What is a headless browser in automation testing and what are it s benefits

Question

I want to know what is a Headless Browser and what are it's benefits?

Answer 1

Hi Sanaya, a Headless Browser is a browser simulation program that does not have a user interface. These programs operate like any other browser, but do not display any GUI. When Selenium tests are run, it executes in the background. Some of the popular headless browsers are:

• Headless Chrome
• PhantomJS
• SlimerJS
• TrifleJS
• HTMLUnit driver

Some of the benefits of Headless Browser are:

1. Improves speed and performance: Since this type of testing does not actually open a browser, the system saves the processing power that would otherwise be used in a real browser test. Consequently, the tests are executed faster.

2. Allows testing browser-less setups: There may be setups where installing a browser is not possible, such as servers. In these cases, headless browsers help run automation tests easily.

3. Helps you multitask: You can use your browser or your machine to do anything else while the tests run in the background. Save hours of time that is otherwise spent staring at the screen.

Hope this helps!

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Thanks!

Answer 2

Hi Sanaya, a headless browser is a web browser without a GUI which provide automated control of a web page in an environment similar to popular web browsers, but are executed via a command-line or using network communication. They gives you a fast, lightweight way to automate high-level actions and get an idea of how well your site operates in common scenarios.