How to Use Selenium With Java: A Complete Tutorial

With your Selenium with Java project configured, you’re now ready to write and run your first test script.

To perform automated testing using Selenium with Java, you can also leverage Maven. Maven is one of the popular Java build tools that relies on POM.xml. If you are new to Maven, check out this Selenium Maven tutorial, which guides you through writing and running Selenium projects with Maven.

Demo: Running Test Using Selenium With Java on Local

In this section, you will learn how to write and execute your first Selenium test using Java on your local machine. This will cover setting up your environment, creating a simple test script, and running it with a local browser.

Test Scenario

Implementation

To import the required dependencies, you can use the below pom.xml file.

Test Execution

To run the above test case using Selenium with Java on a local grid, you can use the below testng.xml file:

Code Walkthrough

Here is the code walkthrough of the executed test on a local grid using Selenium with Java.

1. @BeforeTest: Responsible for executing setup steps before any test method.
2. WebDriverManager.chromedriver().setup(): Responsible for setting up the ChromeDriver automatically.
3. driver.get(“URL”): Responsible for opening the specified URL in the browser.
4. @Test: Responsible for marking the method as a test case.
5. try { … } catch (Exception e) { … }: Responsible for handling any runtime exceptions.
6. driver.findElement(By.xpath(“…”)).click(): Responsible for clicking the element located by the XPath.
7. System.out.println(“message”): Responsible for printing a message to the console.
8. @AfterTest: Responsible for executing cleanup steps after all test methods.
9. driver.close(): Responsible for closing the current browser window.
10. driver.quit(): Responsible for closing all browser windows and ending the WebDriver

Achieving consistent browser coverage in Selenium Java testing is tough due to flaky tests from dynamic content, timing issues, and varying environments. Cloud platforms like LambdaTest solve this with stable real-device infrastructure, reducing flakiness and enabling reliable, scalable testing with logs and debugging tools.

Demo: Running Parallel Tests Using Selenium With Java on Cloud

LambdaTest is a GenAI-native test execution platform that lets you perform both manual and Selenium Java automation testing using various test automation frameworks simultaneously across 3000+ browser and OS combinations. The platform enables parallel testing in Selenium, enhancing scalability and reducing test execution time with a simple setup and minimal configuration.

The same sign in scenario will be exeuting on cloud platfrom on parallel broswers will be using firefox , chrome, safari browser , all you need to do it making few changes to your exsisting testng.xml file as shown below:

Once you’ve added your parameters, update your test script to connect using the LambdaTest Grid URL:

Next, configure the LambdaTest capabilities. Set your LambdaTest Username and Access Key as environment variables, and define automation capabilities such as browser, browser version, platform, and other settings as shown below:

You can generate the above Selenium Java capabilities from the LambdaTest Automation Capabilities Generator.

By running your Selenium Java tests on LambdaTest’s cloud infrastructure, you avoid the overhead of maintaining local setups. With support for parallel execution, it helps you scale efficiently, reduce test execution time, and accelerate your release cycles, all with minimal configuration.

To get started, refer to the documentation on Selenium Java testing with LambdaTest.

Test Execution

To run the tests for the cloned repository, run the following command.

Now, go to your LambdaTest Web Automation Dashboard to see your parallel test results.

Advanced Use Cases of Using Selenium With Java

Apart from the basic test scenarios, there are also advanced test cases you can perform using Selenium with Java that go beyond standard validations. These include automating complex, real-world interactions across modern web applications.

• Automating Registration Page: Automate the registration page using Selenium with Java by validating the page title, navigating links, handling valid and invalid form inputs, and verifying redirection to the email verification page.
• Handling Login Popups: Another advanced use case involves handling authentication pop-ups using Selenium with Java. These browser-level pop-ups require entering credentials and are used to restrict access to protected areas of a website.
• Handling Captcha: CAPTCHA is used to prevent automated bots from accessing services or collecting data. While Selenium with Java can’t solve captchas directly, it can detect them and support alternative flows for handling CAPTCHA, such as manual intervention or third-party integrations.
• Uploading and Downloading Files: Uploading and downloading file handling is a common scenario in test automation. With Selenium and Java, you can automate upload flows (like video uploads on YouTube) and validate downloads (such as invoices on Amazon), ensuring these features work as expected.
• Handling Cookies: Cookies store user data to maintain sessions and preferences. With Selenium and Java, you can add, delete, or retrieve cookies during test execution, enabling better handling cookies for validating personalized experiences and session management.

Best Practices for Selenium Java Testing

Selenium Java automation helps reduce manual effort, speed up execution, detect bugs early, improve coverage, and accelerate time to market.

However, test flakiness and incorrect approaches can make tests unreliable. Tools like HyperExecute by LambdaTest address these issues by reducing execution time and enabling faster debugging.

• Planning and Designing Test Cases Beforehand: Create a proper test plan before writing automation scripts. Ensure maximum test coverage by considering all possible logical scenarios from the end-user perspective.

• Implementing Page Object Model: UI changes often affect Selenium locators. Using POM helps centralize web elements and actions into dedicated Page Object classes, reducing code duplication and simplifying maintenance. Changes to the UI require updates only in the relevant Page Object Model (POM), not across all test cases.
• Choosing the Best-Suited Locators: Use stable locators like ID or Name when available. Avoid brittle locators like XPath if the UI changes frequently. Choosing the right locator reduces test maintenance and improves reliability.
• Implement Logging and Reporting: As test suites grow, identifying failures becomes harder. Use logging and reporting (e.g., via TestNG) to track test results, capture errors, and include screenshots. Selenium doesn’t include reporting by default, so integrate external libraries to generate useful reports.
• Incorporating Wait Commands: Avoid using Thread.sleep() for delays. It adds unnecessary wait time or causes failures due to inaccurate delays. Use Selenium’s implicit or explicit waits to handle element loading more efficiently based on actual conditions.

LambdaTest offers a SmartWait feature that runs a series of “actionability checks” on webpage elements before executing any action. These checks verify visibility, presence, and interactability to ensure elements are ready for actions like clicking or typing, resulting in more stable and reliable web automation tests.

• Auto-Healing: Auto-healing in Selenium helps manage synchronization issues by adapting to dynamic changes in web elements. It automatically adjusts wait times and allows test scripts to continue even when elements change or load unpredictably, reducing flakiness and improving test stability.

Watch this video tutorial on Auto-healing in web automation by Anton Angelov (@angelovstanton), Co-founder & CTO of Automate The Planet, Forbes-featured test automation expert and best-selling author.

Conclusion

Selenium with Java is the most widely adopted test automation combination among QAs. In this tutorial, we explored how to start with Selenium Java automation testing and wrote our first test case.

On top of that, we also learned how to optimize test execution by leveraging parallel testing and other best practices to establish a reliable testing cycle. I hope this tutorial turns out to be beneficial. There’s much more to explore!

Salman Khan

Salman is a Test Automation Evangelist and Tech Educator at LambdaTest, with over 5 years of hands-on experience in software testing and automation. He has completed his Master of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering, demonstrating strong technical expertise in software development and testing.

He is certified in KaneAI, Automation Testing, Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, and Appium, with deep experience in CI/CD pipelines, cross-browser testing, AI in testing, and mobile automation. Salman works closely with engineering teams to convert complex testing concepts into actionable, developer-first content.

Salman has authored and reviewed 100+ technical tutorials, guides, and documentation on test automation, web development, and related domains, making him a strong voice in the QA and testing community.

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