Using ID and Name Locators in Selenium Python

When automating browser tasks with Selenium in Python, one of the first challenges is identifying and interacting with web elements. Selenium offers multiple strategies for locating elements, and two of the simplest and most effective methods are using the ID and Name locators. These locators are fast, reliable, and easy to use, making them ideal for beginners and experienced testers alike.

In this blog post, we’ll dive into how ID and Name locators work in Selenium Python, provide examples, and share best practices to help you write clean and maintainable test scripts.

What Are Locators in Selenium?

Locators in Selenium are methods used to find elements on a web page. Selenium supports several locator types, including:

• ID
• Name
• Class Name
• Tag Name
• Link Text
• CSS Selector
• XPath

Among these, ID and Name locators are often the most efficient because browsers optimize them for speed and accuracy.

Setting Up Selenium with Python

Before using locators, ensure you have Selenium installed:

bash

pip install selenium

You’ll also need the appropriate WebDriver for your browser (e.g., ChromeDriver for Google Chrome) and add it to your system path.

Using the ID Locator

The ID locator targets elements using the id attribute in HTML. Since IDs are supposed to be unique within the DOM, this is the most reliable and fastest way to find elements.

Example:

html

<input type="text" id="username" name="user">

Python Code:

python

from selenium import webdriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome()

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

# Locate the input field by ID

username_field = driver.find_element("id", "username")

username_field.send_keys("my_username")

driver.quit()

Using the Name Locator

The Name locator targets the name attribute of an HTML element. It’s useful when the element lacks an ID or when multiple elements share the same behavior (like a group of checkboxes or radio buttons).

Example:

html

<input type="password" name="password">

Python Code:

python

from selenium import webdriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome()

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

# Locate the input field by Name

password_field = driver.find_element("name", "password")

password_field.send_keys("secure_password")

driver.quit()

When to Use ID vs. Name

Locator Type                 Speed           Uniqueness                             Best Use Case

ID                             Fastest                     Unique                     Most reliable, preferred when available

Name                         Fast                 Not always unique         Useful when ID is missing or dynamic

Best Practices

• Prefer ID over Name when both are available, as it’s more likely to be unique.
• Inspect elements using browser developer tools (Right-click > Inspect) to find ID or Name attributes.
• Avoid brittle locators: Don’t depend on dynamic or auto-generated IDs that change frequently.
• Use meaningful fallbacks: If ID and Name are not available, fall back on XPath or CSS selectors.

Conclusion

Using ID and Name locators in Selenium with Python is a simple yet effective way to interact with web elements. These locators provide a clean and maintainable approach for automating form inputs, buttons, and other elements. As you progress in test automation, mastering these basic locators will give you a strong foundation for tackling more complex scenarios using other strategies like XPath and CSS selectors.

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Read More: Launching Different Browsers using Selenium Python

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