Selenium Report Generation: A Detailed Analysis

Selenium has become a go-to tool for automating web application testing. But automation isn’t just about running tests it’s also about understanding the results. That’s where Selenium Report Generation plays a crucial role. Good test reports help teams track progress, spot issues, and improve the quality of their software. Selenium supports various tools that turn raw test data into clear, visual reports. These reports can show test pass/fail counts, execution time, logs, and more making it easier for both testers and stakeholders to understand what’s happening. In this blog, we’ll explore some of the most popular Selenium reporting tools like Extent Reports, Allure, and TestNG. You’ll learn what each tool offers, how to use them, and how they can improve your test automation workflow. We’ll also include example screenshots to make things easier to understand.

Importance of Generating Reports in Selenium

Reports are very important in test automation. They help teams look at results easily. First, reports show what worked well during test execution and what did not. With a good reporting tool, different people like managers and developers can see how the testing cycle is going. Good reporting also makes workflows easier by showing insights in a simple way. Test automation reporting tools are especially helpful for big projects where it’s important to see complex test case data clearly. Also, advanced reporting tools have interactive dashboards. These dashboards summarize test execution, show trends, and track failures. This helps teams make quick decisions. By focusing on strong reporting, organizations can really improve project delivery and lessen delays in their testing pipelines

Detailed Analysis of Selenium Reporting Tools

You can find different reporting tools that work well with Selenium’s powerful test automation features. Many of these tools are popular because they can adapt to various testing frameworks. Each one brings unique strengths—some are easy to integrate, while others offer visual dashboards or support multiple export formats like HTML, JSON, or XML. Some tools focus on delivering a user-friendly experience with strong analytics, while others improve work efficiency by storing historical test data and integrating with CI/CD pipelines. Choosing the right reporting tool depends on your project’s requirements, the frameworks in use, and your preferred programming language.

Let’s take a closer look at some of these tools, along with their key features and benefits, to help you decide which one fits best with your Selenium report generation needs.

• TestNG Reports
• Extent Report
• Allure Report
• ReportNG
• JUnit
• Log4j
• Chain Test Report

TestNG Reports

TestNG is a popular testing framework for Java that comes with built-in reporting features. When used in Selenium automation, it generates structured HTML reports by default, showing test status like passed, failed, or skipped. Though Selenium handles automation, TestNG fills the gap by providing essential test result reporting.

Features:

• Detailed Test Results: Displays comprehensive information about each test, including status and execution time.
• Suite-Level Reporting: Aggregates results from multiple test classes into a single report.

Benefits:

• Integrated Reporting: No need for external plugins; TestNG generates reports by default.
• Easy Navigation: Reports are structured for easy navigation through test results.

Integration with Selenium:

To generate TestNG reports in Selenium, include the TestNG library in your project and annotate your test methods with @Test. After executing tests, TestNG automatically generates reports in the test-output directory.

package example1;

import org.testng.annotations.*;

public class SimpleTest {

    @BeforeClass
    public void setUp() {
        // code that will be invoked when this test is instantiated
    }

    @Test(groups = {"fast"})
    public void aFastTest() {
        System.out.println("Fast test");
    }

    @Test(groups = {"slow"})
    public void aSlowTest() {
        System.out.println("Slow test");
    }
}

<project default="test">

    <path id="cp">
        <pathelement location="lib/testng-testng-5.13.1.jar"/>
        <pathelement location="build"/>
    </path>

    <taskdef name="testng" classpathref="cp" 
             classname="org.testng.TestNGAntTask"/>

    <target name="test">
        <testng classpathref="cp" groups="fast">
            <classfileset dir="build" includes="example1/*.class"/>
        </testng>
    </target>

</project>

Extent Report

Extent Reports is a widely adopted open-source tool that transforms test results into interactive and visually appealing HTML reports. Especially useful in Selenium-based projects, it enhances test readability, enables screenshot embedding, and offers flexible logging, making analysis and debugging more effective.

Extent Reports is a tool that helps create detailed and visually appealing test reports for Selenium automation tests. It enhances the way test results are presented, making them easier to understand and analyze.

Features:

• Customizable HTML Reports: Helps create detailed and clickable reports that can be customized as needed.
• Integration with Testing Frameworks: Works seamlessly with frameworks like TestNG and JUnit, making it easy to incorporate into existing test setups.
• Screenshot Embedding: Supports adding screenshots to reports, which is helpful for visualizing test steps and failures.
• Logging Capabilities: Enables logging of test steps and results, providing a clear record of what happened during tests.

Benefits:

• Enhanced Readability: Presents test results in a clear and organized manner, making it easier to identify passed, failed, or skipped tests.
• Improved Debugging: Detailed logs and embedded screenshots help in quickly identifying and understanding issues in the tests.
• Professional Documentation: Generates professional-looking reports that can be shared with team members and stakeholders to communicate test outcomes effectively.

Integration:

To use Extent Reports with Selenium and TestNG:

• Add Extent Reports Library: Include the Extent Reports library in your project by adding it to your project’s dependencies.

• Set Up Report Path: Define where the report should be saved by specifying a file path.

extent.reporter.spark.start=true
extent.reporter.spark.out=reports/Extent-Report/QA-Results.html
extent.reporter.spark.config=src/test/resources/extent-config.xml
extent.reporter.spark.base64imagesrc=true
screenshot.dir=reports/images
screenshot.rel.path=reports/images
extent.reporter.pdf.start=false
extent.reporter.pdf.out=reports/PDF-Report/QA-Test-Results.pdf
extent.reporter.spark.vieworder=dashboard,test,category,exception,author,device,log
systeminfo.OS=MAC
systeminfo.User=Unico
systeminfo.App-Name=Brain
systeminfo.Env=Stage

• Runner class: We need to add Plugin in the Runner Class to Generate reports

@RunWith(Cucumber.class)
@CucumberOptions(
    features = "src/test/resources/features",
    plugin = {
        "com.aventstack.extentreports.cucumber.adapter.ExtentCucumberAdapter:",
        "html:reports/cucumber/CucumberReport.html",
        "json:reports/cucumber/cucumber.json",
        "SpringPoc.utilities.ExecutionTracker"
    },
    glue = "SpringPoc"
)

• Attach Screenshots: If a test fails, capture a screenshot and attach it to the report for better understanding.

public void addScreenshot(Scenario scenario) {
    if (scenario.isFailed()) {
        String screenshotPath = ScreenshotUtil.captureScreenshot(driver, scenario.getName().replaceAll(" ", "_"));
        scenario.attach(((TakesScreenshot) driver).getScreenshotAs(OutputType.BYTES),
                        "image/png", "Failed_Step_Screenshot");
    }
}

• Generate the Report: After all tests are done, generate the report to the specified path

Extent Report Overview – Failed Scenarios Summary

This section displays the high-level summary of failed test scenarios from the automation suite for the Shoppers Stop application.

Detailed Error Insight – Timeout Exception in Scenario Execution

This section provides a detailed look into the failed step, highlighting a TimeoutException due to element visibility issues during test execution.

Allure Report

Allure is a flexible and powerful reporting framework designed to generate detailed, interactive test reports. Suitable for a wide range of testing frameworks including TestNG, JUnit, and Cucumber, it offers visual dashboards, step-level insights, and CI/CD integration—making it a great fit for modern Selenium test automation.

Allure helps testers and teams view test outcomes clearly with filters, severity levels, and real-time test data visualization. It’s also CI/CD friendly, making it ideal for continuous testing environments.

Features:

• Interactive Dashboard:
  Displays test summary with passed, failed, broken, and skipped test counts using colorful charts and graphs.
• Step-Level Details:
  Shows each step inside a test case with optional attachments like screenshots, logs, or code snippets.
• Multi-Framework Support:
  Compatible with TestNG, JUnit, Cucumber, PyTest, Cypress, and many other frameworks.
• Custom Labels and Severity Tags:
  Supports annotations to add severity levels (e.g., critical, minor) and custom tags (e.g., feature, story).
• Attachments Support:
  Enables adding screenshots, logs, videos, and custom files directly inside the test report.

Benefits:

• Clear and Organized Presentation:
  Makes it easy to read and understand test outcomes, even for non-technical team members.
• Improved Debugging:
  Each failed test shows detailed steps, logs, and screenshots to help identify issues faster.
• Professional-Grade Reports:
  The reports are clean, responsive, and suitable for sharing with clients or stakeholders.
• Team-Friendly:
  Improves collaboration by making test results accessible to QA, developers, and managers.
• Supports CI/CD Pipelines:
  Seamless integration with Jenkins and other tools to generate and publish reports automatically.

Integration:

Add the Dependencies & Run:

1. Update the Properties section in the Maven pom.xml file

2. Add Selenium, JUnit4 and Allure-JUnit4 dependencies in POM.xml

3. Update Build Section of pom.xml in Allure Report Project.

4. Create Pages and Test Code for the pages

Project Structure with Allure Integration

Displays the organized folder structure of the Selenium-Allure-Demo project, showing separation between page objects and test classes.

TestNG XML Suite Configuration for Allure Reports

Shows the testng.xml configuration file with multiple test suites defined to enable Allure reporting for Login and Dashboard test classes.

Allure Cucumber Plugin Setup in CucumberOptions

Demonstrates how to configure Allure reporting in a Cucumber framework using the @CucumberOptions annotation with the appropriate plugin.

package pocDemoApp.cukes;

import ...

@CucumberOptions(
    features = {"use your feature file path"},
    monochrome = true,
    tags = "use your tags",
    glue = {"use your valid glue"},
    plugin = {
        "io.qameta.allure.cucumber6jvm.AllureCucumber6Jvm"
    }
)
public class SampleCukes extends AbstractTestNGCucumberTests {
}

Allure Report in Browser – Overview

A snapshot of the Allure report in the browser, showcasing test execution summary and navigation options.

ReportNG

ReportNG is a simple yet effective reporting plugin for TestNG that enhances the default HTML and XML reports. It provides better visuals and structured results, making it easier to assess Selenium test outcomes without adding heavy dependencies or setup complexity.

Features:

• Enhanced HTML Reports:
• Generates user-friendly, color-coded reports that make it easy to identify passed, failed, and skipped tests.
• Provides a summary and detailed view of test outcomes.
• JUnit XML Reports:
• Produces XML reports compatible with JUnit, facilitating integration with other tools and continuous integration systems.
• Customization Options:
• Allows customization of report titles and other properties to align with project requirements.

Benefits:

• Improved Readability:
• The clean and organized layout of ReportNG’s reports makes it easier to quickly assess test results.
• Efficient Debugging:
• By providing detailed information on test failures and skips, ReportNG aids in identifying and resolving issues promptly.
• Lightweight Solution:
• As a minimalistic plug-in, ReportNG adds enhanced reporting capabilities without significant overhead.

Integration Steps:

To integrate ReportNG with a Selenium and TestNG project:

Add ReportNG Dependencies:

Include the ReportNG library in your project. If you’re using Maven, add the following to your pom.xml:

<dependencies>
  <dependency>
    <groupId>org.webjars.npm</groupId>
    <artifactId>bootstrap</artifactId>
    <version>${webjars-bootstrap.version}</version>
  </dependency>
  <dependency>
    <groupId>org.webjars.npm</groupId>
    <artifactId>font-awesome</artifactId>
    <version>${webjars-font-awesome.version}</version>
  </dependency>
  <!-- end of webjars -->

  <dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-devtools</artifactId>
    <optional>true</optional>
  </dependency>
  <dependency>
    <groupId>org.assertj</groupId>
    <artifactId>assertj-core</artifactId>
    <version>3.23.1</version>
    <scope>test</scope>
  </dependency>
</dependencies>

Configuring TestNG Suite with ReportNG Listeners

An example of a testng.xml configuration using ReportNG listeners (HTMLReporter and JUnitXMLReporter) for enhanced reporting.

<!DOCTYPE suite SYSTEM "http://testng.org/testng-1.0.dtd">
<suite name="MySuite" verbose="1">
  <listeners>
    <listener class-name="org.uncommons.reportng.HTMLReporter"/>
    <listener class-name="com.uncommons.reportng.JUnitXMLReporter"/>
  </listeners>
  
  <test name="MyTest">
    <classes>
      <class name="com.test.Test"/>
    </classes>
  </test>
</suite>

ReportNG default HTML Report Location

Understanding the location of the index.html report generated under the test-output folder in a TestNG project.



ReportNG Dashboard Overview

Detailed insights from the Extent Report, including test execution summary, step details, pass percentage, and environment information.



Related Blogs

Allure report vs Extent report. Which is Better?

Customized Test Automation PDF Report

JUnit

JUnit is a foundational Java testing framework often used with Selenium. While it doesn’t offer advanced reporting out of the box, its XML output integrates smoothly with build tools like Maven or Gradle and can be extended with plugins to generate readable test reports for automation projects.

Features:

• XML Test Results:
• JUnit outputs test results in XML format, which can be parsed by various tools to generate human-readable reports.
• Integration with Build Tools:
• Seamlessly integrates with build tools like Ant, Maven, and Gradle to automate test execution and report generation.
• Customizable Reporting:
• Allows customization of test reports through plugins and configurations to meet specific project needs.

Benefits:

• Early Bug Detection: By enabling unit testing, JUnit helps identify and fix bugs early in the development cycle.
• Code Refactoring Support: It allows developers to refactor code confidently, ensuring that existing functionality remains intact through continuous testing.
• Enhanced Productivity: JUnit’s simplicity and effectiveness contribute to increased developer productivity and improved code quality.

Integration Steps

Add JUnit 5 Dependency: Ensure your project includes the JUnit 5 library. For Maven, add the following to your pom.xml:



Write Test Methods: Use JUnit 5 annotations like @Test, @ParameterizedTest, @BeforeEach, etc., to write your test methods.

package com.mechanitis.demo.junit5;

import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions;
import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;

class ExampleTest {

    @Test
    void shouldShowSimpleAssertion() {
        Assertions.assertEquals(1, 1);
    }
}

Run Tests: Right-click on the test class or method and select Run ‘TestName’. Alternatively, use the green run icon in the gutter next to the test method.

View Test Results: After running the tests, IntelliJ IDEA displays the results in the Run window, showing passed, failed, and skipped tests with detailed information.



Log4j

Although not a reporting tool itself, Log4j complements Selenium test reporting by offering detailed, customizable logging. These logs can be embedded into test reports generated by other tools, making it easier to trace test execution flow, capture runtime errors, and debug effectively

Features of Log4j (in Simple Terms)

• Different Log Levels: Log4j allows you to categorize log messages by importance—like DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR, and FATAL. This helps in filtering and focusing on specific types of messages.
• Flexible Configuration: You can set up Log4j using various file formats such as XML, JSON, YAML, or properties files. This flexibility makes it adaptable to different project needs.
• Multiple Output Options: Log4j can direct log messages to various destinations like the console, files, databases, or even remote servers. This is achieved through components called Appenders.
• Customizable Message Formats: You can define how your log messages look, making them easier to read and analyze.
• Real-Time Configuration Changes: Log4j allows you to change logging settings while the application is running, without needing a restart. This is useful for debugging live applications.
• Integration with Other Tools: Log4j works well with other Java frameworks and libraries, enhancing its versatility.

Benefits of Using Log4j in Selenium Automation

• Improved Debugging: Detailed logs help identify and fix issues quickly during test execution.
• Easier Maintenance: Centralized logging makes it simpler to manage and update logging practices across your test suite.
• Scalability: Efficient logging supports large-scale test suites without significant performance overhead.
• Customizable Logging: You can tailor log outputs to include relevant information, aiding in better analysis and reporting.
• Seamless Integration: Works well with IntelliJ IDEA and other development tools, streamlining the development and testing process.

Step 1 − Create a maven project and add the proper dependencies to the pom.xml file for the below items

• Add Log4j dependencies from the below link: https://logging.apache.org/log4j/.
• Add the Selenium Java dependencies from the link:https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/.

Save the pom.xml with all the dependencies and update the maven project.

Step 2 − Create a configuration file – log4j.xml or loj4j.properties file. Here, we will provide the settings. In our project, we had created a file named log4j2.properties file under the resources folder.



Step 3 − Create a test class where we will create an object of the Logger class and incorporate the log statements. Run the project and validate the results.

package Logs;

import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;

public class LoggingsInfo {

    // object of Logger class
    private static Logger logger = LogManager.getLogger(LoggingsInfo.class);

    public static void main(String args[]) {
        System.out.println("Execution started: ");
    }
}

Step 4 : Configurations in log4j2.properties file.

name=PropertiesConfig
property.filename = logs
appenders = console, file

appender.console.type = Console
appender.console.name = STDOUT
appender.console.layout.type = PatternLayout
appender.console.layout.pattern = [%–5level] %d{yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSS} [%t] %c{1} - %msg%n

appender.file.type = File
appender.file.name = LOGFILE
appender.file.fileName=${filename}/LogsGenerated.log
appender.file.layout.type=PatternLayout
appender.file.layout.pattern=[%-5level] %d{yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSS} [%t] %c{1} - %msg%n

loggers=file
logger.file.name=Logs
logger.file.level=debug
logger.file.appenderRefs = file
logger.file.appenderRef.file.ref = LOGFILE

rootLogger.level = debug
rootLogger.appenderRefs = stdout
rootLogger.appenderRef.stdout.ref = STDOUT

Along with that a file LogsGenerated.log get generated within the log folder within the project containing the logging information as the console output.



Chain Test Report

ChainTest Report is a modern test reporting solution that enhances visibility and tracking of Selenium automation results. With real-time analytics, historical trend storage, and easy integration, it helps teams monitor test executions efficiently while reducing the overhead of manual report generation.

Features:

• Real-Time Analytics: View test results as they happen, allowing for immediate insights and quicker issue resolution.
• Historical Data Storage: Maintain records of past test runs to analyze trends and improve testing strategies over time.
• Detailed Reports: Generate comprehensive and easy-to-understand reports that include charts, logs, and screenshots.
• Easy Integration: Seamlessly integrate with existing Selenium projects and popular testing tools like TestNG, JUnit, and Cucumber.
• User-Friendly Interface: Provides an intuitive dashboard that simplifies the monitoring and analysis of test executions.

Benefits:

• Improved Test Visibility: Gain clear insights into test outcomes, facilitating better decision-making.
• Enhanced Collaboration: Share understandable reports with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Faster Issue Identification: Real-time analytics help in promptly detecting and addressing test failures.
• Historical Analysis: Track and compare test results over time to identify patterns and areas for improvement.
• Simplified Reporting Process: Automate the generation of detailed reports, reducing manual effort and potential errors.

For more details on this report, please refer to our Chaintest Report blog post

Conclusion

Choosing the right reporting tool in Selenium automation depends on your project’s specific needs—whether it’s simplicity, advanced visualization, real-time insights, or CI/CD integration. Tools like TestNG, Extent Reports, Allure, ReportNG, JUnit, and Log4j each bring unique strengths. For example, TestNG and ReportNG offer quick setups and default HTML outputs, while Allure and Extent provide visually rich, interactive dashboards. If detailed logging and debugging are priorities, integrating Log4j can add immense value. Ultimately, the ideal solution is one that aligns with your team’s workflow, scalability requirements, and reporting preferences—ensuring clarity, collaboration, and quality in every test cycle.

.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are the advantages of using Extent Reports over others?

  Extent Reports is noted for its stylish, modern dashboards and customizable visuals, including pie charts. It offers great ease of use. The platform has features like detailed analytics and lets users export in multiple formats. This helps teams show complex test results easily and keep track of their progress without any trouble.

• How do JUnit XML Reports help in analyzing test outcomes?

  JUnit XML Reports make test analysis easier by changing Selenium execution data into organized XML formats. These reports show test statuses clearly, helping you understand failures, trends, and problems. They work well with plugins, making it simple to improve visibility for big projects.

• What is the default reporting tool in Selenium?

  Selenium does not have a built-in reporting tool. Tools like TestNG or JUnit are typically used alongside it to generate reports.

• What is ChainTest Report and how is it beneficial?

  ChainTest Report is a modern test reporting tool offering real-time analytics, detailed insights, and historical trend analysis to boost test monitoring and team collaboration.

• How does Allure differ from other reporting tools?

  Allure provides interactive, step-level test reports with rich visuals and attachments, supporting multiple languages and integration with CI/CD pipelines.