In Selenium’s Node.js WebDriver binding, pass ordinary JavaScript strings to sendKeys(), then read the right representation back: use an input’s value for form fields and getText() for visible page text. Await each WebDriver command before asserting. For special keys, use Selenium’s key constants or Actions API and release modifiers explicitly.
Enter and verify a string in a form field
Locate a keyboard-interactable control, clear it when the test should replace existing content, type the expected string, and read its value before asserting. Selenium documents sendKeys() as an asynchronous WebElement command, so await it and the subsequent read.
const { Builder, By } = require('selenium-webdriver');
const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
(async () => {
const driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();
try {
await driver.get('https://example.com/form');
const field = await driver.findElement(By.name('message'));
await field.clear();
const expected = 'Hello, Selenium!';
await field.sendKeys(expected);
const actual = await field.getAttribute('value');
assert.equal(actual, expected);
} finally {
await driver.quit();
}
})();Replace the example URL and locator with the page and control under test. This CommonJS example assumes the Selenium JavaScript package is installed and a compatible Chrome browser and driver are available to the environment. Use the browser configuration appropriate to your project if you do not run Chrome.
clear()matters when the field may already contain a value; omit it only when appending is the behavior being tested.sendKeys()simulates keyboard input. It is intended for keyboard-interactable elements such as text inputs and content-editable regions, not arbitrary elements. An element that cannot receive keyboard input may produce an error.- Await commands in sequence. Reading immediately after starting
sendKeys()can make a test observe the old value.
The Selenium JavaScript WebElement API and interaction guide document these behaviors: WebElement API and element interactions.
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Read the representation the page actually displays
An input’s contents are its value; they are not ordinarily the element’s visible inner text. For rendered text in a result, label, or other page element, use getText(). Selenium describes getText() as returning visible inner text, including text from child elements, while trimming leading and trailing whitespace.
const field = await driver.findElement(By.name('message'));
await field.clear();
await field.sendKeys(expected);
assert.equal(await field.getAttribute('value'), expected);
const rendered = await driver.findElement(By.id('result')).getText();
assert.equal(rendered, expected);If an assertion fails, first check whether it queried a form value or visible text. Also check whether the application transforms, formats, or delays updating the displayed value; wait for the page’s expected state before reading it rather than treating every mismatch as a string-comparison defect.
Test special keys and keyboard shortcuts
For keys that are not ordinary text, use Selenium’s Key constants. For a held modifier or a more involved sequence, use the Actions API. Modifiers remain active until released or reset, so make their release part of the test.
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const { Key } = require('selenium-webdriver');
const field = await driver.findElement(By.name('message'));
await field.clear();
await field.sendKeys(Key.SHIFT, 'hello', Key.NULL);
assert.equal(await field.getAttribute('value'), 'HELLO');Key.NULL resets modifier state. Alternatively, use Actions to make the press and release explicit:
await driver.actions()
.keyDown(Key.SHIFT)
.sendKeys('a')
.keyUp(Key.SHIFT)
.perform();Shortcut modifiers depend on the operating system. Selenium’s keyboard example uses Command on macOS and Control on other platforms; select the key for the platform on which the test runs rather than assuming one shortcut works everywhere. See the Selenium keyboard actions guide for the documented JavaScript patterns.
Choose string equality and character counting deliberately
For exact matching, ordinary JavaScript equality is case-sensitive. Compare the exact value when that is what the application requirement specifies. Do not normalize, trim, or change case simply to make an assertion pass: each transformation changes what the test verifies.
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If the requirement is locale-aware, case-insensitive comparison, use Intl.Collator or localeCompare() with an appropriate sensitivity option instead of assuming that uppercasing or lowercasing handles every language. The right locale and comparison settings depend on the product requirement.
JavaScript string length and indexes count UTF-16 code units, not necessarily the characters a person sees. Iterating a string yields Unicode code points, but a visible grapheme can contain multiple code points, as with joined or modified emoji. split('') can separate the two code units of a surrogate pair. If the application enforces a character limit, define whether it means code units, code points, or user-perceived grapheme clusters, then make the test measure that same unit. MDN explains these distinctions in its JavaScript String reference.
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For systems that accept arbitrary Unicode or pass strings to URI or UTF-8 encoding APIs, malformed lone surrogates are another edge case. MDN documents isWellFormed() and toWellFormed() for detection and sanitization, and notes that encodeURI() can throw a URIError for such strings. Test this only if malformed input is relevant to the application’s behavior.
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Use page-side JavaScript only when the test needs it
executeScript() runs JavaScript in the currently selected browser frame or window. It can be useful for a page-side computation or inspection that element interactions do not express well. For normal user-like typing and reading, prefer sendKeys(), getAttribute('value'), and getText() so the test exercises the element interaction path.
Selenium’s executeAsyncScript() has a different completion rule: the injected script must call its provided callback to signal completion. Use it only when that asynchronous page-side behavior is needed, and ensure every completion path calls the callback. See the JavaScript WebElement API and your installed binding’s driver API documentation for the version-specific script method signature.
Troubleshoot string assertions
- The assertion reads an empty or old value: await
sendKeys()before reading. Confirm that the locator targets the intended control and that the element is ready to receive input. - The input assertion does not match, but the page looks right: read the input’s
value, not itsgetText(). For a rendered result, usegetText(). sendKeys()fails: confirm the element is keyboard-interactable and in a state that accepts input. A generic container is not necessarily a valid typing target.- Later typing behaves as if Shift or another modifier is still held: release it with
keyUp()or reset modifier state withKey.NULL. - A shortcut works on one operating system but not another: account for platform-specific Command versus Control behavior in the test configuration.
- An emoji length assertion is surprising: determine whether the application counts UTF-16 code units, code points, or grapheme clusters; JavaScript’s
lengthis not a visible-character count. - A URI operation rejects a string: check for lone surrogates if the application accepts arbitrary Unicode, and decide whether rejecting or sanitizing malformed input is the intended behavior.
These examples follow the Selenium JavaScript binding documentation available as accessed October 3, 2026. Method signatures and browser or platform keyboard behavior can change; consult the documentation matching the binding version installed in your project when version-specific behavior matters.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does sendKeys() set a field’s value directly?
No. It sends keyboard input to a keyboard-interactable element; use it when the test should exercise typing.
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Should I use getText() to read an input?
No. Read a form control’s value; reserve getText() for visible rendered text.
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