Windows & Tabs

Handle multiple browser windows and tabs within a single WebDriver session.

Concept

Modern web apps often open links in new tabs or pop-up windows. Selenium treats each tab or window as a "Window Handle". To interact with a new window, you must explicitly switch to it.

Window Handle: A unique alphanumeric ID assigned to each window/tab.
Switching: WebDriver stays focused on the original window until you tell it to switch.

Key Commands

getWindowHandle(): Get ID of current window.
getWindowHandles(): Get IDs of ALL open windows.
switchTo().window(id): Change focus to specific window.

Common Workflow

Store current window handle (main).
Trigger action that opens new window.
Find new handle in getWindowHandles().
Switch, perform actions, close, switch back.

Tabs vs. Windows

Selenium treats Tabs and Windows exactly the same. They are just different "handles" in the list.

Interactive Practice

Multi-Window Lab

Clicking the button opens a popup. You must switch to it to click "Mark as Read"!

Java Code Example

WindowManager.java

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String mainHandle = driver.getWindowHandle();

WebElement openHelpButton = driver.findElement(By.id("openHelpWindowBtn"));
openHelpButton.click();

Set<String> allHandles = driver.getWindowHandles();
for (String handle : allHandles) {
    if (!handle.equals(mainHandle)) {
        driver.switchTo().window(handle);
        break;
    }
}

// Now we are in the popup window
WebElement markHelpReadButton = driver.findElement(By.id("markHelpReadBtn"));
markHelpReadButton.click();

driver.close(); // Close popup
driver.switchTo().window(mainHandle); // Switch back to main

driver.quit();

Code Breakdown

driver.getWindowHandle(): Stores the unique ID of the current (main) window so you can switch back later.
driver.getWindowHandles(): Gets all open window handles. We loop through them to find the one that is not the main handle.
driver.close(): Closes only the current window (the Help Window), then we switch back to the main window.

Pro Tip

Responsive Helpers

Create a small helper that sets common viewport sizes (mobile, tablet, desktop) so your setSize() calls stay consistent and reusable.

Close vs Quit

Use close() to close just one tab/window. Use quit() to close everything and end the session.

Switch Logic

When switching windows, don’t rely on order—compare each handle to the main handle and switch to the different one.