New window and tab creation in Selenium Python

Introduction

Sometimes, websites open new windows or tabs. Testing these helps ensure your app works well with multiple pages.

When a link opens a new tab to show extra information.

When clicking a button launches a new browser window.

When testing pop-ups that appear in separate windows.

When verifying that switching between tabs keeps data intact.

When automating workflows that require multiple pages open.

Syntax

Selenium Python

driver.switch_to.new_window('tab')
driver.switch_to.new_window('window')

Use 'tab' to open a new browser tab.

Use 'window' to open a new browser window.

Examples

Open a new tab and load a website there.

Selenium Python

driver.switch_to.new_window('tab')
driver.get('https://example.com')

Open a new window and load a website there.

Selenium Python

driver.switch_to.new_window('window')
driver.get('https://example.com')

Sample Program

This script opens three pages: one in the original tab, one in a new tab, and one in a new window. It prints each page's title to confirm the switch worked.

Selenium Python

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.service import Service
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
import time

# Setup Chrome driver
service = Service()
driver = webdriver.Chrome(service=service)

try:
    # Open first page
    driver.get('https://example.com')
    print('First page title:', driver.title)

    # Open new tab
    driver.switch_to.new_window('tab')
    driver.get('https://www.python.org')
    print('Second page title:', driver.title)

    # Open new window
    driver.switch_to.new_window('window')
    driver.get('https://www.selenium.dev')
    print('Third page title:', driver.title)

    # Close all
    driver.quit()
except Exception as e:
    print('Error:', e)
    driver.quit()

Important Notes

Always switch to the new window or tab before interacting with it.

Remember to close windows or tabs you open to avoid clutter.

Use driver.window_handles to see all open windows and tabs.

Summary

Use driver.switch_to.new_window('tab') to open a new tab.

Use driver.switch_to.new_window('window') to open a new window.

Switching focus is needed to control the new tab or window.