How to make Firefox headless programmatically in Selenium with Python?

Selenium is a popular automation testing framework used for web application testing. It allows you to automate actions in a web browser, such as clicking buttons, filling out forms, and more. When using Selenium, you can also run web browsers in a headless mode, which means they run without a graphical user interface (GUI).

This article will focus on running Firefox in headless mode using Selenium with Python, explaining what headless Firefox is and how to use it programmatically.

What Is Headless Firefox?

Headless Firefox is a version of the Mozilla Firefox web browser that operates without a graphical user interface (GUI). This means that it runs in the background, without displaying the web page on the screen. Headless browsers are often used for automated testing and web scraping because they can perform tasks more efficiently and without the need for visual rendering.

What Is a Browser in Headless Mode?

A browser in headless mode is a web browser that operates without a GUI, making it suitable for tasks like automated testing, web scraping, and server-side rendering of web pages. It can execute JavaScript and perform other browser-related operations without displaying the web page to the user.

Can Firefox Run Headless?

Yes, Mozilla Firefox can run in headless mode, allowing you to use it for automated testing and other tasks without a graphical user interface.

How can Firefox Run Headless?

Firefox can be configured to run in headless mode by setting specific options when creating a WebDriver instance using Selenium. You can use the Selenium WebDriver library in Python to control Firefox in headless mode.

How to Start Firefox Headless?

To start Firefox in headless mode using Selenium with Python, follow these steps:

Python

from selenium import webdriver

# Create a FirefoxOptions object
options = webdriver.FirefoxOptions()

# Set the Firefox browser to run in headless mode
options.headless = True

# Create a WebDriver instance with the specified options
driver = webdriver.Firefox(options=options)

# Perform web automation tasks here
# Navigate to a website
driver.get("https://example.com")

# For example, let's print the title of the webpage
print("Page Title:", driver.title)

# Close the WebDriver when done
driver.quit()

Example of making Firefox headless programmatically in Selenium

Here’s an example of using headless Firefox with Selenium in Python:

Python

from selenium import webdriver

# Create a FirefoxOptions object
options = webdriver.FirefoxOptions()

# Set the Firefox browser to run in headless mode
options.headless = True

# Create a WebDriver instance with the specified options
driver = webdriver.Firefox(options=options)

# Navigate to a website
driver.get("https://www.example.com")

# Perform some automation tasks
title = driver.title
print("Title of the webpage:", title)

# Close the WebDriver when done
driver.quit()

Output

Title of the webpage: Example Domain

This demonstrates how to use Firefox in headless mode with Selenium in Python to automate web browsing tasks.

Conclusion

In conclusion, headless Firefox with Selenium in Python is a powerful combination for automating web tasks and testing web applications without the need for a graphical interface. This approach can save time and resources while providing the flexibility to perform various web automation tasks.