Using Browser Developer Tools to Improve Selenium Test Accuracy

 Certainly! Using browser developer tools (like Chrome DevTools or Firefox Developer Tools) can greatly improve the accuracy and reliability of your Selenium tests. Here's how you can do it effectively:


🛠️ Using Browser Developer Tools to Improve Selenium Test Accuracy

1. Inspecting Elements for Reliable Locators

Developer tools let you right-click any element and choose "Inspect" to see its HTML structure.


Look for unique attributes like id, name, data-*, or class.


Avoid using dynamically generated classes or IDs that may change on every load.


🧠 Tip: Prefer By.ID or By.NAME if they exist — they are more reliable and faster than XPath or CSS selectors.


python

Copy

Edit

driver.find_element(By.ID, "login-button")

2. Testing XPath and CSS Selectors

Use the Console tab in DevTools to test your XPath or CSS selectors before using them in your script.


✅ Example:

js

Copy

Edit

$x("//button[@type='submit']")      // XPath

document.querySelector("button.submit") // CSS Selector

This helps verify that your locator actually finds the right element before writing the Selenium code.


3. Understanding Wait Times and Load Events

In the Network tab:


Check how long resources and elements take to load.


Identify AJAX calls and dynamic content delays.


➡️ Use explicit waits in Selenium to wait for elements to load rather than using time.sleep().


python

Copy

Edit

from selenium.webdriver.support.ui import WebDriverWait

from selenium.webdriver.support import expected_conditions as EC


# Wait up to 10 seconds for an element to be clickable

element = WebDriverWait(driver, 10).until(

    EC.element_to_be_clickable((By.ID, "submit"))

)

element.click()

4. Watching Console for JavaScript Errors

In the Console tab, look for JavaScript errors that might prevent elements from being loaded or actions from completing.


💡 This can help you understand unexpected behavior during automation.


5. Analyzing Frames and iFrames

DevTools helps identify if elements are inside iFrames — which Selenium can’t interact with unless you switch to the correct frame.


python

Copy

Edit

# Switch to an iframe by name or ID

driver.switch_to.frame("frameName")


# Back to main content

driver.switch_to.default_content()

6. Using the Elements Panel to Find Dynamic Element Changes

Track changes in DOM (e.g., popups, modals) that appear after actions. Right-click and inspect them to understand when and how they are loaded.


🎯 Final Tips:

Always test your selectors and logic manually first in DevTools.


Prefer explicit waits over hardcoded sleep.


Validate your element strategy by checking how consistent the attributes are across sessions.


Learn Selenium Python Training in Hyderabad

Read More

Automating PDF Download and Verification Using Selenium and Python

How to Use Selenium Grid for Distributed Testing in Python 

Visit Our IHUB Talent Training Institute in Hyderabad

Get Directions

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Handling Frames and Iframes Using Playwright

Handling Frames and Iframes Using Playwright When automating modern web applications, you’ll often come across frames or iframes—HTML elements used to embed another HTML document within the current page. If you're using Playwright for browser automation, knowing how to handle frames properly is crucial for interacting with elements inside them. In this blog, we’ll walk through how to identify, access, and interact with frames and iframes using Playwright with code examples in JavaScript and Python. 🧾 What Are Frames and Iframes? <frame>: Rarely used now; part of the outdated <frameset> HTML structure. <iframe> (inline frame): Embeds another HTML page inside the current one. Common for third-party content like ads, maps, or payment gateways. 🎯 Why Frames Matter in Automation Elements inside an iframe are not part of the main DOM, so trying to interact with them directly will result in errors unless you switch the context to the frame. 🔍 Locating an Iframe in Pla...
Read more

Tosca for API Testing: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

Tosca for API Testing: A Step-by-Step Tutorial Tricentis Tosca is a powerful and user-friendly test automation tool that supports a wide range of testing types — including API testing. With Tosca, you can easily design, automate, and execute API tests without writing any code. It supports REST, SOAP, and other service types, making it a great choice for end-to-end API validation. 🧰 What is Tosca API Testing? Tosca’s API testing allows testers to: Send requests (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.) Validate responses (status codes, body, headers) Chain requests and share data between them Perform security, load, and functional tests on APIs ✅ Step-by-Step Guide: Tosca API Testing 🔹 Step 1: Open Tosca and Create a Workspace Launch Tosca Commander Create a new workspace (or open an existing one) Choose the workspace type as Multi-user or Single-user based on your setup 🔹 Step 2: Add a New API Test Case Navigate to the Modules section. Right-click and choose Scan > API Scan. The API Scan wi...
Read more

Cybersecurity Internship Opportunities in Hyderabad for Freshers

 🚀 1. AICTE Cyber Security Internship (Jul–Aug 2025) Organizer: AICTE via its internship portal—free, fully online Duration: ~4–6 weeks starting July 2025 Perks: Hands-on labs (Kali, Nmap, Wireshark), capstone project, AICTE certificate Cost/Stipend: Free, no stipend Apply by: July 15, 2025 via AICTE portal  en.wikipedia.org +15 govtinternship.com +15 joincomputerit.blogspot.com +15 Perfect for freshers seeking practical exposure with certified recognition. 🏢 2. Gainsight – Application Security Intern (On-site) Role: SOC monitoring, SIEM dashboards, incident response Location: Hyderabad office Requirements: Bachelor’s in CS/related field; enthusiastic freshers welcome Stipend: Not specified  hyderabadtechbytes.blogspot.com placementdrive.in Ideal if you want corporate cybersecurity experience using enterprise tools. 🌱 3. Internshala – Cyber Security Internships Listings: Multiple internship openings across Hyderabad (both remote and on-site) Fields: Ethical hacking, se...
Read more