Working with Browser Navigation in Selenium using Python

Certainly! Here's a practical guide on working with browser navigation in Selenium using Python. Selenium is a powerful tool for automating web browsers, and navigating through pages is a key part of most test scripts or automation flows.

🧭 Working with Browser Navigation in Selenium (Python)

🧰 Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

Python installed

Selenium installed:

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pip install selenium

A WebDriver for your browser (e.g., ChromeDriver, GeckoDriver)

🚀 Basic Setup

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from selenium import webdriver

# Setup Chrome driver (ensure chromedriver is in PATH or provide the path)

driver = webdriver.Chrome()

# Open a webpage

driver.get("https://www.example.com")

🔄 Navigation Commands

1. Open a URL

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driver.get("https://www.example.com")

Loads a web page in the current browser window.

2. Navigate to Another Page

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driver.get("https://www.google.com")

3. Go Back

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driver.back()

Simulates the browser's Back button. Useful when navigating through links.

4. Go Forward

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driver.forward()

Simulates the browser's Forward button.

5. Refresh the Page

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driver.refresh()

Reloads the current page.

📄 Full Example Script

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from selenium import webdriver

import time

driver = webdriver.Chrome()

# Step 1: Go to example.com

driver.get("https://www.example.com")

print("Opened example.com")

time.sleep(2)

# Step 2: Navigate to google.com

driver.get("https://www.google.com")

print("Opened google.com")

time.sleep(2)

# Step 3: Go back to example.com

driver.back()

print("Went back to example.com")

time.sleep(2)

# Step 4: Go forward to google.com

driver.forward()

print("Went forward to google.com")

time.sleep(2)

# Step 5: Refresh the page

driver.refresh()

print("Page refreshed")

time.sleep(2)

driver.quit()

✅ Tips for Reliable Navigation

Use time.sleep() or WebDriverWait to wait for pages to load.

Always close the browser at the end with driver.quit().

Combine navigation with element validation to ensure you're on the correct page.

🛠️ Advanced Tip: Use WebDriverWait for Dynamic Content

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from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By

from selenium.webdriver.support.ui import WebDriverWait

from selenium.webdriver.support import expected_conditions as EC

# Wait until an element is visible

WebDriverWait(driver, 10).until(

    EC.presence_of_element_located((By.ID, "myElement"))

)

📝 Summary

Action Command

Open page driver.get(url)

Go back driver.back()

Go forward driver.forward()

Refresh page driver.refresh()

Would you like help with setting up Selenium for headless mode or writing navigation tests with assertions?

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