Difference Between get() and navigate() Methods in Selenium Java

When automating web browsers using Selenium WebDriver in Java, interacting with web pages often starts with loading a URL. Selenium provides two methods to do this: get() and navigate(). While both are used to load web pages, they have differences in terms of functionality, usage, and behavior.

In this article, we’ll explore the key differences between get() and navigate() methods in Selenium Java and help you understand when to use each.

Selenium WebDriver get() Method

The get() method is a way to load a web page in Selenium. It opens the specified URL in the browser and waits until the page is fully loaded before proceeding to the next command.

Syntax:

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

Key Characteristics

• Loads a new web page in the current browser window.
• Waits for the page to be fully loaded before executing the next line of code.
• Does not maintain browser history or allow actions like going back or forward.
• Reinitializes the browser session in some contexts (may clear cookies or session history in certain cases).

Selenium WebDriver navigate() Method

The navigate() method offers more flexibility by wrapping navigation commands such as loading URLs, moving through browser history (back, forward), and refreshing the page.

Syntax:

driver.navigate().to("https://example.com");
driver.navigate().back();
driver.navigate().forward();
driver.navigate().refresh();

Key Characteristics:

• Offers multiple navigation functions (to, back, forward, refresh).
• Maintains session and cookie data, enabling smoother transitions between pages.
• Internally, navigate().to() is very similar to get() (it actually calls get() in many bindings).
• Supports both String URL and java.net.URL objects.

Comparison Table

Feature	get()	navigate().to()
Primary Use	Load a new web page	Navigate to a URL and control browser history
Syntax	driver.get("url")	driver.navigate().to("url")
Waits for Page Load	Yes	Yes
Supports URL Object	Only String	String and java.net.URL
Maintains Session Data	May reset	Session data (cookies, login) preserved
Supports Back/Forward/Refresh	No	Yes (back(), forward(), refresh())
Return Type	void	Returns a Navigation object for chaining
Chaining Navigation Commands	Not possible	Possible

When to Use get() Method

Use the get() method:

• When you only need to visit a single URL directly.
• When you don’t need to go back or forward in the browser history.
• For simpler test scenarios where session data is not critical.

When to Use navigate() Method

Use the navigate() method when:

• You need to simulate browser-like navigation, such as back, forward, or refresh.
• You want to preserve session/history, such as maintaining a logged-in state between pages.
• You need to chain navigation actions in your scripts.