Selenium Tutorial for Beginners

By AravindLearn Selenium Webdriver Online, Selenium 2, selenium tutorial, selenium webdriver tutorial, WebDriver, webdriver tutorials
A watercolor painting depicting a beginner learning the Selenium automation tool.

Last updated on August 17th, 2025 at 03:00 pm

If you’re new to automation testing, one of the first tools you’ll come across is Selenium. It’s the go-to framework for testers who want to automate web browsers and validate web applications efficiently.

Selenium is not just popular—it’s a must-learn tool for beginners. Why? Because it’s open-source, supports multiple programming languages, and works across all major browsers. Whether you’re looking to automate repetitive tasks, speed up your testing cycles, or gain practical skills that are in demand worldwide, Selenium is the perfect starting point.

In this Selenium tutorial for beginners, we’ll walk through everything you need to get started:

  • Step-by-step setup of your Selenium environment
  • Writing your very first Selenium script in Python and Java
  • Practicing with demo websites designed for automation testing
  • Exploring locators, advanced actions, and frameworks
  • Recommended learning resources to continue your journey

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a strong foundation to start building and running your own Selenium tests.

What is Selenium?

Selenium is an open-source automation tool designed for testing web applications. Unlike manual testing, where you interact with a browser yourself, Selenium allows you to write scripts that can perform these actions automatically.

Key Features of Selenium

  • Open-source and free: Anyone can use it without licensing costs.
  • Multi-language support: Works with Java, Python, C#, Ruby, and more.
  • Cross-browser compatibility: Supports Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and others.
  • Cross-platform execution: Run tests on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Integration ready: Works with popular testing frameworks like TestNG, JUnit, and PyTest.

Use Cases of Selenium in Automation Testing

Use cases of Selenium in automation testing including cross-browser testing, functional testing, and regression testing.
  • Automating repetitive functional tests for web applications
  • Validating form submissions, buttons, and navigation flows
  • Testing across different browsers and operating systems
  • Running regression tests after code changes
  • Supporting Continuous Integration (CI) pipelines in DevOps

In short, Selenium acts as the bridge between your code and the browser, helping you simulate real user interactions with speed and precision.

Why Use Selenium?

Selenium has become one of the most widely used automation testing tools, and for good reason. Here’s why every beginner in test automation should learn it:

  • Automates repetitive testing tasks: Instead of manually repeating the same tests, Selenium scripts can perform them automatically, saving time and effort.
  • Cross-browser and cross-platform support: Write once, run anywhere. Selenium works across all major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) and operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux).
  • Works with popular programming languages: Whether you know Python, Java, C#, or Ruby, Selenium lets you write tests in the language you’re most comfortable with.
  • Integrates with frameworks: Selenium works seamlessly with testing frameworks like TestNG, JUnit, and PyTest, making test management and reporting more structured.

In short, Selenium is versatile, powerful, and the perfect tool for beginners to step into the world of automation testing.

Step-by-Step Selenium Tutorial for Beginners

Now that you know why Selenium is important, let’s walk through how to actually set it up and start writing your first test.

Step 1: Set Up Environment

Before you can begin automation, you’ll need to prepare your setup.

  1. Install a programming language
    • Python (easy for beginners) → download from python.org
    • Java (widely used in the industry) → download from oracle.com
  2. Install Selenium WebDriver
    • For Python: pip install selenium
    • For Java: Add Selenium dependencies in your Maven pom.xml or Gradle build file.

To learn how to download Selenium WebDriver JAR files and set up Eclipse IDE for writing Selenium test scripts, check out our complete Selenium setup guide.

Step 2: Download Browser Driver

Selenium needs a browser driver to communicate with browsers.

Alternatively, you can use WebDriver Manager to automatically download and manage drivers, so you don’t have to update them manually.

Step 3: Write Your First Selenium Script

Let’s write a simple script that opens a website and interacts with a search box.

Python Example:

from selenium import webdriver
from webdriver_manager.chrome import ChromeDriverManager

driver = webdriver.Chrome(ChromeDriverManager().install())
//Open the URL.
driver.get("https://www.google.com/")
// Get the page title.
title = driver.title
// Print the page title to the console.
print(title)
driver.quit()

Java Example:

import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import io.github.bonigarcia.wdm.WebDriverManager;

public class FirstSeleniumScript {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        WebDriverManager.chromedriver().setup();
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
        //Open the URL
        driver.get("https://www.google.com/");
        // Get the page title
        String pageTitle = driver.getTitle();
        // Print the page title to the console
        System.out.println("Page Title: " + pageTitle);        
        driver.quit();
    }
}

Step 4: Practice Automation

The best way to learn Selenium is by practicing on websites designed for automation testing.

Here are some excellent practice sites:

Practicing on these sites will give you real-world testing experience without worrying about breaking a live site.

Step 5: Learn Locators & Advanced Actions

Selenium scripts rely on locators to find and interact with elements on a webpage.

Mastering locators and actions is essential for building reliable automation scripts.

Step 6: IDE and Framework Setup

Once you’re comfortable with basic scripts, it’s time to make your setup more professional.

  • Recommended IDEs:
    • Python → PyCharm, VS Code
    • Java → Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA
  • Test Frameworks:
    • Python → PyTest
    • Java → TestNG, JUnit

Frameworks help you structure your tests, generate reports, and manage test execution efficiently—skills that are highly valuable in real-world automation projects.

Recommended Learning Resources

Learning Selenium becomes much easier when you have the right study materials. Here are some trusted resources to help you master Selenium step by step:

These resources will help you learn Selenium in a structured way while also giving you enough hands-on practice.

Final Tips for Beginners

Before you wrap up your first Selenium tutorial, here are some final tips to keep your learning journey smooth:

  • Start with simple scenarios → Don’t rush into advanced topics. Begin with automating basic test cases like opening a webpage or filling out a form.
  • Use demo practice sites regularly → Sites like ToolsQA or Swag Labs are designed for beginners and help you build real testing skills.
  • Keep Selenium & drivers updated → Browsers change frequently, and using outdated drivers can cause errors. Regular updates keep your tests running smoothly.
  • Explore free online courses and YouTube tutorials → Video-based learning helps you understand concepts faster, especially if you’re a visual learner.

By following these tips, you’ll avoid common beginner mistakes and steadily grow your confidence in test automation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is Selenium mainly used for?

Selenium is primarily used for automating web browsers. It helps testers validate website functionality, run regression tests, and save time by automating repetitive testing tasks.

2. Is Selenium easy for beginners?

Yes, Selenium is beginner-friendly. With basic knowledge of Python or Java, you can quickly write your first script. Plus, there are many free tutorials and demo sites to practice on.

3. Do I need coding skills to learn Selenium?

Yes, a basic understanding of programming is recommended. Selenium supports languages like Python, Java, and C#, so knowing the fundamentals of one language will make learning much easier.

4. Which language is best for Selenium beginners?

Python is the easiest language for beginners due to its simple syntax. However, Java is widely used in the industry, making it a great choice for long-term career growth.

5. Can Selenium be used for mobile testing?

Yes, Selenium can be extended for mobile testing by integrating with tools like Appium, which allows you to test both Android and iOS applications.

You might also like:

Partial Link Text in Selenium: When and How to Use It Effectively

What is linkText in Selenium? Ultimate Guide for Beginners

TagName Locator in Selenium WebDriver: Everything You Need to Know

67 thoughts on “Selenium Tutorial for Beginners”

  3. This very helpful. Thank you for the details information.

    Could you please add managing different windows like popups, alert using selenium webdriver. It would be great if you can provide that information.

    Thank you.

    Reply

  7. You have published articles on WebDriver and IDE …But why not RC???(I know Driver is most advanced than RC..But giving some information about RC/grid would make your blog complete..)

    Reply

  28. It was so nice article.I was really satisified by seeing this article and we are
    also giving QA online training.The QA online Training is one of the best QA online training institute in worldwide.

    Reply

  29. One of the best blogs I have ever read,I have completed Part 1 till now. Hats-off to your detailed explanation.

    I have a request, if possible please publish a sample project with any real-time examples.

    Thanks once again…

    Reply

  34. Hello, I am new to Selenium and willing to learn it. I found your posts useful. Kindly let me know which website you have used in your example/screenshot.

    Reply

  36. Can any one help me in installing Java in my system. Installing java always gives me error 1602 and therefore eclipse also doesnt work in my system. Help me pls.

    Reply

  44. Very nice explanation I am a beginner and find you site today only .I am on the way of learning Data driven framework hope your articles will help me.Thanks

    Reply

  49. I really appreciate the amount of hard work you have put to explain Java and Selenium in this post and that too for free of cost. The contents are really useful. Thank You!!

    Reply

  53. Great content. Thanks for sharing this information. Keep it up. This is great article. I like it very much.

    Reply

  54. ur all the articles are so helpful. so have explained the things in very easy way. and it so easy for beginners to understand

    Reply

  56. Since WebDriver version 3 you need a separate executable, geckodriver.exe, in order to driver firefox. First, download geckodriver from that github link. Then, put it someplace where you store your project files. Then, in the beginning of your main method, put this:

    System.setProperty("webdriver.gecko.driver", "path to the folder you put it in\geckodriver.exe");

    Afterwards you can go on to create new FirefoxDriver and all other stuff.

    Reply

  64. wow, very Nice information about web driver, Really I like this Article, Recently I was finished my Webservices training in Bangalore and achieve my success through online Seleniumlabs, this training center was very helpful to make a bright your future.
    Thank you
    Keep Blogging

    Reply

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