time, however it is getting deprecated in favour of the new Browser interface.

Before

MutableCapabilities capabilities = new MutableCapabilities();
capabilities.setCapability("browserVersion", "92");
capabilities.setCapability("browserName", BrowserType.FIREFOX);
After

MutableCapabilities capabilities = new MutableCapabilities();
capabilities.setCapability("browserVersion", "92");
capabilities.setCapability("browserName", Browser.FIREFOX);

C#

AddAdditionalCapability is deprecated

Instead of it, AddAdditionalOption is recommended. Here is an example showing this:

Before

var browserOptions = new ChromeOptions();
browserOptions.PlatformName = "Windows 10";
browserOptions.BrowserVersion = "latest";
var cloudOptions = new Dictionary<string, object>();
browserOptions.AddAdditionalCapability("cloud:options", cloudOptions, true);
After

var browserOptions = new ChromeOptions();
browserOptions.PlatformName = "Windows 10";
browserOptions.BrowserVersion = "latest";
var cloudOptions = new Dictionary<string, object>();
browserOptions.AddAdditionalOption("cloud:options", cloudOptions);

Python

executable_path has been deprecated, please pass in a Service object

In Selenium 4, you’ll need to set the driver’s executable_path from a Service object to prevent deprecation warnings. (Or don’t set the path and instead make sure that the driver you need is on the System PATH.)

Before

from selenium import webdriver
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
driver = webdriver.Chrome(
    executable_path=CHROMEDRIVER_PATH, 
    options=options
)
After

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.service import Service as ChromeService
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
service = ChromeService(executable_path=CHROMEDRIVER_PATH)
driver = webdriver.Chrome(service=service, options=options)

Summary

We went through the major changes to be taken into consideration when upgrading to Selenium 4. Covering the different aspects to cover when test code is prepared for the upgrade, including suggestions on how to prevent potential issues that can show up when using the new version of Selenium. To finalize, we also covered a set of possible issues that you can bump into after upgrading, and we shared potential fixes for those issues.

This was originally posted at https://saucelabs.com/resources/articles/how-to-upgrade-to-selenium-4

3 - Grid

Want to run tests in parallel across multiple machines? Then, Grid is for you.

Selenium Grid allows the execution of WebDriver scripts on remote machines by routing commands sent by the client to remote browser instances.

Grid aims to:

  • Provide an easy way to run tests in parallel on multiple machines
  • Allow testing on different browser versions
  • Enable cross platform testing

Interested? Go through the following sections to understand how Grid works, and how to set up your own.

3.1 - Getting started with Selenium Grid

Instructions for a simple Selenium Grid

Quick start

  1. Prerequisites
  2. Start the Grid
    • java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar standalone
  3. Point* your WebDriver tests to http://localhost:4444
  4. (Optional) Check running tests and available capabilities by opening your browser at http://localhost:4444

*Wondering how to point your tests to http://localhost:4444? Check the RemoteWebDriver section.

To learn more about the different configuration options, go through the sections below.

Grid roles

Grid is composed by six different components, which gives you the option to deploy it in different ways.

Depending on your needs, you can start each one of them on its own (Distributed), group them in Hub & Node, or all in one on a single machine (Standalone).

Standalone

Standalone combines all Grid components seamlessly into one. Running a Grid in Standalone mode gives you a fully functional Grid with a single command, within a single process. Standalone can only run on a single machine.

Standalone is also the easiest mode to spin up a Selenium Grid. By default, the server will listen for RemoteWebDriver requests on http://localhost:4444. By default, the server will detect the available drivers that it can use from the System PATH.

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar standalone

After starting successfully the Grid in Standalone mode, point your WebDriver tests to http://localhost:4444.

Common use cases for Standalone are:

  • Develop or debug tests using RemoteWebDriver locally
  • Running quick test suites before pushing code
  • Have a easy to setup Grid in a CI/CD tool (GitHub Actions, Jenkins, etc…)

Hub and Node

Hub and Node is the most used role because it allows to:

  • Combine different machines in a single Grid
    • Machines with different operating systems and/or browser versions, for example
  • Have a single entry point to run WebDriver tests in different environments
  • Scaling capacity up or down without tearing down the Grid

Hub

A Hub is composed by the following components: Router, Distributor, Session Map, New Session Queue, and Event Bus.

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar hub

By default, the server will listen for RemoteWebDriver requests on http://localhost:4444.

Node

During startup time, the Node will detect the available drivers that it can use from the System PATH.

The command below assumes the Node is running on the same machine where the Hub is running.

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar node
More than one Node on the same machine

Node 1

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar node --port 5555

Node 2

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar node --port 6666
Node and Hub on different machines

Hub and Nodes talk to each other via HTTP and the Event Bus (the Event Bus lives inside the Hub). A Node sends a message to the Hub via the Event Bus to start the registration process. When the Hub receives the message, reaches out to the Node via HTTP to confirm its existence.

To successfully register a Node to a Hub, it is important to expose the Event Bus ports (4442 and 4443 by default) on the Hub machine. This also applies for the Node port. With that, both Hub and Node will be able to communicate.

If the Hub is using the default ports, the --hub flag can be used to register the Node

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar node --hub http://<hub-ip>:4444

When the Hub is not using the default ports, the --publish-events and --subscribe-events flags are needed.

For example, if the Hub uses ports 8886, 8887, and 8888

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar hub --publish-events tcp://<hub-ip>:8886 --subscribe-events tcp://<hub-ip>:8887 --port 8888

The Node needs to use those ports to register successfully

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar node --publish-events tcp://<hub-ip>:8886 --subscribe-events tcp://<hub-ip>:8887

Distributed

When using a Distributed Grid, each component is started separately, and ideally on different machines.

  1. Event Bus: enables internal communication between different Grid components.

Default ports are: 4442, 4443, and 5557.

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar event-bus --publish-events tcp://<event-bus-ip>:4442 --subscribe-events tcp://<event-bus-ip>:4443 --port 5557
  1. New Session Queue: adds new session requests to a queue, which will be queried by the Distributor

Default port is 5559.

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar sessionqueue --port 5559
  1. Session Map: maps session IDs to the Node where the session is running

Default Session Map port is 5556. Session Map interacts with the Event Bus.

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar sessions --publish-events tcp://<event-bus-ip>:4442 --subscribe-events tcp://<event-bus-ip>:4443 --port 5556
  1. Distributor: queries the New Session Queue for new session requests, and assigns them to a Node when the capabilities match. Nodes register to the Distributor the way they register to the Hub in a Hub/Node Grid.

Default Distributor port is 5553. Distributor interacts with New Session Queue, Session Map, Event Bus, and the Node(s).

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar distributor --publish-events tcp://<event-bus-ip>:4442 --subscribe-events tcp://<event-bus-ip>:4443 --sessions http://<sessions-ip>:5556 --sessionqueue http://<new-session-queue-ip>:5559 --port 5553 --bind-bus false
  1. Router: redirects new session requests to the queue, and redirects running sessions requests to the Node running that session.

Default Router port is 4444. Router interacts with New Session Queue, Session Map, and Distributor.

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar router --sessions http://<sessions-ip>:5556 --distributor http://<distributor-ip>:5553 --sessionqueue http://<new-session-queue-ip>:5559 --port 4444
  1. Node(s)

Default Node port is 5555.

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar node --publish-events tcp://<event-bus-ip>:4442 --subscribe-events tcp://<event-bus-ip>:4443

Metadata in tests

Add metadata to your tests and consume it via GraphQL or visualize parts of it (like se:name) through the Selenium Grid UI.

Metadata can be added by prefixing a capability with se:. Here is a quick example in Java showing that.

ChromeOptions chromeOptions = new ChromeOptions();
chromeOptions.setCapability("browserVersion", "100");
chromeOptions.setCapability("platformName", "Windows");
// Showing a test name instead of the session id in the Grid UI
chromeOptions.setCapability("se:name", "My simple test"); 
// Other type of metadata can be seen in the Grid UI by clicking on the 
// session info or via GraphQL
chromeOptions.setCapability("se:sampleMetadata", "Sample metadata value"); 
WebDriver driver = new RemoteWebDriver(new URL("http://gridUrl:4444"), chromeOptions);
driver.get("http://www.google.com");
driver.quit();

Querying Selenium Grid

After starting a Grid, there are mainly two ways of querying its status, through the Grid UI or via an API call.

The Grid UI can be reached by opening your preferred browser and heading to http://localhost:4444.

API calls can be done through the http://localhost:4444/status endpoint or using GraphQL

For simplicity, all command examples shown in this page assume that components are running locally. More detailed examples and usages can be found in the Configuring Components section.

Using the Java 11 HTTP Client

By default, Grid will use AsyncHttpClient. AsyncHttpClient is an open-source library built on top of Netty. It allows the execution of HTTP requests and responses asynchronously. Additionally it also provides WebSocket support. Hence it is a good fit.

However, AsyncHttpClient is not been actively maintained since June 2021. It coincides with the fact that Java 11+ provides a built-in HTTP and WebSocket client. Currently, Selenium has plans to upgrade the minimum version supported to Java 11. However, it is a sizeable effort. Aligning it with major releases and accompanied announcements is crucial to ensure the user experience is intact.

To do use the Java 11 client, you will need to download the selenium-http-jdk-client jar file and use the --ext flag to make it available in the Grid jar’s classpath.

The jar file can be downloaded directly from repo1.maven.org and then start the Grid in the following way:

java -Dwebdriver.http.factory=jdk-http-client -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar --ext selenium-http-jdk-client-<version>.jar standalone

An alternative to downloading the selenium-http-jdk-client jar file is to use Coursier.

java -Dwebdriver.http.factory=jdk-http-client -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar --ext $(coursier fetch -p org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-http-jdk-client:<version>) standalone

If you are using the Hub/Node(s) mode or the Distributed mode, setting the -Dwebdriver.http.factory=jdk-http-client and --ext flags needs to be done for each one of the components.

Grid sizes

Choosing a Grid role depends on what operating systems and browsers need to be supported, how many parallel sessions need to be executed, the amount of available machines, and how powerful (CPU, RAM) those machines are.

Creating sessions concurrently relies on the available processors to the Distributor. For example, if a machine has 4 CPUs, the Distributor will only be able to create up to 4 sessions concurrently.

By default, the maximum amount of concurrent sessions a Node supports is limited by the number of CPUs available. For example, if the Node machine has 8CPUs, it can run up to 8 concurrent browser sessions (with the exception of Safari, which is always one). Additionally, it is expected that each browser session should use around 1GB RAM.

In general, it is a recommended to have Nodes as small as possible. Instead of having a machine with 32CPUs and 32GB RAM to run 32 concurrent browser sessions, it is better to have 32 small Nodes in order to better isolate processes. With this, if a Node fails, it will do it in an isolated way. Docker is a good tool to achieve this approach.

Note that the default values (1CPU/1GB RAM per browser) are a recommendation and they could not apply to your context. It is recommended to use them as a reference, but measuring performance continuously will help to determine the ideal values for your environment.

Grid sizes are relative to the amount of supported concurrent sessions and amount of Nodes, and there is no “one size fits all”. Sizes mentioned below are rough estimations thay can vary between different environments. For example a Hub/Node with 120 Nodes might work well when the Hub has enough resources. Values below are not set on stone, and feedback is welcomed!

Small

Standalone or Hub/Node with 5 or less Nodes.

Middle

Hub/Node between 6 and 60 Nodes.

Large

Hub/Node between 60 and 100 Nodes. Distributed with over 100 Nodes.

Warning

Selenium Grid must be protected from external access using appropriate firewall permissions.

Failure to protect your Grid could result in one or more of the following occurring:

  • You provide open access to your Grid infrastructure
  • You allow third parties to access internal web applications and files
  • You allow third parties to run custom binaries

See this blog post on Detectify, which gives a good overview of how a publicly exposed Grid could be misused: Don’t Leave your Grid Wide Open

Further reading

3.2 - When to Use Grid

Is Grid right for you?

When would you use a Selenium Grid?

  • To run your tests in parallel, against different browser types, browser versions, operating systems
  • To reduce the time needed to execute a test suite

Selenium Grid runs test suites in parallel against multiple machines (called Nodes). For large and long-running test suites, this can save minutes, hours, or perhaps days. This shortens the turnaround time for test results as your application under test (AUT) changes.

Grid can run tests (in parallel) against multiple different browsers, and it can run against multiple instances of the same browser. As an example, let’s imagine a Grid with six Nodes. The first machine has Firefox’s latest version, the second has Firefox “latest minus one”, the third gets the latest Chrome, and the remaining three machines are Mac Minis, which allows for three tests to run in parallel on the latest version of Safari.

Execution time can be expressed as a simple formula:

Number of Tests * Average Test Time / Number of Nodes = Total Execution Time

   15      *       45s        /        1        =      11m 15s   // Without Grid
   15      *       45s        /        5        =      2m 15s    // Grid with 5 Nodes
   15      *       45s        /        15       =      45s       // Grid with 15 Nodes
  100      *       120s       /        15       =      13m 20s   // Would take over 3 hours without Grid

As the test suite is executing, the Grid allocates the tests to run against these browsers as configured in the tests.

A configuration such as this can greatly speed up the execution time of even the largest Selenium test suites.

Selenium Grid is a completely native part of the Selenium project, and is maintained in parallel by the same team of committers who work in the core Selenium development. Recognizing the importance of test execution speed, Grid has been a critical part of the Selenium project since the earliest days.

3.3 - Selenium Grid Components

Understand how to use the different Grid components

Selenium Grid 4 is a ground-up rewrite from previous versions. In addition to a comprehensive set of improvements to performance and standards compliance, the different functions of the grid were broken out to reflect a more modern age of computing and software development. Purpose-build for containerization and cloud-distributed scalability, Selenium Grid 4 is a wholly new solution for the modern era.

Selenium Grid 4 Components

Router

The Router is the entry point of the Grid, receiving all external requests, and forwards them to the correct component.

If the Router receives a new session request, it will be forwarded to the New Session Queue.

If the request belongs to an existing session, the Router will query the Session Map to get the Node ID where the session is running, and then the request will be forwarded directly to the Node.

The Router balances the load in the Grid by sending the requests to the component that is able to handle them better, without overloading any component that is not needed in the process.

Distributor

The Distributor has two main responsibilities:

Register and keep track of all Nodes and their capabilities

A Node registers to the Distributor by sending a Node registration event through the Event Bus. The Distributor reads it, and then tries to reach the Node via HTTP to confirm its existence. If the request is successful, the Distributor registers the Node and keeps track of all Nodes capabilities through the GridModel.

Query the New Session Queue and process any pending new session requests

When a new session request is sent to the Router, it gets forwarded to the New Session Queue, where it will wait in the queue. The Distributor will poll the New Session Queue for pending new session requests, and then finds a suitable Node where the session can be created. After the session has been created, the Distributor stores in the Session Map the relation between the session id and Node where the session is being executed.

Session Map

The Session Map is a data store that keeps the relationship between the session id and the Node where the session is running. It supports the Router in the process of forwarding a request to the Node. The Router will ask the Session Map for the Node associated to a session id.

New Session Queue

The New Session Queue holds all the new session requests in a FIFO order. It has configurable parameters for setting the request timeout and request retry interval (how often the timeout will be checked).

The Router adds the new session request to the New Session Queue and waits for the response. The New Session Queue regularly checks if any request in the queue has timed out, if so the request is rejected and removed immediately.

The Distributor regularly checks if a slot is available. If so, the Distributor polls the New Session Queue for the first matching request. The Distributor then attempts to create a new session.

Once the requested capabilities match the capabilities of any of the free Node slots, the Distributor attempts to get the available slot. If all the slots are busy, the Distributor will send the request back to the queue. If request times out while retrying or adding to the front of the queue, it will be rejected.

After a session is created successfully, the Distributor sends the session information to the New Session Queue, which then gets sent back to the Router, and finally to the client.

Node

A Grid can contain multiple Nodes. Each Node manages the slots for the available browsers of the machine where it is running.

The Node registers itself to the Distributor through the Event Bus, and its configuration is sent as part of the registration message.

By default, the Node auto-registers all browser drivers available on the path of the machine where it runs. It also creates one slot per available CPU for Chromium based browsers and Firefox. For Safari, only one slot is created. Through a specific configuration, it can run sessions in Docker containers or relay commands.

A Node only executes the received commands, it does not evaluate, make judgments, or control anything other than the flow of commands and responses. The machines where the Node is running does not need to have the same operating system as the other components. For example, A Windows Node might have the capability of offering IE Mode on Edge as a browser option, whereas this would not be possible on Linux or Mac, and a Grid can have multiple Nodes configured with Windows, Mac, or Linux.

Event Bus

The Event Bus serves as a communication path between the Nodes, Distributor, New Session Queue, and Session Map. The Grid does most of its internal communication through messages, avoiding expensive HTTP calls. When starting the Grid in its fully distributed mode, the Event Bus is the first component that should be started.

3.4 - Configuration of Components

Here you can see how each Grid component can be configured individually based on common configuration values and component-specific configuration values.

3.4.1 - Configuration help

Get information about all the available options to configure Grid.

The help commands display information based on the current code implementation. Hence, it will provide accurate information in case the documentation is not updated. It is the easiest way to learn about Grid 4 configuration for any new version.

Info Command

The info command provides detailed docs on the following topics:

  • Configuring Selenium
  • Security
  • Session Map setup
  • Tracing

Config help

Quick config help and overview is provided by running:

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar info config

Security

To get details on setting up the Grid servers for secure communication and node registration:

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar info security

Session Map setup

By default, Grid uses a local session map to store session information. Grid supports additional storage options like Redis and JDBC - SQL supported databases. To set up different session storage, use the following command to get setup steps:

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar info sessionmap

Setting up tracing with OpenTelemetry and Jaeger

By default, tracing is enabled. To export traces and visualize them via Jaeger, use the following command for instructions:

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar info tracing

List the Selenium Grid commands

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar --config-help

It will show all the available commands and description for each one.

Component help commands

Pass –help config option after the Selenium role to get component-specific config information.

Standalone

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar standalone --help

Hub

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar hub --help

Sessions

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar sessions --help

New Session Queue

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar sessionqueue --help

Distributor

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar distributor --help

Router

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar router --help

Node

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar node --help

3.4.2 - CLI options in the Selenium Grid

All Grid components configuration CLI options in detail.

Different sections are available to configure a Grid. Each section has options can be configured through command line arguments.

A complete description of the component to section mapping can be seen below.

Note that this documentation could be outdated if an option was modified or added but has not been documented yet. In case you bump into this situation, please check the “Config help” section and feel free to send us a pull request updating this page.

Sections

StandaloneHubNodeDistributorRouterSessionsSessionQueue
Distributor
Docker
Events
Logging
Network
Node
Router
Relay
Server
SessionQueue
Sessions

Distributor

OptionTypeValue/ExampleDescription
--healthcheck-intervalint120How often, in seconds, will the health check run for all Nodes. This ensures the server can ping all the Nodes successfully.
--distributorurihttp://localhost:5553Url of the distributor.
--distributor-hoststringlocalhostHost on which the distributor is listening.
--distributor-implementationstringorg.openqa.selenium.grid.distributor.local.LocalDistributorFull class name of non-default distributor implementation
--distributor-portint5553Port on which the distributor is listening.
--reject-unsupported-capsbooleanfalseAllow the Distributor to reject a request immediately if the Grid does not support the requested capability. Rejecting requests immediately is suitable for a Grid setup that does not spin up Nodes on demand.
--slot-matcherstringorg.openqa.selenium.grid.data.DefaultSlotMatcherFull class name of non-default slot matcher to use. This is used to determine whether a Node can support a particular session.
--slot-selectorstringorg.openqa.selenium.grid.distributor.selector.DefaultSlotSelectorFull class name of non-default slot selector. This is used to select a slot in a Node once the Node has been matched.

Docker

OptionTypeValue/ExampleDescription
--docker-assets-pathstring/opt/selenium/assetsAbsolute path where assets will be stored
--docker-string[]selenium/standalone-firefox:latest '{"browserName": "firefox"}'Docker configs which map image name to stereotype capabilities (example `-D selenium/standalone-firefox:latest ‘{“browserName”: “firefox”}’)
--docker-devicesstring[]/dev/kvm:/dev/kvmExposes devices to a container. Each device mapping declaration must have at least the path of the device in both host and container separated by a colon like in this example: /device/path/in/host:/device/path/in/container
--docker-hoststringlocalhostHost name where the Docker daemon is running
--docker-portint2375Port where the Docker daemon is running
--docker-urlstringhttp://localhost:2375URL for connecting to the Docker daemon
--docker-video-imagestringselenium/video:latestDocker image to be used when video recording is enabled

Events

OptionTypeValue/ExampleDescription
--bind-busbooleanfalseWhether the connection string should be bound or connected.
When true, the component will be bound to the Event Bus (as in the Event Bus will also be started by the component, typically by the Distributor and the Hub).
When false, the component will connect to the Event Bus.
--events-implementationstringorg.openqa.selenium.events.zeromq.ZeroMqEventBusFull class name of non-default event bus implementation
--publish-eventsstringtcp://*:4442Connection string for publishing events to the event bus
--subscribe-eventsstringtcp://*:4443Connection string for subscribing to events from the event bus

Logging

OptionTypeValue/ExampleDescription
--http-logsbooleanfalseEnable http logging. Tracing should be enabled to log http logs.
--log-encodingstringUTF-8Log encoding
--logstringWindows path example :
'\path\to\file\gridlog.log'
or
'C:\path\path\to\file\gridlog.log'

Linux/Unix/MacOS path example :
'/path/to/file/gridlog.log'
File to write out logs. Ensure the file path is compatible with the operating system’s file path.
--log-levelstring“INFO”Log level. Default logging level is INFO. Log levels are described here https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/util/logging/Level.html
--plain-logsbooleantrueUse plain log lines
--structured-logsbooleanfalseUse structured logs
--tracingbooleantrueEnable trace collection
--log-timestamp-formatstringHH:mm:ss.SSSAllows the configure log timestamp format

Network

OptionTypeValue/ExampleDescription
--relax-checksbooleanfalseRelax checks on origin header and content type of incoming requests, in contravention of strict W3C spec compliance.

Node

OptionTypeValue/ExampleDescription
--detect-driversbooleantrueAutodetect which drivers are available on the current system, and add them to the Node.
--driver-configurationstring[]display-name="Firefox Nightly" max-sessions=2 webdriver-path="/usr/local/bin/geckodriver" stereotype='{"browserName": "firefox", "browserVersion": "86", "moz:firefoxOptions": {"binary":"/Applications/Firefox Nightly.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox-bin"}}'List of configured drivers a Node supports. It is recommended to provide this type of configuration through a toml config file to improve readability
--driver-factorystring[]org.openqa.selenium.example.LynxDriverFactory '{"browserName": "lynx"}'Mapping of fully qualified class name to a browser configuration that this matches against.
--driver-implementationstring[]"firefox"Drivers that should be checked. If specified, will skip autoconfiguration.
--node-implementationstring"org.openqa.selenium.grid.node.local.LocalNodeFactory"Full classname of non-default Node implementation. This is used to manage a session’s lifecycle.
--grid-urlstringhttps://grid.example.comPublic URL of the Grid as a whole (typically the address of the Hub or the Router)
--heartbeat-periodint60How often, in seconds, will the Node send heartbeat events to the Distributor to inform it that the Node is up.
--max-sessionsint8Maximum number of concurrent sessions. Default value is the number of available processors.
--override-max-sessionsbooleanfalseThe # of available processors is the recommended max sessions value (1 browser session per processor). Setting this flag to true allows the recommended max value to be overwritten. Session stability and reliability might suffer as the host could run out of resources.
--register-cycleint10How often, in seconds, the Node will try to register itself for the first time to the Distributor.
--register-periodint120How long, in seconds, will the Node try to register to the Distributor for the first time. After this period is completed, the Node will not attempt to register again.
--session-timeoutint300Let X be the session-timeout in seconds. The Node will automatically kill a session that has not had any activity in the last X seconds. This will release the slot for other tests.
--vnc-env-varstringSTART_XVFBEnvironment variable to check in order to determine if a vnc stream is available or not.
--no-vnc-portint7900If VNC is available, sets the port where the local noVNC stream can be obtained
--drain-after-session-countint1Drain and shutdown the Node after X sessions have been executed. Useful for environments like Kubernetes. A value higher than zero enables this feature.
--hubstringhttp://localhost:4444The address of the Hub in a Hub-and-Node configuration. Can be a hostname or IP address (hostname), in which case the Hub will be assumed to be http://hostname:4444, the --grid-url will be the same --publish-events will be tcp://hostname:4442 and --subscribe-events will be tcp://hostname:4443. If hostname contains a port number, that will be used for --grid-url but the URIs for the event bus will remain the same. Any of these default values may be overridden but setting the correct flags. If the hostname has a protocol (such as https) that will be used too.
--enable-cdpbooleantrueEnable CDP proxying in Grid. A Grid admin can disable CDP if the network doesnot allow websockets. True by default.
--enable-managed-downloadsbooleanfalseThis causes the Node to auto manage files downloaded for a given session on the Node.
--selenium-managerbooleanfalseWhen drivers are not available on the current system, use Selenium Manager. False by default.

Relay

OptionTypeValue/ExampleDescription
--service-urlstringhttp://localhost:4723URL for connecting to the service that supports WebDriver commands like an Appium server or a cloud service.
--service-hoststringlocalhostHost name where the service that supports WebDriver commands is running
--service-portint4723Port where the service that supports WebDriver commands is running
--service-status-endpointstring/statusOptional, endpoint to query the WebDriver service status, an HTTP 200 response is expected
--service-configurationstring[]max-sessions=2 stereotype='{"browserName": "safari", "platformName": "iOS", "appium:platformVersion": "14.5"}}'Configuration for the service where calls will be relayed to. It is recommended to provide this type of configuration through a toml config file to improve readability.

Router

OptionTypeValue/ExampleDescription
--passwordstringmyStrongPasswordPassword clients must use to connect to the server. Both this and the username need to be set in order to be used.
--usernamestringadminUser name clients must use to connect to the server. Both this and the password need to be set in order to be used.
--sub-pathstringmy_company/selenium_gridA sub-path that should be considered for all user facing routes on the Hub/Router/Standalone.

Server

OptionTypeValue/ExampleDescription
--external-urlstringhttp://10.0.1.1:33333External URL where component is generally available. Useful on complex network topologies when components are on different networks and proxy servers are involved.
--allow-corsbooleantrueWhether the Selenium server should allow web browser connections from any host
--hoststringlocalhostServer IP or hostname: usually determined automatically.
--bind-hostbooleantrueWhether the server should bind to the host address/name, or only use it to" report its reachable url. Helpful in complex network topologies where the server cannot report itself with the current IP/hostname but rather an external IP or hostname (e.g. inside a Docker container)
--https-certificatepath/path/to/cert.pemServer certificate for https. Get more detailed information by running “java -jar selenium-server.jar info security”
--https-private-keypath/path/to/key.pkcs8Private key for https. Get more detailed information by running “java -jar selenium-server.jar info security”
--max-threadsint24Maximum number of listener threads. Default value is: (available processors) * 3.
--portint4444Port to listen on. There is no default as this parameter is used by different components, for example, Router/Hub/Standalone will use 4444 and Node will use 5555.

SessionQueue

OptionTypeValue/ExampleDescription
--sessionqueueurihttp://localhost:1237Address of the session queue server.
-sessionqueue-hoststringlocalhostHost on which the session queue server is listening.
--sessionqueue-portint1234Port on which the session queue server is listening.
--session-request-timeoutint300Timeout in seconds. A new incoming session request is added to the queue. Requests sitting in the queue for longer than the configured time will timeout.
--session-retry-intervalint5Retry interval in seconds. If all slots are busy, new session request will be retried after the given interval.

Sessions

OptionTypeValue/ExampleDescription
--sessionsurihttp://localhost:1234Address of the session map server.
--sessions-hoststringlocalhostHost on which the session map server is listening.
--sessions-portint1234Port on which the session map server is listening.

Configuration examples

All the options mentioned above can be used when starting the Grid components. They are a good way of exploring the Grid options, and trying out values to find a suitable configuration.

We recommend the use of Toml files to configure a Grid. Configuration files improve readability, and you can also check them in source control.

When needed, you can combine a Toml file configuration with CLI arguments.

Command-line flags

To pass config options as command-line flags, identify the valid options for the component and follow the template below.

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar <component> --<option> value

Standalone, setting max sessions and main port

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar standalone --max-sessions 4 --port 4444

Hub, setting a new session request timeout, a main port, and disabling tracing

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar hub --session-request-timeout 500 --port 3333 --tracing false

Node, with 4 max sessions, with debug(fine) log, 7777 as port, and only with Firefox and Edge

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar node --max-sessions 4 --log-level "fine" --port 7777 --driver-implementation "firefox" --driver-implementation "edge"

Distributor, setting Session Map server url, Session Queue server url, and disabling bus

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar distributor --sessions http://localhost:5556 --sessionqueue http://localhost:5559 --bind-bus false

Setting custom capabilities for matching specific Nodes

Important: Custom capabilities need to be set in the configuration in all Nodes. They also need to be included always in every session request.

Start the Hub
java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar hub
Start the Node A with custom cap set to true
java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar node --detect-drivers false --driver-configuration display-name="Chrome (custom capability true)" max-sessions=1 stereotype='{"browserName":"chrome","gsg:customcap":true}' --port 6161
Start the Node B with custom cap set to false
java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar node --detect-drivers false --driver-configuration display-name="Chrome (custom capability true)" max-sessions=1 stereotype='{"browserName":"chrome","gsg:customcap":false}' --port 6262
Matching Node A
ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();
options.setCapability("gsg:customcap", true);
WebDriver driver = new RemoteWebDriver(new URL("http://localhost:4444"), options);
driver.get("https://selenium.dev");
driver.quit();

Set the custom capability to false in order to match the Node B.

Enabling Managed downloads by the Node

At times a test may need to access files that were downloaded by it on the Node. To retrieve such files, following can be done.

Start the Hub
java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar hub
Start the Node with manage downloads enabled
java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar node --enable-managed-downloads true
Set the capability at the test level

Tests that want to use this feature should set the capability "se:downloadsEnabled"to true

options.setCapability("se:downloadsEnabled", true);
How does this work
  • The Grid infrastructure will try to match a session request with "se:downloadsEnabled" against ONLY those nodes which were started with --enable-managed-downloads true
  • If a session is matched, then the Node automatically sets the required capabilities to let the browser know, as to where should a file be downloaded.
  • The Node now allows a user to:
    • List all the files that were downloaded for a specific session and
    • Retrieve a specific file from the list of files.
  • The directory into which files were downloaded for a specific session gets automatically cleaned up when the session ends (or) timesout due to inactivity.

Note: Currently this capability is ONLY supported on:

  • Edge
  • Firefox and
  • Chrome browser
Listing files that can be downloaded for current session:
  • The endpoint to GET from is /session/<sessionId>/se/files.
  • The session needs to be active in order for the command to work.
  • The raw response looks like below:
{
  "value": {
    "names": [
      "Red-blue-green-channel.jpg"
    ]
  }
}

In the response the list of file names appear under the key names.

Dowloading a file:
  • The endpoint to POST from is /session/<sessionId>/se/files with a payload of the form {"name": "fileNameGoesHere}
  • The session needs to be active in order for the command to work.
  • The raw response looks like below:
{
	"value": {
		"filename": "Red-blue-green-channel.jpg",
		"contents": "Base64EncodedStringContentsOfDownloadedFileAsZipGoesHere"
	}
}
  • The response blob contains two keys,
    • filename - The file name that was downloaded.
    • contents - Base64 encoded zipped contents of the file.
  • The file contents are Base64 encoded and they need to be unzipped.
List files that can be downloaded

The below mentioned curl example can be used to list all the files that were downloaded by the current session in the Node, and which can be retrieved locally.

curl -X GET "http://localhost:4444/session/90c0149a-2e75-424d-857a-e78734943d4c/se/files"

A sample response would look like below:

{
  "value": {
    "names": [
      "Red-blue-green-channel.jpg"
    ]
  }
}
Retrieve a downloaded file

Assuming the downloaded file is named Red-blue-green-channel.jpg, and using curl, the file could be downloaded with the following command:

curl -H "Accept: application/json" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8" \
-X POST -d '{"name":"Red-blue-green-channel.jpg"}' \
"http://localhost:4444/session/18033434-fa4f-4d11-a7df-9e6d75920e19/se/files"

A sample response would look like below:

{
  "value": {
    "filename": "Red-blue-green-channel.jpg",
    "contents": "UEsDBBQACAgIAJpagVYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaAAAAUmVkLWJsAAAAAAAAAAAAUmVkLWJsdWUtZ3JlZW4tY2hhbm5lbC5qcGdQSwUGAAAAAAEAAQBIAAAAcNkAAAAA"
  }
}
Complete sample code in Java

Below is an example in Java that does the following:

  • Sets the capability to indicate that the test requires automatic managing of downloaded files.
  • Triggers a file download via a browser.
  • Lists the files that are available for retrieval from the remote node (These are essentially files that were downloaded in the current session)
  • Picks one file and downloads the file from the remote node to the local machine.
import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;

import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.io.Zip;
import org.openqa.selenium.json.Json;
import org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.remote.http.HttpClient;
import org.openqa.selenium.remote.http.HttpRequest;
import org.openqa.selenium.remote.http.HttpResponse;

import java.io.File;
import java.net.URL;
import java.nio.file.Files;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.Optional;
import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;

import static org.openqa.selenium.remote.http.Contents.asJson;
import static org.openqa.selenium.remote.http.Contents.string;
import static org.openqa.selenium.remote.http.HttpMethod.GET;
import static org.openqa.selenium.remote.http.HttpMethod.POST;

public class DownloadsSample {

  public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
    // Assuming the Grid is running locally.
    URL gridUrl = new URL("http://localhost:4444");
    ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();
    options.setCapability("se:downloadsEnabled", true);
    RemoteWebDriver driver = new RemoteWebDriver(gridUrl, options);
    try {
      demoFileDownloads(driver, gridUrl);
    } finally {
      driver.quit();
    }
  }

	private static void demoFileDownloads(RemoteWebDriver driver, URL gridUrl) throws Exception {
		driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/downloads/download.html");
		// Download the two available files on the page
		driver.findElement(By.id("file-1")).click();
		driver.findElement(By.id("file-2")).click();

		// The download happens in a remote Node, which makes it difficult to know when the file
		// has been completely downloaded. For demonstration purposes, this example uses a
		// 10-second sleep which should be enough time for a file to be downloaded.
		// We strongly recommend to avoid hardcoded sleeps, and ideally, to modify your
		// application under test, so it offers a way to know when the file has been completely
		// downloaded.
		TimeUnit.SECONDS.sleep(10);

		//This is the endpoint which will provide us with list of files to download and also to
		//let us download a specific file.
		String downloadsEndpoint = String.format("/session/%s/se/files", driver.getSessionId());

		String fileToDownload;

		try (HttpClient client = HttpClient.Factory.createDefault().createClient(gridUrl)) {
			// To list all files that are were downloaded on the remote node for the current session
			// we trigger GET request.
			HttpRequest request = new HttpRequest(GET, downloadsEndpoint);
			HttpResponse response = client.execute(request);
			Map<String, Object> jsonResponse = new Json().toType(string(response), Json.MAP_TYPE);
			@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
			Map<String, Object> value = (Map<String, Object>) jsonResponse.get("value");
			@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
			List<String> names = (List<String>) value.get("names");
			// Let's say there were "n" files downloaded for the current session, we would like
			// to retrieve ONLY the first file.
			fileToDownload = names.get(0);
		}

		// Now, let's download the file
		try (HttpClient client = HttpClient.Factory.createDefault().createClient(gridUrl)) {
			// To retrieve a specific file from one or more files that were downloaded by the current session
			// on a remote node, we use a POST request.
			HttpRequest request = new HttpRequest(POST, downloadsEndpoint);
			request.setContent(asJson(ImmutableMap.of("name", fileToDownload)));
			HttpResponse response = client.execute(request);
			Map<String, Object> jsonResponse = new Json().toType(string(response), Json.MAP_TYPE);
			@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
			Map<String, Object> value = (Map<String, Object>) jsonResponse.get("value");
			// The returned map would contain 2 keys,
			// filename - This represents the name of the file (same as what was provided by the test)
			// contents - Base64 encoded String which contains the zipped file.
			String zippedContents = value.get("contents").toString();
			// The file contents would always be a zip file and has to be unzipped.
			File downloadDir = Zip.unzipToTempDir(zippedContents, "download", "");
			// Read the file contents
			File downloadedFile = Optional.ofNullable(downloadDir.listFiles()).orElse(new File[]{})[0];
			String fileContent = String.join("", Files.readAllLines(downloadedFile.toPath()));
			System.out.println("The file which was "
					+ "downloaded in the node is now available in the directory: "
					+ downloadDir.getAbsolutePath() + " and has the contents: " + fileContent);
		}
	}


}

3.4.3 - TOML configuration options

Grid configuration examples using Toml files.

All the options shown in CLI options can be configured through a TOML file. This page shows configuration examples for the different Grid components.

Note that this documentation could be outdated if an option was modified or added but has not been documented yet. In case you bump into this situation, please check the “Config help” section and feel free to send us a pull request updating this page.

Overview

Selenium Grid uses TOML format for config files. The config file consists of sections and each section has options and its respective value(s).

Refer to the TOML documentation for detailed usage guidance. In case of parsing errors, validate the config using TOML linter.

The general configuration structure has the following pattern:

[section1]
option1="value"

[section2]
option2=["value1","value2"]
option3=true

Below are some examples of Grid components configured with a Toml file, the component can be started in the following way:

java -jar selenium-server-<version>.jar <component> --config /path/to/file/<file-name>.toml

Standalone

A Standalone server, running on port 4449, and a new session request timeout of 500 seconds.

[server]
port = 4449

[sessionqueue]
session-request-timeout = 500

Specific browsers and a limit of max sessions

A Standalone server or a Node which only has Firefox and Chrome enabled by default.

[node]
drivers = ["chrome", "firefox"]
max-sessions = 3

Configuring and customising drivers

Standalone or Node server with customised drivers, which allows things like having Firefox Beta or Nightly, and having different browser versions.

[node]
detect-drivers = false
[[node.driver-configuration]]
max-sessions = 100
display-name = "Firefox Nightly"
stereotype = "{\"browserName\": \"firefox\", \"browserVersion\": \"93\", \"platformName\": \"MAC\", \"moz:firefoxOptions\": {\"binary\": \"/Applications/Firefox Nightly.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox-bin\"}}"
[[node.driver-configuration]]
display-name = "Chrome Beta"
stereotype = "{\"browserName\": \"chrome\", \"browserVersion\": \"94\", \"platformName\": \"MAC\", \"goog:chromeOptions\": {\"binary\": \"/Applications/Google Chrome Beta.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome Beta\"}}"
[[node.driver-configuration]]
display-name = "Chrome Dev"
stereotype = "{\"browserName\": \"chrome\", \"browserVersion\": \"95\", \"platformName\": \"MAC\", \"goog:chromeOptions\": {\"binary\": \"/Applications/Google Chrome Dev.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome Dev\"}}"
webdriver-executable = '/path/to/chromedriver/95/chromedriver'

Standalone or Node with Docker

A Standalone or Node server that is able to run each new session in a Docker container. Disabling drivers detection, having maximum 2 concurrent sessions. Stereotypes configured need to be mapped to a Docker image, and the Docker daemon needs to be exposed via http/tcp. In addition, it is possible to define which device files, accessible on the host, will be available in containers through the devices property. Refer to the docker documentation for more information about how docker device mapping works.

[node]
detect-drivers = false
max-sessions = 2

[docker]
configs = [
    "selenium/standalone-chrome:93.0", "{\"browserName\": \"chrome\", \"browserVersion\": \"91\"}", 
    "selenium/standalone-firefox:92.0", "{\"browserName\": \"firefox\", \"browserVersion\": \"92\"}"
]
#Optionally define all device files that should be mapped to docker containers
#devices = [
#    "/dev/kvm:/dev/kvm"
#]
url = "http://localhost:2375"
video-image = "selenium/video:latest"

Relaying commands to a service endpoint that supports WebDriver

It is useful to connect an external service that supports WebDriver to Selenium Grid. An example of such service could be a cloud provider or an Appium server. In this way, Grid can enable more coverage to platforms and versions not present locally.

The following is an en example of connecting an Appium server to Grid.

[node]
detect-drivers = false

[relay]
# Default Appium/Cloud server endpoint
url = "http://localhost:4723/wd/hub"
status-endpoint = "/status"
# Stereotypes supported by the service. The initial number is "max-sessions", and will allocate 
# that many test slots to that particular configuration
configs = [
  "5", "{\"browserName\": \"chrome\", \"platformName\": \"android\", \"appium:platformVersion\": \"11\"}"
]

Basic auth enabled

It is possible to protect a Grid with basic auth by configuring the Router/Hub/Standalone with a username and password. This user/password combination will be needed when loading the Grid UI or starting a new session.

[router]
username = "admin"
password = "myStrongPassword"

Here is a Java example showing how to start a session using the configured user and password.

URL gridUrl = new URL("http://admin:myStrongPassword@localhost:4444");
RemoteWebDriver webDriver = new RemoteWebDriver(gridUrl, new ChromeOptions());

Setting custom capabilities for matching specific Nodes

Important: Custom capabilities need to be set in the configuration in all Nodes. They also need to be included always in every session request.

[node]
detect-drivers = false

[[node.driver-configuration]]
display-name = "firefox"
stereotype = '{"browserName": "firefox", "platformName": "macOS", "browserVersion":"96", "networkname:applicationName":"node_1", "nodename:applicationName":"app_1" }'
max-sessions = 5

Here is a Java example showing how to match that Node

FirefoxOptions options = new FirefoxOptions();
options.setCapability("networkname:applicationName", "node_1");
options.setCapability("nodename:applicationName", "app_1");
options.setBrowserVersion("96");
options.setPlatformName("macOS");
WebDriver driver = new RemoteWebDriver(new URL("http://localhost:4444"), options);
driver.get("https://selenium.dev");
driver.quit();

Enabling Managed downloads by the Node.

The Node can be instructed to manage downloads automatically. This will cause the Node to save all files that were downloaded for a particular session into a temp directory, which can later be retrieved from the node. To turn this capability on, use the below configuration:

[node]
enable-managed-downloads = true

Refer to the CLI section for a complete example.

3.5 - Grid architecture

The Grid is designed as a set of components that all fulfill a role in maintaining the Grid. It can seem quite complicated, but hopefully this document can help clear up any confusion.

The Key Components

The main components of the Grid are:

Event Bus
Used for sending messages which may be received asynchronously between the other components.
New Session Queue
Maintains a list of incoming sessions which have yet to be assigned to a Node by the Distributor.
Distributor
Responsible for maintaining a model of the available locations in the Grid where a session may run (known as "slots") and taking any incoming new session requests and assigning them to a slot.
Node
Runs a WebDriver session. Each session is assigned to a slot, and each node has one or more slots.
Session Map
Maintains a mapping between the session ID and the address of the Node the session is running on.
Router
Acts as the front-end of the Grid. This is the only part of the Grid which may be exposed to the wider Web (though we strongly caution against it). This routes incoming requests to either the New Session Queue or the Node on which the session is running.

While discussing the Grid, there are some other useful concepts to keep in mind:

  • A slot is the place where a session can run.
  • Each slot has a stereotype. This is the minimal set of capabilities that a new session session request must match before the Distributor will send that request to the Node owning the slot.
  • The Grid Model is how the Distributor tracks the state of the Grid. As the name suggests, this may sometimes fall out of sync with reality (perhaps because the Distributor has only just started). It is used in preference to querying each Node so that the Distributor can quickly assign a slot to a New Session request.

Synchronous and Asynchronous Calls

There are two main communication mechanisms used within the Grid:

  1. Synchronous “REST-ish” JSON over HTTP requests.
  2. Asynchronous events sent to the Event Bus.

How do we pick which communication mechanism to use? After all, we could model the entire Grid in an event-based way, and it would work out just fine.

The answer is that if the action being performed is synchronous (eg. most WebDriver calls), or if missing the response would be problematic, the Grid uses a synchronous call. If, instead, we want to broadcast information to anyone who’s interested, or if missing the response doesn’t matter, then we prefer to use the event bus.

One interesting thing to note is that the async calls are more decoupled from their listeners than the synchronous calls are.

Start Up Sequence and Dependencies Between Components

Although the Grid is designed to allow components to start up in any order, conceptually the order in which components starts is:

  1. The Event Bus and Session Map start first. These have no other dependencies, not even on each other, and so are safe to start in parallel.
  2. The Session Queue starts next.
  3. It is now possible to start the Distributor. This will periodically connect to the Session Queue and poll for jobs, though this polling might be initiated either by an event (that a New Session has been added to the queue) or at regular intervals.
  4. The Router(s) can be started. New Session requests will be directed to the Session Queue, and the Distributor will attempt to find a slot to run the session on.
  5. We are now able to start a Node. See below for details about how the Node is registered with the Grid. Once registration is complete, the Grid is ready to serve traffic.

You can picture the dependencies between components this way, where a “✅” indicates that there is a synchronous dependency between the components.

Event BusDistributorNodeRouterSession MapSession Queue
Event BusX
DistributorX
NodeX
RouterX
Session MapX
Session QueueX

Node Registration

The process of registering a new Node to the Grid is lightweight.

  1. When the Node starts, it should emit a “heart beat” event on a regular basis. This heartbeat contains the node status.
  2. The Distributor listens for the heart beat events. When it sees one, it attempts to GET the /status endpoint of the Node. It is from this information that the Grid is set up.

The Distributor will use the same /status endpoint to check the Node on a regular basis, but the Node should continue sending heart beat events even after started so that a Distributor without a persistent store of the Grid state can be restarted and will (eventually) be up to date and correct.

The Node Status Object

The Node Status is a JSON blob with the following fields:

NameTypeDescription
availabilitystringA string which is one of up, draining, or down. The important one is draining, which indicates that no new sessions should be sent to the Node, and once the last session on it closes, the Node will exit or restart.
externalUrlstringThe URI that the other components in the Grid should connect to.
lastSessionCreatedintegerThe epoch timestamp of when the last session was created on this Node. The Distributor will attempt to send new sessions to the Node that has been idle longest if all other things are equal.
maxSessionCountintegerAlthough a session count can be inferred by counting the number of available slots, this integer value is used to determine the maximum number of sessions that should be running simultaneously on the Node before it is considered “full”.
nodeIdstringA UUID used to identify this instance of the Node.
osInfoobjectAn object with arch, name, and version fields. This is used by the Grid UI and the GraphQL queries.
slotsarrayAn array of Slot objects (described below)
versionstringThe version of the Node (for Selenium, this will match the Selenium version number)

It is recommended to put values in all fields.

The Slot Object

The Slot object represents a single slot within a Node. A “slot” is where a single session may be run. It is possible that a Node will have more slots than it can run concurrently. For example, a node may be able to run up 10 sessions, but they could be any combination of Chrome, Edge, or Firefox; in this case, the Node would indicate a “max session count” of 10, and then also say it has 10 slots for Chrome, 10 for Edge, and 10 for Firefox.

NameTypeDescription
idstringUUID to refer to the slot
lastStartedstringWhen the slot last had a session started, in ISO-8601 format
stereotypeobjectThe minimal set of capabilities this slot will match against. A minimal example is {"browserName": "firefox"}
sessionobjectThe Session object (see below)

The Session Object

This represents a running session within a slot

NameTypeDescription
capabilitiesobjectThe actual capabilities provided by the session. Will match the return value from the new session command
startTimestringThe start time of the session in ISO-8601 format
stereotypeobjectThe minimal set of capabilities this slot will match against. A minimal example is {"browserName": "firefox"}
uristringThe URI used by the Node to communicate with the session

3.6 - Advanced features of Selenium

To get all the details of the advanced features, understand how it works, and how to set up your own, please browse thorough the following sections.

3.6.1 - Observability in Selenium Grid

Table of Contents

Selenium Grid

Grid aids in scaling and distributing tests by executing tests on various browser and operating system combinations.

Observability

Observability has three pillars: traces, metrics and logs. Since Selenium Grid 4 is designed to be fully distributed, observability will make it easier to understand and debug the internals.

Distributed tracing

A single request or transaction spans multiple services and components. Tracing tracks the request lifecycle as each service executes the request. It is useful in debugging in an error scenario. Some key terms used in tracing context are:

Trace Tracing allows one to trace a request through multiple services, starting from its origin to its final destination. This request’s journey helps in debugging, monitoring the end-to-end flow, and identifying failures. A trace depicts the end-to-end request flow. Each trace has a unique id as its identifier.

Span Each trace is made up of timed operations called spans. A span has a start and end time and it represents operations done by a service. The granularity of span depends on how it is instrumented. Each span has a unique identifier. All spans within a trace have the same trace id.

Span Attributes Span attributes are key-value pairs which provide additional information about each span.

Events Events are timed-stamped logs within a span. They provide additional context to the existing spans. Events also contain key-value pairs as event attributes.

Event logging

Logging is essential to debug an application. Logging is often done in a human-readable format. But for machines to search and analyze the logs, it has to have a well-defined format. Structured logging is a common practice of recording logs consistently in a fixed format. It commonly contains fields like:

  • Timestamp
  • Logging level
  • Logger class
  • Log message (This is further broken down into fields relevant to the operation where the log was recorded)

Logs and events are closely related. Events encapsulate all the possible information available to do a single unit of work. Logs are essentially subsets of an event. At the crux, both aid in debugging. Refer following resources for detailed understanding:

  1. https://www.honeycomb.io/blog/how-are-structured-logs-different-from-events/
  2. https://charity.wtf/2019/02/05/logs-vs-structured-events/

Grid Observability

Selenium server is instrumented with tracing using OpenTelemetry. Every request to the server is traced from start to end. Each trace consists of a series of spans as a request is executed within the server. Most spans in the Selenium server consist of two events:

  1. Normal event - records all information about a unit of work and marks successful completion of the work.
  2. Error event - records all information till the error occurs and then records the error information. Marks an exception event.

Running Selenium server

  1. Standalone
  2. Hub and Node
  3. Fully Distributed
  4. Docker

Visualizing Traces

All spans, events and their respective attributes are part of a trace. Tracing works while running the server in all of the above-mentioned modes.

By default, tracing is enabled in the Selenium server. Selenium server exports the traces via two exporters:

  1. Console - Logs all traces and their included spans at FINE level. By default, Selenium server prints logs at INFO level and above. The log-level flag can be used to pass a logging level of choice while running the Selenium Grid jar/s.
java -jar selenium-server-4.0.0-<selenium-version>.jar standalone --log-level FINE
  1. Jaeger UI - OpenTelemetry provides the APIs and SDKs to instrument traces in the code. Whereas Jaeger is a tracing backend, that aids in collecting the tracing telemetry data and providing querying, filtering and visualizing features for the data.

Detailed instructions of visualizing traces using Jaeger UI can be obtained by running the command :

java -jar selenium-server-4.0.0-<selenium-version>.jar info tracing

A very good example and scripts to run the server and send traces to Jaeger

Leveraging event logs

Tracing has to be enabled for event logging as well, even if one does not wish to export traces to visualize them.
By default, tracing is enabled. No additional parameters need to be passed to see logs on the console. All events within a span are logged at FINE level. Error events are logged at WARN level.

All event logs have the following fields :

FieldField valueDescription
Event timeeventIdTimestamp of the event record in epoch nanoseconds.
Trace IdtracedIdEach trace is uniquely identified by a trace id.
Span IdspanIdEach span within a trace is uniquely identified by a span id.
Span KindspanKindSpan kind is a property of span indicating the type of span. It helps in understanding the nature of the unit of work done by the Span.
Event nameeventNameThis maps to the log message.
Event attributeseventAttributesThis forms the crux of the event logs, based on the operation executed, it has JSON formatted key-value pairs. This also includes a handler class attribute, to show the logger class.

Sample log

FINE [LoggingOptions$1.lambda$export$1] - {
  "traceId": "fc8aef1d44b3cc8bc09eb8e581c4a8eb",
  "spanId": "b7d3b9865d3ddd45",
  "spanKind": "INTERNAL",
  "eventTime": 1597819675128886121,
  "eventName": "Session request execution complete",
  "attributes": {
    "http.status_code": 200,
    "http.handler_class": "org.openqa.selenium.grid.router.HandleSession",
    "http.url": "\u002fsession\u002fdd35257f104bb43fdfb06242953f4c85",
    "http.method": "DELETE",
    "session.id": "dd35257f104bb43fdfb06242953f4c85"
  }
}

In addition to the above fields, based on OpenTelemetry specification error logs consist of :

FieldField valueDescription
Exception typeexception.typeThe class name of the exception.
Exception messageexception.messageReason for the exception.
Exception stacktraceexception.stacktracePrints the call stack at the point of time when the exception was thrown. Helps in understanding the origin of the exception.

Sample error log

WARN [LoggingOptions$1.lambda$export$1] - {
  "traceId": "7efa5ea57e02f89cdf8de586fe09f564",
  "spanId": "914df6bc9a1f6e2b",
  "spanKind": "INTERNAL",
  "eventTime": 1597820253450580272,
  "eventName": "exception",
  "attributes": {
    "exception.type": "org.openqa.selenium.ScriptTimeoutException",
    "exception.message": "Unable to execute request: java.sql.SQLSyntaxErrorException: Table 'mysql.sessions_mappa' doesn't exist ..." (full message will be printed),
    "exception.stacktrace": "org.openqa.selenium.ScriptTimeoutException: java.sql.SQLSyntaxErrorException: Table 'mysql.sessions_mappa' doesn't exist\nBuild info: version: '4.0.0-alpha-7', revision: 'Unknown'\nSystem info: host: 'XYZ-MacBook-Pro.local', ip: 'fe80:0:0:0:10d5:b63a:bdc6:1aff%en0', os.name: 'Mac OS X', os.arch: 'x86_64', os.version: '10.13.6', java.version: '11.0.7'\nDriver info: driver.version: unknown ...." (full stack will be printed),
    "http.handler_class": "org.openqa.selenium.grid.distributor.remote.RemoteDistributor",
    "http.url": "\u002fsession",
    "http.method": "POST"
  }
}

Note: Logs are pretty printed above for readability. Pretty printing for logs is turned off in Selenium server.

The steps above should set you up for seeing traces and logs.

References

  1. Understanding Tracing
  2. OpenTelemetry Tracing API Specification
  3. Selenium Wiki
  4. Structured logs vs events
  5. Jaeger framework

3.6.2 - GraphQL query support

GraphQL is a query language for APIs and a runtime for fulfilling those queries with your existing data. It gives users the power to ask for exactly what they need and nothing more.

Enums

Enums represent possible sets of values for a field.

For example, the Node object has a field called status. The state is an enum (specifically, of type Status) because it may be UP , DRAINING or UNAVAILABLE.

Scalars

Scalars are primitive values: Int, Float, String, Boolean, or ID.

When calling the GraphQL API, you must specify nested subfield until you return only scalars.

Structure of the Schema

The structure of grid schema is as follows:

{
    session(id: "<session-id>") : {
        id,
        capabilities,
        startTime,
        uri,
        nodeId,
        nodeUri,
        sessionDurationMillis
        slot : {
            id,
            stereotype,
            lastStarted
        }
    }
    grid: {
        uri,
        totalSlots,
        nodeCount,
        maxSession,
        sessionCount,
        version,
        sessionQueueSize
    }
    sessionsInfo: {
        sessionQueueRequests,
        sessions: [
            {
                id,
                capabilities,
                startTime,
                uri,
                nodeId,
                nodeUri,
                sessionDurationMillis
                slot : {
                    id,
                    stereotype,
                    lastStarted
                }
            }
        ]
    }
    nodesInfo: {
        nodes : [
            {
                id,
                uri,
                status,
                maxSession,
                slotCount,
                sessions: [
                    {
                        id,
                        capabilities,
                        startTime,
                        uri,
                        nodeId,
                        nodeUri,
                        sessionDurationMillis
                        slot : {
                            id,
                            stereotype,
                            lastStarted
                        }
                    }
                ],
                sessionCount,
                stereotypes,
                version,
                osInfo: {
                    arch,
                    name,
                    version
                }
            }
        ]
    }
}

Querying GraphQL

The best way to query GraphQL is by using curl requests. The query is interpreted as JSON. Ensure double quotes are properly escaped to avoid unexpected errors. GraphQL allows you to fetch only the data that you want, nothing more nothing less.

Some of the example GraphQL queries are given below. You can build your own queries as you like.

Querying the number of maxSession and sessionCount in the grid :

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data '{"query": "{ grid { maxSession, sessionCount } }"}' -s <LINK_TO_GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT>

Generally on local machine the <LINK_TO_GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT> would be http://localhost:4444/graphql

Querying all details for session, node and the Grid :

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data '{"query":"{ grid { uri, maxSession, sessionCount }, nodesInfo { nodes { id, uri, status, sessions { id, capabilities, startTime, uri, nodeId, nodeUri, sessionDurationMillis, slot { id, stereotype, lastStarted } }, slotCount, sessionCount }} }"}' -s <LINK_TO_GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT>

Query for getting the current session count in the Grid :

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data '{"query":"{ grid { sessionCount } }"}' -s <LINK_TO_GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT>

Query for getting the max session count in the Grid :

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data '{"query":"{ grid { maxSession } }"}' -s <LINK_TO_GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT>

Query for getting all session details for all nodes in the Grid :

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data '{"query":"{ sessionsInfo { sessions { id, capabilities, startTime, uri, nodeId, nodeId, sessionDurationMillis } } }"}' -s <LINK_TO_GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT>

Query to get slot information for all sessions in each Node in the Grid :

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data '{"query":"{ sessionsInfo { sessions { id, slot { id, stereotype, lastStarted } } } }"}' -s <LINK_TO_GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT>

Query to get session information for a given session:

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data '{"query":"{ session (id: \"<session-id>\") { id, capabilities, startTime, uri, nodeId, nodeUri, sessionDurationMillis, slot { id, stereotype, lastStarted } } } "}' -s <LINK_TO_GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT>

Querying the capabilities of each node in the grid :

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data '{"query": "{ nodesInfo { nodes { stereotypes } } }"}' -s <LINK_TO_GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT>

Querying the status of each node in the grid :

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data '{"query": "{ nodesInfo { nodes { status } } }"}' -s <LINK_TO_GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT>

Querying the URI of each node and the grid :

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data '{"query": "{ nodesInfo { nodes { uri } } }"}' -s <LINK_TO_GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT>

Query for getting the current requests in the New Session Queue:

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data '{"query":"{ sessionsInfo { sessionQueueRequests } }"}' -s <LINK_TO_GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT>

Query for getting the New Session Queue size :

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data '{"query":"{ grid { sessionQueueSize } }"}' -s <LINK_TO_GRAPHQL_ENDPOINT>

3.6.3 - Grid endpoints

Grid

Grid Status

Grid status provides the current state of the Grid. It consists of details about every registered Node. For every Node, the status includes information regarding Node availability, sessions, and slots.

cURL GET 'http://localhost:4444/status'

In the Standalone mode, the Grid URL is the Standalone server address.

In the Hub-Node mode, the Grid URL is the Hub server address.

In the fully distributed mode, the Grid URL is the Router server address.

Default URL for all the above modes is http://localhost:4444.

Distributor

Remove Node

To remove the Node from the Grid, use the cURL command enlisted below. It does not stop any ongoing session running on that Node. The Node continues running as it is unless explicitly killed. The Distributor is no longer aware of the Node and hence any matching new session request will not be forwarded to that Node.

In the Standalone mode, the Distributor URL is the Standalone server address.

In the Hub-Node mode, the Distributor URL is the Hub server address.

cURL --request DELETE 'http://localhost:4444/se/grid/distributor/node/<node-id>' --header 'X-REGISTRATION-SECRET: <secret> '

In the fully distributed mode, the URL is the Distributor server address.

cURL --request DELETE 'http://localhost:5553/se/grid/distributor/node/<node-id>' --header 'X-REGISTRATION-SECRET: <secret>'

If no registration secret has been configured while setting up the Grid, then use

cURL --request DELETE 'http://<Distributor-URL>/se/grid/distributor/node/<node-id>' --header 'X-REGISTRATION-SECRET;'

Drain Node

Node drain command is for graceful node shutdown. Draining a Node stops the Node after all the ongoing sessions are complete. However, it does not accept any new session requests.

In the Standalone mode, the Distributor URL is the Standalone server address.

In the Hub-Node mode, the Distributor URL is the Hub server address.

cURL --request POST 'http://localhost:4444/se/grid/distributor/node/<node-id>/drain' --header 'X-REGISTRATION-SECRET: <secret> '

In the fully distributed mode, the URL is the Distributor server address.

cURL --request POST 'http://localhost:5553/se/grid/distributor/node/<node-id>/drain' --header 'X-REGISTRATION-SECRET: <secret>'

If no registration secret has been configured while setting up the Grid, then use

cURL --request POST 'http://<Distributor-URL>/se/grid/distributor/node/<node-id>/drain' --header 'X-REGISTRATION-SECRET;'

Node

The endpoints in this section are applicable for Hub-Node mode and fully distributed Grid mode where the Node runs independently. The default Node URL is http://localhost:5555 in case of one Node. In case of multiple Nodes, use Grid status to get all Node details and locate the Node address.

Status

The Node status is essentially a health-check for the Node. Distributor pings the node status are regular intervals and updates the Grid Model accordingly. The status includes information regarding availability, sessions, and slots.

cURL --request GET 'http://localhost:5555/status'

Drain

Distributor passes the drain command to the appropriate node identified by the node-id. To drain the Node directly, use the cuRL command enlisted below. Both endpoints are valid and produce the same result. Drain finishes the ongoing sessions before stopping the Node.

cURL --request POST 'http://localhost:5555/se/grid/node/drain' --header 'X-REGISTRATION-SECRET: <secret>'

If no registration secret has been configured while setting up the Grid, then use

cURL --request POST 'http://<node-URL>/se/grid/node/drain' --header 'X-REGISTRATION-SECRET;'

Check session owner

To check if a session belongs to a Node, use the cURL command enlisted below.

cURL --request GET 'http://localhost:5555/se/grid/node/owner/<session-id>' --header 'X-REGISTRATION-SECRET: <secret>'

If no registration secret has been configured while setting up the Grid, then use

cURL --request GET 'http://<node-URL>/se/grid/node/owner/<session-id>' --header 'X-REGISTRATION-SECRET;'

It will return true if the session belongs to the Node else it will return false.

Delete session

Deleting the session terminates the WebDriver session, quits the driver and removes it from the active sessions map. Any request using the removed session-id or reusing the driver instance will throw an error.

cURL --request DELETE 'http://localhost:5555/se/grid/node/session/<session-id>' --header 'X-REGISTRATION-SECRET: <secret>'

If no registration secret has been configured while setting up the Grid, then use

cURL --request DELETE 'http://<node-URL>/se/grid/node/session/<session-id>' --header 'X-REGISTRATION-SECRET;'

New Session Queue

Clear New Session Queue

New Session Request Queue holds the new session requests. To clear the queue, use the cURL command enlisted below. Clearing the queue rejects all the requests in the queue. For each such request, the server returns an error response to the respective client. The result of the clear command is the total number of deleted requests.

In the Standalone mode, the Queue URL is the Standalone server address.

In the Hub-Node mode, the Queue URL is the Hub server address.

cURL --request DELETE 'http://localhost:4444/se/grid/newsessionqueue/queue' --header 'X-REGISTRATION-SECRET: <secret>'

In the fully distributed mode, the Queue URL is New Session Queue server address.

cURL --request DELETE 'http://localhost:5559/se/grid/newsessionqueue/queue' --header 'X-REGISTRATION-SECRET: <secret>'

If no registration secret has been configured while setting up the Grid, then use

cURL --request DELETE 'http://<URL>/se/grid/newsessionqueue/queue' --header 'X-REGISTRATION-SECRET;'

Get New Session Queue Requests

New Session Request Queue holds the new session requests. To get the current requests in the queue, use the cURL command enlisted below. The response returns the total number of requests in the queue and the request payloads.

In the Standalone mode, the Queue URL is the Standalone server address.

In the Hub-Node mode, the Queue URL is the Hub server address.

cURL --request GET 'http://localhost:4444/se/grid/newsessionqueue/queue'

In the fully distributed mode, the Queue URL is New Session Queue server address.

cURL --request GET 'http://localhost:5559/se/grid/newsessionqueue/queue'

3.6.4 - Customizing a Node

How to customize a Node

There are times when we would like a Node to be customized to our needs.

For e.g., we may like to do some additional setup before a session begins execution and some clean-up after a session runs to completion.

Following steps can be followed for this:

  • Create a class that extends org.openqa.selenium.grid.node.Node

  • Add a static method (this will be our factory method) to the newly created class whose signature looks like this:

    public static Node create(Config config). Here:

    • Node is of type org.openqa.selenium.grid.node.Node
    • Config is of type org.openqa.selenium.grid.config.Config
  • Within this factory method, include logic for creating your new Class.

  • To wire in this new customized logic into the hub, start the node and pass in the fully qualified class name of the above class to the argument --node-implementation

Let’s see an example of all this:

Custom Node as an uber jar

  1. Create a sample project using your favourite build tool (Maven|Gradle).
  2. Add the below dependency to your sample project.
  3. Add your customized Node to the project.
  4. Build an uber jar to be able to start the Node using java -jar command.
  5. Now start the Node using the command:
java -jar custom_node-server.jar node \
--node-implementation org.seleniumhq.samples.DecoratedLoggingNode

Note: If you are using Maven as a build tool, please prefer using maven-shade-plugin instead of maven-assembly-plugin because maven-assembly plugin seems to have issues with being able to merge multiple Service Provider Interface files (META-INF/services)

Custom Node as a regular jar

  1. Create a sample project using your favourite build tool (Maven|Gradle).
  2. Add the below dependency to your sample project.
  3. Add your customized Node to the project.
  4. Build a jar of your project using your build tool.
  5. Now start the Node using the command:
java -jar selenium-server-4.6.0.jar \
--ext custom_node-1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar node \
--node-implementation org.seleniumhq.samples.DecoratedLoggingNode

Below is a sample that just prints some messages on to the console whenever there’s an activity of interest (session created, session deleted, a webdriver command executed etc.,) on the Node.

Sample customized node
package org.seleniumhq.samples;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.net.URI;
import java.util.UUID;
import java.util.function.Supplier;
import org.openqa.selenium.Capabilities;
import org.openqa.selenium.NoSuchSessionException;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriverException;
import org.openqa.selenium.grid.config.Config;
import org.openqa.selenium.grid.data.CreateSessionRequest;
import org.openqa.selenium.grid.data.CreateSessionResponse;
import org.openqa.selenium.grid.data.NodeId;
import org.openqa.selenium.grid.data.NodeStatus;
import org.openqa.selenium.grid.data.Session;
import org.openqa.selenium.grid.log.LoggingOptions;
import org.openqa.selenium.grid.node.HealthCheck;
import org.openqa.selenium.grid.node.Node;
import org.openqa.selenium.grid.node.local.LocalNodeFactory;
import org.openqa.selenium.grid.security.Secret;
import org.openqa.selenium.grid.security.SecretOptions;
import org.openqa.selenium.grid.server.BaseServerOptions;
import org.openqa.selenium.internal.Either;
import org.openqa.selenium.io.TemporaryFilesystem;
import org.openqa.selenium.remote.SessionId;
import org.openqa.selenium.remote.http.HttpRequest;
import org.openqa.selenium.remote.http.HttpResponse;
import org.openqa.selenium.remote.tracing.Tracer;

public class DecoratedLoggingNode extends Node {

  private Node node;

  protected DecoratedLoggingNode(Tracer tracer, URI uri, Secret registrationSecret) {
    super(tracer, new NodeId(UUID.randomUUID()), uri, registrationSecret);
  }

  public static Node create(Config config) {
    LoggingOptions loggingOptions = new LoggingOptions(config);
    BaseServerOptions serverOptions = new BaseServerOptions(config);
    URI uri = serverOptions.getExternalUri();
    SecretOptions secretOptions = new SecretOptions(config);

    // Refer to the foot notes for additional context on this line.
    Node node = LocalNodeFactory.create(config);

    DecoratedLoggingNode wrapper = new DecoratedLoggingNode(loggingOptions.getTracer(),
        uri, secretOptions.getRegistrationSecret());
    wrapper.node = node;
    return wrapper;
  }

  @Override
  public Either<WebDriverException, CreateSessionResponse> newSession(
      CreateSessionRequest sessionRequest) {
    return perform(() -> node.newSession(sessionRequest), "newSession");
  }

  @Override
  public HttpResponse executeWebDriverCommand(HttpRequest req) {
    return perform(() -> node.executeWebDriverCommand(req), "executeWebDriverCommand");
  }

  @Override
  public Session getSession(SessionId id) throws NoSuchSessionException {
    return perform(() -> node.getSession(id), "getSession");
  }

  @Override
  public HttpResponse uploadFile(HttpRequest req, SessionId id) {
    return perform(() -> node.uploadFile(req, id), "uploadFile");
  }

  @Override
  public HttpResponse downloadFile(HttpRequest req, SessionId id) {
    return perform(() -> node.downloadFile(req, id), "downloadFile");
  }

  @Override
  public TemporaryFilesystem getDownloadsFilesystem(UUID uuid) {
    return perform(() -> {
      try {
        return node.getDownloadsFilesystem(uuid);
      } catch (IOException e) {
        throw new RuntimeException(e);
      }
    }, "downloadsFilesystem");
  }

  @Override
  public TemporaryFilesystem getUploadsFilesystem(SessionId id) throws IOException {
    return perform(() -> {
      try {
        return node.getUploadsFilesystem(id);
      } catch (IOException e) {
        throw new RuntimeException(e);
      }
    }, "uploadsFilesystem");

  }

  @Override
  public void stop(SessionId id) throws NoSuchSessionException {
    perform(() -> node.stop(id), "stop");
  }

  @Override
  public boolean isSessionOwner(SessionId id) {
    return perform(() -> node.isSessionOwner(id), "isSessionOwner");
  }

  @Override
  public boolean isSupporting(Capabilities capabilities) {
    return perform(() -> node.isSupporting(capabilities), "isSupporting");
  }

  @Override
  public NodeStatus getStatus() {
    return perform(() -> node.getStatus(), "getStatus");
  }

  @Override
  public HealthCheck getHealthCheck() {
    return perform(() -> node.getHealthCheck(), "getHealthCheck");
  }

  @Override
  public void drain() {
    perform(() -> node.drain(), "drain");
  }

  @Override
  public boolean isReady() {
    return perform(() -> node.isReady(), "isReady");
  }

  private void perform(Runnable function, String operation) {
    try {
      System.err.printf("[COMMENTATOR] Before %s()%n", operation);
      function.run();
    } finally {
      System.err.printf("[COMMENTATOR] After %s()%n", operation);
    }
  }

  private <T> T perform(Supplier<T> function, String operation) {
    try {
      System.err.printf("[COMMENTATOR] Before %s()%n", operation);
      return function.get();
    } finally {
      System.err.printf("[COMMENTATOR] After %s()%n", operation);
    }
  }
}

Foot Notes:

In the above example, the line Node node = LocalNodeFactory.create(config); explicitly creates a LocalNode.

There are basically 2 types of user facing implementations of org.openqa.selenium.grid.node.Node available.

These classes are good starting points to learn how to build a custom Node and also to learn the internals of a Node.

  • org.openqa.selenium.grid.node.local.LocalNode - Used to represent a long running Node and is the default implementation that gets wired in when you start a node.
    • It can be created by calling LocalNodeFactory.create(config);, where:
      • LocalNodeFactory belongs to org.openqa.selenium.grid.node.local
      • Config belongs to org.openqa.selenium.grid.config
  • org.openqa.selenium.grid.node.k8s.OneShotNode - This is a special reference implementation wherein the Node gracefully shuts itself down after servicing one test session. This class is currently not available as part of any pre-built maven artifact.
    • You can refer to the source code here to understand its internals.
    • To build it locally refer here.
    • It can be created by calling OneShotNode.create(config), where:
      • OneShotNode belongs to org.openqa.selenium.grid.node.k8s
      • Config belongs to org.openqa.selenium.grid.config

3.6.5 - External datastore

Table of Contents

Introduction

Selenium Grid allows you to persist information related to currently running sessions into an external data store. The external data store could be backed by your favourite database (or) Redis Cache system.

Setup

  • Coursier - As a dependency resolver, so that we can download maven artifacts on the fly and make them available in our classpath
  • Docker - To manage our PostGreSQL/Redis docker containers.

Database backed Session Map

For the sake of this illustration, we are going to work with PostGreSQL database.

We will spin off a PostGreSQL database as a docker container using a docker compose file.

Steps

You can skip this step if you already have a PostGreSQL database instance available at your disposal.

  • Create a sql file named init.sql with the below contents:
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS sessions_map(
    session_ids varchar(256),
    session_caps text,
    session_uri varchar(256),
    session_stereotype text,
    session_start varchar(256)
 );
  • In the same directory as the init.sql, create a file named docker-compose.yml with its contents as below:
version: '3.8'
services:
  db:
    image: postgres:9.6-bullseye
    restart: always
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=seluser
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=seluser
      - POSTGRES_DB=selenium_sessions
    ports:
      - "5432:5432"
    volumes:
    - ./init.sql:/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/init.sql

We can now start our database container by running:

docker-compose up -d

Our database name is selenium_sessions with its username and password set to seluser

If you are working with an already running PostGreSQL DB instance, then you just need to create a database named selenium_sessions and the table sessions_map using the above mentioned SQL statement.

  • Create a Selenium Grid configuration file named sessions.toml with the below contents:
[sessions]
implementation = "org.openqa.selenium.grid.sessionmap.jdbc.JdbcBackedSessionMap"
jdbc-url = "jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/selenium_sessions"
jdbc-user = "seluser"
jdbc-password = "seluser"

Note: If you plan to use an existing PostGreSQL DB instance, then replace localhost:5432 with the actual host and port number of your instance.

  • Below is a simple shell script (let’s call it distributed.sh) that we will use to bring up our distributed Grid.
SE_VERSION=<current_selenium_version>
JAR_NAME=selenium-server-${SE_VERSION}.jar
PUBLISH="--publish-events tcp://localhost:4442"
SUBSCRIBE="--subscribe-events tcp://localhost:4443"
SESSIONS="--sessions http://localhost:5556"
SESSIONS_QUEUE="--sessionqueue http://localhost:5559"
echo 'Starting Event Bus'
java -jar $JAR_NAME event-bus $PUBLISH $SUBSCRIBE --port 5557 &
echo 'Starting New Session Queue'
java -jar $JAR_NAME sessionqueue --port 5559 &
echo 'Starting Sessions Map'
java -jar $JAR_NAME \
--ext $(coursier fetch -p org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-session-map-jdbc:${SE_VERSION} org.postgresql:postgresql:42.3.1) \
sessions $PUBLISH $SUBSCRIBE --port 5556 --config sessions.toml &
echo 'Starting Distributor'
java -jar $JAR_NAME  distributor $PUBLISH $SUBSCRIBE $SESSIONS $SESSIONS_QUEUE --port 5553 --bind-bus false &
echo 'Starting Router'
java -jar $JAR_NAME router $SESSIONS --distributor http://localhost:5553 $SESSIONS_QUEUE --port 4444 &
echo 'Starting Node'
java -jar $JAR_NAME node $PUBLISH $SUBSCRIBE &
  • At this point the current directory should contain the following files:

    • docker-compose.yml
    • init.sql
    • sessions.toml
    • distributed.sh
  • You can now spawn the Grid by running distributed.sh shell script and quickly run a test. You will notice that the Grid now stores session information into the PostGreSQL database.

In the line which spawns a SessionMap on a machine:

export SE_VERSION=<current_selenium_version>
java -jar selenium-server-${SE_VERSION}.jar \
--ext $(coursier fetch -p org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-session-map-jdbc:${SE_VERSION} org.postgresql:postgresql:42.3.1) \
sessions --publish-events tcp://localhost:4442 \
--subscribe-events tcp://localhost:4443 \
--port 5556 --config sessions.toml 
  • The variable names from the above script have been replaced with their actual values for clarity.
  • Remember to substitute localhost with the actual hostname of the machine where your Event-Bus is running.
  • The arguments being passed to coursier are basically the GAV (Group Artifact Version) Maven co-ordinates of:
  • sessions.toml is the configuration file that we created earlier.

Redis backed Session Map

We will spin off a Redis Cache docker container using a docker compose file.

Steps

You can skip this step if you already have a Redis Cache instance available at your disposal.

  • Create a file named docker-compose.yml with its contents as below:
version: '3.8'
services:
  redis:
    image: redis:bullseye
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "6379:6379"

We can now start our Redis container by running:

docker-compose up -d
  • Create a Selenium Grid configuration file named sessions.toml with the below contents:
[sessions]
scheme = "redis"
implementation = "org.openqa.selenium.grid.sessionmap.redis.RedisBackedSessionMap"
hostname = "localhost"
port = 6379

Note: If you plan to use an existing Redis Cache instance, then replace localhost and 6379 with the actual host and port number of your instance.

  • Below is a simple shell script (let’s call it distributed.sh) that we will use to bring up our distributed grid.
SE_VERSION=<current_selenium_version>
JAR_NAME=selenium-server-${SE_VERSION}.jar
PUBLISH="--publish-events tcp://localhost:4442"
SUBSCRIBE="--subscribe-events tcp://localhost:4443"
SESSIONS="--sessions http://localhost:5556"
SESSIONS_QUEUE="--sessionqueue http://localhost:5559"
echo 'Starting Event Bus'
java -jar $JAR_NAME event-bus $PUBLISH $SUBSCRIBE --port 5557 &
echo 'Starting New Session Queue'
java -jar $JAR_NAME sessionqueue --port 5559 &
echo 'Starting Session Map'
java -jar $JAR_NAME \
--ext $(coursier fetch -p org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-session-map-redis:${SE_VERSION}) \
sessions $PUBLISH $SUBSCRIBE --port 5556 --config sessions.toml &
echo 'Starting Distributor'
java -jar $JAR_NAME  distributor $PUBLISH $SUBSCRIBE $SESSIONS $SESSIONS_QUEUE --port 5553 --bind-bus false &
echo 'Starting Router'
java -jar $JAR_NAME router $SESSIONS --distributor http://localhost:5553 $SESSIONS_QUEUE --port 4444 &
echo 'Starting Node'
java -jar $JAR_NAME node $PUBLISH $SUBSCRIBE &
  • At this point the current directory should contain the following files:

    • docker-compose.yml
    • sessions.toml
    • distributed.sh
  • You can now spawn the Grid by running distributed.sh shell script and quickly run a test. You will notice that the Grid now stores session information into the Redis instance. You can perhaps make use of a Redis GUI such as TablePlus to see them (Make sure that you have setup a debug point in your test, because the values will get deleted as soon as the test runs to completion).

In the line which spawns a SessionMap on a machine:

export SE_VERSION=<current_selenium_version>
java -jar selenium-server-${SE_VERSION}.jar \
--ext $(coursier fetch -p org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-session-map-redis:${SE_VERSION}) \
sessions --publish-events tcp://localhost:4442 \
--subscribe-events tcp://localhost:4443 \
--port 5556 --config sessions.toml 
  • The variable names from the above script have been replaced with their actual values for clarity.
  • Remember to substitute localhost with the actual hostname of the machine where your Event-Bus is running.
  • The arguments being passed to coursier are basically the GAV (Group Artifact Version) Maven co-ordinates of:
  • sessions.toml is the configuration file that we created earlier.

4 - IE Driver Server

The Internet Explorer Driver is a standalone server that implements the WebDriver specification.

This documentation previously located on the wiki

The InternetExplorerDriver is a standalone server which implements WebDriver’s wire protocol. This driver has been tested with IE 11, and on Windows 10. It might work with older versions of IE and Windows, but this is not supported.

The driver supports running 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the browser. The choice of how to determine which “bit-ness” to use in launching the browser depends on which version of the IEDriverServer.exe is launched. If the 32-bit version of IEDriverServer.exe is launched, the 32-bit version of IE will be launched. Similarly, if the 64-bit version of IEDriverServer.exe is launched, the 64-bit version of IE will be launched.

Installing

You do not need to run an installer before using the InternetExplorerDriver, though some configuration is required. The standalone server executable must be downloaded from the Downloads page and placed in your PATH.

Pros

  • Runs in a real browser and supports JavaScript

Cons

  • Obviously the InternetExplorerDriver will only work on Windows!
  • Comparatively slow (though still pretty snappy :)

Command-Line Switches

As a standalone executable, the behavior of the IE driver can be modified through various command-line arguments. To set the value of these command-line arguments, you should consult the documentation for the language binding you are using. The command line switches supported are described in the table below. All -<switch>, –<switch> and /<switch> are supported.

SwitchMeaning
–port=<portNumber>Specifies the port on which the HTTP server of the IE driver will listen for commands from language bindings. Defaults to 5555.
–host=<hostAdapterIPAddress>Specifies the IP address of the host adapter on which the HTTP server of the IE driver will listen for commands from language bindings. Defaults to 127.0.0.1.
–log-level=<logLevel>Specifies the level at which logging messages are output. Valid values are FATAL, ERROR, WARN, INFO, DEBUG, and TRACE. Defaults to FATAL.
–log-file=<logFile>Specifies the full path and file name of the log file. Defaults to stdout.
–extract-path=<path>Specifies the full path to the directory used to extract supporting files used by the server. Defaults to the TEMP directory if not specified.
–silentSuppresses diagnostic output when the server is started.

Important System Properties

The following system properties (read using System.getProperty() and set using System.setProperty() in Java code or the “-DpropertyName=value” command line flag) are used by the InternetExplorerDriver:

PropertyWhat it means
webdriver.ie.driverThe location of the IE driver binary.
webdriver.ie.driver.hostSpecifies the IP address of the host adapter on which the IE driver will listen.
webdriver.ie.driver.loglevelSpecifies the level at which logging messages are output. Valid values are FATAL, ERROR, WARN, INFO, DEBUG, and TRACE. Defaults to FATAL.
webdriver.ie.driver.logfileSpecifies the full path and file name of the log file.
webdriver.ie.driver.silentSuppresses diagnostic output when the IE driver is started.
webdriver.ie.driver.extractpathSpecifies the full path to the directory used to extract supporting files used by the server. Defaults to the TEMP directory if not specified.

Required Configuration

  • The IEDriverServer executable must be downloaded and placed in your PATH.
  • On IE 7 or higher on Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 10, you must set the Protected Mode settings for each zone to be the same value. The value can be on or off, as long as it is the same for every zone. To set the Protected Mode settings, choose “Internet Options…” from the Tools menu, and click on the Security tab. For each zone, there will be a check box at the bottom of the tab labeled “Enable Protected Mode”.
  • Additionally, “Enhanced Protected Mode” must be disabled for IE 10 and higher. This option is found in the Advanced tab of the Internet Options dialog.
  • The browser zoom level must be set to 100% so that the native mouse events can be set to the correct coordinates.
  • For Windows 10, you also need to set “Change the size of text, apps, and other items” to 100% in display settings.
  • For IE 11 only, you will need to set a registry entry on the target computer so that the driver can maintain a connection to the instance of Internet Explorer it creates. For 32-bit Windows installations, the key you must examine in the registry editor is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BFCACHE. For 64-bit Windows installations, the key is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BFCACHE. Please note that the FEATURE_BFCACHE subkey may or may not be present, and should be created if it is not present. Important: Inside this key, create a DWORD value named iexplore.exe with the value of 0.

Native Events and Internet Explorer

As the InternetExplorerDriver is Windows-only, it attempts to use so-called “native”, or OS-level events to perform mouse and keyboard operations in the browser. This is in contrast to using simulated JavaScript events for the same operations. The advantage of using native events is that it does not rely on the JavaScript sandbox, and it ensures proper JavaScript event propagation within the browser. However, there are currently some issues with mouse events when the IE browser window does not have focus, and when attempting to hover over elements.

Browser Focus

The challenge is that IE itself appears to not fully respect the Windows messages we send the IE browser window (WM\_MOUSEDOWN and WM\_MOUSEUP) if the window doesn’t have the focus. Specifically, the element being clicked on will receive a focus window around it, but the click will not be processed by the element. Arguably, we shouldn’t be sending messages at all; rather, we should be using the SendInput() API, but that API explicitly requires the window to have the focus. We have two conflicting goals with the WebDriver project.

First, we strive to emulate the user as closely as possible. This means using native events rather than simulating the events using JavaScript.

Second, we want to not require focus of the browser window being automated. This means that just forcing the browser window to the foreground is suboptimal.

An additional consideration is the possibility of multiple IE instances running under multiple WebDriver instances, which means any such “bring the window to the foreground” solution will have to be wrapped in some sort of synchronizing construct (mutex?) within the IE driver’s C++ code. Even so, this code will still be subject to race conditions, if, for example, the user brings another window to the foreground between the driver bringing IE to the foreground and executing the native event.

The discussion around the requirements of the driver and how to prioritize these two conflicting goals is ongoing. The current prevailing wisdom is to prioritize the former over the latter, and document that your machine will be unavailable for other tasks when using the IE driver. However, that decision is far from finalized, and the code to implement it is likely to be rather complicated.

Hovering Over Elements

When you attempt to hover over elements, and your physical mouse cursor is within the boundaries of the IE browser window, the hover will not work. More specifically, the hover will appear to work for a fraction of a second, and then the element will revert back to its previous state. The prevailing theory why this occurs is that IE is doing hit-testing of some sort during its event loop, which causes it to respond to the physical mouse position when the physical cursor is within the window bounds. The WebDriver development team has been unable to discover a workaround for this behavior of IE.

Clicking <option> Elements or Submitting Forms and alert()

There are two places where the IE driver does not interact with elements using native events. This is in clicking <option> elements within a <select> element. Under normal circumstances, the IE driver calculates where to click based on the position and size of the element, typically as returned by the JavaScript getBoundingClientRect() method. However, for <option> elements, getBoundingClientRect() returns a rectangle with zero position and zero size. The IE driver handles this one scenario by using the click() Automation Atom, which essentially sets the .selected property of the element and simulates the onChange event in JavaScript. However, this means that if the onChange event of the <select> element contains JavaScript code that calls alert(), confirm() or prompt(), calling WebElement’s click() method will hang until the modal dialog is manually dismissed. There is no known workaround for this behavior using only WebDriver code.

Similarly, there are some scenarios when submitting an HTML form via WebElement’s submit() method may have the same effect. This can happen if the driver calls the JavaScript submit() function on the form, and there is an onSubmit event handler that calls the JavaScript alert(), confirm(), or prompt() functions.

This restriction is filed as issue 3508 (on Google Code).

Multiple instances of InternetExplorerDriver

With the creation of the IEDriverServer.exe, it should be possible to create and use multiple simultaneous instances of the InternetExplorerDriver. However, this functionality is largely untested, and there may be issues with cookies, window focus, and the like. If you attempt to use multiple instances of the IE driver, and run into such issues, consider using the RemoteWebDriver and virtual machines.

There are 2 solutions for problem with cookies (and another session items) shared between multiple instances of InternetExplorer.

The first is to start your InternetExplorer in private mode. After that InternetExplorer will be started with clean session data and will not save changed session data at quiting. To do so you need to pass 2 specific capabilities to driver: ie.forceCreateProcessApi with true value and ie.browserCommandLineSwitches with -private value. Be note that it will work only for InternetExplorer 8 and newer, and Windows Registry HKLM_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Internet Explorer\\Main path should contain key TabProcGrowth with 0 value.

The second is to clean session during InternetExplorer starting. For this you need to pass specific ie.ensureCleanSession capability with true value to driver. This clears the cache for all running instances of InternetExplorer, including those started manually.

Running IEDriverServer.exe Remotely

The HTTP server started by the IEDriverServer.exe sets an access control list to only accept connections from the local machine, and disallows incoming connections from remote machines. At present, this cannot be changed without modifying the source code to the IEDriverServer.exe. To run the Internet Explorer driver on a remote machine, use the Java standalone remote server in connection with your language binding’s equivalent of RemoteWebDriver.

Running IEDriverServer.exe Under a Windows Service

Attempting to use IEDriverServer.exe as part of a Windows Service application is expressly unsupported. Service processes, and processes spawned by them, have much different requirements than those executing in a regular user context. IEDriverServer.exe is explicitly untested in that environment, and includes Windows API calls that are documented to be prohibited to be used in service processes. While it may be possible to get the IE driver to work while running under a service process, users encountering problems in that environment will need to seek out their own solutions.

4.1 - Internet Explorer Driver Internals

More detailed information on the IE Driver.

Client Code Into the Driver

We use the W3C WebDriver protocol to communicate with a local instance of an HTTP server. This greatly simplifies the implementation of the language-specific code, and minimzes the number of entry points into the C++ DLL that must be called using a native-code interop technology such as JNA, ctypes, pinvoke or DL.

Memory Management

The IE driver utilizes the Active Template Library (ATL) to take advantage of its implementation of smart pointers to COM objects. This makes reference counting and cleanup of COM objects much easier.

Why Do We Require Protected Mode Settings Changes?

IE 7 on Windows Vista introduced the concept of Protected Mode, which allows for some measure of protection to the underlying Windows OS when browsing. The problem is that when you manipulate an instance of IE via COM, and you navigate to a page that would cause a transition into or out of Protected Mode, IE requires that another browser session be created. This will orphan the COM object of the previous session, not allowing you to control it any longer.

In IE 7, this will usually manifest itself as a new top-level browser window; in IE 8, a new IExplore.exe process will be created, but it will usually (not always!) seamlessly attach it to the existing IE top-level frame window. Any browser automation framework that drives IE externally (as opposed to using a WebBrowser control) will run into these problems.

In order to work around that problem, we dictate that to work with IE, all zones must have the same Protected Mode setting. As long as it’s on for all zones, or off for all zones, we can prevent the transistions to different Protected Mode zones that would invalidate our browser object. It also allows users to continue to run with UAC turned on, and to run securely in the browser if they set Protected Mode “on” for all zones.

In earlier releases of the IE driver, if the user’s Protected Mode settings were not correctly set, we would launch IE, and the process would simply hang until the HTTP request timed out. This was suboptimal, as it gave no indication what needed to be set. Erring on the side of caution, we do not modify the user’s Protected Mode settings. Current versions, however check that the Protected Mode settings are properly set, and will return an error response if they are not.

Keyboard and Mouse Input

Key files: interactions.cpp

There are two ways that we could simulate keyboard and mouse input. The first way, which is used in parts of webdriver, is to synthesize events on the DOM. This has a number of drawbacks, since each browser (and version of a browser) has its own unique quirks; to model each of these is a demanding task, and impossible to get completely right (for example, it’s hard to tell what window.selection should be and this is a read-only property on some browsers) The alternative approach is to synthesize keyboard and mouse input at the OS level, ideally without stealing focus from the user (who tends to be doing other things on their computer as long-running webdriver tests run)

The code for doing this is in interactions.cpp The key thing to note here is that we use PostMessages to push window events on to the message queue of the IE instance. Typing, in particular, is interesting: we only send the “keydown” and “keyup” messages. The “keypress” event is created if necessary by IE’s internal event processing. Because the key press event is not always generated (for example, not every character is printable, and if the default event bubbling is cancelled, listeners don’t see the key press event) we send a “probe” event in after the key down. Once we see that this has been processed, we know that the key press event is on the stack of events to be processed, and that it is safe to send the key up event. If this was not done, it is possible for events to fire in the wrong order, which is definitely sub-optimal.

Working On the InternetExplorerDriver

Currently, there are tests that will run for the InternetExplorerDriver in all languages (Java, C#, Python, and Ruby), so you should be able to test your changes to the native code no matter what language you’re comfortable working in from the client side. For working on the C++ code, you’ll need Visual Studio 2010 Professional or higher. Unfortunately, the C++ code of the driver uses ATL to ease the pain of working with COM objects, and ATL is not supplied with Visual C++ 2010 Express Edition. If you’re using Eclipse, the process for making and testing modifications is:

  1. Edit the C++ code in VS.
  2. Build the code to ensure that it compiles
  3. Do a complete rebuild when you are ready to run a test. This will cause the created DLL to be copied to the right place to allow its use in Eclipse
  4. Load Eclipse (or some other IDE, such as Idea)
  5. Edit the SingleTestSuite so that it is usingDriver(IE)
  6. Create a JUnit run configuration that uses the “webdriver-internet-explorer” project. If you don’t do this, the test won’t work at all, and there will be a somewhat cryptic error message on the console.

Once the basic setup is done, you can start working on the code pretty quickly. You can attach to the process you execute your code from using Visual Studio (from the Debug menu, select Attach to Process…).

5 - Selenium IDE

The Selenium IDE is a browser extension that records and plays back a user’s actions.

Selenium’s Integrated Development Environment (Selenium IDE) is an easy-to-use browser extension that records a user’s actions in the browser using existing Selenium commands, with parameters defined by the context of each element. It provides an excellent way to learn Selenium syntax. It’s available for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

For more information, visit the complete Selenium IDE Documentation

6 - Selenium Manager (Beta)

Selenium Manager is a command-line tool implemented in Rust that provides automated driver and browser management for Selenium. Selenium bindings use this tool by default, so you do not need to download it or add anything to your code or do anything else to use it.

Motivation

TL;DR: Selenium Manager is the official driver manager of the Selenium project, and it is shipped out of the box with every Selenium release.

Selenium uses the native support implemented by each browser to carry out the automation process. For this reason, Selenium users need to place a component called driver (chromedriver, geckodriver, msedgedriver, etc.) between the script using the Selenium API and the browser. For many years, managing these drivers was a manual process for Selenium users. This way, they had to download the required driver for a browser (chromedriver for Chrome, geckodriver for Firefox, etc.) and place it in the PATH or export the driver path as a system property (Java, JavaScript, etc.). But this process was cumbersome and led to maintainability issues.

Let’s consider an example. Imagine you manually downloaded the required chromedriver for driving your Chrome with Selenium. When you did this process, the stable version of Chrome was 113, so you downloaded chromedriver 113 and put it in your PATH. At that moment, your Selenium script executed correctly. But the problem is that Chrome is evergreen. This name refers to Chrome’s ability to upgrade automatically and silently to the next stable version when available. This feature is excellent for end-users but potentially dangerous for browser automation. Let’s go back to the example to discover it. Your local Chrome eventually updates to version 115. And that moment, your Selenium script is broken due to the incompatibility between the manually downloaded driver (113) and the Chrome version (115). Thus, your Selenium script fails with the following error message: “session not created: This version of ChromeDriver only supports Chrome version 113”.

This problem is the primary reason for the existence of the so-called driver managers (such as WebDriverManager for Java, webdriver-manager for Python, webdriver-manager for JavaScript, WebDriverManager.Net for C#, and webdrivers for Ruby). All these projects were an inspiration and a clear sign that the community needed this feature to be built in Selenium. Thus, the Selenium project has created Selenium Manager, the official driver manager for Selenium, shipped out of the box with each Selenium release as of version 4.6.

Usage

TL;DR: Selenium Manager is used by the Selenium bindings when the drivers (chromedriver, geckodriver, etc.) are unavailable.

Driver management through Selenium Manager is opt-in for the Selenium bindings. Thus, users can continue managing their drivers manually (putting the driver in the PATH or using system properties) or rely on a third-party driver manager to do it automatically. Selenium Manager only operates as a fallback: if no driver is provided, Selenium Manager will come to the rescue.

Selenium Manager is a CLI (command line interface) tool implemented in Rust to allow cross-platform execution and compiled for Windows, Linux, and macOS. The Selenium Manager binaries are shipped with each Selenium release. This way, each Selenium binding language invokes Selenium Manager to carry out the automated driver and browser management explained in the following sections.

Automated driver management

TL;DR: Selenium Manager automatically discovers, downloads, and caches the drivers required by Selenium when these drivers are unavailable.

The primary feature of Selenium Manager is called automated driver management. Let’s consider an example to understand it. Suppose we want to driver Chrome with Selenium (see the doc about how to start a session with Selenium). Before the session begins, and when the driver is unavailable, Selenium Manager manages chromedriver for us. We use the term management for this feature (and not just download) since this process is broader and implies different steps:

  1. Browser version discovery. Selenium Manager discovers the browser version (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Edge) installed in the machine that executes Selenium. This step uses shell commands (e.g., google-chrome --version).
  2. Driver version discovery. With the discovered browser version, the proper driver version is resolved. For this step, the online metadata/endpoints maintained by the browser vendors (e.g., chromedriver, geckodriver, or msedgedriver) are used.
  3. Driver download. The driver URL is obtained with the resolved driver version; with that URL, the driver artifact is downloaded, uncompressed, and stored locally.
  4. Driver cache. Uncompressed driver binaries are stored in a local cache folder (~/.cache/selenium). The next time the same driver is required, it will be used from there if the driver is already in the cache.

Automated browser management

TL;DR: Selenium Manager automatically discovers, downloads, and caches the browsers driven with Selenium (Chrome, Firefox, and Edge) when these browsers are not installed in the local system.

As of Selenium 4.11.0, Selenium Manager also implements automated browser management. With this feature, Selenium Manager allows us to discover, download, and cache the different browser releases, making them seamlessly available for Selenium. Internally, Selenium Manager uses an equivalent management procedure explained in the section before, but this time, for browser releases.

The browser automatically managed by Selenium Manager are:

Let’s consider again the typical example of driving Chrome with Selenium. And this time, suppose Chrome is not installed on the local machine when starting a new session). In that case, the current stable CfT release will be discovered, downloaded, and cached (in ~/.cache/selenium/chrome) by Selenium Manager.

But there is more. In addition to the stable browser version, Selenium Manager also allows downloading older browser versions (in the case of CfT, starting in version 113, the first version published as CfT). To set a browser version with Selenium, we use a browser option called browserVersion.

Let’s consider another simple example. Suppose we set browserVersion to 114 using Chrome options. In this case, Selenium Manager will check if Chrome 114 is already installed. If it is, it will be used. If not, Selenium Manager will manage (i.e., discover, download, and cache) CfT 114. And in either case, the chromedriver is also managed. Finally, Selenium will start Chrome to be driven programmatically, as usual.

But there is even more. In addition to fixed browser versions (e.g., 113, 114, 115, etc.), we can use the following labels for browserVersion:

  • stable: Current CfT version.
  • beta: Next version to stable.
  • dev: Version in development at this moment.
  • canary: Nightly build for developers.
  • esr: Extended Support Release (only for Firefox).

When these labels are specified, Selenium Manager first checks if a given browser is already installed (beta, dev, etc.), and when it is not detected, the browser is automatically managed.

Edge in Windows

Automated Edge management by Selenium Manager in Windows is different from other browsers. Both Chrome and Firefox (and Edge in macOS and Linux) are downloaded automatically to the local cache (~/.cache/selenium) by Selenium Manager. Nevertheless, the same cannot be done for Edge in Windows. The reason is that the Edge installer for Windows is distributed as a Microsoft Installer (MSI) file, designed to be executed with administrator rights. This way, when Edge is attempted to be installed with Selenium Manager in Windows with a non-administrator session, a warning message will be displayed by Selenium Manager as follows:

edge can only be installed in Windows with administrator permissions

Therefore, administrator permissions are required to install Edge in Windows automatically through Selenium Manager, and Edge is eventually installed in the usual program files folder (e.g., C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge).

Configuration

TL;DR: Selenium Manager should work silently and transparently for most users. Nevertheless, there are scenarios (e.g., to specify a custom cache path or setup globally a proxy) where custom configuration can be required.

Selenium Manager is a CLI tool. Therefore, under the hood, the Selenium bindings call Selenium Manager by invoking shell commands. Like any other CLI tool, arguments can be used to specify specific capabilities in Selenium Manager. The different arguments supported by Selenium Manager can be checked by running the following command:

$ ./selenium-manager --help

In addition to CLI arguments, Selenium Manager allows two additional mechanisms for configuration:

  • Configuration file. Selenium Manager uses a file called se-config.toml located in the Selenium cache (by default, at ~/.cache/selenium) for custom configuration values. This TOML file contains a key-value collection used for custom configuration.
  • Environmental variables. Each configuration key has its equivalence in environmental variables by converting each key name to uppercase, replacing the dash symbol (-) with an underscore (_), and adding the prefix SE_.

The configuration file is honored by Selenium Manager when it is present, and the corresponding CLI parameter is not specified. Besides, the environmental variables are used when neither of the previous options (CLI arguments and configuration file) is specified. In other words, the order of preference for Selenium Manager custom configuration is as follows:

  1. CLI arguments.
  2. Configuration file.
  3. Environment variables.

Notice that the Selenium bindings use the CLI arguments to specify configuration values, which in turn, are defined in each binding using browser options.

The following table summarizes all the supported arguments supported by Selenium Manager and their correspondence key in the configuration file and environment variables.

CLI argumentConfiguration fileEnv variableDescription
--browser BROWSERbrowser = "BROWSER"SE_BROWSER=BROWSERBrowser name: chrome, firefox, edge, iexplorer, safari, safaritp, or webview2
--driver <DRIVER>driver = "DRIVER"SE_DRIVER=DRIVERDriver name: chromedriver, geckodriver, msedgedriver, IEDriverServer, or safaridriver
--browser-version <BROWSER_VERSION>browser-version = "BROWSER_VERSION"SE_BROWSER_VERSION=BROWSER_VERSIONMajor browser version (e.g., 105, 106, etc. Also: beta, dev, canary -or nightly-, and esr -in Firefox- are accepted)
--driver-version <DRIVER_VERSION>driver-version = "DRIVER_VERSION"SE_DRIVER_VERSION=DRIVER_VERSIONDriver version (e.g., 106.0.5249.61, 0.31.0, etc.)
--browser-path <BROWSER_PATH>browser-path = "BROWSER_PATH"SE_BROWSER_PATH=BROWSER_PATHBrowser path (absolute) for browser version detection (e.g., /usr/bin/google-chrome, /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome, C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe)
--driver-mirror-url <DRIVER_MIRROR_URL>driver-mirror-url = "DRIVER_MIRROR_URL"SE_DRIVER_MIRROR_URL=DRIVER_MIRROR_URLMirror URL for driver repositories
--browser-mirror-url <BROWSER_MIRROR_URL>browser-mirror-url = "BROWSER_MIRROR_URL"SE_BROWSER_MIRROR_URL=BROWSER_MIRROR_URLMirror URL for browser repositories
--output <OUTPUT>output = "OUTPUT"SE_OUTPUT=OUTPUTOutput type: LOGGER (using INFO, WARN, etc.), JSON (custom JSON notation), or SHELL (Unix-like). Default: LOGGER
--os <OS>os = "OS"SE_OS=OSOperating system for drivers and browsers (i.e., windows, linux, or macos)
--arch <ARCH>arch = "ARCH"SE_ARCH=ARCHSystem architecture for drivers and browsers (i.e., x32, x64, or arm64)
--proxy <PROXY>proxy = "PROXY"SE_PROXY=PROXYHTTP proxy for network connection (e.g., myproxy:port, myuser:mypass@myproxy:port)
--timeout <TIMEOUT>timeout = TIMEOUTSE_TIMEOUT=TIMEOUTTimeout for network requests (in seconds). Default: 300
--offlineoffline = trueSE_OFFLINE=trueOffline mode (i.e., disabling network requests and downloads)
--force-browser-downloadforce-browser-download = trueSE_FORCE_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD=trueForce to download browser, e.g., when a browser is already installed in the system, but you want Selenium Manager to download and use it
--avoid-browser-downloadavoid-browser-download = trueSE_AVOID_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD=trueAvoid to download browser, e.g., when a browser is supposed to be downloaded by Selenium Manager, but you prefer to avoid it
--debugdebug = trueSE_DEBUG=trueDisplay DEBUG messages
--tracetrace = trueSE_TRACE=trueDisplay TRACE messages
--cache-path <CACHE_PATH>cache-path="CACHE_PATH"SE_CACHE_PATH=CACHE_PATHLocal folder used to store downloaded assets (drivers and browsers), local metadata, and configuration file. See next section for details. Default: ~/.cache/selenium. For Windows paths in the TOML configuration file, double backslashes are required (e.g., C:\\custom\\cache).
--ttl <TTL>ttl = TTLSE_TTL=TTLTime-to-live in seconds. See next section for details. Default: 3600 (1 hour)

In addition to the configuration keys specified in the table before, there are some special cases, namely:

  • Browser version. In addition to browser-version, we can use the specific configuration keys to specify custom versions per supported browser. This way, the keys chrome-version, firefox-version, edge-version, etc., are supported. The same applies to environment variables (i.e., SE_CHROME_VERSION, SE_FIREFOX_VERSION, SE_EDGE_VERSION, etc.).
  • Driver version. Following the same pattern, we can use chromedriver-version, geckodriver-version, msedgedriver-version, etc. (in the configuration file), and SE_CHROMEDRIVER_VERSION, SE_GECKODRIVER_VERSION, SE_MSEDGEDRIVER_VERSION, etc. (as environment variables).
  • Browser path. Following the same pattern, we can use chrome-path, firefox-path, edge-path, etc. (in the configuration file), and SE_CHROME_PATH, SE_FIREFOX_PATH, SE_EDGE_PATH, etc. (as environment variables). The Selenium bindings also allow to specify a custom location of the browser path using options, namely: Chrome), Edge, or Firefox.
  • Driver mirror. Following the same pattern, we can use chromedriver-mirror-url, geckodriver-mirror-url, msedgedriver-mirror-url, etc. (in the configuration file), and SE_CHROMEDRIVER_MIRROR_URL, SE_GECKODRIVER_MIRROR_URL, SE_MSEDGEDRIVER_MIRROR_URL, etc. (as environment variables).
  • Browser mirror. Following the same pattern, we can use chrome-mirror-url, firefox-mirror-url, edge-mirror-url, etc. (in the configuration file), and SE_CHROME_MIRROR_URL, SE_FIREFOX_MIRROR_URL, SE_EDGE_MIRROR_URL, etc. (as environment variables).

Caching

TL;DR: The drivers and browsers managed by Selenium Manager are stored in a local folder (~/.cache/selenium).

The cache in Selenium Manager is a local folder (~/.cache/selenium by default) in which the downloaded assets (drivers and browsers) are stored. For the sake of performance, when a driver or browser is already in the cache (i.e., there is a cache hint), Selenium Manager uses it from there.

In addition to the downloaded drivers and browsers, two additional files live in the cache’s root:

  • Configuration file (se-config.toml). This file is optional and, as explained in the previous section, allows to store custom configuration values for Selenium Manager. This file is maintained by the end-user and read by Selenium Manager.
  • Metadata file (se-metadata.json). This file contains versions discovered by Selenium Manger making network requests (e.g., using the CfT JSON endpoints) and the time-to-live (TTL) in which they are valid. Selenium Manager automatically maintains this file.

The TTL in Selenium Manager is inspired by the TTL for DNS, a well-known mechanism that refers to how long some values are cached before they are automatically refreshed. In the case of Selenium Manager, these values are the versions found by making network requests for driver and browser version discovery. By default, the TTL is 3600 seconds (i.e., 1 hour) and can be tuned using configuration values or disabled by setting this configuration value to 0.

The TTL mechanism is a way to improve the overall performance of Selenium. It is based on the fact that the discovered driver and browser versions (e.g., the proper chromedriver version for Chrome 115 is 115.0.5790.170) will likely remain the same in the short term. Therefore, the discovered versions are written in the metadata file and read from there instead of making the same consecutive network request. This way, during the driver version discovery (step 2 of the automated driver management process previously introduced), Selenium Manager first reads the file metadata. When a fresh resolution (i.e., a driver/browser version valid during a TTL) is found, that version is used (saving some time in making a new network request). If not found or the TTL has expired, a network request is made, and the result is stored in the metadata file.

Let’s consider an example. A Selenium binding asks Selenium Manager to resolve chromedriver. Selenium Manager detects that Chrome 115 is installed, so it makes a network request to the CfT endpoints to discover the proper chromedriver version (115.0.5790.170, at that moment). This version is stored in the metadata file and considered valid during the next hour (TTL). If Selenium Manager is asked to resolve chromedriver during that time (which is likely to happen in the execution of a test suite), the chromedriver version is discovered by reading the metadata file instead of making a new request to the CfT endpoints. After one hour, the chromedriver version stored in the cache will be considered as stale, and Selenium Manager will refresh it by making a new network request to the corresponding endpoint.

Selenium Manager includes two additional arguments two handle the cache, namely:

  • --clear-cache: To remove the cache folder.
  • --clear-metadata: To remove the metadata file.

Versioning

Selenium Manager follows the same versioning schema as Selenium. Nevertheless, we use the major version 0 for Selenium Manager releases because it is still in beta. For example, the Selenium Manager binaries shipped with Selenium 4.12.0 corresponds to version 0.4.12.

Getting Selenium Manager

For most users, direct interaction with Selenium Manager is not required since the Selenium bindings use it internally. Nevertheless, if you want to play with Selenium Manager or use it for your use case involving driver or browser management, you can get the Selenium Manager binaries in different ways:

  • From the Selenium repository. The Selenium Manager source code is stored in the main Selenium repo under the folder rust. Moreover, you can find the compiled versions for Windows, Linux, and macOS in the common folder of this repo.
  • From the build workflow. Selenium Manager is compiled using a GitHub Actions workflow. This workflow creates binaries for Windows, Linux, and macOS. You can download these binaries from these workflow executions.
  • From the cache. As of version 4.15.0 of the Selenium Java bindings, the Selenium Manager binary is extracted and copied to the cache folder. For instance, the Selenium Manager binary shipped with Selenium 4.15.0 is stored in the folder ~/.cache/selenium/manager/0.4.15).

Examples

Let’s consider a typical example: we want to manage chromedriver automatically. For that, we invoke Selenium Manager as follows (notice that the flag --debug is optional, but it helps us to understand what Selenium Manager is doing):

$ ./selenium-manager --browser chrome --debug
DEBUG   chromedriver not found in PATH
DEBUG   chrome detected at C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
DEBUG   Running command: wmic datafile where name='C:\\Program Files\\Google\\Chrome\\Application\\chrome.exe' get Version /value
DEBUG   Output: "\r\r\n\r\r\nVersion=116.0.5845.111\r\r\n\r\r\n\r\r\n\r"
DEBUG   Detected browser: chrome 116.0.5845.111
DEBUG   Discovering versions from https://googlechromelabs.github.io/chrome-for-testing/known-good-versions-with-downloads.json
DEBUG   Required driver: chromedriver 116.0.5845.96
DEBUG   Downloading chromedriver 116.0.5845.96 from https://edgedl.me.gvt1.com/edgedl/chrome/chrome-for-testing/116.0.5845.96/win64/chromedriver-win64.zip
INFO    Driver path: C:\Users\boni\.cache\selenium\chromedriver\win64\116.0.5845.96\chromedriver.exe
INFO    Browser path: C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe

In this case, the local Chrome (in Windows) is detected by Selenium Manager. Then, using its version and the CfT endpoints, the proper chromedriver version (115, in this example) is downloaded to the local cache. Finally, Selenium Manager provides two results: i) the driver path (downloaded) and ii) the browser path (local).

Let’s consider another example. Now we want to use Chrome beta. Therefore, we invoke Selenium Manager specifying that version label as follows (notice that the CfT beta is discovered, downloaded, and stored in the local cache):

$ ./selenium-manager --browser chrome --browser-version beta --debug
DEBUG   chromedriver not found in PATH
DEBUG   chrome not found in PATH
DEBUG   chrome beta not found in the system
DEBUG   Discovering versions from https://googlechromelabs.github.io/chrome-for-testing/last-known-good-versions-with-downloads.json
DEBUG   Required browser: chrome 117.0.5938.22
DEBUG   Downloading chrome 117.0.5938.22 from https://edgedl.me.gvt1.com/edgedl/chrome/chrome-for-testing/117.0.5938.22/win64/chrome-win64.zip
DEBUG   chrome 117.0.5938.22 has been downloaded at C:\Users\boni\.cache\selenium\chrome\win64\117.0.5938.22\chrome.exe
DEBUG   Discovering versions from https://googlechromelabs.github.io/chrome-for-testing/known-good-versions-with-downloads.json
DEBUG   Required driver: chromedriver 117.0.5938.22
DEBUG   Downloading chromedriver 117.0.5938.22 from https://edgedl.me.gvt1.com/edgedl/chrome/chrome-for-testing/117.0.5938.22/win64/chromedriver-win64.zip
INFO    Driver path: C:\Users\boni\.cache\selenium\chromedriver\win64\117.0.5938.22\chromedriver.exe
INFO    Browser path: C:\Users\boni\.cache\selenium\chrome\win64\117.0.5938.22\chrome.exe

Selenium Grid

Selenium Manager allows you to configure the drivers automatically when setting up Selenium Grid. To that aim, you need to include the argument --selenium-manager true in the command to start Selenium Grid. For more details, visit the Selenium Grid starting page.

Moreover, Selenium Manager also allows managing Selenium Grid releases automatically. For that, the argument --grid is used as follows:

$ ./selenium-manager --grid

After this command, Selenium Manager discovers the latest version of Selenium Grid, storing the selenium-server.jar in the local cache.

Optionally, the argument --grid allows to specify a Selenium Grid version (--grid <GRID_VERSION>).

Known Limitations

Connectivity issues

Selenium Manager requests remote endpoints (like Chrome for Testing (CfT), among others) to discover and download drivers and browsers from online repositories. When this operation is done in a corporate environment with a proxy or firewall, it might lead to connectivity problems like the following:

error sending request for url (https://googlechromelabs.github.io/chrome-for-testing/known-good-versions-with-downloads.json)
error trying to connect: dns error: failed to lookup address information
error trying to connect: An existing connection was forcibly closed by the remote host. (os error 10054)

When that happens, consider the following solutions:

  • Use the proxy capabilities of Selenium (see documentation). Alternatively, use the environment variable SE_PROXY to set the proxy URL or use the configuration file (see configuration).
  • Review your network setup to enable the remote requests and downloads required by Selenium Manager.

Custom package managers

If you are using a Linux package manager (Anaconda, snap, etc) that requires a specific driver be used for your browsers, you’ll need to either specify the driver location, the browser location, or both, depending on the requirements.

Alternative architectures

Selenium supports all five architectures managed by Google’s Chrome for Testing, and all six drivers provided for Microsoft Edge.

Each release of the Selenium bindings comes with three separate Selenium Manager binaries — one for Linux, Windows, and Mac.

  • The Mac version supports both x64 and aarch64 (Intel and Apple).
  • The Windows version should work for both x86 and x64 (32-bit and 64-bit OS).
  • The Linux version has only been verified to work for x64.

Reasons for not supporting more architectures:

  1. Neither Chrome for Testing nor Microsoft Edge supports additional architectures, so Selenium Manager would need to manage something unofficial for it to work.
  2. We currently build the binaries from existing GitHub actions runners, which do not support these architectures
  3. Any additional architectures would get distributed with all Selenium releases, increasing the total build size

If you are running Linux on arm64/aarch64, 32-bit architecture, or a Raspberry Pi, Selenium Manager will not work for you. The biggest issue for people is that they used to get custom-built drivers and put them on PATH and have them work. Now that Selenium Manager is responsible for locating drivers on PATH, this approach no longer works, and users need to use a Service class and set the location directly. There are a number of advantages to having Selenium Manager look for drivers on PATH instead of managing that logic in each of the bindings, so that’s currently a trade-off we are comfortable with.

However, as of Selenium 4.13.0, the Selenium bindings allow locating the Selenium Manager binary using an environment variable called SE_MANAGER_PATH. If this variable is set, the bindings will use its value as the Selenium Manager path in the local filesystem. This feature will allow users to provide a custom compilation of Selenium Manager, for instance, if the default binaries (compiled for Windows, Linux, and macOS) are incompatible with a given system (e.g., ARM64 in Linux).

Browser dependencies

When automatically managing browsers in Linux, Selenium Manager relies on the releases published by the browser vendors (i.e., Chrome, Firefox, and Edge). These releases are portable in most cases. Nevertheless, there might be cases in which existing libraries are required. In Linux, this problem might be experienced when trying to run Firefox, e.g., as follows:

libdbus-glib-1.so.2: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
Couldn't load XPCOM.

If that happens, the solution is to install that library, for instance, as follows:

sudo apt-get install libdbus-glib-1-2

A similar issue might happen when trying to execute Chrome for Testing in Linux:

error while loading shared libraries: libatk-1.0.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

In this case, the library to be installed is the following:

sudo apt-get install libatk-bridge2.0-0

Roadmap

You can trace the work in progress in the Selenium Manager project dashboard. Moreover, you can check the new features shipped with each Selenium Manager release in its changelog file.

7 - Test Practices

Some guidelines and recommendations on testing from the Selenium project.

A note on “Best Practices”: We’ve intentionally avoided the phrase “Best Practices” in this documentation. No one approach works for all situations. We prefer the idea of “Guidelines and Recommendations.” We encourage you to read through these and thoughtfully decide what approaches will work for you in your particular environment.

Functional testing is challenging to get right for many reasons. As if application state, complexity, and dependencies do not make testing difficult enough, dealing with browsers (especially with cross-browser incompatibilities) makes writing good tests a challenge.

Selenium provides tools to make functional user interaction easier, but does not help you write well-architected test suites. In this chapter, we offer advice, guidelines, and recommendations on how to approach functional web page automation.

This chapter records software design patterns popular amongst many of the users of Selenium that have proven successful over the years.

7.1 - Design patterns and development strategies

(previously located: https://github.com/SeleniumHQ/selenium/wiki/Bot-Style-Tests)

Overview

Over time, projects tend to accumulate large numbers of tests. As the total number of tests increases, it becomes harder to make changes to the codebase — a single “simple” change may cause numerous tests to fail, even though the application still works properly. Sometimes these problems are unavoidable, but when they do occur you want to be up and running again as quickly as possible. The following design patterns and strategies have been used before with WebDriver to help make tests easier to write and maintain. They may help you too.

DomainDrivenDesign: Express your tests in the language of the end-user of the app. PageObjects: A simple abstraction of the UI of your web app. LoadableComponent: Modeling PageObjects as components. BotStyleTests: Using a command-based approach to automating tests, rather than the object-based approach that PageObjects encourage

Loadable Component

What Is It?

The LoadableComponent is a base class that aims to make writing PageObjects less painful. It does this by providing a standard way of ensuring that pages are loaded and providing hooks to make debugging the failure of a page to load easier. You can use it to help reduce the amount of boilerplate code in your tests, which in turn makes maintaining your tests less tiresome.

There is currently an implementation in Java that ships as part of Selenium 2, but the approach used is simple enough to be implemented in any language.

Simple Usage

As an example of a UI that we’d like to model, take a look at the new issue page. From the point of view of a test author, this offers the service of being able to file a new issue. A basic Page Object would look like:

package com.example.webdriver;

import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement;

public class EditIssue {

  private final WebDriver driver;

  public EditIssue(WebDriver driver) {
    this.driver = driver;
  }

  public void setSummary(String summary) {
    WebElement field = driver.findElement(By.name("summary"));
    clearAndType(field, summary);
  }

  public void enterDescription(String description) {
    WebElement field = driver.findElement(By.name("comment"));
    clearAndType(field, description);
  }

  public IssueList submit() {
    driver.findElement(By.id("submit")).click();
    return new IssueList(driver);
  }

  private void clearAndType(WebElement field, String text) {
    field.clear();
    field.sendKeys(text);
  }
}

In order to turn this into a LoadableComponent, all we need to do is to set that as the base type:

public class EditIssue extends LoadableComponent<EditIssue> {
  // rest of class ignored for now
}

This signature looks a little unusual, but all it means is that this class represents a LoadableComponent that loads the EditIssue page.

By extending this base class, we need to implement two new methods:

  @Override
  protected void load() {
    driver.get("https://github.com/SeleniumHQ/selenium/issues/new");
  }

  @Override
  protected void isLoaded() throws Error {
    String url = driver.getCurrentUrl();
    assertTrue("Not on the issue entry page: " + url, url.endsWith("/new"));
  }

The load method is used to navigate to the page, whilst the isLoaded method is used to determine whether we are on the right page. Although the method looks like it should return a boolean, instead it performs a series of assertions using JUnit’s Assert class. There can be as few or as many assertions as you like. By using these assertions it’s possible to give users of the class clear information that can be used to debug tests.

With a little rework, our PageObject looks like:

package com.example.webdriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement;
import org.openqa.selenium.support.FindBy;
import org.openqa.selenium.support.PageFactory;

import static junit.framework.Assert.assertTrue;

public class EditIssue extends LoadableComponent<EditIssue> {

  private final WebDriver driver;
  
  // By default the PageFactory will locate elements with the same name or id
  // as the field. Since the summary element has a name attribute of "summary"
  // we don't need any additional annotations.
  private WebElement summary;
  
  // Same with the submit element, which has the ID "submit"
  private WebElement submit;
  
  // But we'd prefer a different name in our code than "comment", so we use the
  // FindBy annotation to tell the PageFactory how to locate the element.
  @FindBy(name = "comment") private WebElement description;
  
  public EditIssue(WebDriver driver) {
    this.driver = driver;
    
    // This call sets the WebElement fields.
    PageFactory.initElements(driver, this);
  }

  @Override
  protected void load() {
    driver.get("https://github.com/SeleniumHQ/selenium/issues/new");
  }

  @Override
  protected void isLoaded() throws Error {
    String url = driver.getCurrentUrl();
    assertTrue("Not on the issue entry page: " + url, url.endsWith("/new"));
  }
  
  public void setSummary(String issueSummary) {
    clearAndType(summary, issueSummary);
  }

  public void enterDescription(String issueDescription) {
    clearAndType(description, issueDescription);
  }

  public IssueList submit() {
    submit.click();
    return new IssueList(driver);
  }

  private void clearAndType(WebElement field, String text) {
    field.clear();
    field.sendKeys(text);
  }
}

That doesn’t seem to have bought us much, right? One thing it has done is encapsulate the information about how to navigate to the page into the page itself, meaning that this information’s not scattered through the code base. It also means that we can do this in our tests:

EditIssue page = new EditIssue(driver).get();

This call will cause the driver to navigate to the page if that’s necessary.

Nested Components

LoadableComponents start to become more useful when they are used in conjunction with other LoadableComponents. Using our example, we could view the “edit issue” page as a component within a project’s website (after all, we access it via a tab on that site). You also need to be logged in to file an issue. We could model this as a tree of nested components:

 + ProjectPage
 +---+ SecuredPage
     +---+ EditIssue

What would this look like in code? For a start, each logical component would have its own class. The “load” method in each of them would “get” the parent. The end result, in addition to the EditIssue class above is:

ProjectPage.java:

package com.example.webdriver;

import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;

import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;

public class ProjectPage extends LoadableComponent<ProjectPage> {

  private final WebDriver driver;
  private final String projectName;

  public ProjectPage(WebDriver driver, String projectName) {
    this.driver = driver;
    this.projectName = projectName;
  }

  @Override
  protected void load() {
    driver.get("http://" + projectName + ".googlecode.com/");
  }

  @Override
  protected void isLoaded() throws Error {
    String url = driver.getCurrentUrl();

    assertTrue(url.contains(projectName));
  }
}

and SecuredPage.java:

package com.example.webdriver;

import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.NoSuchElementException;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement;

import static org.junit.Assert.fail;

public class SecuredPage extends LoadableComponent<SecuredPage> {

  private final WebDriver driver;
  private final LoadableComponent<?> parent;
  private final String username;
  private final String password;

  public SecuredPage(WebDriver driver, LoadableComponent<?> parent, String username, String password) {
    this.driver = driver;
    this.parent = parent;
    this.username = username;
    this.password = password;
  }

  @Override
  protected void load() {
    parent.get();

    String originalUrl = driver.getCurrentUrl();

    // Sign in
    driver.get("https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=code");
    driver.findElement(By.name("Email")).sendKeys(username);
    WebElement passwordField = driver.findElement(By.name("Passwd"));
    passwordField.sendKeys(password);
    passwordField.submit();

    // Now return to the original URL
    driver.get(originalUrl);
  }

  @Override
  protected void isLoaded() throws Error {
    // If you're signed in, you have the option of picking a different login.
    // Let's check for the presence of that.

    try {
      WebElement div = driver.findElement(By.id("multilogin-dropdown"));
    } catch (NoSuchElementException e) {
      fail("Cannot locate user name link");
    }
  }
}

The “load” method in EditIssue now looks like:

  @Override
  protected void load() {
    securedPage.get();

    driver.get("https://github.com/SeleniumHQ/selenium/issues/new");
  }

This shows that the components are all “nested” within each other. A call to get() in EditIssue will cause all its dependencies to load too. The example usage:

public class FooTest {
  private EditIssue editIssue;

  @Before
  public void prepareComponents() {
    WebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver();

    ProjectPage project = new ProjectPage(driver, "selenium");
    SecuredPage securedPage = new SecuredPage(driver, project, "example", "top secret");
    editIssue = new EditIssue(driver, securedPage);
  }

  @Test
  public void demonstrateNestedLoadableComponents() {
    editIssue.get();

    editIssue.setSummary("Summary");
    editIssue.enterDescription("This is an example");
  }
}

If you’re using a library such as Guiceberry in your tests, the preamble of setting up the PageObjects can be omitted leading to nice, clear, readable tests.

Bot Pattern

(previously located: https://github.com/SeleniumHQ/selenium/wiki/Bot-Style-Tests)

Although PageObjects are a useful way of reducing duplication in your tests, it’s not always a pattern that teams feel comfortable following. An alternative approach is to follow a more “command-like” style of testing.

A “bot” is an action-oriented abstraction over the raw Selenium APIs. This means that if you find that commands aren’t doing the Right Thing for your app, it’s easy to change them. As an example:

public class ActionBot {
  private final WebDriver driver;

  public ActionBot(WebDriver driver) {
    this.driver = driver;
  }

  public void click(By locator) {
    driver.findElement(locator).click();
  }

  public void submit(By locator) {
    driver.findElement(locator).submit();
  }

  /** 
   * Type something into an input field. WebDriver doesn't normally clear these
   * before typing, so this method does that first. It also sends a return key
   * to move the focus out of the element.
   */
  public void type(By locator, String text) { 
    WebElement element = driver.findElement(locator);
    element.clear();
    element.sendKeys(text + "\n");
  }
}

Once these abstractions have been built and duplication in your tests identified, it’s possible to layer PageObjects on top of bots.

7.2 - Overview of Test Automation

First, start by asking yourself whether or not you really need to use a browser. Odds are that, at some point, if you are working on a complex web application, you will need to open a browser and actually test it.

Functional end-user tests such as Selenium tests are expensive to run, however. Furthermore, they typically require substantial infrastructure to be in place to be run effectively. It is a good rule to always ask yourself if what you want to test can be done using more lightweight test approaches such as unit tests or with a lower-level approach.

Once you have made the determination that you are in the web browser testing business, and you have your Selenium environment ready to begin writing tests, you will generally perform some combination of three steps:

  • Set up the data
  • Perform a discrete set of actions
  • Evaluate the results

You will want to keep these steps as short as possible; one or two operations should be enough most of the time. Browser automation has the reputation of being “flaky”, but in reality, that is because users frequently demand too much of it. In later chapters, we will return to techniques you can use to mitigate apparent intermittent problems in tests, in particular on how to overcome race conditions between the browser and WebDriver.

By keeping your tests short and using the web browser only when you have absolutely no alternative, you can have many tests with minimal flake.

A distinct advantage of Selenium tests is their inherent ability to test all components of the application, from backend to frontend, from a user’s perspective. So in other words, whilst functional tests may be expensive to run, they also encompass large business-critical portions at one time.

Testing requirements

As mentioned before, Selenium tests can be expensive to run. To what extent depends on the browser you are running the tests against, but historically browsers’ behaviour has varied so much that it has often been a stated goal to cross-test against multiple browsers.

Selenium allows you to run the same instructions against multiple browsers on multiple operating systems, but the enumeration of all the possible browsers, their different versions, and the many operating systems they run on will quickly become a non-trivial undertaking.

Let’s start with an example

Larry has written a web site which allows users to order their custom unicorns.

The general workflow (what we will call the “happy path”) is something like this:

  • Create an account
  • Configure the unicorn
  • Add it to the shopping cart
  • Check out and pay
  • Give feedback about the unicorn

It would be tempting to write one grand Selenium script to perform all these operations–many will try. Resist the temptation! Doing so will result in a test that a) takes a long time, b) will be subject to some common issues around page rendering timing issues, and c) is such that if it fails, it will not give you a concise, “glanceable” method for diagnosing what went wrong.

The preferred strategy for testing this scenario would be to break it down to a series of independent, speedy tests, each of which has one “reason” to exist.

Let us pretend you want to test the second step: Configuring your unicorn. It will perform the following actions:

  • Create an account
  • Configure a unicorn

Note that we are skipping the rest of these steps, we will test the rest of the workflow in other small, discrete test cases after we are done with this one.

To start, you need to create an account. Here you have some choices to make:

  • Do you want to use an existing account?
  • Do you want to create a new account?
  • Are there any special properties of such a user that need to be taken into account before configuration begins?

Regardless of how you answer this question, the solution is to make it part of the “set up the data” portion of the test. If Larry has exposed an API that enables you (or anyone) to create and update user accounts, be sure to use that to answer this question. If possible, you want to launch the browser only after you have a user “in hand”, whose credentials you can just log in with.

If each test for each workflow begins with the creation of a user account, many seconds will be added to the execution of each test. Calling an API and talking to a database are quick, “headless” operations that don’t require the expensive process of opening a browser, navigating to the right pages, clicking and waiting for the forms to be submitted, etc.

Ideally, you can address this set-up phase in one line of code, which will execute before any browser is launched:

// Create a user who has read-only permissions--they can configure a unicorn,
// but they do not have payment information set up, nor do they have
// administrative privileges. At the time the user is created, its email
// address and password are randomly generated--you don't even need to
// know them.
User user = UserFactory.createCommonUser(); //This method is defined elsewhere.

// Log in as this user.
// Logging in on this site takes you to your personal "My Account" page, so the
// AccountPage object is returned by the loginAs method, allowing you to then
// perform actions from the AccountPage.
AccountPage accountPage = loginAs(user.getEmail(), user.getPassword());
  
# Create a user who has read-only permissions--they can configure a unicorn,
# but they do not have payment information set up, nor do they have
# administrative privileges. At the time the user is created, its email
# address and password are randomly generated--you don't even need to
# know them.
user = user_factory.create_common_user() #This method is defined elsewhere.

# Log in as this user.
# Logging in on this site takes you to your personal "My Account" page, so the
# AccountPage object is returned by the loginAs method, allowing you to then
# perform actions from the AccountPage.
account_page = login_as(user.get_email(), user.get_password())
  
// Create a user who has read-only permissions--they can configure a unicorn,
// but they do not have payment information set up, nor do they have
// administrative privileges. At the time the user is created, its email
// address and password are randomly generated--you don't even need to
// know them.
User user = UserFactory.CreateCommonUser(); //This method is defined elsewhere.

// Log in as this user.
// Logging in on this site takes you to your personal "My Account" page, so the
// AccountPage object is returned by the loginAs method, allowing you to then
// perform actions from the AccountPage.
AccountPage accountPage = LoginAs(user.Email, user.Password);
  
# Create a user who has read-only permissions--they can configure a unicorn,
# but they do not have payment information set up, nor do they have
# administrative privileges. At the time the user is created, its email
# address and password are randomly generated--you don't even need to
# know them.
user = UserFactory.create_common_user #This method is defined elsewhere.

# Log in as this user.
# Logging in on this site takes you to your personal "My Account" page, so the
# AccountPage object is returned by the loginAs method, allowing you to then
# perform actions from the AccountPage.
account_page = login_as(user.email, user.password)
  
// Create a user who has read-only permissions--they can configure a unicorn,
// but they do not have payment information set up, nor do they have
// administrative privileges. At the time the user is created, its email
// address and password are randomly generated--you don't even need to
// know them.
var user = userFactory.createCommonUser(); //This method is defined elsewhere.

// Log in as this user.
// Logging in on this site takes you to your personal "My Account" page, so the
// AccountPage object is returned by the loginAs method, allowing you to then
// perform actions from the AccountPage.
var accountPage = loginAs(user.email, user.password);
  
// Create a user who has read-only permissions--they can configure a unicorn,
// but they do not have payment information set up, nor do they have
// administrative privileges. At the time the user is created, its email
// address and password are randomly generated--you don't even need to
// know them.
val user = UserFactory.createCommonUser() //This method is defined elsewhere.

// Log in as this user.
// Logging in on this site takes you to your personal "My Account" page, so the
// AccountPage object is returned by the loginAs method, allowing you to then
// perform actions from the AccountPage.
val accountPage = loginAs(user.getEmail(), user.getPassword())
  

As you can imagine, the UserFactory can be extended to provide methods such as createAdminUser(), and createUserWithPayment(). The point is, these two lines of code do not distract you from the ultimate purpose of this test: configuring a unicorn.

The intricacies of the Page Object model will be discussed in later chapters, but we will introduce the concept here:

Your tests should be composed of actions, performed from the user’s point of view, within the context of pages in the site. These pages are stored as objects, which will contain specific information about how the web page is composed and how actions are performed– very little of which should concern you as a tester.

What kind of unicorn do you want? You might want pink, but not necessarily. Purple has been quite popular lately. Does she need sunglasses? Star tattoos? These choices, while difficult, are your primary concern as a tester– you need to ensure that your order fulfillment center sends out the right unicorn to the right person, and that starts with these choices.

Notice that nowhere in that paragraph do we talk about buttons, fields, drop-downs, radio buttons, or web forms. Neither should your tests! You want to write your code like the user trying to solve their problem. Here is one way of doing this (continuing from the previous example):

// The Unicorn is a top-level Object--it has attributes, which are set here. 
// This only stores the values; it does not fill out any web forms or interact
// with the browser in any way.
Unicorn sparkles = new Unicorn("Sparkles", UnicornColors.PURPLE, UnicornAccessories.SUNGLASSES, UnicornAdornments.STAR_TATTOOS);

// Since we are already "on" the account page, we have to use it to get to the
// actual place where you configure unicorns. Calling the "Add Unicorn" method
// takes us there.
AddUnicornPage addUnicornPage = accountPage.addUnicorn();

// Now that we're on the AddUnicornPage, we will pass the "sparkles" object to
// its createUnicorn() method. This method will take Sparkles' attributes,
// fill out the form, and click submit.
UnicornConfirmationPage unicornConfirmationPage = addUnicornPage.createUnicorn(sparkles);
  
# The Unicorn is a top-level Object--it has attributes, which are set here.
# This only stores the values; it does not fill out any web forms or interact
# with the browser in any way.
sparkles = Unicorn("Sparkles", UnicornColors.PURPLE, UnicornAccessories.SUNGLASSES, UnicornAdornments.STAR_TATTOOS)

# Since we're already "on" the account page, we have to use it to get to the
# actual place where you configure unicorns. Calling the "Add Unicorn" method
# takes us there.
add_unicorn_page = account_page.add_unicorn()

# Now that we're on the AddUnicornPage, we will pass the "sparkles" object to
# its createUnicorn() method. This method will take Sparkles' attributes,
# fill out the form, and click submit.
unicorn_confirmation_page = add_unicorn_page.create_unicorn(sparkles)
  
// The Unicorn is a top-level Object--it has attributes, which are set here. 
// This only stores the values; it does not fill out any web forms or interact
// with the browser in any way.
Unicorn sparkles = new Unicorn("Sparkles", UnicornColors.Purple, UnicornAccessories.Sunglasses, UnicornAdornments.StarTattoos);

// Since we are already "on" the account page, we have to use it to get to the
// actual place where you configure unicorns. Calling the "Add Unicorn" method
// takes us there.
AddUnicornPage addUnicornPage = accountPage.AddUnicorn();

// Now that we're on the AddUnicornPage, we will pass the "sparkles" object to
// its createUnicorn() method. This method will take Sparkles' attributes,
// fill out the form, and click submit.
UnicornConfirmationPage unicornConfirmationPage = addUnicornPage.CreateUnicorn(sparkles);
  
# The Unicorn is a top-level Object--it has attributes, which are set here.
# This only stores the values; it does not fill out any web forms or interact
# with the browser in any way.
sparkles = Unicorn.new('Sparkles', UnicornColors.PURPLE, UnicornAccessories.SUNGLASSES, UnicornAdornments.STAR_TATTOOS)

# Since we're already "on" the account page, we have to use it to get to the
# actual place where you configure unicorns. Calling the "Add Unicorn" method
# takes us there.
add_unicorn_page = account_page.add_unicorn

# Now that we're on the AddUnicornPage, we will pass the "sparkles" object to
# its createUnicorn() method. This method will take Sparkles' attributes,
# fill out the form, and click submit.
unicorn_confirmation_page = add_unicorn_page.create_unicorn(sparkles)
  
// The Unicorn is a top-level Object--it has attributes, which are set here.
// This only stores the values; it does not fill out any web forms or interact
// with the browser in any way.
var sparkles = new Unicorn("Sparkles", UnicornColors.PURPLE, UnicornAccessories.SUNGLASSES, UnicornAdornments.STAR_TATTOOS);

// Since we are already "on" the account page, we have to use it to get to the
// actual place where you configure unicorns. Calling the "Add Unicorn" method
// takes us there.

var addUnicornPage = accountPage.addUnicorn();

// Now that we're on the AddUnicornPage, we will pass the "sparkles" object to
// its createUnicorn() method. This method will take Sparkles' attributes,
// fill out the form, and click submit.
var unicornConfirmationPage = addUnicornPage.createUnicorn(sparkles);

  
// The Unicorn is a top-level Object--it has attributes, which are set here. 
// This only stores the values; it does not fill out any web forms or interact
// with the browser in any way.
val sparkles = Unicorn("Sparkles", UnicornColors.PURPLE, UnicornAccessories.SUNGLASSES, UnicornAdornments.STAR_TATTOOS)

// Since we are already "on" the account page, we have to use it to get to the
// actual place where you configure unicorns. Calling the "Add Unicorn" method
// takes us there.
val addUnicornPage = accountPage.addUnicorn()

// Now that we're on the AddUnicornPage, we will pass the "sparkles" object to
// its createUnicorn() method. This method will take Sparkles' attributes,
// fill out the form, and click submit.
unicornConfirmationPage = addUnicornPage.createUnicorn(sparkles)

  

Now that you have configured your unicorn, you need to move on to step 3: making sure it actually worked.

// The exists() method from UnicornConfirmationPage will take the Sparkles 
// object--a specification of the attributes you want to see, and compare
// them with the fields on the page.
Assert.assertTrue("Sparkles should have been created, with all attributes intact", unicornConfirmationPage.exists(sparkles));
  
# The exists() method from UnicornConfirmationPage will take the Sparkles
# object--a specification of the attributes you want to see, and compare
# them with the fields on the page.
assert unicorn_confirmation_page.exists(sparkles), "Sparkles should have been created, with all attributes intact"
  
// The exists() method from UnicornConfirmationPage will take the Sparkles 
// object--a specification of the attributes you want to see, and compare
// them with the fields on the page.
Assert.True(unicornConfirmationPage.Exists(sparkles), "Sparkles should have been created, with all attributes intact");
  
# The exists() method from UnicornConfirmationPage will take the Sparkles
# object--a specification of the attributes you want to see, and compare
# them with the fields on the page.
expect(unicorn_confirmation_page.exists?(sparkles)).to be, 'Sparkles should have been created, with all attributes intact'
  
// The exists() method from UnicornConfirmationPage will take the Sparkles
// object--a specification of the attributes you want to see, and compare
// them with the fields on the page.
assert(unicornConfirmationPage.exists(sparkles), "Sparkles should have been created, with all attributes intact");

  
// The exists() method from UnicornConfirmationPage will take the Sparkles 
// object--a specification of the attributes you want to see, and compare
// them with the fields on the page.
assertTrue("Sparkles should have been created, with all attributes intact", unicornConfirmationPage.exists(sparkles))
  

Note that the tester still has not done anything but talk about unicorns in this code– no buttons, no locators, no browser controls. This method of modelling the application allows you to keep these test-level commands in place and unchanging, even if Larry decides next week that he no longer likes Ruby-on-Rails and decides to re-implement the entire site in the latest Haskell bindings with a Fortran front-end.

Your page objects will require some small maintenance in order to conform to the site redesign, but these tests will remain the same. Taking this basic design, you will want to keep going through your workflows with the fewest browser-facing steps possible. Your next workflow will involve adding a unicorn to the shopping cart. You will probably want many iterations of this test in order to make sure the cart is keeping its state properly: Is there more than one unicorn in the cart before you start? How many can fit in the shopping cart? If you create more than one with the same name and/or features, will it break? Will it only keep the existing one or will it add another?

Each time you move through the workflow, you want to try to avoid having to create an account, login as the user, and configure the unicorn. Ideally, you will be able to create an account and pre-configure a unicorn via the API or database. Then all you have to do is log in as the user, locate Sparkles, and add her to the cart.

To automate or not to automate?

Is automation always advantageous? When should one decide to automate test cases?

It is not always advantageous to automate test cases. There are times when manual testing may be more appropriate. For instance, if the application’s user interface will change considerably in the near future, then any automation might need to be rewritten anyway. Also, sometimes there simply is not enough time to build test automation. For the short term, manual testing may be more effective. If an application has a very tight deadline, there is currently no test automation available, and it’s imperative that the testing gets done within that time frame, then manual testing is the best solution.

7.3 - Types of Testing

Acceptance testing

This type of testing is done to determine if a feature or system meets the customer expectations and requirements. This type of testing generally involves the customer’s cooperation or feedback, being a validation activity that answers the question:

Are we building the right product?

For web applications, the automation of this testing can be done directly with Selenium by simulating user expected behaviour. This simulation could be done by record/playback or through the different supported languages as explained in this documentation. Note: Acceptance testing is a subtype of functional testing, which some people might also refer to.

Functional testing

This type of testing is done to determine if a feature or system functions properly without issues. It checks the system at different levels to ensure that all scenarios are covered and that the system does what it’s supposed to do. It’s a verification activity that answers the question:

Are we building the product right?

This generally includes: the tests work without errors (404, exceptions…), in a usable way (correct redirections),
in an accessible way and matching its specifications (see acceptance testing above).

For web applications, the automation of this testing can be done directly with Selenium by simulating expected returns.
This simulation could be done by record/playback or through the different supported languages as explained in this documentation.

Integration Tests

Integration tests verify the interactions between different components or modules of a system. Several modules are together tested. The purpose of Integration tests is to make sure that all modules integrate and work together as expected. Automated integration tests help ensure that these interactions work as expected and that integrated components function properly together.

For example, Testing the flow of placing the order for an item in an ecommerce website along with payment.

System Tests

System Testing is a complete fully integrated product Testing. It is an end-to-end testing where in testing environment is similar to the production environment. Here, we navigate through all the features of the software and test if the end business / end feature works. We just test the end feature and don’t check for data flow or do functional testing and all.

For example, Testing the end to end flow from login to placing and order and rechecking the order in My Orders page and logoff from an ecommerce website.

Performance testing

As its name indicates, performance tests are done to measure how well an application is performing.

There are two main sub-types for performance testing:

Load testing

Load testing is done to verify how well the application works under different defined loads (usually a particular number of users connected at once).

Stress testing

Stress testing is done to verify how well the application works under stress (or above the maximum supported load).

Generally, performance tests are done by executing some Selenium written tests simulating different users hitting a particular function on the web app and retrieving some meaningful measurements.

This is generally done by other tools that retrieve the metrics. One such tool is JMeter.

For a web application, details to measure include throughput, latency, data loss, individual component loading times…

Note 1: All browsers have a performance tab in their developers’ tools section (accessible by pressing F12)

Note 2: is a subtype of non-functional testing as this is generally measured per system and not per function/feature.

Regression testing

This testing is generally done after a change, fix or feature addition.

To ensure that the change has not broken any of the existing functionality, some already executed tests are executed again.

The set of re-executed tests can be full or partial and can include several different types, depending on the application and development team.

Test driven development (TDD)

Rather than a test type per se, TDD is an iterative development methodology in which tests drive the design of a feature.

Each cycle starts by creating a set of unit tests that the feature should eventually pass (they should fail their first time executed).

After this, development takes place to make the tests pass. The tests are executed again, starting another cycle and this process continues until all tests are passing.

This aims to speed up the development of an application based on the fact that defects are less costly the earlier they are found.

Behavior-driven development (BDD)

BDD is also an iterative development methodology based on the above TDD, in which the goal is to involve all the parties in the development of an application.

Each cycle starts by creating some specifications (which should fail). Then create the failing unit tests (which should also fail) and then do the development.

This cycle is repeated until all types of tests are passing.

In order to do so, a specification language is used. It should be understandable by all parties and simple, standard and explicit. Most tools use Gherkin as this language.

The goal is to be able to detect even more errors than TDD, by targeting potential acceptance errors too and make communication between parties smoother.

A set of tools are currently available to write the specifications and match them with code functions, such as Cucumber or SpecFlow.

A set of tools are built on top of Selenium to make this process even faster by directly transforming the BDD specifications into executable code. Some of these are JBehave, Capybara and Robot Framework.

7.4 - Encouraged behaviors

Some guidelines and recommendations on testing from the Selenium project.

A note on “Best Practices”: We’ve intentionally avoided the phrase “Best Practices” in this documentation. No one approach works for all situations. We prefer the idea of “Guidelines and Recommendations”. We encourage you to read through these and thoughtfully decide what approaches will work for you in your particular environment.

Functional testing is difficult to get right for many reasons. As if application state, complexity, and dependencies do not make testing difficult enough, dealing with browsers (especially with cross-browser incompatibilities) makes writing good tests a challenge.

Selenium provides tools to make functional user interaction easier, but does not help you write well-architected test suites. In this chapter we offer advice, guidelines, and recommendations on how to approach functional web page automation.

This chapter records software design patterns popular amongst many of the users of Selenium that have proven successful over the years.

7.4.1 - Page object models

Note: this page has merged contents from multiple sources, including the Selenium wiki

Overview

Within your web app’s UI, there are areas where your tests interact with. A Page Object only models these as objects within the test code. This reduces the amount of duplicated code and means that if the UI changes, the fix needs only to be applied in one place.

Page Object is a Design Pattern that has become popular in test automation for enhancing test maintenance and reducing code duplication. A page object is an object-oriented class that serves as an interface to a page of your AUT. The tests then use the methods of this page object class whenever they need to interact with the UI of that page. The benefit is that if the UI changes for the page, the tests themselves don’t need to change, only the code within the page object needs to change. Subsequently, all changes to support that new UI are located in one place.

Advantages

  • There is a clean separation between the test code and page-specific code, such as locators (or their use if you’re using a UI Map) and layout.
  • There is a single repository for the services or operations the page offers rather than having these services scattered throughout the tests.

In both cases, this allows any modifications required due to UI changes to all be made in one place. Helpful information on this technique can be found on numerous blogs as this ‘test design pattern’ is becoming widely used. We encourage readers who wish to know more to search the internet for blogs on this subject. Many have written on this design pattern and can provide helpful tips beyond the scope of this user guide. To get you started, we’ll illustrate page objects with a simple example.

Examples

First, consider an example, typical of test automation, that does not use a page object:

/***
 * Tests login feature
 */
public class Login {

  public void testLogin() {
    // fill login data on sign-in page
    driver.findElement(By.name("user_name")).sendKeys("userName");
    driver.findElement(By.name("password")).sendKeys("my supersecret password");
    driver.findElement(By.name("sign-in")).click();

    // verify h1 tag is "Hello userName" after login
    driver.findElement(By.tagName("h1")).isDisplayed();
    assertThat(driver.findElement(By.tagName("h1")).getText(), is("Hello userName"));
  }
}

There are two problems with this approach.

  • There is no separation between the test method and the AUT’s locators (IDs in this example); both are intertwined in a single method. If the AUT’s UI changes its identifiers, layout, or how a login is input and processed, the test itself must change.
  • The ID-locators would be spread in multiple tests, in all tests that had to use this login page.

Applying the page object techniques, this example could be rewritten like this in the following example of a page object for a Sign-in page.

import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;

/**
 * Page Object encapsulates the Sign-in page.
 */
public class SignInPage {
  protected WebDriver driver;

  // <input name="user_name" type="text" value="">
  private By usernameBy = By.name("user_name");
  // <input name="password" type="password" value="">
  private By passwordBy = By.name("password");
  // <input name="sign_in" type="submit" value="SignIn">
  private By signinBy = By.name("sign_in");

  public SignInPage(WebDriver driver){
    this.driver = driver;
     if (!driver.getTitle().equals("Sign In Page")) {
      throw new IllegalStateException("This is not Sign In Page," +
            " current page is: " + driver.getCurrentUrl());
    }
  }

  /**
    * Login as valid user
    *
    * @param userName
    * @param password
    * @return HomePage object
    */
  public HomePage loginValidUser(String userName, String password) {
    driver.findElement(usernameBy).sendKeys(userName);
    driver.findElement(passwordBy).sendKeys(password);
    driver.findElement(signinBy).click();
    return new HomePage(driver);
  }
}

and page object for a Home page could look like this.

import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;

/**
 * Page Object encapsulates the Home Page
 */
public class HomePage {
  protected WebDriver driver;

  // <h1>Hello userName</h1>
  private By messageBy = By.tagName("h1");

  public HomePage(WebDriver driver){
    this.driver = driver;
    if (!driver.getTitle().equals("Home Page of logged in user")) {
      throw new IllegalStateException("This is not Home Page of logged in user," +
            " current page is: " + driver.getCurrentUrl());
    }
  }

  /**
    * Get message (h1 tag)
    *
    * @return String message text
    */
  public String getMessageText() {
    return driver.findElement(messageBy).getText();
  }

  public HomePage manageProfile() {
    // Page encapsulation to manage profile functionality
    return new HomePage(driver);
  }
  /* More methods offering the services represented by Home Page
  of Logged User. These methods in turn might return more Page Objects
  for example click on Compose mail button could return ComposeMail class object */
}

So now, the login test would use these two page objects as follows.

/***
 * Tests login feature
 */
public class TestLogin {

  @Test
  public void testLogin() {
    SignInPage signInPage = new SignInPage(driver);
    HomePage homePage = signInPage.loginValidUser("userName", "password");
    assertThat(homePage.getMessageText(), is("Hello userName"));
  }

}

There is a lot of flexibility in how the page objects may be designed, but there are a few basic rules for getting the desired maintainability of your test code.

Assertions in Page Objects

Page objects themselves should never make verifications or assertions. This is part of your test and should always be within the test’s code, never in an page object. The page object will contain the representation of the page, and the services the page provides via methods but no code related to what is being tested should be within the page object.

There is one, single, verification which can, and should, be within the page object and that is to verify that the page, and possibly critical elements on the page, were loaded correctly. This verification should be done while instantiating the page object. In the examples above, both the SignInPage and HomePage constructors check that the expected page is available and ready for requests from the test.

Page Component Objects

A page object does not necessarily need to represent all the parts of a page itself. This was noted by Martin Fowler in the early days, while first coining the term “panel objects”.

The same principles used for page objects can be used to create “Page Component Objects”, as it was later called, that represent discrete chunks of the page and can be included in page objects. These component objects can provide references to the elements inside those discrete chunks, and methods to leverage the functionality or behavior provided by them.

For example, a Products page has multiple products.

<!-- Products Page -->
<div class="header_container">
    <span class="title">Products</span>
</div>

<div class="inventory_list">
    <div class="inventory_item">
    </div>
    <div class="inventory_item">
    </div>
    <div class="inventory_item">
    </div>
    <div class="inventory_item">
    </div>
    <div class="inventory_item">
    </div>
    <div class="inventory_item">
    </div>
</div>

Each product is a component of the Products page.

<!-- Inventory Item -->
<div class="inventory_item">
    <div class="inventory_item_name">Backpack</div>
    <div class="pricebar">
        <div class="inventory_item_price">$29.99</div>
        <button id="add-to-cart-backpack">Add to cart</button>
    </div>
</div>

The Products page HAS-A list of products. This object relationship is called Composition. In simpler terms, something is composed of another thing.

public abstract class BasePage {
    protected WebDriver driver;

    public BasePage(WebDriver driver) {
        this.driver = driver;
    }
}

// Page Object
public class ProductsPage extends BasePage {
    public ProductsPage(WebDriver driver) {
        super(driver);
        // No assertions, throws an exception if the element is not loaded
        new WebDriverWait(driver, Duration.ofSeconds(3))
            .until(d -> d.findElement(By.className("header_container")));
    }

    // Returning a list of products is a service of the page
    public List<Product> getProducts() {
        return driver.findElements(By.className("inventory_item"))
            .stream()
            .map(e -> new Product(e)) // Map WebElement to a product component
            .toList();
    }

    // Return a specific product using a boolean-valued function (predicate)
    // This is the behavioral Strategy Pattern from GoF
    public Product getProduct(Predicate<Product> condition) {
        return getProducts()
            .stream()
            .filter(condition) // Filter by product name or price
            .findFirst()
            .orElseThrow();
    }
}

The Product component object is used inside the Products page object.

public abstract class BaseComponent {
    protected WebElement root;

    public BaseComponent(WebElement root) {
        this.root = root;
    }
}

// Page Component Object
public class Product extends BaseComponent {
    // The root element contains the entire component
    public Product(WebElement root) {
        super(root); // inventory_item
    }

    public String getName() {
        // Locating an element begins at the root of the component
        return root.findElement(By.className("inventory_item_name")).getText();
    }

    public BigDecimal getPrice() {
        return new BigDecimal(
                root.findElement(By.className("inventory_item_price"))
                    .getText()
                    .replace("$", "")
            ).setScale(2, RoundingMode.UNNECESSARY); // Sanitation and formatting
    }

    public void addToCart() {
        root.findElement(By.id("add-to-cart-backpack")).click();
    }
}

So now, the products test would use the page object and the page component object as follows.

public class ProductsTest {
    @Test
    public void testProductInventory() {
        var productsPage = new ProductsPage(driver); // page object
        var products = productsPage.getProducts();
        assertEquals(6, products.size()); // expected, actual
    }
    
    @Test
    public void testProductPrices() {
        var productsPage = new ProductsPage(driver);

        // Pass a lambda expression (predicate) to filter the list of products
        // The predicate or "strategy" is the behavior passed as parameter
        var backpack = productsPage.getProduct(p -> p.getName().equals("Backpack")); // page component object
        var bikeLight = productsPage.getProduct(p -> p.getName().equals("Bike Light"));

        assertEquals(new BigDecimal("29.99"), backpack.getPrice());
        assertEquals(new BigDecimal("9.99"), bikeLight.getPrice());
    }
}

The page and component are represented by their own objects. Both objects only have methods for the services they offer, which matches the real-world application in object-oriented programming.

You can even nest component objects inside other component objects for more complex pages. If a page in the AUT has multiple components, or common components used throughout the site (e.g. a navigation bar), then it may improve maintainability and reduce code duplication.

Other Design Patterns Used in Testing

There are other design patterns that also may be used in testing. Discussing all of these is beyond the scope of this user guide. Here, we merely want to introduce the concepts to make the reader aware of some of the things that can be done. As was mentioned earlier, many have blogged on this topic and we encourage the reader to search for blogs on these topics.

Implementation Notes

PageObjects can be thought of as facing in two directions simultaneously. Facing toward the developer of a test, they represent the services offered by a particular page. Facing away from the developer, they should be the only thing that has a deep knowledge of the structure of the HTML of a page (or part of a page) It’s simplest to think of the methods on a Page Object as offering the “services” that a page offers rather than exposing the details and mechanics of the page. As an example, think of the inbox of any web-based email system. Amongst the services it offers are the ability to compose a new email, choose to read a single email, and list the subject lines of the emails in the inbox. How these are implemented shouldn’t matter to the test.

Because we’re encouraging the developer of a test to try and think about the services they’re interacting with rather than the implementation, PageObjects should seldom expose the underlying WebDriver instance. To facilitate this, methods on the PageObject should return other PageObjects. This means we can effectively model the user’s journey through our application. It also means that should the way that pages relate to one another change (like when the login page asks the user to change their password the first time they log into a service when it previously didn’t do that), simply changing the appropriate method’s signature will cause the tests to fail to compile. Put another way; we can tell which tests would fail without needing to run them when we change the relationship between pages and reflect this in the PageObjects.

One consequence of this approach is that it may be necessary to model (for example) both a successful and unsuccessful login; or a click could have a different result depending on the app’s state. When this happens, it is common to have multiple methods on the PageObject:

public class LoginPage {
    public HomePage loginAs(String username, String password) {
        // ... clever magic happens here
    }
    
    public LoginPage loginAsExpectingError(String username, String password) {
        //  ... failed login here, maybe because one or both of the username and password are wrong
    }
    
    public String getErrorMessage() {
        // So we can verify that the correct error is shown
    }
}

The code presented above shows an important point: the tests, not the PageObjects, should be responsible for making assertions about the state of a page. For example:

public void testMessagesAreReadOrUnread() {
    Inbox inbox = new Inbox(driver);
    inbox.assertMessageWithSubjectIsUnread("I like cheese");
    inbox.assertMessageWithSubjectIsNotUnread("I'm not fond of tofu");
}

could be re-written as:

public void testMessagesAreReadOrUnread() {
    Inbox inbox = new Inbox(driver);
    assertTrue(inbox.isMessageWithSubjectIsUnread("I like cheese"));
    assertFalse(inbox.isMessageWithSubjectIsUnread("I'm not fond of tofu"));
}

Of course, as with every guideline, there are exceptions, and one that is commonly seen with PageObjects is to check that the WebDriver is on the correct page when we instantiate the PageObject. This is done in the example below.

Finally, a PageObject need not represent an entire page. It may represent a section that appears frequently within a site or page, such as site navigation. The essential principle is that there is only one place in your test suite with knowledge of the structure of the HTML of a particular (part of a) page.

Summary

  • The public methods represent the services that the page offers
  • Try not to expose the internals of the page
  • Generally don’t make assertions
  • Methods return other PageObjects
  • Need not represent an entire page
  • Different results for the same action are modelled as different methods

Example

public class LoginPage {
    private final WebDriver driver;

    public LoginPage(WebDriver driver) {
        this.driver = driver;

        // Check that we're on the right page.
        if (!"Login".equals(driver.getTitle())) {
            // Alternatively, we could navigate to the login page, perhaps logging out first
            throw new IllegalStateException("This is not the login page");
        }
    }

    // The login page contains several HTML elements that will be represented as WebElements.
    // The locators for these elements should only be defined once.
        By usernameLocator = By.id("username");
        By passwordLocator = By.id("passwd");
        By loginButtonLocator = By.id("login");

    // The login page allows the user to type their username into the username field
    public LoginPage typeUsername(String username) {
        // This is the only place that "knows" how to enter a username
        driver.findElement(usernameLocator).sendKeys(username);

        // Return the current page object as this action doesn't navigate to a page represented by another PageObject
        return this;	
    }

    // The login page allows the user to type their password into the password field
    public LoginPage typePassword(String password) {
        // This is the only place that "knows" how to enter a password
        driver.findElement(passwordLocator).sendKeys(password);

        // Return the current page object as this action doesn't navigate to a page represented by another PageObject
        return this;	
    }

    // The login page allows the user to submit the login form
    public HomePage submitLogin() {
        // This is the only place that submits the login form and expects the destination to be the home page.
        // A seperate method should be created for the instance of clicking login whilst expecting a login failure. 
        driver.findElement(loginButtonLocator).submit();

        // Return a new page object representing the destination. Should the login page ever
        // go somewhere else (for example, a legal disclaimer) then changing the method signature
        // for this method will mean that all tests that rely on this behaviour won't compile.
        return new HomePage(driver);	
    }

    // The login page allows the user to submit the login form knowing that an invalid username and / or password were entered
    public LoginPage submitLoginExpectingFailure() {
        // This is the only place that submits the login form and expects the destination to be the login page due to login failure.
        driver.findElement(loginButtonLocator).submit();

        // Return a new page object representing the destination. Should the user ever be navigated to the home page after submiting a login with credentials 
        // expected to fail login, the script will fail when it attempts to instantiate the LoginPage PageObject.
        return new LoginPage(driver);	
    }

    // Conceptually, the login page offers the user the service of being able to "log into"
    // the application using a user name and password. 
    public HomePage loginAs(String username, String password) {
        // The PageObject methods that enter username, password & submit login have already defined and should not be repeated here.
        typeUsername(username);
        typePassword(password);
        return submitLogin();
    }
}

7.4.2 - Domain specific language

A domain specific language (DSL) is a system which provides the user with an expressive means of solving a problem. It allows a user to interact with the system on their terms – not just programmer-speak.

Your users, in general, do not care how your site looks. They do not care about the decoration, animations, or graphics. They want to use your system to push their new employees through the process with minimal difficulty; they want to book travel to Alaska; they want to configure and buy unicorns at a discount. Your job as tester is to come as close as you can to “capturing” this mind-set. With that in mind, we set about “modeling” the application you are working on, such that the test scripts (the user’s only pre-release proxy) “speak” for, and represent the user.

The goal is to use ubiquitous language. Rather than referring to “load data into this table” or “click on the third column” it should be possible to use language such as “create a new account” or “order displayed results by name”

With Selenium, DSL is usually represented by methods, written to make the API simple and readable – they enable a report between the developers and the stakeholders (users, product owners, business intelligence specialists, etc.).

Benefits

  • Readable: Business stakeholders can understand it.
  • Writable: Easy to write, avoids unnecessary duplication.
  • Extensible: Functionality can (reasonably) be added without breaking contracts and existing functionality.
  • Maintainable: By leaving the implementation details out of test cases, you are well-insulated against changes to the AUT*.

Further Reading

(previously located: https://github.com/SeleniumHQ/selenium/wiki/Domain-Driven-Design)

There is a good book on Domain Driven Design by Eric Evans http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321125215/domainlanguag-20

And to whet your appetite there’s a useful smaller book available online for download at http://www.infoq.com/minibooks/domain-driven-design-quickly

Java

Here is an example of a reasonable DSL method in Java. For brevity’s sake, it assumes the driver object is pre-defined and available to the method.

/**
 * Takes a username and password, fills out the fields, and clicks "login".
 * @return An instance of the AccountPage
 */
public AccountPage loginAsUser(String username, String password) {
  WebElement loginField = driver.findElement(By.id("loginField"));
  loginField.clear();
  loginField.sendKeys(username);

  // Fill out the password field. The locator we're using is "By.id", and we should
  // have it defined elsewhere in the class.
  WebElement passwordField = driver.findElement(By.id("password"));
  passwordField.clear();
  passwordField.sendKeys(password);

  // Click the login button, which happens to have the id "submit".
  driver.findElement(By.id("submit")).click();

  // Create and return a new instance of the AccountPage (via the built-in Selenium
  // PageFactory).
  return PageFactory.newInstance(AccountPage.class);
}

This method completely abstracts the concepts of input fields, buttons, clicking, and even pages from your test code. Using this approach, all a tester has to do is call this method. This gives you a maintenance advantage: if the login fields ever changed, you would only ever have to change this method - not your tests.

public void loginTest() {
    loginAsUser("cbrown", "cl0wn3");

    // Now that we're logged in, do some other stuff--since we used a DSL to support
    // our testers, it's as easy as choosing from available methods.
    do.something();
    do.somethingElse();
    Assert.assertTrue("Something should have been done!", something.wasDone());

    // Note that we still haven't referred to a button or web control anywhere in this
    // script...
}

It bears repeating: one of your primary goals should be writing an API that allows your tests to address the problem at hand, and NOT the problem of the UI. The UI is a secondary concern for your users – they do not care about the UI, they just want to get their job done. Your test scripts should read like a laundry list of things the user wants to DO, and the things they want to KNOW. The tests should not concern themselves with HOW the UI requires you to go about it.

*AUT: Application under test

7.4.3 - Generating application state

Selenium should not be used to prepare a test case. All repetitive actions and preparations for a test case, should be done through other methods. For example, most web UIs have authentication (e.g. a login form). Eliminating logging in via web browser before every test will improve both the speed and stability of the test. A method should be created to gain access to the AUT* (e.g. using an API to login and set a cookie). Also, creating methods to pre-load data for testing should not be done using Selenium. As mentioned previously, existing APIs should be leveraged to create data for the AUT*.

*AUT: Application under test

7.4.4 - Mock external services

Eliminating the dependencies on external services will greatly improve the speed and stability of your tests.

7.4.5 - Improved reporting

Selenium is not designed to report on the status of test cases run. Taking advantage of the built-in reporting capabilities of unit test frameworks is a good start. Most unit test frameworks have reports that can generate xUnit or HTML formatted reports. xUnit reports are popular for importing results to a Continuous Integration (CI) server like Jenkins, Travis, Bamboo, etc. Here are some links for more information regarding report outputs for several languages.

NUnit 3 Console Runner

NUnit 3 Console Command Line

xUnit getting test results in TeamCity

xUnit getting test results in CruiseControl.NET

xUnit getting test results in Azure DevOps

7.4.6 - Avoid sharing state

Although mentioned in several places, it is worth mentioning again. We must ensure that the tests are isolated from one another.

  • Do not share test data. Imagine several tests that each query the database for valid orders before picking one to perform an action on. Should two tests pick up the same order you are likely to get unexpected behavior.

  • Clean up stale data in the application that might be picked up by another test e.g. invalid order records.

  • Create a new WebDriver instance per test. This helps ensure test isolation and makes parallelization simpler.

7.4.7 - Tips on working with locators

When to use which locators and how best to manage them in your code.

Take a look at examples of the supported locator strategies.

In general, if HTML IDs are available, unique, and consistently predictable, they are the preferred method for locating an element on a page. They tend to work very quickly, and forego much processing that comes with complicated DOM traversals.

If unique IDs are unavailable, a well-written CSS selector is the preferred method of locating an element. XPath works as well as CSS selectors, but the syntax is complicated and frequently difficult to debug. Though XPath selectors are very flexible, they are typically not performance tested by browser vendors and tend to be quite slow.

Selection strategies based on linkText and partialLinkText have drawbacks in that they only work on link elements. Additionally, they call down to querySelectorAll selectors internally in WebDriver.

Tag name can be a dangerous way to locate elements. There are frequently multiple elements of the same tag present on the page. This is mostly useful when calling the findElements(By) method which returns a collection of elements.

The recommendation is to keep your locators as compact and readable as possible. Asking WebDriver to traverse the DOM structure is an expensive operation, and the more you can narrow the scope of your search, the better.

7.4.8 - Test independency

Write each test as its own unit. Write the tests in a way that will not be reliant on other tests to complete:

Let us say there is a content management system with which you can create some custom content which then appears on your website as a module after publishing, and it may take some time to sync between the CMS and the application.

A wrong way of testing your module is that the content is created and published in one test, and then checking the module in another test. This is not feasible as the content may not be available immediately for the other test after publishing.

Instead, you can create a stub content which can be turned on and off within the affected test, and use that for validating the module. However, for content creation, you can still have a separate test.

7.4.9 - Consider using a fluent API

Martin Fowler coined the term “Fluent API”. Selenium already implements something like this in their FluentWait class, which is meant as an alternative to the standard Wait class. You could enable the Fluent API design pattern in your page object and then query the Google search page with a code snippet like this one:

driver.get( "http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&amp;tab=ww" );
GoogleSearchPage gsp = new GoogleSearchPage(driver);
gsp.setSearchString().clickSearchButton();

The Google page object class with this fluent behavior might look like this:

public abstract class BasePage {
    protected WebDriver driver;

    public BasePage(WebDriver driver) {
        this.driver = driver;
    }
}

public class GoogleSearchPage extends BasePage {
    public GoogleSearchPage(WebDriver driver) {
        super(driver);
        // Generally do not assert within pages or components.
        // Effectively throws an exception if the lambda condition is not met.
        new WebDriverWait(driver, Duration.ofSeconds(3)).until(d -> d.findElement(By.id("logo")));
    }

    public GoogleSearchPage setSearchString(String sstr) {
        driver.findElement(By.id("gbqfq")).sendKeys(sstr);
        return this;
    }

    public void clickSearchButton() {
        driver.findElement(By.id("gbqfb")).click();
    }
}

7.4.10 - Fresh browser per test

Start each test from a clean, known state. Ideally, spin up a new virtual machine for each test. If spinning up a new virtual machine is not practical, at least start a new WebDriver for each test. Most browser drivers like GeckoDriver and ChromeDriver will start with a clean known state with a new user profile, by default.

WebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver();

7.5 - Discouraged behaviors

Things to avoid when automating browsers with Selenium.

7.5.1 - Captchas

CAPTCHA, short for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart, is explicitly designed to prevent automation, so do not try! There are two primary strategies to get around CAPTCHA checks:

  • Disable CAPTCHAs in your test environment
  • Add a hook to allow tests to bypass the CAPTCHA

7.5.2 - File downloads

Whilst it is possible to start a download by clicking a link with a browser under Selenium’s control, the API does not expose download progress, making it less than ideal for testing downloaded files. This is because downloading files is not considered an important aspect of emulating user interaction with the web platform. Instead, find the link using Selenium (and any required cookies) and pass it to a HTTP request library like libcurl.

The HtmlUnit driver can download attachments by accessing them as input streams by implementing the AttachmentHandler interface. The AttachmentHandler can then be added to the HtmlUnit WebClient.

7.5.3 - HTTP response codes

For some browser configurations in Selenium RC, Selenium acted as a proxy between the browser and the site being automated. This meant that all browser traffic passed through Selenium could be captured or manipulated. The captureNetworkTraffic() method purported to capture all of the network traffic between the browser and the site being automated, including HTTP response codes.

Selenium WebDriver is a completely different approach to browser automation, preferring to act more like a user. This is represented in the way you write tests with WebDriver. In automated functional testing, checking the status code is not a particularly important detail of a test’s failure; the steps that preceded it are more important.

The browser will always represent the HTTP status code, imagine for example a 404 or a 500 error page. A simple way to “fail fast” when you encounter one of these error pages is to check the page title or content of a reliable point (e.g. the <h1> tag) after every page load. If you are using the page object model, you can include this check in your class constructor or similar point where the page load is expected. Occasionally, the HTTP code may even be represented in the browser’s error page and you could use WebDriver to read this and improve your debugging output.

Checking the webpage itself is in line with WebDriver’s ideal practice of representing and asserting upon the user’s view of the website.

If you insist, an advanced solution to capturing HTTP status codes is to replicate the behaviour of Selenium RC by using a proxy. WebDriver API provides the ability to set a proxy for the browser, and there are a number of proxies that will programmatically allow you to manipulate the contents of requests sent to and received from the web server. Using a proxy lets you decide how you want to respond to redirection response codes. Additionally, not every browser makes the response codes available to WebDriver, so opting to use a proxy allows you to have a solution that works for every browser.

7.5.4 - Gmail, email and Facebook logins

For multiple reasons, logging into sites like Gmail and Facebook using WebDriver is not recommended. Aside from being against the usage terms for these sites (where you risk having the account shut down), it is slow and unreliable.

The ideal practice is to use the APIs that email providers offer, or in the case of Facebook the developer tools service which exposes an API for creating test accounts, friends and so forth. Although using an API might seem like a bit of extra hard work, you will be paid back in speed, reliability, and stability. The API is also unlikely to change, whereas webpages and HTML locators change often and require you to update your test framework.

Logging in to third party sites using WebDriver at any point of your test increases the risk of your test failing because it makes your test longer. A general rule of thumb is that longer tests are more fragile and unreliable.

WebDriver implementations that are W3C conformant also annotate the navigator object with a WebDriver property so that Denial of Service attacks can be mitigated.

7.5.5 - Test dependency

A common idea and misconception about automated testing is regarding a specific test order. Your tests should be able to run in any order, and not rely on other tests to complete in order to be successful.

7.5.6 - Performance testing

Performance testing using Selenium and WebDriver is generally not advised. Not because it is incapable, but because it is not optimised for the job and you are unlikely to get good results.

It may seem ideal to performance test in the context of the user but a suite of WebDriver tests are subjected to many points of external and internal fragility which are beyond your control; for example browser startup speed, speed of HTTP servers, response of third party servers that host JavaScript or CSS, and the instrumentation penalty of the WebDriver implementation itself. Variation at these points will cause variation in your results. It is difficult to separate the difference between the performance of your website and the performance of external resources, and it is also hard to tell what the performance penalty is for using WebDriver in the browser, especially if you are injecting scripts.

The other potential attraction is “saving time” — carrying out functional and performance tests at the same time. However, functional and performance tests have opposing objectives. To test functionality, a tester may need to be patient and wait for loading, but this will cloud the performance testing results and vice versa.

To improve the performance of your website, you will need to be able to analyse overall performance independent of environment differences, identify poor code practices, breakdown of performance of individual resources (i.e. CSS or JavaScript), in order to know what to improve. There are performance testing tools available that can do this job already, that provide reporting and analysis, and can even make improvement suggestions.

Example (open source) packages to use are: JMeter

7.5.7 - Link spidering

Using WebDriver to spider through links is not a recommended practice. Not because it cannot be done, but because WebDriver is definitely not the most ideal tool for this. WebDriver needs time to start up, and can take several seconds, up to a minute depending on how your test is written, just to get to the page and traverse through the DOM.

Instead of using WebDriver for this, you could save a ton of time by executing a curl command, or using a library such as BeautifulSoup since these methods do not rely on creating a browser and navigating to a page. You are saving tonnes of time by not using WebDriver for this task.

7.5.8 - Two Factor Authentication

Two Factor Authentication (2FA) is an authorization mechanism where a One Time Password (OTP) is generated using “Authenticator” mobile apps such as “Google Authenticator”, “Microsoft Authenticator” etc., or by SMS, e-mail to authenticate. Automating this seamlessly and consistently is a big challenge in Selenium. There are some ways to automate this process. But that will be another layer on top of our Selenium tests and not as secure. So, you should avoid automating 2FA.

There are few options to get around 2FA checks:

  • Disable 2FA for certain Users in the test environment, so that you can use those user credentials in the automation.
  • Disable 2FA in your test environment.
  • Disable 2FA if you login from certain IPs. That way we can configure our test machine IPs to avoid this.

8 - About this documentation

These docs, like the code itself, are maintained 100% by volunteers within the Selenium community. Many have been using it since its inception, but many more have only been using it for a short while, and have given their time to help improve the onboarding experience for new users.

If there is an issue with the documentation, we want to know! The best way to communicate an issue is to visit https://github.com/seleniumhq/seleniumhq.github.io/issues and search to see whether or not the issue has been filed already. If not, feel free to open one!

Many members of the community are present at the #selenium Libera chat at Libera.chat. Feel free to drop in and ask questions and if you get help which you think could be of use within these documents, be sure to add your contribution! We can update these documents, but it is much easier for everyone when we get contributions from outside the normal committers.

8.1 - Copyright and attributions

Copyright, contributions and all attributions for the different projects under the Selenium umbrella.

The Documentation of Selenium

Every effort has been made to make this documentation as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied. The information provided is on an “as-is” basis. The authors and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein.

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Third-Party software used by Selenium documentation project:

SoftwareVersionLicense
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License

All code and documentation originating from the Selenium project is licensed under the Apache 2.0 license, with the Software Freedom Conservancy as the copyright holder.

The license is included here for convenience, but you can also find it on the Apache Foundation’s websites:

                                 Apache License
                           Version 2.0, January 2004
                        http://www.apache.org/licenses/

   TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR USE, REPRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION

   1. Definitions.

      "License" shall mean the terms and conditions for use, reproduction,
      and distribution as defined by Sections 1 through 9 of this document.

      "Licensor" shall mean the copyright owner or entity authorized by
      the copyright owner that is granting the License.

      "Legal Entity" shall mean the union of the acting entity and all
      other entities that control, are controlled by, or are under common
      control with that entity. For the purposes of this definition,
      "control" means (i) the power, direct or indirect, to cause the
      direction or management of such entity, whether by contract or
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8.2 - Contributing to the Selenium site & documentation

Information on improving documentation and code examples for Selenium

Selenium is a big software project, its site and documentation are key to understanding how things work and learning effective ways to exploit its potential.

This project contains both Selenium’s site and documentation. This is an ongoing effort (not targeted at any specific release) to provide updated information on how to use Selenium effectively, how to get involved and how to contribute to Selenium.

Contributions toward the site and docs follow the process described in the below section about contributions.


The Selenium project welcomes contributions from everyone. There are a number of ways you can help:

Report an issue

When reporting a new issues or commenting on existing issues please make sure discussions are related to concrete technical issues with the Selenium software, its site and/or documentation.

All of the Selenium components change quite fast over time, so this might cause the documentation to be out of date. If you find this to be the case, as mentioned, don’t hesitate to create an issue for that. It also might be possible that you know how to bring up to date the documentation, so please send us a pull request with the related changes.

If you are not sure about what you have found is an issue or not, please ask through the communication channels described at https://selenium.dev/support.

What to Help With

Creating Examples

Examples that need to be moved are marked with:

Add Example

We want to be able to run all of our code examples in the CI to ensure that people can copy and paste and execute everything on the site. So we put the code where it belongs in the examples directory. Each page in the documentation correlates to a test file in each of the languages, and should follow naming conventions. For instance examples for this page https://www.selenium.dev/documentation/webdriver/browsers/chrome/ get added in these files:

  • "/examples/java/src/test/java/dev/selenium/browsers/ChromeTest.java"
  • "/examples/python/tests/browsers/test_chrome.py"
  • "/examples/dotnet/SeleniumDocs/Browsers/ChromeTest.cs"
  • "/examples/ruby/spec/browsers/chrome_spec.rb"
  • "/examples/javascript/test/browser/chromeSpecificCaps.spec.js"

Each example should get its own test. Ideally each test has an assertion that verifies the code works as intended. Once the code is copied to its own test in the proper file, it needs to be referenced in the markdown file.

For example, the tab in Ruby would look like this:

    {{< tab header="Ruby" >}}
    {{< gh-codeblock path="/examples/ruby/spec/browsers/chrome_spec.rb#L8-L9" >}}
    {{< /tab >}}

The line numbers at the end represent only the line or lines of code that actually represent the item being displayed. If a user wants more context, they can click the link to the GitHub page that will show the full context.

Make sure that if you add a test to the page that all the other line numbers in the markdown file are still correct. Adding a test at the top of a page means updating every single reference in the documentation that has a line number for that file.

Finally, make sure that the tests pass in the CI.

Moving Examples

Examples that need to be moved are marked with:

Move Code

Everything from the Creating Examples section applies, with one addition.

Make sure the tab includes text=true. By default, the tabs get formatted for code, so to use markdown or other shortcode statements (like gh-codeblock) it needs to be declared as text. For most examples, the tabpane declares the text=true, but if some of the tabs have code examples, the tabpane cannot specify it, and it must be specified in the tabs that do not need automatic code formatting.

Contribution Mechanics

The Selenium project welcomes new contributors. Individuals making significant and valuable contributions over time are made Committers and given commit-access to the project.

This guide will guide you through the contribution process.

Step 1: Fork

Fork the project on GitHub and check out your copy locally.

% git clone git@github.com:seleniumhq/seleniumhq.github.io.git
% cd seleniumhq.github.io

Dependencies: Hugo

We use Hugo and the Docsy theme to build and render the site. You will need the “extended” Sass/SCSS version of the Hugo binary to work on this site. We recommend to use Hugo 0.110.0 or higher.

Please follow the Install Hugo instructions from Docsy.

Step 2: Branch

Create a feature branch and start hacking:

% git checkout -b my-feature-branch

We practice HEAD-based development, which means all changes are applied directly on top of dev.

Step 3: Make changes

The repository contains the site and docs. To make changes to the site, work on the website_and_docs directory. To see a live preview of your changes, run hugo server on the site’s root directory.

% cd website_and_docs
% hugo server

The project loads code from GitHub, if that code has been updated, and it isn’t reflected in your preview, you can run hugo without the cache: hugo server --ignoreCache

See Style Guide for more information on our conventions for contribution

Step 4: Commit

First make sure git knows your name and email address:

% git config --global user.name 'Santa Claus'
% git config --global user.email 'santa@example.com'

Writing good commit messages is important. A commit message should describe what changed, why, and reference issues fixed (if any). Follow these guidelines when writing one:

  1. The first line should be around 50 characters or less and contain a short description of the change.
  2. Keep the second line blank.
  3. Wrap all other lines at 72 columns.
  4. Include Fixes #N, where N is the issue number the commit fixes, if any.

A good commit message can look like this:

explain commit normatively in one line

Body of commit message is a few lines of text, explaining things
in more detail, possibly giving some background about the issue
being fixed, etc.

The body of the commit message can be several paragraphs, and
please do proper word-wrap and keep columns shorter than about
72 characters or so. That way `git log` will show things
nicely even when it is indented.

Fixes #141

The first line must be meaningful as it’s what people see when they run git shortlog or git log --oneline.

Step 5: Rebase

Use git rebase (not git merge) to sync your work from time to time.

% git fetch origin
% git rebase origin/trunk

Step 6: Test

Always remember to run the local server, with this you can be sure that your changes have not broken anything.

Step 7: Push

% git push origin my-feature-branch

Go to https://github.com/yourusername/seleniumhq.github.io.git and press the Pull Request and fill out the form. Please indicate that you’ve signed the CLA (see Step 7).

Pull requests are usually reviewed within a few days. If there are comments to address, apply your changes in new commits (preferably fixups) and push to the same branch.

Step 8: Integration

When code review is complete, a committer will take your PR and integrate it on the repository’s trunk branch. Because we like to keep a linear history on the trunk branch, we will normally squash and rebase your branch history.

Communication

All details on how to communicate with the project contributors and the community overall can be found at https://selenium.dev/support

8.3 - Style guide for Selenium documentation

Conventions for contributions to the Selenium documentation and code examples

Read our contributing documentation for complete instructions on how to add content to this documentation.

Alerts

Alerts have been added to direct potential contributors to where specific content is missing.

{{< alert-content />}}

or

{{< alert-content >}}
Additional information about what specific content is needed
{{< /alert-content >}}

Which gets displayed like this:

Capitalization of titles

Our documentation uses Title Capitalization for linkTitle which should be short and Sentence capitalization for title which can be longer and more descriptive. For example, a linkTitle of Special Heading might have a title of The importance of a special heading in documentation

Line length

When editing the documentation’s source, which is written in plain HTML, limit your line lengths to around 100 characters.

Some of us take this one step further and use what is called semantic linefeeds, which is a technique whereby the HTML source lines, which are not read by the public, are split at ‘natural breaks’ in the prose. In other words, sentences are split at natural breaks between clauses. Instead of fussing with the lines of each paragraph so that they all end near the right margin, linefeeds can be added anywhere that there is a break between ideas.

This can make diffs very easy to read when collaborating through git, but it is not something we enforce contributors to use.

Translations

Selenium now has official translators for each of the supported languages.

  • If you add a code example to the important_documentation.en.md file, also add it to important_documentation.ja.md, important_documentation.pt-br.md, important_documentation.zh-cn.md.
  • If you make text changes in the English version, just make a Pull Request. The new process is for issues to be created and tagged as needs translation based on changes made in a given PR.

Code examples

All references to code should be language independent, and the code itself should be placed inside code tabs.

Default Code Tabs

The Docsy code tabs look like this:

    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
  
    driver = webdriver.Chrome()
  
    var driver = new ChromeDriver();
  
    driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome
  
    let driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();
  
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
  

To generate the above tabs, this is what you need to write. Note that the tabpane includes langEqualsHeader=true. This auto-formats the code in each tab to match the header name, and ensures that all tabs on the page with a language are set to the same thing.

{{< tabpane langEqualsHeader=true >}}
  {{< tab header="Java" >}}
    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
  {{< /tab >}}
  {{< tab header="Python" >}}
    driver = webdriver.Chrome()
  {{< /tab >}}
  {{< tab header="CSharp" >}}
    var driver = new ChromeDriver();
  {{< /tab >}}
  {{< tab header="Ruby" >}}
    driver = Selenium::WebDriver.for :chrome
  {{< /tab >}}
  {{< tab header="JavaScript" >}}
    let driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();
  {{< /tab >}}
  {{< tab header="Kotlin" >}}
    val driver = ChromeDriver()
  {{< /tab >}}
{{< /tabpane >}}

Reference GitHub Examples

To ensure that all code is kept up to date, our goal is to write the code in the repo where it can be executed when Selenium versions are updated to ensure that everything is correct.

All code examples to be in our example directories.

This code can be automatically displayed in the documentation using the gh-codeblock shortcode. The shortcode automatically generates its own html, so we do not want it to auto-format with the language header. If all tabs are using this shortcode, set text=true in the tabpane and remove langEqualsHeader=true. If only some tabs are using this shortcode, keep langEqualsHeader=true in the tabpane and add text=true to the tab. Note that the gh-codeblock line can not be indented at all.

One great thing about using gh-codeblock is that it adds a link to the full example. This means you don’t have to include any additional context code, just the line(s) that are needed, and the user can navigate to the repo to see how to use it.

A basic comparison of code looks like:

{{< tabpane text=true >}}
{{< tab header="Java" >}}
{{< gh-codeblock path="examples/java/src/test/java/dev/selenium/getting_started/FirstScript.java#L46-L47" >}}
{{< /tab >}}
{{< tab header="Python" >}}
{{< gh-codeblock path="examples/python/tests/getting_started/first_script.py#L17-L18" >}}
{{< /tab >}}
{{< tab header="CSharp" >}}
{{< gh-codeblock path="examples/dotnet/SeleniumDocs/GettingStarted/FirstScript.cs#L39-L40" >}}
{{< /tab >}}
{{< tab header="Ruby" >}}
{{< gh-codeblock path="examples/ruby/spec/getting_started/first_script.rb#L16-L17" >}}
{{< /tab >}}
{{< tab header="JavaScript" >}}
{{< gh-codeblock path="examples/javascript/test/getting_started/firstScript.spec.js#L23-L24" >}}
{{< /tab >}}
{{< tab header="Kotlin" >}}
{{< gh-codeblock path="examples/kotlin/src/test/kotlin/dev/selenium/getting_started/FirstScriptTest.kt#L25-L26" >}}
{{< /tab >}}
{{< /tabpane >}}

Which looks like this:


message = driver.find_element(by=By.ID, value="message")

message = driver.find_element(id: 'message')
    let value = await message.getText();
    assert.equal("Received!", value);
        var textBox = driver.findElement(By.name("my-text"))
        val submitButton = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("button"))

Using Markdown in a Tab

If you want your example to include something other than code (default) or html (from gh-codeblock), you need to first set text=true, then change the Hugo syntax for the tabto use % instead of < and > with curly braces:

{{< tabpane text=true >}}
{{% tab header="Java" %}}
1. Start the driver
{{< gh-codeblock path="examples/java/src/test/java/dev/selenium/getting_started/FirstScript.java#L12" >}}
2. Navigate to a page
{{< gh-codeblock path="examples/java/src/test/java/dev/selenium/getting_started/FirstScript.java#L14" >}}
3. Quit the driver
{{< gh-codeblock path="examples/java/src/test/java/dev/selenium/getting_started/FirstScript.java#L29" >}}
{{% /tab %}}
< ... >
{{< /tabpane >}}

This produces:

  1. Start the driver
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
  1. Navigate to a page
        driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/web-form.html");
  1. Quit the driver
        driver.quit();

This is preferred to writing code comments because those will not be translated. Only include the code that is needed for the documentation, and avoid over-explaining. Finally, remember not to indent plain text or it will rendered as a codeblock.

8.4 - Musings about how things came to be

Details mostly of interest to Selenium devs about how and why certain parts of the project were created

This documentation previously located on the wiki

Introduction

This is a work in progress. Feel free to add things you know or remember.

How did the Automation Atoms come about?

On 2012-04-04, jimevans asked on the #selenium IRC channel:

“What I wanted to ask you about was the history of the automation atoms. I seem to remember them springing fully formed, as if from the head of Zeus, and I’m sure that wasn’t the case. Can you refresh my memory as to how the concept happened?”

simonstewart then proceeded to tell us a nice little story:

Sure. Are we sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. (Brit joke, there)

Imagine wavy lines as the screen dissolves and we’re transported back to when selenium and webdriver were different projects. Before the projects merged, there was an awful lot of congruent code in webdriver. Congruent, but not shared. The Firefox driver was in JS. The IE driver was mostly C++. The Chrome driver was mostly JS, but different JS from the Firefox driver. And HtmlUnit was unique.

We then added Selenium Core to the mix. Yet more JS that did basically the same thing.

Within Google, I was becoming the TL of the browser automation team. And was corralling a framework of our own into the mix. Which was written in JS, and had once been based on Core before it span off on its own path.

So: multiple codebases, lots of JS doing more or less the same thing. And loads of bugs. Weird mismatches of behaviour in edge-cases.

*shudder*

So I had a bit of a think. (Dangerous, I know) The idea was to extract the “best of breed” code from all three frameworks (Core, WebDriver and the Google tool). Break them down into code that could be shared. “The smallest, indivisible unit of browser automation” .

Or “atoms” for short.

These could be used as the basis the everything. Consistent behaviour between browsers. and apis. The other important point was that the JS code in webdriver and core was grown organically. Which is a polite way of saying “I’d rather never edit it again”. Which is a polite way of saying that it was of dubious quality . In places.

So: high quality was important. And I wanted the code broken up into modules. Because editing a 10k LOC file isn’t a bright idea.

Within Google we had a library called Closure. Which not only allowed modularization, but “denormalization” of modules into a single file via compilation. And I knew it was being open sourced. So we started building the library in the google codebase. (Where we had access to the unreleased library, code review tools and our amazing testing infrastructure). Using Closure Library.

“dom.js” was probably the first file I wrote. (We can check). Greg Dennis and Jason Leyba joined in the fun. And the atoms have been growing ever since.

Technically, we should be calling anything outside of “javascript/atoms” molecules. But then we can’t say that we have atomic drivers. and use imagery from the 50s to describe them.

*sigh*

jimevans replied: “molecular drivers?”

And simonstewart finished with:

Indeed :) The idea is that the atoms are the lowest level. And we compose the atoms to conform to the WebDriver or RC apis in “javascript/{selenium,webdriver}-atoms” respecitively. And then suck those in as necessary.

A Story of Crazy-Fun

Simon Stewart :

So, let’s go back to the very beginning of the project

When it was me, on my own
(the webdriver project, that is, not selenium itself)
I knew that I wanted to cover multiple different languages, and so wanted a build tool that could work with all of them
That is, that didn't have a built in preference for one that made working with other languages painful
ant is java biased. As is maven.
nant and msbuild are .net biased
rake, otoh, supports nothing very well
But, and this is key, any valid rake script is also a valid ruby program
It's possible to extend rake to build anything
So: rake it was
The initial rake file was pretty small and manageable
But as the project grew, so did the Rakefile
Until there was only person who could deal with it (me), and even then it was pretty shaky
So, rather than have a project that couldn't be built, I extracted some helper methods to do some of the heavy lifting
Which made the Rakefile comprehensible again
But they project kept. getting. bigger
And the Rakefile got harder and harder to grok
At the time, I was working at Google, who have a wonderful build system
Google's system is declarative and works across multiple different languages consistently
And, most important, it breaks up the build from a single file into little fragments
I asked the OSS chaps at Google if it was okay to open source the build grammar, and they gave it the green light
So we layered that build grammar into the selenium codebase
With one minor change (we handle dictionary args)
But that grammar sits on top of rake
still, after all this time
And there's a problem
And that's that rake is single threaded
So our builds are constrained to run serially
We could use "multitask" types to improve things, but when I've tried that things got very messy, very fast
So, our next hurdle is that crazyfun.rb is slow: we need to go faster
Which implies a rewrite of crazyfun
I'm most comfortable in java
So, I've spiked a new version in java that handles the java and js compilation
It's significantly faster
But, and this is also important, it's a spike
The code was designed to be disposable.
Now that things have been proved out, I'd really like to do a clean implementation
But I'm torn
Do I "finish" the new, very fast crazyfun java enough to replace the ruby version?

A story of driver executeables


jimevans
noob_einsteinsfo: alright, story time, then. are we sitting comfortably? then we'll begin.
noob_einsteinsfo: back when i first started working on the project (circa 2010), the drivers for all of the browsers were built and maintained by the project.
at the time, that meant IE, firefox, and chrome.
all of those drivers were packaged as part of the selenium standalone server, and were also packaged in with the various language bindings.
this was a conscious decision, so that if one were running locally, there would be no need for the java runtime on the machine just to automate a given browser.
there were two factors that led to the development of browser drivers as separate executables.
as a quick aside, remember that the webdriver philosophy is to automate the browser using the "best-fit" mechanism for that particular browser.
for IE, that means using the COM interfaces; for firefox at the time, that meant using a browser extension; for chrome, it also meant a browser extension.
so that meant that the IE driver was developed as a DLL in C++ that was loaded by the language bindings, and communicated with via whatever native-code mechanism was provided by the language (JNI for java, P/Invoke for .NET, ctypes for python, etc.).
it also meant that the firefox driver was developed as a browser extension that was packaged inside the various language bindings, and extracted, and used in a profile in firefox.
as i said, the IE driver was implemented as a DLL, loaded and communicated with using different mechanisms for different language bindings.
the problem is that each of those language-specific mechanisms had different load/unload semantics.
ruby, for example, would never call the windows FreeLibrary API after loading the DLL into memory, making multiple instances really challenging.
*process* semantics, however, as in, starting, stopping, and managing the lifetime of a process on the OS, whatever the OS, are remarkably similar across all languages.
so when the IE driver rewrite was completed in 2010, the development team (me) decided to make it a separate executable, so that the load/unload semantics could be consistent no matter what language bindings one was using.
concurrently with this, the chromium team made the decision to follow opera's lead and provide a driver implementation for chrome.
an implementation that they would develop, enhance, and maintain going forward, relieving the selenium project of the burden of maintaining a chrome driver.

XgizmoX
and that driver is part of the browser?

jimevans
XgizmoX: not really, but i believe there may be some smarts built into chrome itself that knows when it's being automated via chromedriver. one of the googlers would be a better person to ask about that.
anyway, knowing the different in shared library (.dll/.so/.dynlib) loading semantics, the chromium team (with my encouragement) decided to release their chromedriver implementation as a separate executable.
fast-forward a couple of years, and you begin to see the effort to make webdriver a w3c standard.
a working group with the w3c created a specification (still in progress, but getting close to finished with the first version), which codified the behavior of webdriver, and how a browser should react to its methods. furthermore, it standardized the protocol used to communicate between language bindings and a driver for a particular browser.
i can't emphasize how important and groundbreaking this was.
because the w3c and the webdriver working group within it are made up of representatives from the browser vendors themselves, it ensures that the solution will be supported directly by the browser vendors.
mozilla created their webdriver implementation (geckodriver) for firefox.
the most efficient mechanism for distribution of that browser driver, while maintaining the proper semantics for the language bindings, was to ship as a separate executable.
note, this is a gross oversimplification of the geckodriver architecture; the actual executable acts as a relatively thin shim, translating from the wire protocol of the spec to their internal marionette protocol
but the point still stands.
anyway, the landscape is currently evolving regarding browser-vendor-provided driver implementation. microsoft has one for edge, apple has one for safari (10 and above), the chromium team (largely staffed by googlers) has one for chrome, and now mozilla has one for firefox.
given the limited utility of the legacy firefox driver going forward, breaking it out into a separate executable would be wasted effort.
this is particularly so, since all of the communication bits that are normally handled by the executable (listening for and responding to http requests from the language bindings) are handled entirely by the browser extension. \
there's literally no need for the legacy firefox driver to be a separate executable.
moreover, making it independent of a language runtime would be a significant portion of work
(because a .NET shop might reasonably balk at being required to install, say, the java runtime just to automate firefox)
so historically speaking, noob-einsteinsfo, that's the general reason for why separate executables have become the norm, and why that paradigm wasn't extended to include the legacy firefox driver.
does that make sense?
okay.
now.
about geckodriver.
the tale of geckodriver is intimately bound with the status of the aforementioned w3c webdriver spec.
level 1 of the specification is mostly done, though it took a number of years of effort to get there.
it took a large effort from some very smart people (AutomatedTester among them) to mold the initial documentation of what the webdriver open source software (OSS) project did into proper specification language that could be interpreted and turned into actionable stuff by a browser vendor or other implementor.
when beginning the geckodriver (nee marionette) project, mozilla decided to base their implementation on the spec, and only the spec, not following the OSS implementation.
this created something of a chicken-and-egg problem, in that while the spec language wasn't completed, it couldn't be implemented.
it's only been in the last six months or so that the language concerning the advanced user interactions api (the Actions class in java and .NET) has been made robust enough to actually implement.
accordingly, that's the single biggest missing chunk of functionality in geckodriver at present. it wasn't implementable via the spec, so it hasn't been implemented.
i do know that it's a very high priority for AutomatedTester and his team to get that implementation done and available.
as for why geckodriver is mandatory, and the default implementation for automating firefox in 3.x, that also comes down to some decisions made by mozilla.

TheSchaf
so i guess there is no other choice than to use the old FF as long as required features are missing
WhereIsMySpoon
TheSchaf: if you need those features, yes
or use another browser
TheSchaf
well, moveTo and sendKeys should be pretty basic :p

jimevans
TheSchaf: element.sendKeys works just fine. it's Actions.sendKeys that would be broken.
in firefox version fortysomething (i misremember the exact version), there was a feature added that blocked browser extensions that hadn't been signed by the mozilla security team.
remember that the legacy firefox driver was built as a browser extension? well, with that feature of the browser enabled, the legacy driver couldn't be loaded by the browser.
now, for several versions of firefox, it was possible to disable this feature of the browser, and allow unsigned extensions to continue to be loaded.
and selenium did this, by virtue of the settings used in the anonymous profile the bindings created when launching firefox.
until firefox 48, at which point, it was no longer possible to disable loading of unsigned extensions.
at that point, geckodriver was the only way forward for that.
now, two more slight points, then i'll be done with story time.
first, by nature of what the legacy driver extension does, it's not possible to get it to pass the certification process of the mozilla security team.
we asked, were denied, and were told it wouldn't happen ever, full stop.
and that's perfectly reasonable, since what that extension does is a security hole big enough to drive a whole fleet of lorries through.
second, it turns out there may, in fact, be a way to privately sign the legacy extension so that it can be loaded and used privately by versions of firefox 48 and higher.
that's still a less-than-ideal approach, because there's no way that our merry band of open source developers can know how to automate firefox better than the development teams at mozilla, who create the browser in the first place.
i totally get the frustration that geckodriver doesn't have the full feature parity of the legacy implementation, especially when it feels like one is being forced to move to it.
raging at the selenium project about that decision is directing one's ire in entirely the wrong direction.
however, before going off and saying horrible things about mozilla's decisions, do know that mozilla has several people who are constantly engaged in the project, a few of them right here in this very channel (AutomatedTester, davehunt, to name two).
i'm sure i've glossed over or mischaracterized some of the historical details of these things, and i'm happy to be corrected. i'm old, after all, and the memory isn't what it used to be.
but that, my friends, is the (not so very) short history of why we have separate executables for drivers, and why geckodriver is the way forward, and why a move to it was necessary when the move was made even though some functionality was lacking.

jimevans feels like he's become an unofficial historian of the webdriver project


transcript: https://botbot.me/freenode/selenium/2016-12-21/?msg=78265715&page=6

An informal naming of our releases (by channel topic in IRC)

  • Selenium 2 beta 3 ’the next generation browser release’ now available - http://bit.ly/i9bkC2

  • Selenium 2 RC1 ’the grid release’ now available - http://bit.ly/jgZxW8

  • Selenium 2 RC2 the ‘works better release’ now available - http://bit.ly/mJJX1z

  • Selenium RC3 - “the next one is the ‘big’ one” release - http://bit.ly/kpiACx

  • Selenium 2.0 Final unleashed upon the unspecting masses

  • Selenium 2.1.0 now available (yes, even for maven users now)

  • Selenium 2.2.0 now available (in nuget .. and yes, even maven)

  • Selenium 2.3.0 available now. A new tradition!

  • Selenium 2.4.0 is out – stuff changed, but there is no blog post yet

  • Selenium 2.5.0. mmmm. bacon.

  • Selenium 2.6.0 is now available. Switch and save 15% or more on car insurance

  • Ruby bindings for Selenium 2.7.0 first out of the gate (on twitter at any rate). Jari is a machine…

  • Selenium 2.8.0 is out now – day old bacon is still bacon

  • sadly we are missing IRC logs…

  • Selenium 2.22: The month long weekly release is finally here!

  • Selenium 2.23: “Now with awesome!” Wait. What? Now?!

  • Selenium 2.24: Now with more, erm, stuff?

  • Selenium 2.25: Tracking nicely

  • 2.26 is out!

  • Selenium 2.27 has been released with fixes for Firefox 17. Get it while it’s hot!

  • (there was no 2.28 topic update) code.google.com/p/selenium mirrored on github.com/seleniumHQ/selenium - we’re on git now!

  • 2.29.0 is out now! First git release with FF18 support!

  • BOOM! 2.31 is released with native event support for Firefox 19 even.

  • “correlation does not imply causation” 2.32.0 released with Firefox 20 support.

  • the US government is open again! Let’s celebrate with 2.36 newly released, with FF24 support

  • 2.40 is wow much automate so fixes such awe

  • 2.41 - the last ie6 “supported” release

  • 2.45.0 - released w/ FF36 support

  • 2.46.0 - released w/ FF38 support

  • 2.47.0 - released w/ Edge support

  • 2.48.0 - released w/ Marionette support in all languages

  • 2.49.0 Released - w/ FF 43 support

  • 2.50.0 Released - “It’s all bloody edge cases!” - D.W-H

  • 2.51.0 Released - “It’s all bloody edge cases!” - D.W-H

  • 2.52.0 Released - Now you can disable “all bloody edge cases!”

  • 2.53.0 The FINAL RC RELEASE

  • 3.0 The Christmas Release! FF48 now requires GeckoDriver

  • 3.6 The “Not Released On A Friday” Release