Handling Windows Authentication in Selenium WebDriver

Handling Windows Authentication in Selenium WebDriver

16 July 2024 Stephan Petzl Leave a comment QA

When automating tests for web applications, you may encounter scenarios where Windows Authentication is required. This can be challenging, as the authentication prompts can interrupt the automation flow. In this article, we will explore several methods to handle Windows Authentication across different browsers using Selenium WebDriver.

Approaches to Handle Windows Authentication

1. Using Firefox Profile with AutoAuth Addon

If you are using Firefox, one effective method is to create a custom profile and add the AutoAuth addon. This approach is straightforward and can be implemented as follows:

    
    var profile = new FirefoxProfile();
    profile.addExtension(new File("/path/to/AutoAuth.xpi"));
    WebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver(profile);
    
  

This solution leverages the AutoAuth addon to automatically handle the authentication prompts.

2. Using Windows Impersonation with Internet Explorer

For Internet Explorer, you can use Windows Impersonation and IE’s automatic logon feature. Configure IE to log in automatically and use the following code:

    
    impersonateValidUser("DifferentUser", "DOMAIN", "Password");
    IWebDriver webDriver = new InternetExplorerDriver();
    // Perform your tests
    undoImpersonation();
    
  

This method ensures that the WebDriver runs under the specified user credentials, bypassing the authentication prompt.

3. Setting Preferences in Firefox Profile

Another approach for Firefox is to set specific preferences in the Firefox profile to handle NTLM authentication automatically:

For C#:

    
    var profile = new FirefoxProfile();
    profile.SetPreference("network.automatic-ntlm-auth.trusted-uris", ".companyname.com");
    return new FirefoxDriver(profile);
    
  

For Python:

    
    from selenium.webdriver import Firefox, FirefoxProfile
    profile = FirefoxProfile()
    profile.set_preference('network.automatic-ntlm-auth.trusted-uris', '.companyname.com')
    return Firefox(firefox_profile=profile)
    
  

This method configures Firefox to trust specific URIs for NTLM authentication, thereby bypassing the authentication prompt.

4. Using a Proxy for Authentication

For a more versatile solution that works across different operating systems and browsers, you can use a MITM (Man-In-The-Middle) proxy. This allows you to set the SSL context yourself, which can be useful for more complex authentication scenarios. An example implementation can be found here.

Conclusion

Handling Windows Authentication in Selenium WebDriver can be challenging, but with the right approach, it can be managed effectively. Whether you choose to use browser-specific profiles, Windows Impersonation, or a proxy, each method has its own advantages and can be tailored to fit your specific needs.

For those looking for a no-code solution to automate tests for iOS and Android applications, consider using Repeato. Repeato is a powerful no-code test automation tool that leverages computer vision and AI to create, run, and maintain automated tests quickly and efficiently. It’s particularly useful for quality assurance teams looking to streamline their testing processes without extensive coding knowledge.

Like this article? there’s more where that came from!