What it does
Selenium is a browser automation project with WebDriver libraries, browser-specific drivers, and related tools for running tests locally or remotely. A test author starts a browser session, finds page elements, performs actions, and checks the resulting page state. Selenium provides the browser control layer; the project must supply test cases, a target application, and an execution environment.
Selenium's first-script guide breaks a browser test into starting a session, taking an action, requesting information from the browser, and ending the session. A practical test could open a login page in a test environment, submit a known test account, and assert that the expected dashboard appears. The browser and target environment must be available to the runner; a test still needs assertions that express what the application should do.
Install the language binding you plan to use and follow the matching browser setup instructions. Selenium supports local and Remote WebDriver workflows, so teams can run tests on a developer machine or route sessions to a remote grid. The official repository uses Apache License 2.0. This is browser automation, not a hosted browser-testing subscription or a load-testing tool.
Strengths
- WebDriver provides browser-session control across supported browser implementations.
- The first-script guide lays out the session, action, inspection, and cleanup steps.
- Remote WebDriver can route a test to a separate execution environment.
Watch out for
- The user must provide the application, test assertions, browser setup, and execution infrastructure.
Best for
- Automating browser-based user flows for a web application
- Teams that need language bindings or remote browser execution
Sources
- Write your first Selenium script | Selenium (Oct 25, 2026)
- The Selenium Browser Automation Project (Oct 25, 2026)
- Apache License, Version 2.0 (Oct 25, 2026)