Enabled & Selected State

Use isEnabled() and isSelected() to verify if elements are interactive or checked.

Concept

In this practice, you'll learn how to check whether an element:

Can be interacted with (enabled vs disabled).
Is currently selected/checked (for checkboxes, radios, and options).

We'll focus on two WebElement methods:

isEnabled()

What it does

isEnabled() returns true if the element is active and ready for interaction.
Returns false if the element is disabled (for example, has the disabled attribute).

When to use it

Before clicking a Submit or Next button.
To verify that a form control is disabled until some condition is met (e.g., "Accept terms" checked).

Best-practice notes

Use isEnabled() in your assertions to make sure your UI follows business rules.
Don't try to click when isEnabled() is false — that usually means the UI is preventing the action on purpose.

isSelected()

What it does

isSelected() returns true if a checkbox, radio button, or <option> element is currently selected.
It's designed specifically for: Checkboxes, Radio buttons, and <option> items in a <select> dropdown.

When to use it

To verify that a checkbox is checked or unchecked.
To verify that the correct radio option is selected.
To confirm that a specific option in a dropdown is selected.

Best-practice notes

Only use isSelected() on elements that actually have a selectable/checked state.
For normal buttons or text inputs, isSelected() is not meaningful.

Interactive Practice

You are testing a simple "Terms and Submit" form with the following elements:

Practice Area UI

Elements on the page:

A checkbox with id="accept-terms"
A Submit button with id="submit-btn"

I accept the terms and conditions

Checkbox state: Not selected

Button state: Disabled

Check the checkbox to enable the Submit button. Use Selenium to verify states with isSelected() and isEnabled()!

Behavior

When the page loads:
- The terms checkbox is unchecked.
- The Submit button is disabled (!isEnabled()).
When the user checks the "I accept the terms and conditions" checkbox:
- The frontend logic removes the disabled attribute from the button.
- The Submit button becomes enabled (isEnabled() returns true).

How a user would interact manually

See that Submit is currently greyed out / disabled.
Click the "I accept the terms and conditions" checkbox.
Notice that the Submit button is now active and clickable.
Optionally click Submit to continue.

You will automate exactly this flow using isSelected() for the checkbox and isEnabled() for the button.

Java Code Example

CheckEnabledSelected.java

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WebElement checkbox = driver.findElement(By.id("accept-terms"));
WebElement button = driver.findElement(By.id("submit-btn"));

// 1. Initial State Check
if (!checkbox.isSelected()) {
    System.out.println("Checkbox is NOT selected initially.");
}

if (!button.isEnabled()) {
    System.out.println("Button is DISABLED initially.");
}

// 2. Perform Action
checkbox.click();

// 3. Verify New State
if (checkbox.isSelected() && button.isEnabled()) {
    System.out.println("Success! Checkbox is selected and button is now enabled.");
}

Code Breakdown

driver.findElement(By.id("accept-terms")): Finds the terms checkbox element using its id.
driver.findElement(By.id("submit-btn")): Finds the Submit button element using its id.
checkbox.isSelected(): Checks whether the checkbox is currently checked. Initially expected to be false.
button.isEnabled(): Checks whether the button is currently enabled (clickable). Initially expected to be false because it's disabled by the UI.
checkbox.click(): Simulates a real user click on the checkbox, changing its state to selected and triggering the UI logic.
checkbox.isSelected() && button.isEnabled(): Verifies that the checkbox is now selected and the button is now enabled. If both are true, the flow is working as expected.

Pro Tip

Check before you act

Always use isEnabled() before clicking important buttons to avoid flaky tests and confusing failures.

Use the right method for the right element

isSelected() ➜ checkboxes, radios, <option>
isEnabled() ➜ any interactive control (buttons, inputs, links).

Turn these into assertions

In real tests, replace System.out.println(...) with proper assertions like assertTrue(button.isEnabled()) to make your tests self-verifying.

Concept

In this practice, you'll learn how to check whether an element:

Can be interacted with (enabled vs disabled).

Is currently selected/checked (for checkboxes, radios, and options).

We'll focus on two WebElement methods:

isEnabled()

What it does

isEnabled() returns true if the element is active and ready for interaction.
Returns false if the element is disabled (for example, has the disabled attribute).

When to use it

Before clicking a Submit or Next button.
To verify that a form control is disabled until some condition is met (e.g., "Accept terms" checked).

Best-practice notes

Use isEnabled() in your assertions to make sure your UI follows business rules.
Don't try to click when isEnabled() is false — that usually means the UI is preventing the action on purpose.

isSelected()

What it does

isSelected() returns true if a checkbox, radio button, or <option> element is currently selected.
It's designed specifically for: Checkboxes, Radio buttons, and <option> items in a <select> dropdown.

When to use it

To verify that a checkbox is checked or unchecked.
To verify that the correct radio option is selected.
To confirm that a specific option in a dropdown is selected.

Best-practice notes

Only use isSelected() on elements that actually have a selectable/checked state.
For normal buttons or text inputs, isSelected() is not meaningful.

Interactive Practice

You are testing a simple "Terms and Submit" form with the following elements:

Practice Area UI

Elements on the page:

A checkbox with id="accept-terms"
A Submit button with id="submit-btn"

I accept the terms and conditions

Checkbox state: Not selected

Button state: Disabled

Check the checkbox to enable the Submit button. Use Selenium to verify states with isSelected() and isEnabled()!

Behavior

When the page loads:
- The terms checkbox is unchecked.
- The Submit button is disabled (!isEnabled()).
When the user checks the "I accept the terms and conditions" checkbox:
- The frontend logic removes the disabled attribute from the button.
- The Submit button becomes enabled (isEnabled() returns true).

How a user would interact manually

See that Submit is currently greyed out / disabled.
Click the "I accept the terms and conditions" checkbox.
Notice that the Submit button is now active and clickable.
Optionally click Submit to continue.

You will automate exactly this flow using isSelected() for the checkbox and isEnabled() for the button.

Java Code Example

CheckEnabledSelected.java

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WebElement checkbox = driver.findElement(By.id("accept-terms"));
WebElement button = driver.findElement(By.id("submit-btn"));

// 1. Initial State Check
if (!checkbox.isSelected()) {
    System.out.println("Checkbox is NOT selected initially.");
}

if (!button.isEnabled()) {
    System.out.println("Button is DISABLED initially.");
}

// 2. Perform Action
checkbox.click();

// 3. Verify New State
if (checkbox.isSelected() && button.isEnabled()) {
    System.out.println("Success! Checkbox is selected and button is now enabled.");
}

Code Breakdown

driver.findElement(By.id("accept-terms")): Finds the terms checkbox element using its id.
driver.findElement(By.id("submit-btn")): Finds the Submit button element using its id.
checkbox.isSelected(): Checks whether the checkbox is currently checked. Initially expected to be false.
button.isEnabled(): Checks whether the button is currently enabled (clickable). Initially expected to be false because it's disabled by the UI.
checkbox.click(): Simulates a real user click on the checkbox, changing its state to selected and triggering the UI logic.
checkbox.isSelected() && button.isEnabled(): Verifies that the checkbox is now selected and the button is now enabled. If both are true, the flow is working as expected.

Pro Tip

Check before you act

Always use isEnabled() before clicking important buttons to avoid flaky tests and confusing failures.

Use the right method for the right element

isSelected() ➜ checkboxes, radios, <option>
isEnabled() ➜ any interactive control (buttons, inputs, links).

Turn these into assertions

In real tests, replace System.out.println(...) with proper assertions like assertTrue(button.isEnabled()) to make your tests self-verifying.