Modern web applications often open new browser tabs or windows during user interactions. These may appear when users:
- Download reports
- Open help documentation
- Sign in using Google or Microsoft
- Complete online payments
- View invoices
- Open product details in a new tab
As an automation engineer, you need to switch between these tabs and windows seamlessly.
In this tutorial, we'll learn how to handle multiple browser tabs and windows in Playwright using Java.
Understanding Browser Tabs in Playwright
Unlike older automation frameworks, Playwright treats every browser tab as a Page object.
Whenever a new tab or popup opens, Playwright creates a new Page instance.
This makes switching between tabs much simpler.
Example Scenario
Imagine an e-commerce application.
- Open the home page.
- Click View Product.
- Product opens in a new tab.
- Verify the product title.
- Close the product tab.
- Continue testing on the original tab.
Let's automate this workflow.
Waiting for a New Browser Tab
Playwright provides the waitForPopup() method.
Page productPage = page.waitForPopup(() -> {
page.locator("#viewProduct").click();
});What happens here?
- Playwright waits for a new tab.
- The click action triggers the popup.
- The new tab is returned as a
Pageobject.
Verify the New Page
Once the new tab opens, you can interact with it just like the original page.
System.out.println(productPage.title());
productPage.locator("#addToCart").click();No additional switching commands are required.
Getting the URL of the New Tab
System.out.println(productPage.url());You can also verify it using assertions.
assertThat(productPage)
.hasURL("https://example.com/product");Closing the Popup Window
Once you're done with the popup:
productPage.close();After closing, your original page remains active.
Working with Multiple Tabs
Suppose your application opens several tabs.
Example:
Page reportsPage = page.waitForPopup(() -> {
page.locator("#reports").click();
});
Page invoicePage = page.waitForPopup(() -> {
page.locator("#invoice").click();
});Now you have two separate Page objects.
You can interact with each independently.
Managing All Open Pages
Playwright stores all open pages inside the browser context.
BrowserContext context = browser.newContext();
List<Page> pages = context.pages();
System.out.println(pages.size());This returns every open browser tab.
Switching Between Tabs
Switching is simple because each tab has its own Page reference.
Page homePage = pages.get(0);
Page reportsPage = pages.get(1);
Page invoicePage = pages.get(2);Simply use the desired Page object.
Example: Google Login Popup
Many websites use OAuth authentication.
Example:
- Click Sign in with Google
- Google login opens in a new window.
- Enter credentials.
- Return to application.
Page googleLogin = page.waitForPopup(() -> {
page.locator("#googleLogin").click();
});
googleLogin.locator("#identifierId")
.fill("user@example.com");This approach works for any external authentication window.
Handling Multiple Browser Windows
Playwright treats browser windows exactly like browser tabs.
No special API is required.
Whether the application opens:
- A new tab
- A new browser window
Playwright returns a Page object.
Best Practices
Always Use waitForPopup()
Avoid:
page.locator("#openReport").click();Then trying to search for the new page afterwards.
Instead:
Page reportPage =
page.waitForPopup(() -> {
page.locator("#openReport").click();
});This prevents timing issues.
Store Page References
Use meaningful variable names.
Good:
loginPage
paymentPage
reportPage
invoicePageAvoid:
page1
page2
page3Close Unused Tabs
Leaving unnecessary tabs open can:
- Consume memory
- Slow down execution
- Make debugging harder
Always close tabs when they are no longer needed.
Verify Navigation
After switching tabs, verify:
- URL
- Page title
- Key elements
Example:
assertThat(productPage)
.hasTitle("Laptop");Common Mistakes
Mistake 1
Using the original page after opening a popup.
Incorrect:
page.locator("#checkout").click();Correct:
checkoutPage.locator("#checkout").click();Mistake 2
Using hard waits.
Avoid:
Thread.sleep(5000);Playwright automatically waits for the popup.
Complete Example
BrowserContext context =
browser.newContext();
Page page = context.newPage();
page.navigate("https://example.com");
Page popup =
page.waitForPopup(() -> {
page.locator("#openWindow").click();
});
System.out.println(popup.title());
popup.locator("#continue")
.click();
popup.close();
System.out.println(page.title());Interview Questions
How does Playwright represent a browser tab?
Every browser tab or browser window is represented by a Page object.
Which method waits for a new browser tab?
waitForPopup()How do you retrieve all open tabs?
context.pages()Can Playwright automate multiple browser windows?
Yes.
Browser windows and tabs are handled in the same way using separate Page objects.
Conclusion
Handling multiple browser tabs and windows is an essential skill for automation engineers working on enterprise applications.
Playwright makes this process simple by representing each browser tab as a Page object and providing APIs like waitForPopup() and context.pages().
In this tutorial, you learned:
- How to wait for new tabs
- How to switch between browser windows
- How to verify popup content
- How to close windows
- Best practices for multi-tab automation
With these techniques, you'll be able to automate payment gateways, report downloads, external authentication flows, and many other real-world scenarios confidently.
