Best Practices for Locating Elements in Selenium

Best Practices for Locating Elements in Selenium

16 July 2024 Stephan Petzl Leave a comment QA

When automating UI tests with Selenium, selecting the right method and locator to identify elements is crucial for the reliability and maintainability of your tests. This guide will help you choose the best locators by discussing the merits and drawbacks of different strategies.

Preferred Order of Locators

Based on industry best practices, the recommended order of preference for locating elements in Selenium is:

  • ID
  • Name
  • CSS Selector
  • Link Text
  • Class Name
  • Tag Name
  • XPath

IDs are generally the most reliable and fastest way to locate elements. CSS Selectors are preferred over XPath due to their speed and stability.

Guidelines for Choosing Locators

Here are some key guidelines to consider when selecting locators:

  1. Use IDs Whenever Possible: IDs are unique and provide the fastest way to locate elements.
  2. Avoid XPath Unless Necessary: XPath expressions are slower and more brittle compared to CSS Selectors.
  3. Minimize Dependency on HTML Structure: The fewer elements in your path, the less likely a UI change will break your locator.
  4. Prefer Data-Oriented Attributes: Use attributes that are less likely to change with UI design adjustments.
  5. Centralize Locators: Keep locators in a centralized place in your test code to maintain the DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) principle.

Practical Examples

Consider the following examples when choosing locators:

  • Better: .content input#email
  • Worse: .content > table > tbody > tr:nth-child(2) > td.cell > input#email

In the above example, the better locator is less dependent on the HTML structure, making it more robust against changes.

Common Pitfalls

Avoid the following common pitfalls:

  • Using layout-specific classes (e.g., Bootstrap classes) in CSS selectors.
  • Using internal framework-specific classes (e.g., Angular classes like ng-scope).
  • Relying on XPath for complex locators.

Conclusion

Choosing the right locator is essential for creating stable and maintainable Selenium tests. By following the guidelines and best practices outlined in this article, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of flaky tests and improve the robustness of your automation suite.

For those looking to simplify the process of test automation, consider using Repeato, a no-code test automation tool for iOS and Android. Repeato leverages computer vision and AI to create, run, and maintain automated tests efficiently. This tool is particularly beneficial for quality assurance teams looking for a quick setup and ease of use, ensuring fast and reliable test execution.

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