Selenium WebDriver with Python – Beginner’s Guide

Introduction

Are you looking to automate web testing using Selenium with Python? Whether you’re a manual tester transitioning to automation or a complete beginner, this guide will help you master Selenium WebDriver step-by-step.

With this blog, we’ll complement the detailed video tutorial that walks you through everything from installation to real-world automation scenarios. You can watch the full tutorial here:

Let’s dive into why Selenium with Python is the perfect tool for web automation and how you can get started today!

Why Learn Selenium with Python?

Selenium is the most popular web automation tool, and Python makes it even more powerful due to its simplicity and extensive libraries.

Key Benefits of Selenium with Python:

✔ Beginner-friendly syntax – Easier than Java for automation
✔ Supports all major browsers – Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari
✔ Works with multiple testing frameworks – PyTest, Unittest
✔ Highly in demand – Used by top tech companies for web automation
✔ Integration with CI/CD pipelines – Works with Jenkins, GitHub Actions

Step 1: Setting Up Selenium with Python

Before writing our first test, we need to set up the Selenium environment properly.

Install Python (If Not Installed Yet)

Go to the official Python website and install the latest version.

Make sure to check “Add Python to PATH” during installation.

Install Selenium Package in Python

Once Python is installed, open your terminal and install Selenium:

pip install selenium

Download WebDriver (Chrome/Firefox)

Since Selenium controls the browser via WebDriver, you need to download the driver for your browser:

• ChromeDriver: Download Here
• GeckoDriver (Firefox): Download Here

💡 Place the downloaded driver in a known directory and add it to your system PATH.

Note: If you are looking for Instructor-led Automation Testing Training with Selenium with Python, Book your demo now

Step 2: Writing Your First Selenium Test with Python

Let’s write a simple Selenium WebDriver script that opens Google, searches for a term, and prints the results.

Example: Automating Google Search

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.keys import Keys

# Setup Chrome WebDriver
driver = webdriver.Chrome()  
driver.get("https://www.google.com")

# Locate the search bar and enter a query
search_box = driver.find_element("name", "q")
search_box.send_keys("Selenium Python tutorial")
search_box.send_keys(Keys.RETURN)

# Print page title
print(driver.title)

# Close the browser
driver.quit()

✅ This script opens Google, enters a search term, prints the page title, and closes the browser.

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Step 3: Locating Web Elements in Selenium

Selenium provides several locators to interact with web elements like input fields, buttons, and links.

Example: Automating a Login Form

driver.find_element("id", "email").send_keys("test@example.com")
driver.find_element("name", "password").send_keys("mypassword")
driver.find_element("class name", "submit-btn").click()

✅ This automates a login form by entering credentials and clicking submit.

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Step 4: Handling Common Web Elements

Selenium allows interaction with radio buttons, dropdowns, pop-ups, and alerts.

Handling Dropdowns

from selenium.webdriver.support.ui import Select

dropdown = Select(driver.find_element("id", "dropdown-menu"))
dropdown.select_by_visible_text("Option 2")

Handling Alerts

alert = driver.switch_to.alert
alert.accept()  # Clicks OK

Handling Multiple Windows

current_window = driver.current_window_handle
all_windows = driver.window_handles

for window in all_windows:
    if window != current_window:
        driver.switch_to.window(window)

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Step 5: Using Implicit and Explicit Waits in Selenium

Selenium waits are essential to handle dynamic elements and avoid flaky tests.

Implicit Wait (Global Delay)

driver.implicitly_wait(10)  # Waits up to 10 seconds for elements

Explicit Wait (Condition-Based Delay)

from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
from selenium.webdriver.support.ui import WebDriverWait
from selenium.webdriver.support import expected_conditions as EC

wait = WebDriverWait(driver, 10)
element = wait.until(EC.presence_of_element_located((By.ID, "myElement")))

✅ Explicit waits only wait when necessary, making tests faster and more efficient.

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Conclusion: Start Automating with Selenium Today!

By now, you have a solid foundation in Selenium WebDriver with Python.
You can write test scripts, locate web elements, handle dropdowns, alerts, and use waits effectively.

What’s Next?

✅ Practice by automating different websites
✅ Learn Selenium with PyTest for better test automation
✅ Explore Selenium Grid for parallel execution

📢 Want a hands-on tutorial? Watch the full video tutorial on YouTube:
🎥 Selenium Python Full Course – Step-by-Step Guide

💬 Have any questions? Drop a comment below! 🚀