The First Selenium Program is the first practical step toward learning Selenium WebDriver automation. It helps beginners understand how Selenium communicates with a web browser, opens a website, retrieves browser information, performs basic browser operations, and finally closes the browser session.
Selenium is an open-source automation testing tool used for testing web applications across different browsers and platforms. Selenium WebDriver allows automation scripts to control browsers programmatically and is commonly used for functional testing, regression testing, and cross-browser testing.
In this topic, we will create a basic Selenium program using Java and Selenium WebDriver. We will start with a simple browser-launching program and gradually understand WebDriver creation, navigation commands, browser information, WebElement interaction, waits, assertions, TestNG execution, and best practices.
JustAcademy's Selenium Automation Testing course includes Selenium WebDriver, environment setup, first automation scripts, WebElements, TestNG, Page Object Model, cross-browser testing, reporting, and real-time automation projects.
A Selenium program is a program written in a supported programming language that uses Selenium WebDriver APIs to automate actions in a web browser.
For example, a Selenium program can:
Start Program
↓
Create WebDriver
↓
Launch Browser
↓
Open Website
↓
Perform Browser Actions
↓
Validate Result
↓
Close Browser
↓
End Program
Our first Selenium program will perform a simple browser automation task.
Launch Chrome
↓
Open Google
↓
Print Page Title
↓
Print Current URL
↓
Close Browser
Before creating the first Selenium program, the Java development environment and Selenium project should be configured correctly.
| Software | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Java JDK | Used to compile and execute Java programs. |
| IDE | Used to write, execute, debug, and manage Java code. |
| Maven | Used to manage project dependencies. |
| Selenium WebDriver | Used to automate the browser. |
| Chrome | Browser used for the first automation example. |
Open the Command Prompt or terminal and execute the following command:
java -versionYou can also verify the Java compiler:
javac -versionIf Java is installed correctly, the terminal will display the installed Java version.
java version "XX.X.X"The exact version displayed depends on the Java version installed on the system.
Maven is commonly used to manage Selenium Java project dependencies.
SeleniumFirstProgram
│
├── pom.xml
│
└── src
└── test
└── java
└── FirstSeleniumProgram.java
The pom.xml file contains project configuration and external dependencies.
Selenium WebDriver can be added to a Maven project through the pom.xml file.
org.seleniumhq.selenium
selenium-java
4.XX.X
Use the Selenium version selected for your project or the version approved by your organization.
After creating the Maven project and adding Selenium, create a Java class named:
FirstSeleniumProgram.javaThe class can initially contain a simple main() method.
public class FirstSeleniumProgram {
public static void main(String[] args) {
// Selenium code will be written here
}
}
To use Selenium WebDriver in Java, import the WebDriver interface.
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;For Chrome automation, import ChromeDriver:
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;The complete import section becomes:
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
The WebDriver interface provides methods for controlling a web browser.
A Chrome browser session can be created using:
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();| Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
| WebDriver | Selenium interface used to control browsers. |
| driver | Reference variable used to access WebDriver methods. |
| new | Creates a new object. |
| ChromeDriver() | Creates a Chrome browser automation session. |
Java Program
↓
WebDriver
↓
ChromeDriver
↓
Google Chrome
The following is a basic Selenium program that launches Chrome, opens Google, prints the page title and current URL, and closes the browser.
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
public class FirstSeleniumProgram {
public static void main(String[] args) {
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
try {
driver.get("https://www.google.com");
System.out.println(
"Page Title: " + driver.getTitle()
);
System.out.println(
"Current URL: " + driver.getCurrentUrl()
);
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
}
}
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;The WebDriver interface provides methods for controlling and interacting with web browsers.
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;ChromeDriver is used to create and control a Chrome browser session.
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();This statement creates a browser automation session.
driver.get("https://www.google.com");The get() method navigates the browser to the specified URL.
driver.getTitle();The getTitle() method returns the title of the current webpage.
driver.getCurrentUrl();The getCurrentUrl() method returns the URL of the current browser page.
driver.quit();The quit() method ends the WebDriver session and closes the browser windows associated with that session.
The get() method is one of the most commonly used WebDriver methods.
driver.get("URL");driver.get("https://www.google.com");When this statement executes, Selenium instructs the browser to navigate to the specified URL.
driver.get("https://www.google.com");
driver.get("https://www.microsoft.com");
driver.get("https://www.selenium.dev");
The getTitle() method retrieves the title of the current webpage.
String title = driver.getTitle();driver.get("https://www.google.com");
String title = driver.getTitle();
System.out.println("Page Title: " + title);
Page Title: GoogleThe actual title depends on the webpage being opened.
The getCurrentUrl() method returns the URL of the page currently loaded in the browser.
String url = driver.getCurrentUrl();driver.get("https://www.google.com");
String url = driver.getCurrentUrl();
System.out.println("Current URL: " + url);
Current URL: https://www.google.comThe quit() method terminates the entire WebDriver session.
driver.quit();It is recommended to close the browser session after the test finishes.
try {
driver.get("https://www.google.com");
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
Using finally helps ensure that browser cleanup is attempted even when an exception occurs during execution.
| Method | Purpose |
|---|---|
| close() | Closes the current browser window. |
| quit() | Ends the WebDriver session and closes associated browser windows. |
driver.close();Use close() when you specifically want to close the current window.
driver.quit();Use quit() when the complete browser automation session should be terminated.
The browser window can be maximized using the WebDriver window management API.
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
public class BrowserMaximizeDemo {
public static void main(String[] args) {
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
try {
driver.manage().window().maximize();
driver.get("https://www.google.com");
System.out.println(
"Title: " + driver.getTitle()
);
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
}
}
Selenium can navigate between webpages using browser navigation methods.
| Method | Purpose |
|---|---|
| get() | Navigate to a URL. |
| navigate().to() | Navigate to a URL. |
| navigate().back() | Move back in browser history. |
| navigate().forward() | Move forward in browser history. |
| navigate().refresh() | Refresh the current page. |
driver.get("https://www.google.com");
driver.navigate().to("https://www.microsoft.com");
driver.navigate().back();
driver.navigate().forward();
driver.navigate().refresh();
Both get() and navigate().to() can be used to navigate to a URL.
driver.get("https://www.google.com");driver.navigate().to("https://www.google.com");For simple URL navigation, get() is commonly used in beginner Selenium programs.
A test program should not only perform actions. It should also validate expected results.
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
public class PageValidation {
public static void main(String[] args) {
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
try {
driver.get("https://www.google.com");
String title = driver.getTitle();
if (title.equals("Google")) {
System.out.println(
"Test Passed: Correct page title."
);
} else {
System.out.println(
"Test Failed: Incorrect page title."
);
}
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
}
}
In test automation, assertions are used to compare an actual result with an expected result.
For example:
Expected Title = Google
Actual Title = Google
If both values match, the validation passes.
import org.testng.Assert;
import org.testng.annotations.Test;
public class GoogleTitleTest extends BaseTest {
@Test
public void verifyTitle() {
driver.get("https://www.google.com");
String actualTitle = driver.getTitle();
Assert.assertEquals(
actualTitle,
"Google"
);
}
}
After learning the basic Java program, Selenium tests can be executed using TestNG.
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import org.testng.Assert;
import org.testng.annotations.AfterMethod;
import org.testng.annotations.BeforeMethod;
import org.testng.annotations.Test;
public class FirstSeleniumTest {
WebDriver driver;
@BeforeMethod
public void setUp() {
driver = new ChromeDriver();
}
@Test
public void verifyGoogleTitle() {
driver.get("https://www.google.com");
String actualTitle = driver.getTitle();
Assert.assertEquals(
actualTitle,
"Google"
);
}
@AfterMethod
public void tearDown() {
if (driver != null) {
driver.quit();
}
}
}
| Annotation | Purpose |
|---|---|
| @BeforeMethod | Runs before each test method. |
| @Test | Marks a method as a test case. |
| @AfterMethod | Runs after each test method. |
@BeforeMethod
↓
Create Browser
↓
@Test
↓
Open Website
↓
Validate Result
↓
@AfterMethod
↓
Close Browser
A common real-world automation task is opening a login page.
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
public class LoginPageDemo {
public static void main(String[] args) {
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
try {
driver.get(
"https://example.com/login"
);
System.out.println(
"Login Page Title: " +
driver.getTitle()
);
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
}
}
The URL above is an example URL. In a real project, replace it with the URL of the application under test.
After learning browser navigation, the next step is interacting with webpage elements.
Selenium uses the WebElement interface to represent elements such as:
import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
public class WebElementDemo {
public static void main(String[] args) {
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
try {
driver.get("https://example.com");
WebElement heading =
driver.findElement(By.tagName("h1"));
System.out.println(
"Heading: " + heading.getText()
);
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
}
}
The findElement() method is used to locate a web element on the page.
driver.findElement(By.locator);WebElement element =
driver.findElement(By.id("username"));
The By class provides different locator strategies.
| Locator | Example |
|---|---|
| id | By.id("username") |
| name | By.name("username") |
| className | By.className("login-button") |
| tagName | By.tagName("input") |
| linkText | By.linkText("Login") |
| partialLinkText | By.partialLinkText("Log") |
| cssSelector | By.cssSelector("#username") |
| XPath | By.xpath("//input[@id='username']") |
A basic login form might contain username, password, and login button elements.
driver.findElement(
By.id("username")
).sendKeys("testuser");
driver.findElement(
By.id("password")
).sendKeys("password123");
driver.findElement(
By.id("login")
).click();
import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
public class LoginAutomation {
public static void main(String[] args) {
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
try {
driver.get(
"https://example.com/login"
);
driver.findElement(
By.id("username")
).sendKeys("testuser");
driver.findElement(
By.id("password")
).sendKeys("password123");
driver.findElement(
By.id("login")
).click();
System.out.println(
"Login action completed."
);
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
}
}
The locators and URL must be changed according to the actual application under test.
The sendKeys() method is used to enter keyboard input into a WebElement.
driver.findElement(
By.id("username")
).sendKeys("Manish");
It is commonly used with text fields, search boxes, login fields, and form inputs.
The click() method performs a click action on a clickable WebElement.
driver.findElement(
By.id("login")
).click();
It can be used with buttons, links, checkboxes, radio buttons, and other clickable elements.
The getText() method retrieves visible text from a WebElement.
WebElement heading =
driver.findElement(
By.tagName("h1")
);
String text = heading.getText();
System.out.println(text);
The isDisplayed() method checks whether an element is displayed on the webpage.
WebElement loginButton =
driver.findElement(
By.id("login")
);
if (loginButton.isDisplayed()) {
System.out.println(
"Login button is displayed."
);
}
The isEnabled() method checks whether an element is enabled for interaction.
WebElement button =
driver.findElement(
By.id("login")
);
if (button.isEnabled()) {
System.out.println(
"Login button is enabled."
);
}
The isSelected() method checks whether a selectable element such as a checkbox or radio button is selected.
WebElement checkbox =
driver.findElement(
By.id("terms")
);
if (checkbox.isSelected()) {
System.out.println(
"Checkbox is selected."
);
}
The following program demonstrates several useful WebDriver methods.
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
public class BrowserInformation {
public static void main(String[] args) {
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
try {
driver.manage().window().maximize();
driver.get("https://www.google.com");
System.out.println(
"Title: " + driver.getTitle()
);
System.out.println(
"URL: " + driver.getCurrentUrl()
);
System.out.println(
"Page Source Length: " +
driver.getPageSource().length()
);
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
}
}
Modern web applications may load elements dynamically. A Selenium script should synchronize with the application instead of relying on unnecessary fixed delays.
import java.time.Duration;
import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.support.ui.ExpectedConditions;
import org.openqa.selenium.support.ui.WebDriverWait;
public class ExplicitWaitDemo {
public static void main(String[] args) {
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
try {
driver.get("https://example.com");
WebDriverWait wait =
new WebDriverWait(
driver,
Duration.ofSeconds(10)
);
wait.until(
ExpectedConditions.visibilityOfElementLocated(
By.id("username")
)
);
System.out.println(
"Element is available."
);
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
}
}
Web applications may contain dynamic content, asynchronous requests, animations, delayed rendering, and changing elements. If Selenium attempts to interact with an element before it is ready, the test may fail.
Open Page
↓
Immediately Find Element
↓
Element Not Ready
↓
Test Failure
Open Page
↓
Wait for Required Condition
↓
Element Becomes Available
↓
Perform Action
↓
Continue Test
Screenshots are useful for debugging failed automation tests.
import org.openqa.selenium.OutputType;
import org.openqa.selenium.TakesScreenshot;
TakesScreenshot screenshot =
(TakesScreenshot) driver;
byte[] image =
screenshot.getScreenshotAs(
OutputType.BYTES
);
In a complete framework, the screenshot can be saved to a file or attached to an automation report.
Selenium WebDriver can also automate Microsoft Edge.
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.edge.EdgeDriver;
public class EdgeFirstProgram {
public static void main(String[] args) {
WebDriver driver = new EdgeDriver();
try {
driver.get(
"https://www.microsoft.com"
);
System.out.println(
"Title: " + driver.getTitle()
);
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
}
}
Firefox can also be automated using Selenium WebDriver.
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.firefox.FirefoxDriver;
public class FirefoxFirstProgram {
public static void main(String[] args) {
WebDriver driver =
new FirefoxDriver();
try {
driver.get(
"https://www.mozilla.org"
);
System.out.println(
"Title: " + driver.getTitle()
);
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
}
}
A reusable first program can allow the tester to choose the browser.
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.edge.EdgeDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.firefox.FirefoxDriver;
public class CrossBrowserDemo {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String browser = "chrome";
WebDriver driver;
if (browser.equalsIgnoreCase("chrome")) {
driver = new ChromeDriver();
} else if (browser.equalsIgnoreCase("edge")) {
driver = new EdgeDriver();
} else if (browser.equalsIgnoreCase("firefox")) {
driver = new FirefoxDriver();
} else {
throw new IllegalArgumentException(
"Unsupported browser: " + browser
);
}
try {
driver.get(
"https://www.google.com"
);
System.out.println(
"Browser Title: " +
driver.getTitle()
);
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
}
}
Modern Selenium versions include Selenium Manager, which can assist with browser driver management. This can reduce the need for manually downloading and configuring driver executables in many standard environments.
WebDriver driver =
new ChromeDriver();
The exact behavior depends on the Selenium version, browser installation, operating system, and environment configuration.
Java Program
↓
Create ChromeDriver
↓
Start Browser Session
↓
Navigate to Website
↓
Find WebElements
↓
Perform Actions
↓
Validate Result
↓
Generate Output
↓
Quit WebDriver
↓
Test Complete
| Error | Possible Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Cannot resolve Selenium classes | Selenium dependency is missing. | Check pom.xml and refresh Maven dependencies. |
| SessionNotCreatedException | Browser or driver/environment compatibility problem. | Verify browser, Selenium, and environment configuration. |
| WebDriverException | Browser session could not be initialized. | Check browser installation and WebDriver configuration. |
| NoSuchElementException | Element could not be located. | Verify locator and synchronization. |
| TimeoutException | Expected condition was not satisfied within the timeout. | Check locator, page state, and wait strategy. |
| Browser does not close | Cleanup code was not executed. | Use appropriate teardown logic and driver.quit(). |
After learning the basic Selenium program, a beginner can create a small search automation project.
Open Google, enter a search term, submit the search, and validate that the results page loads.
Start Browser
↓
Open Google
↓
Locate Search Box
↓
Enter Search Text
↓
Submit Search
↓
Read Page Information
↓
Validate Result
↓
Close Browser
import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
public class GoogleSearchTest {
public static void main(String[] args) {
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
try {
driver.get(
"https://www.google.com"
);
driver.findElement(
By.name("q")
).sendKeys("Selenium WebDriver");
driver.findElement(
By.name("q")
).submit();
System.out.println(
"Page Title: " +
driver.getTitle()
);
System.out.println(
"Current URL: " +
driver.getCurrentUrl()
);
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
}
}
A login automation test is one of the most common beginner-level Selenium projects.
Launch Browser
↓
Open Login Page
↓
Enter Username
↓
Enter Password
↓
Click Login
↓
Verify Result
↓
Close Browser
Another simple automation task is validating the title of a webpage.
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
public class TitleValidation {
public static void main(String[] args) {
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
try {
driver.get(
"https://www.google.com"
);
String expectedTitle = "Google";
String actualTitle = driver.getTitle();
if (actualTitle.equals(expectedTitle)) {
System.out.println(
"Test Passed"
);
} else {
System.out.println(
"Test Failed"
);
System.out.println(
"Expected: " +
expectedTitle
);
System.out.println(
"Actual: " +
actualTitle
);
}
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
}
}
As automation projects become larger, browser and application settings should be moved into configuration files.
browser=chrome
url=https://example.com
headless=false
The automation framework can read these values and create the required browser session.
The first Selenium program is the foundation for learning larger automation concepts.
First Selenium Program
↓
Browser Automation
↓
WebElements
↓
Locators
↓
Waits
↓
Assertions
↓
TestNG
↓
Page Object Model
↓
Data-Driven Testing
↓
Reporting
↓
Logging
↓
Cross-Browser Testing
↓
Selenium Grid
↓
Git
↓
CI/CD
↓
Real-Time Automation Framework
| Concept | Purpose |
|---|---|
| WebDriver | Controls and communicates with the browser. |
| ChromeDriver | Creates and controls a Chrome automation session. |
| driver.get() | Opens a URL. |
| getTitle() | Returns the current page title. |
| getCurrentUrl() | Returns the current page URL. |
| findElement() | Locates a web element. |
| sendKeys() | Enters text into an element. |
| click() | Clicks an element. |
| getText() | Retrieves visible element text. |
| close() | Closes the current browser window. |
| quit() | Terminates the WebDriver session. |
| TestNG | Provides structured test execution and validation. |
| Explicit Wait | Waits for a specific condition before continuing. |
The first practical step is to create a WebDriver session and launch the required browser.
WebDriver is the Selenium API used to control web browsers programmatically.
ChromeDriver is the Selenium browser driver implementation used to automate Chrome.
driver.get("https://www.google.com");driver.getTitle();driver.getCurrentUrl();driver.quit();close() closes the current browser window, while quit() terminates the complete WebDriver session and closes associated browser windows.
findElement() is used to locate a web element using a locator strategy such as ID, name, CSS selector, or XPath.
sendKeys() is used to enter keyboard input into a web element such as a text field.
click() performs a click action on a clickable web element.
Assertions compare expected and actual results so that the test can determine whether the expected behavior occurred.
Waits help synchronize automation with the application when elements or page content are loaded dynamically.
Yes. Selenium WebDriver supports browser automation with browsers such as Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.
The next concepts generally include locators, WebElements, browser navigation, waits, alerts, frames, windows, dropdowns, TestNG, Page Object Model, data-driven testing, reporting, and framework development.
After completing this topic, learners should be able to:
Install Java
↓
Create Maven Project
↓
Add Selenium Dependency
↓
Create Java Class
↓
Import WebDriver
↓
Create ChromeDriver
↓
Launch Browser
↓
Open Website
↓
Find WebElements
↓
Perform Actions
↓
Validate Result
↓
Print Output
↓
Capture Screenshot if Required
↓
Quit Browser
↓
Test Complete
JustAcademy's Selenium Automation Testing course covers Selenium WebDriver, environment setup, first automation scripts, WebElements, TestNG, data-driven testing, Page Object Model, cross-browser testing, automation frameworks, reporting, Selenium Grid, CI/CD, and practical automation projects.
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Register for Selenium Course Demo
The First Selenium Program introduces the fundamental process of browser automation using Selenium WebDriver. The program starts by creating a WebDriver object, launching the browser, opening a webpage, retrieving browser information, interacting with WebElements, validating results, and finally terminating the browser session.
A simple program such as opening Google and printing its title may look small, but it introduces several important Selenium concepts that form the foundation of professional automation testing.
The basic learning sequence is:
WebDriver
↓
Browser Launch
↓
Navigation
↓
WebElements
↓
Locators
↓
Actions
↓
Waits
↓
Assertions
↓
TestNG
↓
Page Object Model
↓
Automation Framework
Once the first Selenium program is understood, learners can progress toward complete automation frameworks involving TestNG, Page Object Model, data-driven testing, reporting, logging, cross-browser execution, Selenium Grid, Git, CI/CD, and real-time automation projects.
Course: Selenium Automation Testing Course
Demo: Register for Course Demo
