Implicit vs Explicit Waits in Selenium – What’s the Difference?

June 18, 2025

Implicit vs Explicit Waits in Selenium – What’s the Difference?

When automating browser interactions with Selenium, it's common to encounter timing issues—elements may take time to load, appear, or become clickable. To handle this, Selenium provides waits, which pause the execution of your script until certain conditions are met. The two main types are Implicit Waits and Explicit Waits.

⏱️ 1. Implicit Wait

✅ What it is:

An implicit wait tells the WebDriver to wait for a specified time while trying to find any element on the page. If the element is not immediately available, it will keep trying until the timeout is reached.

🛠️ How to use:

java

Copy

Edit

driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(Duration.ofSeconds(10));

📌 Key Points:

Applied globally to the WebDriver instance.

Affects all element searches.

Once set, it stays in effect for the lifetime of the WebDriver.

Can slow down your tests if overused.

⚠️ Example:

If an element takes 5 seconds to load and you’ve set a 10-second implicit wait, Selenium will wait up to 10 seconds before throwing a NoSuchElementException.

⏳ 2. Explicit Wait

✅ What it is:

An explicit wait tells Selenium to wait for a specific condition to occur before proceeding, like waiting for an element to become clickable or visible.

🛠️ How to use:

java

Copy

Edit

WebDriverWait wait = new WebDriverWait(driver, Duration.ofSeconds(10));

WebElement element = wait.until(ExpectedConditions.visibilityOfElementLocated(By.id("username")));

📌 Key Points:

Used for specific elements or conditions.

More flexible and precise than implicit waits.

Ideal for dynamic content or AJAX-driven apps.

⏱️ Common Conditions in ExpectedConditions:

visibilityOfElementLocated

elementToBeClickable

presenceOfElementLocated

textToBePresentInElement

🆚 Comparison Table

Feature Implicit Wait Explicit Wait

Scope Applies globally to all elements Applies only to specific elements/conditions

Flexibility Less flexible Highly customizable

Performance May slow down test suite globally More efficient for targeted conditions

Use Case Basic waits for most elements Waiting for dynamic or slow-loading elements

Syntax Complexity Simple Slightly more complex

🚫 Can You Use Both Together?

Yes, but it’s not recommended because:

They can interfere with each other.

It may cause unexpected delays or behavior.

It’s better to choose explicit waits for complex or dynamic pages.

✅ Best Practice

Use explicit waits when:

Elements load asynchronously.

You want fine control over wait conditions.

Use implicit waits only if:

The application is relatively stable.

You want a simple fallback for all elements.

🧪 Example in Selenium (Java):

java

Copy

Edit

// Set up WebDriver and navigate

driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(Duration.ofSeconds(5));

WebDriverWait wait = new WebDriverWait(driver, Duration.ofSeconds(10));

WebElement loginButton = wait.until(ExpectedConditions.elementToBeClickable(By.id("loginBtn")));

loginButton.click();

🔚 Conclusion

Understanding and choosing the right type of wait in Selenium is crucial for writing reliable and efficient test automation scripts. While implicit waits offer simplicity, explicit waits give you greater control—making them the preferred choice for handling modern, dynamic web applications.

Learn Selenium JAVA Training in Hyderabad

How to Handle Web Tables in Selenium WebDriver

Handling Dropdowns and Multiple Windows in Selenium

Using TestNG with Selenium: Why and How

Visit Our Quality Thought Training in Hyderabad

Get Directions