Selenium is the best open-source tool for automation testing that can help you test your web app across various platforms. In the last few years, almost every organization has transitioned to Selenium test automation from their regular manual testing. However, Selenium test automation still hasn’t gotten the recognition it deserves because many testers complain of it being unstable and unreliable.
That’s not true! Sometimes the tests become unstable if you are not following the right practices for test automation. Although there are no specific guidelines for running Selenium automation tests, you can refer to some of the best practices.
In this article, we will talk about the top ten strategies that can help you run Selenium test automation efficiently.
1. Start Early
One of the best exercises for Selenium test automation is early and repetitive testing. Start implementing Selenium testing attributes from the beginning phase of the development. You should be involved in the process from the requirement gathering phase. This will help you come up with test cases in advance by understanding the end user’s expectations.
Besides, by starting earlier, you can ensure that the application responds adequately to the requirements. The primary purpose of starting early is to avoid as many bugs as possible after the development is done. With this approach, you can also provide the developers with accurate test results on time.
2. Use a BDD Framework
Behavior-driven development is one of the best development approaches that can be used for Selenium test automation. With the BDD framework, you can write Selenium test automation cases in simple language without coding knowledge. It also helps you build a bridge between the business and technical team to understand what’s happening in the project.
With BDD, you can create specifications to help your team understand the test and requirements in a better way. It will save you time and avoid the hassle of explaining the tests to any stakeholder.
3. Set up Selenium test Automation Reports
You cannot ensure better results without keeping track of how your tests are performing, especially in Selenium test automation. Thus, you need to set up Selenium test automation scripts to improve the readability of test results and minimize the time spent maintaining the test data.
When you have test data in an organized manner, you get better control over tests. In addition, it helps you analyze when the test scripts are failing. With automation testing platforms like LambdaTest, you can keep a tab on your test scripts and perform Selenium automation testing on more than 3000 real desktops, mobile browsers, and devices.
4. Take Regular Screenshots to Analyze Failure
It’s normal to find bugs and failures in the Selenium test automation script. However, if you keep track of these bugs, you can avoid these issues in the future. The best way to track bugs in your test scripts is to take automated screenshots of your test script during execution.
For example, if you’re using an online Selenium grid to run your test scripts, you don’t have to worry about screenshots. Instead, with an online Selenium grid, you must pass a simple capability via the desired capabilities class.
5. Design Test Scenarios before Automation
Before you move ahead with automation testing, it is recommended to create test scenarios in advance. Without having a proper test design can lead to trouble. This is why it is necessary to have a strategy and plan for Selenium test automation. You need to develop a test architecture that can describe the structure of the test program and how it can be managed.
Automating test scripts without a design shows that you just want the test scripts to work. However, you should always consider different scenarios to help you perform foolproof testing.
6. Utilize Page Object Modeling
Every web app needs UI changes once or twice, and it requires the test cases to be written again. This process can be time consuming and hectic. But, you can avoid it by using Page Object Model, which allows you to test scripts without making any changes. Using page object modeling, you just need to change the page objects, as the locators stay in one central repository.
In POM, every webpage has a separate page class that helps you find the web elements and the page methods for these elements.
7. Identify the Tests to Automate
Just because you know automation doesn’t mean you can automate every test. One of the best practices to leverage Selenium automation is identifying what to automate. In every testing process, some areas require automation testing. For example, find out the areas that require repetitive testing or continuous update.
Another area you can involve in automation testing is visual scenarios, such as fonts, colors, layout structure, etc. You can even automate static content like title, logo, policy, and terms.
8. Select the Right Automation Tool
The biggest mistake that most testers make during Selenium automation is selecting the wrong tool for automation testing. But, choosing the right automation tool can make all the difference for you. There are many Selenium testing tools available in the market, and all of them have their capabilities. But, you need to be precise about your requirements.
For instance, if you want to perform cross-browser testing of a web app, select the tool that offers you a combination of required browsers, OS, and devices. Besides, you should also consider other factors like regression testing, parallel testing, visual testing, screenshots, record, and playback, etc.
9. Have a Dedicated Team of Automation Experts
Even if you have the best automation tool, testing scenarios, or enough time to automate, you won’t get the anticipated results unless you have a team of dedicated experts. A successful testing team consists of manual and automation experts who have worked in both situations. Most individuals think that a single entity can perform both tasks, but it requires a lot of effort and understanding.
Besides, if you ask the manual testers to carry out automation tests, it could be a disaster because most manual testers are not trained in automation testing. So, you need a team of automation experts who can execute the tests and use the tool flawlessly. If you are uncertain about hiring a new team, train your existing team in automation testing.
10. Use Quality Testing Techniques
Test techniques are one of the best practices for browser test automation. Testing techniques are a way of executing tests effectively while eliminating all the flaws. As a tester, you might have focused on learning test techniques that can help you execute test cases. Although test techniques can be applied to manual testing, you can also use this knowledge in automation testing with Selenium.
For instance, the four test techniques used everywhere include Boundary Value Analysis, Equivalence Partitioning, State Transition Testing, and Pairwise Testing.
Wrap Up
Selenium test automation is one of the best ways to automate test cases, as it gives you the freedom to generate and execute test cases effectively. Besides, it can be integrated with many testing frameworks to help you test your web app effectively. However, you still need your hands on the best strategies to use Selenium test automation to its full potential. In this article, we discussed the ten best methods you can use for Selenium test automation.
