To build a basic web bot with Selenium and Python, install Selenium, start a browser session, navigate to a page you are permitted to automate, locate an element, interact with it, wait for the expected result, and close the session with driver.quit(). Selenium controls a real browser through WebDriver; it does not grant permission to access or automate a website.
What a Selenium web bot does
Selenium’s Python bindings send WebDriver commands to a browser such as Chrome. That makes Selenium useful for testing web applications and for automating permitted repetitive interactions that depend on browser-rendered pages. A typical script follows this lifecycle: create a driver, open a page, find an element, act on it, verify the result, and end the browser session.
Choose a target and task you are authorized to automate. A site’s access rules and terms determine what is permitted; Selenium itself does not resolve that question. The example below uses a public test page. Replace its URL and locators with values verified on your authorized target.
Install Selenium and prepare Python
The Selenium Python API documentation currently lists Python 3.10 or newer. Check the current API documentation for supported versions and browser details when setting up, since compatibility can change.
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Create a project environment
From a terminal, create a folder for the script and a virtual environment. Activate it using the command for your operating system:
- macOS or Linux:
python3 -m venv .venv, thensource .venv/bin/activate. - Windows PowerShell:
py -m venv .venv, then.venvScriptsActivate.ps1.
Install Selenium in the activated environment:
python -m pip install -U selenium
Using a virtual environment keeps the project’s packages separate from other Python projects. Selenium’s current installation guidance recommends considering one.
Browser and driver setup
For most supported local browser setups, Selenium Manager handles obtaining the needed driver when the script creates a WebDriver instance. You generally do not need to download a driver manually first. Manual browser or driver configuration remains possible when your environment requires it. The Selenium API documentation describes Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, WebKitGTK, and WPEWebKit among its supported options; support depends on platform and current versions.
A basic local script does not require a Selenium server or Grid. Remote WebDriver and Grid are options for running browsers on another machine or distributing sessions, not prerequisites for this beginner workflow.
Build and run a complete browser bot
Save the following as bot.py. It opens Selenium’s example page, checks the page title, waits for the heading to become visible, prints the heading, and always quits the browser session—even if a step raises an error.
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from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
from selenium.webdriver.support import expected_conditions as EC
from selenium.webdriver.support.ui import WebDriverWait
URL = "https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/web/web-form.html"
def main():
driver = webdriver.Chrome()
try:
driver.get(URL)
if "Web form" not in driver.title:
raise RuntimeError(f"Unexpected page title: {driver.title!r}")
wait = WebDriverWait(driver, 10)
heading = wait.until(
EC.visibility_of_element_located((By.TAG_NAME, "h1"))
)
print("Page heading:", heading.text)
text_box = wait.until(
EC.visibility_of_element_located((By.NAME, "my-text"))
)
text_box.send_keys("Selenium and Python")
submit_button = wait.until(
EC.element_to_be_clickable((By.CSS_SELECTOR, "button"))
)
submit_button.click()
message = wait.until(
EC.visibility_of_element_located((By.ID, "message"))
)
expected = "Received!"
if message.text != expected:
raise AssertionError(
f"Expected {expected!r}, received {message.text!r}"
)
print("Form result:", message.text)
finally:
driver.quit()
if __name__ == "__main__":
main()Run it from the activated environment with python bot.py. The browser opens, fills and submits the example form, and prints the result. The interaction pattern follows Selenium’s official first-script guide.
What to change for your own target
- Set
URLto the page you may automate. - Inspect the page and replace
By.NAME,By.CSS_SELECTOR, andBy.IDvalues with locators matching its actual markup. - Replace the expected title and result text with outcomes that prove the task completed.
- Keep the
try/finallycleanup around browser work so failures do not leave a session running.
Find elements with stable locators
A locator identifies the page element Selenium should operate on. Prefer a stable ID or name when the page provides one. Otherwise, use a CSS selector anchored to a stable attribute, such as a form field’s name or an element’s dedicated test attribute. These are easier to understand and maintain than selectors based on incidental layout.
| Locator | Example | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| ID | (By.ID, "message") |
When the element has a stable, unique ID. |
| Name | (By.NAME, "my-text") |
When a form control has a stable name. |
| CSS selector | (By.CSS_SELECTOR, "button[type='submit']") |
When a stable attribute or relationship identifies the element. |
| Tag name | (By.TAG_NAME, "h1") |
When the page structure guarantees the relevant element is unambiguous. |
Avoid generated class names that change between builds and long absolute XPath expressions tied to a particular page layout when a stable attribute is available. If a locator finds multiple elements or stops working after a site update, verify the current markup and narrow the selector to a stable, unique target.
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Wait for the condition your next action needs
A navigation reaching its configured document readiness state does not guarantee that JavaScript-driven content or later page updates are ready. Selenium identifies timing races as a common source of flaky automation. Its waiting strategies explain why page-load completion alone may not mean an element is ready.
Use explicit waits for meaningful states
WebDriverWait(driver, 10).until(...) checks a condition until it succeeds or times out. Select a condition that matches the next operation:
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EC.visibility_of_element_located(locator)when the element must be visible before reading or typing.EC.element_to_be_clickable(locator)before clicking a control.- Other expected conditions when the next step depends on a specific state, such as an element becoming present or a URL changing.
The example waits for visibility before reading or typing and for clickability before clicking. A fixed delay such as time.sleep(5) always waits the full duration regardless of whether the page is ready, and may still be too short. Selenium project guidance recommends condition-based waits and advises against sleeps. Do not mix implicit and explicit waits in the same session; the combined timing can be difficult to reason about.
Handle errors and end the session reliably
The finally block calls driver.quit() whether the script succeeds or fails. This ends the WebDriver session and closes its associated browser windows. driver.close() closes only the current window or tab, so it is not the general cleanup call when the whole session should end.
The example lets useful errors surface: a failed title check raises a runtime error, a failed assertion reports an unexpected result, and a wait that expires raises a timeout error. When adding custom error handling, report the URL, action, and locator involved; do not silently ignore failures that could make the bot appear successful when it was not.
When to use remote WebDriver or Grid
Start with a local browser for a single script. Consider remote WebDriver when the browser needs to run on a different host, or Selenium Grid when a testing setup needs remote or distributed sessions. The Selenium API documentation links to its Remote WebDriver guidance. Remote execution adds environment and connectivity considerations, so it is usually unnecessary for a first local bot.
Or skip the browser setup
If your task is to capture a page as an image or PDF rather than interact with its controls, ScreenshotNeo provides a website screenshot API. A single GET request returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. It is not a substitute for Selenium when you need to fill a form or click through an interactive workflow.
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For an image capture, replace the example URL with the page you need and set your API key:
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting common Selenium problems
Selenium cannot start the browser
Check that the browser you intend to use is installed and supported on your platform, that the virtual environment containing Selenium is active, and that the package installation completed. Selenium Manager handles most ordinary driver setup, but restricted networks, unusual browser installations, or environment-specific policies can require manual configuration. Review the error message and current setup guidance in the Selenium Python API documentation.
The element cannot be found
Confirm that navigation reached the expected page and inspect the current markup for the element’s actual ID, name, or stable attributes. The element may not yet exist because the page updates asynchronously; wait for the required condition rather than searching immediately. Check whether the content is inside a frame or another browsing context before assuming the locator is wrong.
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A timeout means the condition did not become true within the configured limit. Verify the locator, the target page, and whether the expected state can occur at all. If the site is slow or the condition legitimately takes longer, adjust the timeout deliberately; increasing it will not fix an incorrect locator or a blocked navigation.
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The click or form submission has no visible effect
Wait for the control to be clickable before clicking, then wait for a visible result or another clear completion condition. Check that the selector identifies the intended control and that an overlay or validation state is not preventing the action. Do not treat the absence of an exception as proof that the workflow succeeded; verify a page outcome.
The browser remains open after an error
Put all browser operations after driver creation inside a try block and call driver.quit() in finally, as in the example. A cleanup call placed only at the end of the success path will be skipped when an earlier operation fails.
Frequently asked questions
Does Selenium work without opening a browser window?
This example starts a normal browser session. Whether a browser can run without a visible window depends on the browser and environment configuration; the tutorial does not require that mode.
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Is Selenium only for testing?
Selenium is commonly used to test web applications, and its browser-control workflow can also automate repetitive interactions when the target site and task permit it.
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