How to Run Automation Scripts in Headless Mode Using Selenium

Introduction

Headless browsers enable selenium to execute tests without a GUI(graphical user interface), making them ideal for CI/CD pipelines and server environment.

Libraries such as HTMLUnitDriver, Headless Chrome, and Headless Firefox enable quicker and more efficient test execution while maintaining full browser compatibility. Utilizing headless mode in Selenium helps testers streamline their testing workflows.

Step-by-Step Guide to Run Chrome in Headless Mode

Chrome can run headless mode, providing full browser capabilities without a GUI

//Set Chrome options

ChromeOptions options=

new ChromeOptions();

//Run in headless mode

 options.addArguments("--headless")

Example code

import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeOptions;

public class HeadlessChromeExample {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Set the path to the ChromeDriver executable
        System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", "/path/to/chromedriver");

        // Set Chrome options
        ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();
        options.addArguments("--headless"); // Run in headless mode
        options.addArguments("--disable-gpu"); // Disable GPU acceleration
        options.addArguments("--no-sandbox"); // Bypass OS security model
        options.addArguments("--window-size=1920x1080"); // Set window size

        // Initialize the WebDriver with Chrome options
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(options);

        // Navigate to the desired URL
        driver.get("https://enter your application url.com"); // Change to your application's URL

        // Perform your automation tasks
        System.out.println("Title of the page: " + driver.getTitle());

        // Close the driver
        driver.quit();
    }
}

Step-by-Step Guide to Run Firefox in Headless Mode

Firefox can also be run in headless mode, similar to Chrome 

// Set Firefox options for headless mode

 FirefoxOptions options = new FirefoxOptions();

// Run in headless mode

 options.setHeadless(true); 

Example code

import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.firefox.FirefoxDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.firefox.FirefoxOptions;

public class HeadlessFirefoxExample {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Set the path to the GeckoDriver executable
        System.setProperty("webdriver.gecko.driver", "/path/to/geckodriver");

        // Set Firefox options for headless mode
        FirefoxOptions options = new FirefoxOptions();
        options.setHeadless(true); // Run in headless mode

        // Initialize the WebDriver with Firefox options
        WebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver(options);

        // Navigate to the target URL
        driver.get("https://example.com"); // Replace with your application's URL

        // Perform your testing actions
        System.out.println("Page Title: " + driver.getTitle());

        // Close the WebDriver
        driver.quit();
    }
}

Conclusions 

Headless browsers enhance automation testing by speeding up execution and integrating smoothly into CI/CD pipelines. Understanding headless mode in Selenium is vital for efficient testing.