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One version caveat matters: older Selenium pages describe Selenium IDE as a browser extension, while the project’s v4 wiki says the latest version is no longer a web extension and the current repository describes an Electron application. Check the Selenium IDE project for the current release and setup path for your browser before following older installation instructions.
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What Selenium IDE is—and what it is not
Selenium IDE records and plays back browser actions using Selenium commands. Selenium’s overview lists Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, but its description of IDE as a browser extension reflects the page’s December 7, 2021 modification date; the later v4 wiki and current project repository describe a different, Electron-based packaging model. Treat the current release instructions as authoritative for installation. Selenium IDE overview · Selenium IDE v4 wiki · Project repository
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IDE is useful for quickly expressing a browser flow and learning the command structure. Recording is a starting point, not proof that a test is stable: inspect the generated commands and locators, and edit or replace steps that are unclear or too dependent on incidental page details. The available sources do not promise that recorded locators will survive application changes.
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The maintainers’ v4 wiki specifically cautions that local record-and-playback does not properly handle some browser-level features, including alerts and cookie clearing. That is a specific limitation noted by the wiki, not a complete feature matrix for every current release.
Install and record your first test
The detailed official Getting Started guide describes an extension-based workflow and was last updated February 19, 2019. Use it for the basic concepts below, but check the current release/install path for your browser rather than assuming every old screen or menu label still applies. Selenium IDE Getting Started
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- Install and open Selenium IDE. Follow the current project instructions for your browser or operating system. In the older extension workflow, launch it from the browser menu bar; if its icon is missing, check whether it is enabled or hidden in the toolbar.
- Create a project and test. Choose the option to record a new project or test, name the project, and enter the application’s base URL. In the documented workflow, that URL is shared by tests in the project and can be changed later.
- Record a realistic user path. Interact with the application as a user would: navigate, enter values, click controls, and reach the state the test is meant to verify. Return to the IDE and stop recording when the scenario is complete.
- Review and refine the commands. Read through the captured steps, remove accidental actions, and edit commands or add them manually where recording is not the clearest expression of the intended behavior. A test should communicate the expected flow, not merely reproduce every mouse movement made during recording.
Organize, save, and replay tests
In the documented workflow, tests are managed in the Tests view and can be grouped into suites. A new project starts with a Default Suite containing its first test. Group related checks—for example, a small smoke suite or a particular user journey—so you can replay the meaningful unit rather than an undifferentiated list.
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- Save the project with the IDE’s save control. The project is stored as one
.sidefile. - Select an individual test or a suite and press its play control. The Getting Started guide says playback reuses the existing recording window if it is open; otherwise, it opens a new window.
These details come from the legacy-era guide, so labels and exact placement may differ in a current build. Getting Started guide
Choose how to run tests beyond authoring
| Route | Where it runs and what it suits | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| IDE playback | Runs through the IDE-managed browser window. Best for immediate feedback while recording, editing, and debugging a small test. | Convenient for authoring, but less suited to repeatable team or CI execution. |
| Command-line runner | Runs a .side project from a terminal and supports browser capabilities, test filters, alternate base URLs, result files, workers, and remote Selenium Grid execution. |
Requires setting up the runner and local browser/driver or Grid environment. The detailed runner guide is dated, so verify current prerequisites and configuration against the current release. |
| Code export | Generates WebDriver code as a starting point for a team’s existing framework and codebase. | Generated code needs review and adaptation; verify that the current IDE release supports the export target you need. |
Run a project with the command-line runner
The official runner guide shows passing a .side project to selenium-side-runner. Its page was last updated July 29, 2019, so this illustrates the workflow rather than a guarantee of current package versions or prerequisites. Consult the current project documentation for installation and compatible Node, browser, and driver requirements before setting up a machine or CI job. Command-line Runner guide
selenium-side-runner path/to/project.sideThe runner guide documents configuration by browser capabilities, as well as remote execution through a Selenium Grid server. It also describes setting worker counts and filtering tests by name. Suites run in parallel by default; tests within a suite run sequentially unless suite parallelization is enabled. Decide deliberately whether concurrency fits your application and environment: parallel work can reduce elapsed time, but tests that share state or depend on one another may not be safe to run concurrently.
For a different deployment environment, the guide describes overriding the project’s base URL. It also documents output in Jest JSON or JUnit XML formats, configuration files, and proxy options. Check the guide and current runner behavior for the exact option syntax you need rather than copying old version-specific setup snippets.
Local browsers or Selenium Grid?
- Use local execution when a browser on the runner machine is sufficient and you want to keep setup close to the test project.
- Use Grid when browsers should run remotely or you need to manage multiple browser/platform combinations centrally. The runner guide documents both local browser drivers and remote Grid execution.
Export a test into WebDriver code
The documented export workflow is to right-click a test or suite, choose Export, select a target, and save the generated code. The export page lists C# NUnit, Java JUnit, JavaScript Mocha, and Python pytest targets, and describes an optional origin-tracing setting that adds comments linking generated code to the originating IDE step. These are documented targets, not a guarantee that every target remains available in every current release. Selenium IDE Code Export
Use exported code as a bridge, not as production-ready test code by default. Review locators, assertions, setup and teardown, dependencies, and the team’s conventions before relying on it. The export page contains old framework and dependency examples, so verify current versions and installation instructions independently.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common problems and practical fixes
- The old extension instructions do not match what you see. Selenium IDE’s packaging has changed since older extension-centric documentation. Check the current release and repository instructions for your browser and operating system rather than expecting the 2019 guide’s exact menus.
- The IDE icon is missing in an extension-based installation. The Getting Started guide recommends checking that the extension is enabled and that the toolbar has not hidden it.
- A recorded test fails after the page changes. Inspect the failing command and locator, then edit or re-record that step and verify the intended page state. A recording does not establish that its locators remain robust as the application evolves.
- A test depends on an alert or clearing browser cookies. The v4 wiki says local record-and-playback cannot properly handle browser-level features such as alerts or cookie clearing. Do not assume a recorded flow can automate these reliably; check current documentation for an appropriate approach.
- The command-line runner fails to start or cannot find a browser. The cited runner guide’s prerequisites are old. Confirm the current runner’s supported runtime, browser installation, driver configuration, and Grid endpoint before changing test steps.
- Parallel runs behave inconsistently. The guide says suites run in parallel by default, while tests inside a suite are sequential unless suite parallelization is enabled. Check for shared accounts, data, or state that make concurrent tests interfere, and configure execution accordingly.
- An exported script will not run with the installed framework. Treat the IDE output as generated scaffolding. Verify the current export target and dependencies, then adapt the code to the versions and test conventions in your project.
Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is to capture a webpage as an image or PDF—not to verify an interactive workflow with Selenium commands—ScreenshotNeo provides a screenshot API. For example, this cURL request returns a WebP shot for the URL. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for parameters and response details.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo accepts cookie or consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each of those steps can be turned off. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and responses identify page verdict and billing status in headers. It also offers an MCP server with screenshot, page-info, and PDF-capture tools for AI agents, and includes 1,000 shots per month free without a card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. This captures pages; it is not a replacement for browser interaction tests. Sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month, no card required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Selenium IDE run tests in browsers other than Chrome?
Selenium’s overview lists Chrome, Firefox, and Edge availability, but the exact current installation and execution options depend on the IDE release. Check the current project release instructions for your browser.
Can I use a Selenium IDE project in continuous integration?
The command-line runner is the documented path for repeatable execution outside IDE playback. Confirm current runner prerequisites and configure the browser or Grid environment used by your CI system.
Does recording a test make its locators reliable?
No stability guarantee is established by the cited documentation. Inspect and maintain recorded locators as the application changes.
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