Solving the element not interactable Error in Selenium Python with Hidden Elements

Learn how to effectively handle hidden elements in Selenium Python. Discover the difference between `presence_of_element_located` and `visibility_of_element_located` to ensure smooth interactions with your web elements.
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Understanding the element not interactable Error in Selenium Python

When working with Selenium, a powerful tool for automating web applications, you might encounter scenarios where you need to interact with elements that aren't immediately visible. One common issue arises when trying to interact with a hidden element, leading to an element not interactable error. In this post, we’ll address the problem and provide a clear solution to ensure your code runs smoothly.

The Problem Scenario

Let's take a login page as our example. Imagine a situation where:

A user is required to enter their username first.

After entering the username, the password field becomes visible only after a one-minute delay.

Both fields are present in the HTML from the moment the page loads, but the password field remains hidden for a specific duration. If you attempt to send keys to the password field while it is still hidden, Selenium will throw an element not interactable error, despite the element being present in the DOM.

Example Code Leading to the Error

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Running this code will result in an error because presence_of_element_located checks for the existence of the element in the DOM, not its visibility to the user.

The Solution: Using visibility_of_element_located

To resolve this issue, we need to switch from using presence_of_element_located to visibility_of_element_located. This change ensures that your script waits not just for the element to be in the DOM, but also for it to be visible and interactable.

Updated Code Implementation

Replace the previous code with the following:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Why Use visibility_of_element_located?

Element Interactivity: This method waits for the element to be both present in the DOM and visible to the user, allowing interaction without errors.

Prevention of Errors: Avoids the element not interactable error by ensuring that elements are rendered and visible before performing any actions on them.

Conclusion

By understanding the difference between presence_of_element_located and visibility_of_element_located, you can significantly improve your Selenium scripts. Always opt for visibility_of_element_located when you need to interact with web elements that may be hidden initially. This simple change can save you time and frustration while automating web interactions.

In summary, be mindful of your conditions, and ensure your scripts are robust against timing issues related to visibility. Happy scripting!