Writing Your First Robot Framework Browser Test

In this guide, you will learn how to write your first Robot Framework browser test from scratch. We will also cover how to set up your development environment using PyCharm, install required plugins, and configure everything needed to start browser automation using Robot Framework.

By the end of this article, you will have a working browser automation test that opens a website and performs basic interactions.

Prerequisites

Before writing your first test, ensure you have the following installed:

• Python (3.8 or higher recommended)
• pip (Python package manager)
• A stable internet connection

Step 1: Install Robot Framework and Browser Library

Please refer to previous article: Installing Robot Framework Browser Library

Step 2: Download and Install PyCharm IDE

We will use PyCharm as our development environment.

Download PyCharm

1. Go to the official PyCharm website: Download PyCharm
2. Important Note: Now from 2026, we do not have separate free Community Edition to download. You have to download Professional Edition. It will show first month trial but you do not have to buy subscription and can use core features for free after the first free month is over.
3. Download the installer for your operating system

Install PyCharm

• Windows: Run the .exe installer and follow the setup wizard
• macOS: Drag PyCharm into Applications folder
• Linux: Extract the tar file and run pycharm.sh

Once installed, launch PyCharm.

Step 3: Configure Python Interpreter in PyCharm

1. Open PyCharm
2. Click New Project
3. Select Existing interpreter or create a new virtual environment
4. Ensure Python is correctly detected
5. Click Create

This ensures Robot Framework dependencies are available inside your project.

Step 4: Install Robot Framework Plugin in PyCharm

To improve development experience, install a Robot Framework plugin.

Recommended Plugin:

• Robot Framework Language Server

Installation Steps:

1. Open PyCharm
2. Go to File → Settings → Plugins
3. Search for: Robot Framework Language Server
4. Click Install
5. Restart PyCharm

Why this plugin is useful:

• Syntax highlighting for .robot files
• Code completion for keywords
• Error detection
• Better test case structure support

Step 5: Create Your First Robot Framework Project

Inside PyCharm:

1. Create a new project folder (e.g., robot-tests)
2. Inside the project, create a file:

first_test.robot

Step 6: Write Your First Browser Test

Now let’s write a simple browser automation test.

*** Settings ***
Library    Browser
*** Test Cases ***
Open Google And Search
    New Browser    chromium    headless=False
    New Page       https://www.google.com
    Close Browser

Step 7: Run Your Test

In PyCharm terminal:

robot first_test.robot

After execution, Robot Framework will generate:

• log.html
• report.html
• output.xml

Open report.html in a browser to see detailed results.

How This Test Works

Let’s break it down:

• New Browser → launches Chromium browser
• New Page → opens Google
• Close Browser → ends session

This demonstrates a simple browser automation flow.

Common Issues and Fixes

1. Browser not launching

Run:

rfbrowser init

2. Module not found error

Ensure:

pip install robotframework-browser

3. PyCharm not recognizing keywords

Check that Robot Framework plugin is installed and project interpreter is correct.

Best Practices

• Always use virtual environments per project
• Keep tests modular and reusable
• Use meaningful test case names
• Avoid hard-coded waits; prefer smart waits
• Structure tests using reusable keywords (in future steps)

Conclusion

You have successfully set up PyCharm, installed Robot Framework dependencies, configured plugins, and executed your first browser automation test.

This is the foundation of building scalable and maintainable automation frameworks using Robot Framework.

In the next guide, we will refactor this test into a structured framework using best practices.

Related Articles

✓ Complete Robot Framework Tutorial

✓ What is Robot Framework

✓ Robot Framework Architecture Explained

✓ Installing Robot Framework

✓ Installing Robot Framework Browser Library

✓ Browser Library vs SeleniumLibrary