50+ Essential Robot Framework Interview Questions and Answers for 2025
By Rohit Sharma
Updated on Sep 23, 2025 | 24 min read | 18.31K+ views
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By Rohit Sharma
Updated on Sep 23, 2025 | 24 min read | 18.31K+ views
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If you are preparing for an automation testing role, you will likely come across Robot Framework interview questions during your selection process. Recruiters use these questions to test your knowledge of automation, Python, libraries, and practical testing scenarios.
In this blog, you will learn 50+ Robot Framework interview questions and answers divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. By the end, you’ll have a complete resource to prepare confidently for your upcoming interviews.
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This section covers the fundamental concepts of Robot Framework. If you are new to the framework, mastering these topics is your first step. These robot framework interview questions will likely come up in the initial stages of a technical screening.
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1. What is Robot Framework?
Robot Framework is an open-source test automation framework for acceptance testing and acceptance test-driven development (ATDD). It uses a keyword-driven approach and a simple tabular syntax, making it easy to create tests that are readable and maintainable. It is written in Python and can be extended with a large number of libraries for automating different technologies.
2. What are the main advantages of using Robot Framework?
The main advantages are:
3. Explain the architecture of Robot Framework.
Robot Framework has a layered architecture.
4. What are keywords in Robot Framework?
Keywords are the central part of Robot Framework. They are commands that perform a specific action, like Click Button or Input Text. They are used to write the actual steps of a test case. There are two main types of keywords:
Also Read: 32 Software Testing Projects You Must Try in 2025!
5. What are the four main tables (sections) in a Robot Framework file?
A Robot Framework file is organized into four distinct sections, also known as tables. Each is identified by a header with asterisks. They are:
6. What is the difference between a Library and a Resource file?
A Library provides the low-level keywords that interact with the system under test. They are typically implemented in Python (e.g., SeleniumLibrary). You import them in the Settings section using Library LibraryName.
A Resource file is a way to share user-defined keywords and variables across multiple test suites. It is a .robot file that contains only Variables and Keywords sections. You import it using Resource path/to/resource.robot.
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Also Read: How to Become a Software Tester: Skills, Certifications & Salary
7. What is a test suite? What is a test case?
A test suite is a collection of test cases. In Robot Framework, a file containing a Test Cases section is a test suite. A directory containing multiple such files is also considered a higher-level test suite.
A test case is a sequence of steps (keywords) that tests a specific functionality. It starts with a name in the first column of the Test Cases section and ends before the next test case begins.
8. How do you declare variables? What are the different variable types?
You declare variables in the *** Variables *** section or from the command line. There are three main types:
9. What is the purpose of the [Documentation] tag?
The [Documentation] setting is used to provide a human-readable description for a test case or a user-defined keyword. This documentation is included in the final HTML report and is very useful for explaining the purpose and scope of a test.
10. What is the [Tags] setting used for?
The [Tags] setting is used to tag test cases with specific labels. These tags are very powerful for organizing and managing tests. You can use them to run only a subset of your tests from the command line (e.g., run only tests tagged as smoke or regression).
Also Read: How to Write Test Cases: Key Steps for Successful QA Testing
11. How do you run a specific test case from the command line?
You can run a single test case using the --test (or -t) command-line option, followed by the name of the test case. The name can contain wildcards.
Bash
robot --test "Login with valid credentials" my_tests/login.robot
12. What is SeleniumLibrary?
SeleniumLibrary is one of the most popular external libraries for Robot Framework. It is a wrapper around the Selenium WebDriver tool and provides keywords for automating web browser interactions, such as Open Browser, Input Text, Click Button, and Get Title.
13. What is the difference between Log and Log To Console?
Both are BuiltIn keywords for logging.
14. How do you handle waits in Robot Framework?
Waits are crucial for handling dynamic web pages. SeleniumLibrary provides several ways to wait:
Also Read: Most Asked Manual Testing Interview Questions: For Freshers & Experienced
15. What are arguments in a keyword?
Arguments are values that are passed to a keyword to control its behavior. For example, in the keyword Input Text css=input#username myuser, the locator css=input#username and the text myuser are both arguments. User-defined keywords can also be designed to accept arguments.
16. What are the different file formats that Robot Framework supports for test data?
Robot Framework is flexible with the file formats it can parse. The most common and recommended format is the plain text file with the .robot extension. It also supports files with .txt. For developers who prefer a more structured, tabular format, it can parse Tab-Separated Values (TSV) files with a .tsv extension. The framework's parser is space-and-pipe separated, making the plain text format very readable.
17. What is the purpose of the log.html and report.html files?
After a test run, Robot Framework generates both a log and a report file, and they serve different purposes.
18. How do you write a simple "Hello World" test case in Robot Framework?
A "Hello World" test case is a great way to verify your setup. You would create a .robot file and use the BuiltIn keyword Log To Console to print a message.
Code snippet-
*** Test Cases ***
My First Test
Log To Console Hello, World!
To run this, you would navigate to the file's directory in your terminal and execute the command robot your_file_name.robot. You would then see "Hello, World!" printed on your console.
19. What is the fundamental difference between a scalar and a list variable?
The main difference is the amount of data they hold.
20. What is the basic command used to run Robot Framework tests?
The basic command to execute tests is simply robot, followed by the path to the test suite file or directory you want to run. For example, to run a single test suite file named login_tests.robot, you would use the command:
Bash
robot login_tests.robot
To run all the tests within a directory called my_tests, you would use:
Bash
robot my_tests/
These are some beginner-level Robot Framework Interview Questions. If you are comfortable with beginner one now, you are ready for intermediate one.
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This section moves beyond the basics to cover more practical scenarios, data management, and framework design. These python robot framework interview questions and topics are common in interviews for experienced automation engineers.
1. Explain the difference between keyword-driven, data-driven, and behavior-driven testing.
2. How do you perform data-driven testing in Robot Framework?
You use the [Template] setting within a test case. You define a user keyword as a template, and then you provide the data for each iteration of the test in the lines that follow. Each line represents one execution of the template with that line's data.
Code snippet-
*** Test Cases ***
Invalid Login Test
[Template] Attempt Login With Invalid Credentials
# username # password
invaliduser wrongpassword
correctuser wrongpassword
invaliduser correctpassword
Also Read: Agile Methodology in Testing: Principles, Best Practices & Real-World Examples (2025)
3. What are test setup and teardown? What is the difference between test setup and suite setup?
4. How do you handle errors and exceptions in Robot Framework?
Robot Framework provides several BuiltIn keywords for error handling:
5. How do you create a custom keyword in Python?
This is a core topic for python robot framework interview questions.
Python
# MyLibrary.py
class MyLibrary:
def add_two_numbers(self, num1, num2):
return int(num1) + int(num2)
6. What are BuiltIn keywords? Name a few important ones.
The BuiltIn library is automatically available in Robot Framework and provides a set of generic keywords. Some of the most important ones are:
7. How do you manage different test environments (e.g., staging, production)?
The best way to manage different environments is by using variable files. You can create a separate Python or YAML file for each environment (e.g., staging.py, prod.py) that contains all the environment-specific variables, like URLs, usernames, and passwords. You can then specify which variable file to use from the command line when you run your tests.
Bash
robot --variablefile staging.py my_tests/
8. What is the purpose of the pabot tool?
pabot stands for Parallel Executor for Robot Framework. It is an external tool that allows you to run your test cases in parallel. This can significantly reduce the total execution time of a large test suite by distributing the tests across multiple CPU cores or even multiple machines.
Also Read: Difference between Testing and Debugging
9. What is a listener interface in Robot Framework?
A listener is a Python class that can be used to monitor the test execution in real time. It has methods that are automatically called at different points of the execution, such as start_suite, start_test, end_keyword, and log_message. Listeners are powerful tools for creating custom logging, reporting, or integrating with other systems.
10. How do you debug a failing test case in Robot Framework?
There are several methods for debugging:
11. How do you pass variables from the command line?
You can pass variables directly from the command line using the --variable (or -v) option. This is very useful for passing dynamic values into your tests without hardcoding them. The syntax is --variable NAME:value.
Bash
robot --variable BROWSER:chrome --variable URL:http://example.com tests/
Inside your test, you can then access these variables as ${BROWSER} and ${URL}.
12. What is the [Arguments] setting in a user-defined keyword?
The [Arguments] setting is used to define the arguments that a user-defined keyword can accept. This is how you make your custom keywords flexible and reusable. You declare the variables that will hold the passed-in values.
Code snippet-
*** Keywords ***
Login To Application
[Arguments] ${username} ${password}
Input Text id=username ${username}
Input Text id=password ${password}
Click Button id=login-button
13. How do you handle browser pop-ups or alerts with SeleniumLibrary?
SeleniumLibrary provides several keywords for interacting with JavaScript alerts. The typical workflow is:
Also Read: 25+ Selenium Projects Guide: Learn Testing with Examples
14. How do you take a screenshot on test failure?
The SeleniumLibrary has a keyword called Register Keyword To Run On Failure. You can use this in your Suite Setup to specify that the Capture Page Screenshot keyword should be run automatically whenever any keyword fails.
Code snippet-
*** Settings ***
Suite Setup Register Keyword To Run On Failure Capture Page Screenshot
This is a very powerful feature for debugging UI test failures, as it provides a visual record of the application's state at the moment of failure.
15. What are some common libraries you have used besides SeleniumLibrary?
This question checks the breadth of your automation experience. Some good examples to mention are:
16. What are dictionary variables and how do you use them?
A dictionary variable holds key-value pairs and is identified by the &{...} syntax. They are useful for storing structured data. You can access individual values by specifying the key.
Code snippet-
*** Variables ***
&{USER_DATA} name=John Doe email=john.doe@email.com
*** Test Cases ***
Example Test
Log User's name is ${USER_DATA.name}
This makes your test data more organized and readable compared to using multiple scalar variables.
17. How do you read data from an Excel file in your tests?
Robot Framework does not have a built-in library for handling Excel files. However, you can use an external library like ExcelLibrary or DataDriver. A more flexible approach is to write a small custom Python library that uses a popular Python package like openpyxl or pandas to read the Excel file and return the data as a list of dictionaries, which can then be easily used in your test cases.
This section includes advanced design, architecture, and customization topics. These robot framework interview questions are designed to test your deep understanding and experience with building complex automation solutions.
1. Explain the Page Object Model (POM) and how you would implement it in Robot Framework.
The Page Object Model is a design pattern used to create a more maintainable and scalable automation framework.
2. What is the difference between a static and a dynamic library API?
This is an advanced question about creating custom libraries in Python.
Also Read: Most Common Selenium Interview Questions & Answers You Need to Know in 2024
3. How does Robot Framework handle remote execution?
Robot Framework supports remote execution through its Remote Library. This is a special library that acts as a proxy between Robot Framework and a test library running on a different machine. The remote library server can be implemented in any language, which means you can even run keywords that are written in Java or .NET. This is a powerful feature for distributed testing.
4. What are some limitations of Robot Framework and how would you work around them?
While powerful, Robot Framework has some limitations:
Also Read: Top 6 Python IDEs of 2025 That Will Change Your Workflow!
5. How can you perform API testing using Robot Framework?
You can perform API testing by using the RequestsLibrary. This is a very popular external library that is a wrapper around the Python requests library. It provides a clean set of keywords for making HTTP requests (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE), handling headers, and validating the JSON or XML responses.
6. How would you design a scalable test automation framework?
A scalable framework should have:
7. How can you extend Robot Framework's reporting capabilities?
You can extend reporting in a few ways:
8. How would you secure sensitive data like passwords in your Robot Framework project?
Hardcoding sensitive data directly in test cases is a bad practice. Better approaches include:
9. Explain how to handle shadow DOM elements in web automation.
By default, Selenium cannot directly interact with elements inside a shadow DOM. To handle this, you need to use JavaScript. The process involves:
10. What is the purpose of the --flattenkeywords option?
The --flattenkeywords option is a command-line tool used with rebot to modify the structure of the output log file. It can flatten the keyword hierarchy by using FOR, IF, or user-keyword structures. For example, using --flattenkeywords FOR, all keywords inside a FOR loop will be shown at the same nesting level as the loop itself in the log. This can sometimes make log files easier to read by reducing deep nesting.
11. How can you create a library that maintains a state?
You can create a stateful library by defining it as a Python class. When Robot Framework imports a library, it creates one instance of that class, which then persists for the entire duration of the test suite. You can store state within the class instance using instance attributes (e.g., self.browser_session or self.api_token). This is the standard way to manage things like a persistent browser session or a database connection across multiple keywords.
12. What is the Pre-run Modifier interface?
A Pre-run Modifier is an advanced feature that allows you to programmatically alter the test suite structure before execution begins. You can create a Python script that acts as a modifier to add or remove test cases, change tags, or modify keywords on the fly. This is useful for dynamically generating tests based on external data or for making last-minute adjustments to a test plan.
13. How would you integrate Robot Framework with a BDD tool like Gherkin?
While Robot Framework is keyword-driven, it can be adapted for BDD. One common approach is to use the robotframework-behave library or a similar tool. This allows you to write your feature files using the standard Gherkin syntax (Given-When-Then). You then write Python functions that act as "step definitions" to link the Gherkin steps to Robot Framework keywords. This combines the readability of BDD with the power of Robot Framework's keyword ecosystem.
14. How would you test a desktop application using Robot Framework?
To automate desktop applications, you need a library that can interact with the operating system's UI elements. Popular choices include:
After exploring the most asked Robot Framework Interview Questions, now take a clear understanding of the framework.
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Robot Framework is a generic, open-source automation framework. It can be used for test automation and robotic process automation (RPA). It was initially developed at Nokia Networks and is now supported by the Robot Framework Foundation.
Its popularity comes from a few key features:
Preparing for these robot framework interview questions will give you a solid foundation to demonstrate your skills as a test automation engineer. Remember that interviewers are looking for more than just correct answers; they want to see your problem-solving process and your understanding of automation principles. The best way to solidify this knowledge is to build projects, experiment with the framework's features, and apply these concepts to real-world challenges.
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No, Robot Framework is a generic automation framework. While its most popular use is for web testing with SeleniumLibrary, it can be used to automate a wide range of technologies, including APIs, mobile applications, databases, and even desktop applications.
You can start using Robot Framework without knowing Python. You can write powerful test cases by just using the keywords provided by existing libraries. However, knowing Python is essential if you want to create your own custom libraries or tackle more complex automation problems.
Robot Framework is not strictly a BDD tool like Cucumber or SpecFlow. It is a keyword-driven framework. However, its human-readable syntax and the ability to write tests in a "Given/When/Then" style make it very suitable for implementing BDD practices.
Robot Framework is a general-purpose framework, while Cypress and Playwright are modern, JavaScript-based tools specifically designed for end-to-end web testing. Cypress and Playwright offer faster execution and better debugging features for web testing, but Robot Framework is more versatile and can automate technologies beyond the web.
RIDE (Robot Integrated Development Environment) is a graphical user interface for writing Robot Framework tests. While it was popular in the past, most developers today prefer using modern text editors like VS Code with dedicated Robot Framework plugins, which offer better performance and more features.
Starting from Robot Framework 4.0, there is native IF/ELSE support. For older versions, conditional logic is handled using the BuiltIn keyword Run Keyword If. You would provide a condition, the name of the keyword to run if the condition is true, and optionally another keyword to run if it is false.
Robot Framework has a FOR loop syntax that allows you to iterate over a list of items. You can use this to repeat a set of keywords for each item in the list. This is very useful for data-driven testing or for performing actions on multiple elements.
You can comment out a line by placing a # character at the beginning of the line. You can also comment out a single step by placing Comment as the first cell of that step.
The ${...} syntax is used for scalar variables, which hold a single value like a string or number. The @{...} syntax is used for list variables, which hold an ordered collection of items. You access individual items in a list variable using the scalar syntax, for example, ${my_list[0]}.
You can create a Dockerfile that sets up an environment with Python, Robot Framework, and all the necessary libraries and browser drivers. Then, you can build a Docker image from this file and run your tests inside a container. This is a great way to create a consistent and portable testing environment.
The output.xml file is the most important artifact generated by a Robot Framework run. It is a machine-readable XML file that contains a complete record of the test execution, including every suite, test, keyword, and message. The HTML log and report files are generated from this XML file.
Robot Framework itself is not a dedicated performance testing tool. However, you can use it to create performance test scripts by measuring the execution time of certain keywords or by integrating it with a performance testing library. For serious load testing, a dedicated tool like JMeter or Gatling is recommended.
By default, test cases do not have a timeout. However, you can set a default timeout for all test cases in a suite using the Test Timeout setting in the *** Settings *** section. You can also set a specific timeout for an individual test case using the [Timeout] setting.
The [Return] setting is used inside a user-defined keyword to specify which value should be returned when the keyword is called. You can then store this returned value in a variable in your test case. This is how you create keywords that can fetch and provide data.
You can use the --exitonfailure command-line option. If you run your tests with this flag, Robot Framework will stop the entire execution immediately after the first test case fails.
A fatal error is an error that is so severe that it forces the entire test suite execution to stop. You can make a test failure fatal by using the Fatal Error keyword. This is useful in suite setups, where a failure means that none of the test cases can be run.
A library provides keywords (actions). A variable file provides variables (data). While you can set variables in a library, a dedicated variable file is the standard way to separate your test data and environment-specific configuration from your test logic.
Robot Framework looks for libraries and resource files in the Python module search path. You can add directories to this path using the --pythonpath (or -P) command-line option. This is how you tell the framework where to find your custom code.
Yes, you can have a test case that contains no keywords. Such a test case will be executed and will pass. This is sometimes used as a placeholder for a test that has not been implemented yet.
The --dryrun command-line option is used to check the test data for parsing errors without actually executing the tests. It is a very useful way to quickly validate that your test suite files have the correct syntax and that all the keywords can be found.
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Rohit Sharma is the Head of Revenue & Programs (International), with over 8 years of experience in business analytics, EdTech, and program management. He holds an M.Tech from IIT Delhi and specializes...
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