Running Selenium Tests on Different Browsers Using WebDriver

Cross-browser compatibility is a critical aspect of web application testing. Users access websites through different browsers—Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, etc.—and each browser may render or handle elements differently. To ensure consistent functionality and performance across all platforms, it’s essential to run Selenium tests on multiple browsers using WebDriver.

In this blog, we’ll explore how Selenium WebDriver enables cross-browser testing and how to set up your test scripts to run seamlessly across various browsers.


What is Selenium WebDriver?

Selenium WebDriver is a popular tool used for automating web application testing. It allows you to simulate user actions in real browsers and validate if your application behaves as expected. Unlike other tools, Selenium WebDriver directly communicates with the browser without any intermediary, making it highly reliable for browser automation.


Why Cross-Browser Testing is Important

Every browser interprets HTML, CSS, and JavaScript slightly differently. A feature that works perfectly in Chrome might not behave the same way in Firefox or Safari. Cross-browser testing helps you:

Identify layout or styling issues.

  • Ensure JavaScript functionalities work consistently.
  • Validate compatibility with browser-specific features or limitations.
  • Improve user experience across devices and platforms.


Setting Up Selenium WebDriver for Different Browsers

Selenium supports all major browsers. Here’s how to set up WebDriver for each:

1. Google Chrome

python


from selenium import webdriver


driver = webdriver.Chrome()

driver.get("https://example.com")

Make sure to download and place the ChromeDriver executable in your system path or specify its location.


2. Mozilla Firefox

python


from selenium import webdriver


driver = webdriver.Firefox()

driver.get("https://example.com")

Download geckodriver (Firefox WebDriver) and ensure it’s accessible to your script.


3. Microsoft Edge

python

from selenium import webdriver


driver = webdriver.Edge()

driver.get("https://example.com")

Download msedgedriver from Microsoft’s official site and configure it similarly.


4. Safari

Safari WebDriver comes pre-installed on macOS. Just enable "Allow Remote Automation" in Safari’s Develop menu.


python

from selenium import webdriver


driver = webdriver.Safari()

driver.get("https://example.com")

Note: Safari WebDriver only works on macOS.


Using Browser Options

You can customize how browsers launch using browser-specific options. For example, to launch Chrome in headless mode:


python

from selenium import webdriver

from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options


options = Options()

options.add_argument("--headless")

driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)

Similar options are available for Firefox and Edge.


Automating Cross-Browser Testing

To simplify cross-browser testing, you can create a function that runs the same test across multiple browsers:


python

Copy

Edit

def run_test(browser_name):

    if browser_name == "chrome":

        driver = webdriver.Chrome()

    elif browser_name == "firefox":

        driver = webdriver.Firefox()

    elif browser_name == "edge":

        driver = webdriver.Edge()

    else:

        print("Unsupported browser")

        return


    driver.get("https://example.com")

    print(driver.title)

    driver.quit()


for browser in ["chrome", "firefox", "edge"]:

    run_test(browser)

Conclusion

Running Selenium tests across different browsers ensures that your web application is reliable and user-friendly for everyone, regardless of their browser choice. Selenium WebDriver provides a flexible and powerful way to perform cross-browser testing manually or as part of automated CI/CD pipelines. By integrating cross-browser testing into your QA strategy, you can catch issues early and deliver a polished product across all platforms. 

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Read More: Handling Frames and iFrames in Selenium WebDriver

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