How to Run Selenium IDE Tests with Selenium 2.0

Direct answer: In the legacy Selenium IDE, open or create a test case and click Run. To execute a loaded suite, click Run All; its test cases run in sequence. These instructions refer to the old Selenium IDE browser extension and Selenese tests, not the modern Selenium IDE project and runner.

This is a historical, version-specific guide. Selenium’s official documentation preserves the old IDE instructions in its Legacy section for historical reasons. Do not assume the extension can be installed or run in current Firefox. Also distinguish Selenium IDE 2.x, the extension’s version family, from Selenium 2.0, the Selenium release built around WebDriver. They are related parts of the Selenium ecosystem, but they are not the same product or version number. Selenium’s legacy IDE guide and Selenium’s history document these distinctions.

What you need to know before running a test

The legacy IDE records and plays back browser interactions using Selenese. A test case is typically an HTML table: each row is a command, with columns for the command, target, and value. A test suite is an HTML file that links to its case files. The old IDE documentation describes its execution workflow against Firefox; it does not establish compatibility with current Firefox releases.

Selenium 2 introduced WebDriver as the basis of the project. Later, Selenium 3 removed Selenium RC code, and Selenium 4 implements the W3C WebDriver specification. That history does not make old IDE extensions or Selenese files equivalent to modern WebDriver code.

Run one legacy Selenium IDE test case

Open the legacy Selenium IDE in an environment where that historical extension is already available. The archived guide is not a current installation recommendation.
Create a test case or load a saved Selenese HTML test case.
Check the Base URL and the test’s open command. If you want to run the same test against different domains, use a relative path in open and set the Base URL for the environment.
Select the case and click Run. Watch the browser playback and the IDE’s command results for the first failing command.

For example, a Selenese test is a table of commands, targets, and values. This small illustrative table shows the shape of a case; it is not a complete test for a particular site:

<table>
  <tr><td>open</td><td>/login</td><td></td></tr>
  <tr><td>type</td><td>id=username</td><td>example-user</td></tr>
  <tr><td>click</td><td>css=button[type='submit']</td><td></td></tr>
</table>

With a Base URL such as the test environment’s origin, open to /login navigates to that origin’s login path. Prefer stable locators in your own tests; a locator that depends on changing page structure can break even if the application behavior has not changed.

Run a legacy test suite

Load the suite HTML file in the IDE.
Confirm each suite row points to an existing case file and that the file has the expected .html extension.
Click Run All to execute the referenced cases in sequence.
When a case fails, open and run it by itself to find whether the failure is in that case or depends on state left by an earlier case.

A suite is only as reliable as its file references and assumptions about shared browser state. If one test leaves a user logged in or changes application data, later cases can behave differently when run as part of the suite.

Pause, step through, and isolate a failure

Pause and resume: Start playback, pause it when you reach the area of interest, then resume after inspection.
Step: Pause execution and use Step repeatedly to advance command by command.
Breakpoint: Right-click a command and choose Toggle Breakpoint to stop there during a run.
Start point: Use a command’s context menu to choose a starting point when you need to replay only part of a case.
Single command: Double-click a command to run that command alone. This helps inspect a locator or action, but it may fail if required setup commands have not run.

For step-by-step debugging, start the test, pause it, and click Step after each command. Check the page state and the command result at each stop. A command that fails alone may work during a full run if earlier commands establish the required page or session state.

Legacy Selenium IDE versus the modern Selenium IDE runner

Aspect	Legacy IDE workflow	Modern IDE workflow
Test artifact	Selenese HTML case and suite files	A `.side` project
Execution	Run a case or suite from the old browser extension	Use the Selenium IDE application and, for command-line execution, `selenium-side-runner`
Browser assumptions	Historical guide describes running the extension against Firefox	Use the runner’s current documentation for prerequisites and browser setup
Maintenance status	Preserved in Selenium’s Legacy documentation	Separate workflow with its own project format and runner

The modern runner’s documentation shows invocation with a project path and lists Node/npm prerequisites, but its listed version requirements are several years old. Check the current Selenium IDE documentation before choosing versions or setting up a new project. Do not try to run a .side project using the legacy extension workflow, or assume an old Selenese HTML suite is a modern runner project.

Exporting tests and browser scope

The legacy IDE guide describes exporting a test case into a programming language as a way to develop Selenium-RC client programs. This is a historical export path, not a general promise that generated code is ready for modern WebDriver use. The guide also describes the IDE itself running against Firefox and a historical Selenium-RC command-line route for using developed tests with other browsers. Treat those browser and runner details as historical instructions, not a current compatibility matrix.

TestRunner mode is described as uncommon and likely to be deprecated in the legacy guide. It is not the normal route for running a case or suite; use the IDE’s Run and Run All controls for the documented legacy procedure.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	What to do
The old IDE will not install or open	The guide covers a legacy extension and does not promise support in current Firefox.	Do not treat old installation instructions as a supported modern setup. For new browser automation, use a maintained Selenium/WebDriver workflow and its current documentation.
A case in a suite cannot be loaded	The suite row references the wrong path, or the case filename or extension differs.	Correct the suite’s file reference and verify the target case exists with the expected `.html` extension.
`open` visits the wrong host	The command uses a full URL or the Base URL is not set for the intended environment.	Set the correct Base URL and use a relative path in `open` when the same case should work across domains.
A command fails only when run alone	Previous commands may establish page state, authentication, or data required by that command.	Run from a suitable start point or replay the required setup steps before isolating the command.
A command fails during suite playback but passes alone	An earlier case may leave browser or application state behind.	Run cases in sequence while observing state, and make each case’s setup and cleanup assumptions explicit.
A locator no longer finds an element	The page’s markup or locator target may have changed, or the page may not have reached the expected state.	Inspect the page at the failure, update the target to match the current page, and ensure the test waits for the required state before acting.
Playback works in the historical setup but not a current browser	The archived guide does not establish current browser compatibility.	Use a current Selenium IDE or WebDriver route and verify its supported setup in current official documentation.

Performance, reliability, and cost

For this legacy workflow, suite cases run in sequence, so a suite’s total duration grows with the work in each case. Keep cases focused and avoid repeated setup where the historical test environment permits it. Reliability depends on valid suite paths, a correct Base URL, stable targets, and predictable browser and application state. The research sources provide no benchmark or numerical runtime guidance, so performance should be assessed against the specific test suite rather than assumed from a general figure.

Selenium IDE and WebDriver are software; the cited documentation does not establish a required paid product or a cost per test. Browser automation also is not necessary when the task is simply to obtain a rendered screenshot of a public page.

Or skip the browser setup

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import requests

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    timeout=90,
)
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FAQ

Does Selenium 2.0 mean Selenium IDE version 2?

No. Selenium 2 was a Selenium release centered on WebDriver. Selenium IDE 2.x refers to the historical extension’s version family.

Does Run All run only the selected case?

No. In the legacy guide, Run plays the current case and Run All executes the loaded suite.

Can I open a Selenese HTML suite with selenium-side-runner?

The modern runner documentation describes a separate .side project workflow. Do not assume legacy HTML suite files can be used directly as modern projects.

Should I use the old IDE for a new automation project?

The old guide is preserved as legacy documentation. For new automation, consult current Selenium IDE or WebDriver documentation and use a maintained workflow appropriate to your browser and test needs.