WebDriver

WebDriver is a browser automation interface and standard for controlling web browsers programmatically. It provides a language-neutral API to drive browsers for tasks such as automated testing, web scraping, and automation workflows.

It works by providing client libraries in various programming languages that send commands to browser-specific drivers. Each browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) has a corresponding driver (ChromeDriver, GeckoDriver, Edge WebDriver, SafariDriver) that implements the WebDriver protocol. The drivers relay commands to the browser and return results.

The WebDriver protocol was standardized by the W3C to replace older JSON Wire Protocol. It defines commands like NewSession, Navigate, FindElement, Click, SendKeys, and others, and uses JSON over HTTP. Client libraries translate language-specific calls into these protocol commands.

The WebDriver model is commonly used via Selenium WebDriver, a set of language bindings that expose the WebDriver API. While Selenium provides bindings, the browser vendors and third-party projects supply the drivers necessary to run commands in each browser.

Typical workflows include launching a browser, navigating to a URL, locating elements, performing actions, waiting for conditions, taking screenshots, and generating reports. WebDriver supports multiple languages (Java, Python, C#, Ruby, JavaScript, etc.) and integrates with test frameworks.

While widely supported, capabilities vary by browser and driver version. WebDriver enables cross-browser automation for UI testing and automation tasks, aligning with standards to promote interoperability.