For Chrome or Edge, Selenium Java can add or replace headers on browser requests through the Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP), using Network.setExtraHTTPHeaders. For a cross-browser approach, WebDriver BiDi defines network.setExtraHeaders, but the documented Selenium Java BiDi Network API does not currently list a direct helper for it. Choose the route based on the browser and the exact Selenium Java version you run.
This guide covers persistent extra headers on browser requests—not response headers, cookie APIs, or arbitrary per-request rewriting. The Selenium API details below reflect documentation current as of October 3, 2026; check the generated API for your pinned release before compiling.
Choose CDP or WebDriver BiDi
| Approach | When it fits | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) | Chrome or Edge tests that need to set extra request headers using Selenium Java. | Selenium documents a Java route using Network.setExtraHTTPHeaders. CDP is browser-specific and its API compatibility depends on browser versions. Pin and verify the Selenium/browser combination. Selenium CDP documentation |
| WebDriver BiDi | A standards-based, cross-browser direction when the browser and Selenium release support the needed command. | The W3C protocol defines network.setExtraHeaders, but Selenium’s documented Java BiDi Network module does not list a direct method by that name. Do not assume the command is exposed as a ready-to-use Java helper. Selenium BiDi guide · Selenium Java Network API |
Selenium describes CDP access as temporary while BiDi support is implemented. BiDi is the cross-browser direction, but command availability in the protocol specification and availability in a particular Selenium Java release are separate questions. Selenium’s CDP guidance
Set headers in Chrome or Edge with CDP
The following illustrates Selenium’s Java CDP approach. Selenium’s generated DevTools APIs are tied to protocol versions, so use the matching generated package and command for the Selenium version in your project. The imports below reflect Selenium’s documented CDP pattern; the exact versioned vNN package is intentionally project-specific.
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import java.util.Map;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.devtools.DevTools;
import org.openqa.selenium.devtools.vNN.network.Network;
public class HeaderExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
ChromeDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
try {
DevTools devTools = driver.getDevTools();
devTools.createSession();
devTools.send(Network.enable(
java.util.Optional.empty(),
java.util.Optional.empty(),
java.util.Optional.empty()
));
devTools.send(Network.setExtraHTTPHeaders(
new org.openqa.selenium.devtools.vNN.network.model.Headers(
Map.of("X-Test-Header", "test-value")
)
));
driver.get("https://example.com/");
} finally {
driver.quit();
}
}
}vNN is a replacement marker, not a literal Java package: select the generated CDP version present in your Selenium dependency and use its matching Network and Headers types. Selenium’s official CDP Network page provides the Java example and the command route: CDP Network documentation.
- Create a DevTools session from the Chrome driver.
- Enable the Network domain, then send
Network.setExtraHTTPHeaderswith a map of header names and values. - Navigate after setting the headers so the request is made with the configured extras.
- Verify the received header at a controlled server or test endpoint; do not infer success just because navigation completed.
The setting applies to requests from the browser session, rather than only to a single call to driver.get. If you need conditional logic for individual requests, use a supported interception feature instead of treating extra headers as a per-request callback.
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What BiDi specifies—and what Selenium Java exposes
The W3C WebDriver BiDi specification defines network.setExtraHeaders as a command that sets headers extending or overwriting existing request headers. If a header has the same name as an existing one, its value is overwritten rather than combined. The command accepts headers and optional browsing or user contexts. W3C WebDriver BiDi Working Draft, September 3, 2026
Selenium’s BiDi Java guide describes enabling a WebSocket connection with options.setCapability("webSocketUrl", true). However, the documented Java org.openqa.selenium.bidi.module.Network API is marked beta and lists methods such as interception and request continuation—not a direct setExtraHeaders method. Check your exact Selenium version and supported browser before writing code against that command; a protocol command in the W3C specification is not proof that Selenium’s Java wrapper exposes it.
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The specification also notes an ambiguity involving workers associated with multiple navigables. If your test depends on worker-originated requests, verify the behavior for the browser and implementation you actually use rather than assuming every worker inherits a single browsing context’s headers.
Header behavior and safe use
- Replacement, not append: BiDi’s specified behavior replaces an existing same-name value. Do not expect duplicate values to be merged.
- Request versus response: These commands affect outgoing request headers. They do not set response headers or replace cookie-management APIs.
- Persistent extras versus interception: Extra-header commands configure headers broadly for applicable requests. Per-request conditional rewriting is a separate network interception use case.
- Protect credentials: Keep authorization values in test configuration, do not place credentials in URLs, and avoid printing secret header values in logs.
- Validate at the receiver: Use a controlled endpoint that reports the request headers it received. This distinguishes a correctly configured browser request from a test that merely loaded a page.
Troubleshooting
The CDP imports or command do not compile
The generated CDP package version may not exist in the Selenium dependency you pinned, or the command signature may differ in that generated version. Inspect the Selenium artifacts and generated API for the installed release, then use its matching versioned Network and Headers classes. Avoid copying a package version from a different Selenium release.
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The request reaches the server without the header
Confirm that the DevTools session was created, the Network domain was enabled, and the extra headers were set before navigation. Then inspect the request at a controlled receiving endpoint. If the request originates from a worker or another context, check the browser’s behavior for that context.
The header value appears replaced or duplicated unexpectedly
For BiDi, same-name extra headers overwrite the existing value according to the specification. Choose a distinct header name if the test needs an additional field; do not rely on append behavior.
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The BiDi code shown online has no matching Java method
That may be a protocol-versus-binding mismatch. The documented Selenium Java Network module does not list a direct setExtraHeaders method. Check your exact release’s API and protocol support, or use the documented CDP route when testing Chrome or Edge is acceptable.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can Selenium WebDriver Classic set arbitrary request headers by itself?
No general WebDriver Classic command for rewriting browser network requests is established here. The documented routes are browser-specific CDP support or applicable BiDi protocol support.
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Does WebDriver BiDi let me run a callback for every request?
No. The extra-header command sets extra headers; per-request interception is a distinct network feature.
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