Robot Framework Syntax Cheatsheet

File Structure

Every .robot file can have up to four sections:

*** Settings ***     # Imports, suite config
*** Variables ***    # Reusable values
*** Test Cases ***   # The actual tests
*** Keywords ***     # Custom reusable steps (like functions)

Settings Section

*** Settings ***
Documentation     Description of this test suite
Library           Browser                          # Import a test library
Resource          ../resources/common.resource     # Import a resource file
Suite Setup       Open SauceDemo                   # Run before all tests
Suite Teardown    Close SauceDemo                  # Run after all tests
Test Setup        Go To    ${BASE_URL}             # Run before each test
Test Teardown     Take Screenshot                  # Run after each test

Variables

*** Variables ***
${SCALAR}       single value              # Scalar variable
${URL}          https://www.example.com
${NUMBER}       ${42}                     # Number (note the ${} syntax)
${TRUE_VAL}     ${True}                   # Boolean
@{LIST}         item1    item2    item3   # List variable
&{DICT}         key1=val1    key2=val2    # Dictionary variable
${EMPTY}                                  # Built-in: empty string

Using variables:

Log    ${SCALAR}           # Use in keywords
Log    ${LIST}[0]          # List indexing
Log    ${DICT}[key1]       # Dict access

Test Cases

*** Test Cases ***
My First Test
    [Documentation]    What this test verifies
    [Tags]    smoke    login
    Keyword One    arg1    arg2
    ${result}=    Keyword That Returns    arg1
    Should Be Equal    ${result}    expected_value

Important: Arguments are separated by 2+ spaces (or a tab). This is how RF distinguishes keyword names from arguments.

Keyword Name    argument1    argument2
^^^ keyword ^^^ ^^^ arg1 ^^^ ^^^ arg2 ^^^

Keywords (like functions)

*** Keywords ***
Login As Standard User
    [Documentation]    Log in with the standard test user
    Fill Text    id=user-name    standard_user
    Fill Text    id=password     secret_sauce
    Click        id=login-button

Login With Credentials
    [Arguments]    ${username}    ${password}
    Fill Text    id=user-name    ${username}
    Fill Text    id=password     ${password}
    Click        id=login-button

Get Product Count
    [Documentation]    Returns the number of products on the page
    ${items}=    Get Elements    css=.inventory_item
    ${count}=    Get Length    ${items}
    RETURN    ${count}

Control Flow (comparison with C)

C	Robot Framework
if (x == 1)	IF $x == 1
else if	ELSE IF $x == 2
else	ELSE
for (i=0; i<n; i++)	FOR ${i} IN RANGE ${n}
for (item in list)	FOR ${item} IN @{LIST}

# IF/ELSE
IF    $count > 0
    Log    Cart has items
ELSE
    Log    Cart is empty
END

# FOR loop
FOR    ${item}    IN    Apple    Banana    Cherry
    Log    ${item}
END

# FOR with RANGE (like C: for i=0; i<5; i++)
FOR    ${i}    IN RANGE    5
    Log    Iteration ${i}
END

Common Built-in Keywords

Keyword	Example	Purpose
Log	Log Hello	Print to log
Should Be Equal	Should Be Equal ${a} ${b}	Assert equality
Should Contain	Should Contain ${text} hello	Assert substring
Should Be True	Should Be True ${count} > 0	Assert condition
Set Variable	${x}= Set Variable hello	Assign variable
Sleep	Sleep 2s	Wait (avoid in tests!)

Data-Driven Testing with [Template]

*** Test Cases ***
Login Should Fail With Bad Credentials
    [Documentation]    Test multiple invalid login combinations
    [Template]    Verify Login Failure
    # username          password        expected error
    ${EMPTY}            secret_sauce    Username is required
    standard_user       ${EMPTY}        Password is required
    standard_user       wrong           Username and password do not match
    locked_out_user     secret_sauce    this user has been locked out

*** Keywords ***
Verify Login Failure
    [Arguments]    ${username}    ${password}    ${error_message}
    Login With Credentials    ${username}    ${password}
    Login Should Fail With Message    ${error_message}