# Selenium

> Selenium browser automation framework. Use for web testing.

- Skill: `g1joshi/selenium` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add g1joshi/selenium`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/g1joshi/selenium/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: G1Joshi (https://skillmd.com/u/g1joshi)
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/g1joshi/selenium

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# Selenium

Selenium is an umbrella project for a range of tools and libraries that enable and support the automation of web browsers. It is the grandfather of browser automation and defined the W3C WebDriver standard.

## When to Use

- **Legacy/Enterprise**: Vast ecosystems and existing test suites.
- **Obscure Browsers**: Need to test Internet Explorer (IE Mode) or specialized browsers.
- **Grid**: Distributing tests across a massive farm of diverse OS/Browser combinations.

## Quick Start (Java)

```java
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
driver.get("https://selenium.dev");
WebElement element = driver.findElement(By.id("search"));
element.sendKeys("webdriver");
element.submit();
driver.quit();
```

## Core Concepts

### WebDriver

The API protocol that talks to the specific browser driver (chromedriver, geckodriver) which then controls the browser.

### Selenium Grid

Allows running tests on different machines against different browsers in parallel.

### Page Object Model (POM)

A design pattern where each UI page is a class. Tests interact with the class methods rather than raw elements.

## Best Practices (2025)

**Do**:

- **Use Explicit Waits**: `WebDriverWait(driver).until(ExpectedConditions....)`.
- **Use Headless Mode**: For faster CI execution (`ChromeOptions.addArguments("--headless")`).
- **Migrate to W3C**: Ensure you are using W3C compliant capabilities.

**Don't**:

- **Don't use Thread.sleep**: It slows down tests and is flaky.
- **Don't mix Logic and Tests**: Strictly follow Page Object Model (POM) to keep tests readable.

## References

- [Selenium Documentation](https://www.selenium.dev/)