The Selenium record and playback feature, available in Selenium IDE, allows users to record their interactions with a website and automatically generate test scripts.
These scripts can be played back to test functionality without writing code, making it ideal for quick, simple automation tasks.
Selenium’s record and playback feature is part of Selenium IDE, a browser extension that automatically records your interactions with a website—things like clicking buttons, filling out forms, and navigating between pages. It then plays back these actions as test scripts.
This is especially helpful for quickly creating test cases without having to write any code. It’s perfect for those just starting with test automation or when you need simple regression tests.
For more details, check out this
@salmank point is great!
But here’s the thing—while record and playback are handy, they can result in fragile tests due to hardcoded values and selectors. I’ve worked in teams where these tests became a maintenance headache because they often broke when the website’s design changed. However, you can make this feature work better by using it as a starting point and then refining the test manually with code.
Also, platforms like LambdaTest offer integrations for Selenium IDE, and you can run these tests in the cloud, which gives you cross-browser testing capabilities without installing anything locally. This really speeds things up and expands coverage effortlessly.
I completely agree with @dimplesaini.230 !
If you’re looking for scalable automation, Selenium IDE might not be enough as you grow. Tools like Testim, Katalon, or even Cypress (especially for JavaScript) take the record and playback concept to the next level by introducing AI-assisted selectors and visual validation.
Personally, I hit a wall with Selenium IDE when dealing with async elements. We managed to work around this by combining recorded tests with cloud-based platforms like LambdaTest, which helped us test for visual consistency and cross-browser compatibility. Running tests in parallel across different environments was a game-changer for us and saved a lot of time.