The Digital Press

Page objects are a design pattern used in UI testing to encapsulate the interactions with web pages, providing a simplified API instead of directly manipulating HTML elements. This approach aims to make tests less brittle and easier to maintain by abstracting UI details.

Why it matters: Page objects help isolate UI changes from test logic, improving test maintainability and clarity.

The big picture: Though commonly used in web testing, page objects apply to any UI technology and promote encapsulation principles in software design.

The other side: Critics warn page objects can obscure test intent, cause maintenance overhead, and sometimes shift complexity without real gains.

Commenters say: Opinions vary; some praise page objects for structure and maintainability, others find them leaky abstractions that complicate tests or reduce clarity.