Robot Framework
Type of test automation framework
title: "Robot Framework" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["free-software-programmed-in-python", "software-testing", "free-software-testing-tools", "software-using-the-apache-license"] description: "Type of test automation framework" topic_path: "technology/software-engineering" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot_Framework" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Type of test automation framework ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox software"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Robot Framework |
| logo | [[File:Robot-framework-logo.png |
| developer | Pekka Klärck, Janne Härkönen, Juha Rantanen et al. |
| released | 2.0 |
| latest release version | |
| latest release date | |
| programming language | Python |
| operating system | Cross-platform |
| genre | Software testing framework / test tool |
| license | Apache License 2.0 |
| website | |
| :: |
| name = Robot Framework | logo = [[File:Robot-framework-logo.png|Robot Framework Logo|250px]] | screenshot = | caption = | developer = Pekka Klärck, Janne Härkönen, Juha Rantanen et al. | released = 2.0 | latest release version = | latest release date = | latest preview version = | latest preview date = | programming language = Python | operating system = Cross-platform | genre = Software testing framework / test tool | license = Apache License 2.0 | website =
Robot Framework is a generic software test automation framework for acceptance testing and acceptance test-driven development (ATDD). It is a keyword-driven testing framework that uses tabular test data syntax.
History
The basic ideas for Robot Framework were shaped in Pekka Klärck's masters thesis in 2005. The first version was developed at Nokia Networks the same year. Version 2.0 was released as open source software June 24, 2008 and version 3.0.2 was released February 7, 2017.
The framework is written using the Python programming language and has an active community of contributors. It is released under Apache License 2.0 and can be downloaded from robotframework.org.
In 2020 survey it scored 8 among 12 test automation frameworks, with 3 % of respondents using it. In 2021 it had fallen to 18 among 22 with 2 % usage.
Description
Test cases are written using a keyword-testing methodology written in a tabular format. These tables can be written in plain text, tab-separated values (TSV), or reStructuredText (reST) formats files in any text editor or using the Robot Integrated Development Environment (RIDE). RIDE simplifies writing test cases by providing framework-specific code completion, syntax highlighting, etc.
Examples
The following test case implements a Hello, World! example:
::code[lang=robotframework] *** Test Cases *** Demo Log Hello world ::
Log is a built-in keyword that logs the given parameter to the test report generated by Robot Framework.
With SeleniumLibrary, writing tests for web applications is very easy too:
::code[lang=robotframework] *** Test Cases *** Demo Open Browser https://www.google.com ie Input Text id=lst-ib Hollywood Celebrities Click Button Google Search ::
This test opens a new Internet Explorer browser window with Google and performs an Internet search for "Hollywood Celebrities" by pressing the button "Google Search".
With Robot Framework Browser, automation can be done with Chromium, WebKit and Firefox.
::code[lang=robotframework] *** Settings *** Library Browser
*** Test Cases *** Example Test New Page https://playwright.dev Get Text h1 == 🎭 Playwright ::
Add-ons
These libraries are best implemented in Python, but using Java or .NET is also possible.
Other languages such as Perl, JavaScript, and PHP can be used for libraries as well, using the documented remote library interface.
References
References
- "Robot Framework Homepage". Robotframework.org.
- "Laukkanen, Pekka: "Data-Driven and Keyword-Driven Test Automation Frameworks", 2006". Eliga.fi.
- "Robot Framework Pypi Page". Robotframework.org.
- "Testing and QA - The State of Developer Ecosystem in 2020 Infographic".
- "Testing - The State of Developer Ecosystem in 2021 Infographic".
- "User Guide 3.1.2". Robotframework.org.
- "RIDE Homepage". Github.com.
- "Robot Selenium Library". github.com.
- "Robot Framework Browser". github.com.
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::