To use Selenium WebDriver for test automation, we need to install Java, an IDE, Selenium JAR files, and browser drivers. Below are the step-by-step instructions for setting up Selenium WebDriver.


1. Prerequisites

Before installing Selenium WebDriver, ensure that you have the following:

βœ” Java Development Kit (JDK) – Selenium WebDriver requires Java to run.
βœ” Integrated Development Environment (IDE) – Recommended IDEs: Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, or VS Code.
βœ” Web Browsers – Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.
βœ” Browser Drivers – WebDriver requires specific browser drivers to communicate with browsers.


2. Step-by-Step Installation Guide

Step 1: Install Java (JDK)

  • Download and install JDK from the official Oracle website.
  • After installation, set up the JAVA_HOME environment variable:
    • Windows:
      1. Open Control Panel β†’ System β†’ Advanced System Settings β†’ Environment Variables.
      2. Under System Variables, click New.
      3. Set Variable Name = JAVA_HOME
      4. Set Variable Value = Path of the JDK installation folder (e.g., C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-XX.X.X).
      5. Click OK and restart the system.
    • Linux/Mac: Add this line to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:
      export JAVA_HOME=/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk-XX.X.X/Contents/Home
      export PATH=$JAVA_HOME/bin:$PATH
      

Step 2: Install an IDE

After downloading, install and launch the IDE.


Step 3: Download Selenium WebDriver JAR Files

  1. Visit the Selenium official website.
  2. Click on Selenium Java β†’ Download the .zip file.
  3. Extract the file and store the .jar files in a dedicated Selenium folder.

Step 4: Download Browser Drivers

Each browser requires a specific WebDriver to interact with Selenium.

Browser WebDriver Download Link
Chrome ChromeDriver
Firefox GeckoDriver
Edge EdgeDriver
Safari Safari has built-in WebDriver (enable Develop > Allow Remote Automation).

βœ” Extract the downloaded driver and place it in a suitable directory.
βœ” Add the WebDriver path to the system's Environment Variables (Windows) or export it in .bashrc/.zshrc (Mac/Linux).


Step 5: Verify Installation

To check if Java and Selenium WebDriver are installed correctly:

Verify Java Installation

java -version

Expected output (Example):

java version "17.0.1" 2021-10-19 LTS

Verify Browser Driver Installation

chromedriver --version

Expected output (Example):

ChromeDriver 120.0.6099.71 (cc5cf5d9d3f0)

Next Step: Configuring Selenium WebDriver

Once the installation is complete, we need to configure Selenium WebDriver in an IDE (Eclipse/IntelliJ IDEA) and write our first test script.

πŸ‘‰ Proceed to Selenium WebDriver Configuration πŸš€