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SeleniumLibrary UI Automation

SeleniumLibrary enables web UI automation in Robot Framework by providing high-level keywords built on top of Selenium WebDriver.

Robot Framework itself does not automate browsers — SeleniumLibrary does.

What is SeleniumLibrary?​

SeleniumLibrary is a Robot Framework library that:

  • Wraps Selenium WebDriver
  • Exposes browser actions as readable keywords
  • Hides low-level WebDriver complexity

Used for:

  • Web UI testing
  • End-to-end automation
  • Cross-browser testing

Browser Management​

Common browser keywords:

Open Browser    https://example.com    chrome
Close Browser
Close All Browsers
Maximize Browser Window

Best practice:

  • Open browser in Test Setup
  • Close browser in Test Teardown

Locators in Robot Framework​

Robot supports multiple locator strategies:

  • id
  • name
  • xpath
  • css
  • class
  • link

Example:

Click Element    id=loginBtn
Input Text       xpath=//input[@name='username']    admin

Best practices:

  • Prefer id or name
  • Avoid brittle XPath
  • Centralize locators in keywords

Wait Mechanisms​

Avoid using Sleep.

Preferred waits:

  • Wait Until Element Is Visible
  • Wait Until Element Is Enabled
  • Wait Until Page Contains Element

Example:

Wait Until Element Is Visible    id=dashboard

User Actions​

Common actions:

  • Click Element
  • Input Text
  • Select From List By Value
  • Mouse Over
  • Press Keys

Handling Alerts, Frames, and Windows​

Alerts​

Handle Alert    ACCEPT

Frames​

Select Frame    id=frame1
Unselect Frame

Windows​

Switch Window    NEW

Page Object Style in Robot Framework​

Recommended approach:

  • Encapsulate UI actions inside keywords
  • Keep test cases readable
  • Avoid Selenium code in test cases

Common Mistakes ❌​

  • Using Sleep
  • Writing locators in test cases
  • Hardcoding waits
  • Mixing UI logic with validation

Best Practices ✅​

  • Use explicit waits
  • One keyword = one UI responsibility
  • Isolate UI logic
  • Design for maintainability

Key Takeaways​

  • SeleniumLibrary handles UI automation
  • Keywords abstract Selenium complexity
  • Proper waits prevent flakiness
  • Clean structure scales well