Automating File Uploads and Downloads in Selenium Java

Automating file uploads and downloads is a common requirement in end-to-end UI testing. With Selenium WebDriver, Java developers can automate these workflows efficiently. However, file operations often involve handling native OS dialogs or browser-specific behaviors, which makes them slightly more complex than standard form automation.

In this blog, we’ll cover how to automate file uploads and downloads using Selenium in Java, along with useful libraries and best practices.


File Upload Automation

Automating file uploads is straightforward if the HTML element uses the standard <input type="file"> tag. Instead of interacting with the OS file picker, Selenium sends the file path directly to the input element.

Example:

java

WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();

driver.get("https://example.com/upload");


// Locate the file input element

WebElement uploadInput = driver.findElement(By.id("file-upload"));


// Provide the absolute path of the file to upload

uploadInput.sendKeys("C:\\Users\\User\\Documents\\sample.pdf");


// Submit the form or click the upload button

driver.findElement(By.id("upload-button")).click();

Note: Make sure the file path is absolute. On macOS/Linux, use forward slashes (/), and on Windows, escape backslashes (\\).


Handling Custom File Uploads

Some modern applications use custom UI components instead of standard file inputs, which can hide the input element. In such cases:


Try to locate the hidden <input type="file"> element using JavaScript.


Use JavascriptExecutor to make it visible and then send the file path.


java

CopyEdit

JavascriptExecutor js = (JavascriptExecutor) driver;

WebElement hiddenInput = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("input[type='file']"));

js.executeScript("arguments[0].style.display='block';", hiddenInput);

hiddenInput.sendKeys("C:\\path\\to\\file.txt");

File Download Automation

Automating file downloads requires controlling the browser's default download behavior. Since Selenium doesn’t interact with OS-level download dialogs, configuring the browser before launching is essential.


Example: Downloading files in Chrome

java

CopyEdit

String downloadFilepath = "C:\\Downloads";

HashMap<String, Object> chromePrefs = new HashMap<>();

chromePrefs.put("profile.default_content_settings.popups", 0);

chromePrefs.put("download.default_directory", downloadFilepath);


ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();

options.setExperimentalOption("prefs", chromePrefs);


WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(options);

driver.get("https://example.com/download");


driver.findElement(By.id("download-button")).click();

This tells Chrome to download files automatically to the specified folder without showing the download dialog.


Verifying File Downloads

To confirm that a file was downloaded:


java

CopyEdit

File folder = new File(downloadFilepath);

File[] listOfFiles = folder.listFiles();


boolean fileDownloaded = false;

for (File file : listOfFiles) {

    if (file.getName().equals("report.pdf")) {

        fileDownloaded = true;

        break;

    }

}


Assert.assertTrue(fileDownloaded, "File was not downloaded.");

Best Practices

  • Always use absolute file paths for uploads.
  • Use browser options or profiles to configure download behavior.
  • Clean the download folder before tests to avoid false positives.
  • Use tools like Apache Commons IO for easier file management.
  • If OS-level dialogs are unavoidable, consider using AutoIt (Windows) or Robot class as a last resort.

Conclusion

Automating file uploads and downloads in Selenium with Java can significantly enhance your test coverage for real-world scenarios. While uploads are usually simple via sendKeys, downloads require some browser-specific setup. With a few configurations and utility checks, you can make your Selenium tests robust and production-ready.

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