In Protractor, pass a locator created with by to element() to find one element, or to element.all() to find a collection. For example, element(by.id('save')) finds an element by ID, while element(by.css('button.save')) uses a CSS selector. Protractor also has AngularJS-specific locators such as by.model() and by.binding(), but those are not suitable for every Angular application. Protractor reached end-of-life in August 2023, so this guide is intended for maintaining existing tests, not choosing a framework for a new project.
How Protractor locators work
A locator describes how to identify an element in the page’s DOM. Protractor’s by object builds locator objects, and element(locator) wraps one in an ElementFinder that your test can interact with. Use element.all(locator) when the intended result is a collection rather than one element.
// One element found by a standard WebDriver locator
const saveButton = element(by.id('save'));
// A collection found by a standard WebDriver locator
const rows = element.all(by.css('table.orders tbody tr'));The examples show Protractor syntax; they are not claims of live testing. The exact interaction you perform after locating an element depends on the test and the element, but the locator itself only specifies how to find it.
Standard Selenium locator strategies in Protractor
Protractor supports the traditional WebDriver locator strategies. These work from DOM attributes, text, or element type rather than AngularJS-specific concepts.
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| Strategy | Example | What it targets |
|---|---|---|
| ID | by.id('save') |
An element with id="save". |
| CSS selector | by.css('button.save') |
An element matching the CSS selector. |
| Class name | by.className('save') |
An element with the specified class name. |
| Name | by.name('email') |
An element with name="email". |
| Link text | by.linkText('Continue') |
A link whose text matches the supplied text. |
| Partial link text | by.partialLinkText('Cont') |
A link whose text contains the supplied text. |
| Tag name | by.tagName('button') |
Elements of the specified HTML tag. |
| XPath | by.xpath("//input[@name='email']") |
An element matched by the XPath expression. |
These are the conventional WebDriver strategies documented by Selenium. Protractor’s AngularJS-aware helpers are additional locator options, not another name for the standard strategies.
Write and use common locator examples
Find a single element
Use element() when your test expects one intended match. The following examples show an ID, a readable CSS selector, and an XPath expression:
const saveButton = element(by.id('save'));
const checkoutForm = element(by.css('form.checkout'));
const emailField = element(by.xpath("//input[@name='email']"));Once you have an ElementFinder, use the interaction appropriate to your test. If the locator matches more than one element, do not rely on an accidental first match; make the selector more specific or use a collection and handle the intended result explicitly.
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Find a collection
Use element.all() for repeated content, such as table rows or a list of results. The Protractor tutorial also demonstrates this collection pattern with a repeater locator:
const todoItems = element.all(by.repeater('todo in todoList.todos'));
const orderRows = element.all(by.css('table.orders tbody tr'));For repeated page structures, a scoped child lookup can make the target clearer than a long page-wide selector. Keep the parent and child relationship understandable, and make your test state which matching item it intends to use.
Use AngularJS-aware locators only where they apply
Protractor’s locator model includes helpers that describe AngularJS concepts. For example, the Protractor tutorial shows by.model('first') for an element with ng-model="first", and by.binding('latest') for content bound to latest.
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// AngularJS-oriented examples
const firstNumber = element(by.model('first'));
const latestValue = element(by.binding('latest'));
const todos = element.all(by.repeater('todo in todoList.todos'));Do not assume that by.model() or by.binding() works in every Angular application. The Protractor project says these locators are not supported for Angular applications and recommends by.css; the model and binding examples in its tutorial describe AngularJS. If your application is not using the AngularJS behavior those helpers expect, use a suitable standard locator such as CSS.
Choose locators that survive markup changes
Selenium’s locator guidance recommends a unique, predictable ID when one is available. If there is no suitable ID, prefer a well-written CSS selector. XPath can express more complex relationships, but Selenium notes that XPath may be difficult to debug and can be slow. Treat that as documentation guidance, not as a claim that a particular locator will be slower in your application.
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- Prefer a unique ID when it is stable and identifies the intended element.
- Otherwise, use a readable CSS selector tied to useful, stable markup.
- Use XPath when its expressive power solves a real selection problem, rather than defaulting to a long positional path.
- Keep selectors compact and understandable so failures are easier to diagnose.
- When several elements share a pattern, use
element.all()and make the intended match explicit.
As a practical application of the stability and readability guidance, favor selectors tied to meaningful attributes or structure over selectors that depend on a fragile position in the page.
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Troubleshoot locator failures
The locator finds no element
- Check that the selector matches the rendered DOM, including spelling, capitalization, and attribute values.
- Confirm whether the target is present at the moment the test performs the lookup; a correct selector cannot find an element that has not appeared.
- If using an AngularJS-specific helper, verify that the page and locator actually use the corresponding AngularJS concept. For modern Angular applications, the project recommends CSS rather than model or binding locators.
The locator finds the wrong element or multiple elements
- Check whether the chosen ID is genuinely unique or the CSS/XPath selector is too broad.
- For repeated components, scope the lookup to the intended parent and use a collection when multiple matches are expected.
- Avoid depending on a positional selector unless position is itself part of the intended behavior.
The selector is hard to debug
- Replace a long or deeply positional XPath with a shorter stable ID or CSS selector when possible.
- Break down which part of the selector identifies the wrong ancestor, attribute, or child.
- For a repeated structure, first identify the relevant container, then locate the target within that scope.
Protractor status and migration context
The official Protractor site states: “Protractor reached end-of-life in August 2023.” Teams maintaining existing suites can continue to use their current locator patterns as part of that maintenance, but the lifecycle status is important when deciding where to invest in new tests.
The project’s migration discussion describes Selenium WebDriver as one of the closest options in API terms while cautioning that methods are not exact one-to-one replacements. Playwright’s migration guide maps familiar locator forms, including CSS, ID, model-attribute CSS, repeater-attribute CSS, and XPath. Those mappings can help orient a migration, but they do not make a framework switch automatic: review behavior, synchronization, and the surrounding test code as well as the locator syntax.
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