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InvalidSessionIdException means Selenium no longer recognizes the WebDriver session ID as active. In a screenshot loop, first check that the driver is not being quit—or automatically closed by a with block—before the next iteration, and that the browser window you need is still open. Keep the driver alive for the whole loop, then call quit() once when the work is finished.

What the exception means

The Selenium Python API defines InvalidSessionIdException as an exception raised when the given session ID is not in the list of active sessions. It describes the WebDriver session, not an image filename or screenshot format problem. The exception alone does not reveal why the session became inactive. Selenium’s Python exception reference documents the definition.

Keep the driver alive for the entire loop

Create one driver before the loop, perform each navigation and screenshot while that driver is active, and shut it down after the loop. The following pattern also checks the Boolean result returned by save_screenshot():

from pathlib import Path
from selenium import webdriver

urls = [
    "https://example.com/one",
    "https://example.com/two",
]
out_dir = Path("screenshots")
out_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)

driver = webdriver.Chrome()
try:
    for index, url in enumerate(urls, start=1):
        driver.get(url)
        saved = driver.save_screenshot(str(out_dir / f"page-{index}.png"))
        if not saved:
            raise OSError(f"Could not save screenshot {index}")
finally:
    driver.quit()

The finally block makes cleanup happen after the loop completes or raises an error. It also means this driver is finished after cleanup: Selenium documents that commands cannot be sent to a driver instance after its session has ended. See Selenium’s driver-session guidance.

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Check for premature cleanup

  • Search the loop and any helper functions it calls for driver.quit(). Do not call it in an iteration if later iterations reuse that driver.
  • Check early returns and exception handlers: either can trigger cleanup before the next screenshot if cleanup is placed there.
  • If you use with webdriver.Chrome() as driver:, indent the entire loop inside the with block. The context manager quits the driver when execution leaves that block.

Distinguish a closed window from a quit session

driver.close() closes the current window; driver.quit() ends the complete WebDriver session. If you close one window among several, switch to a window that remains open before issuing the next navigation or screenshot command. Closing the only window can leave no valid browsing context for the work that follows. Selenium explains window handling and shows how to switch between handles in its windows and tabs documentation.

Trace the first failing command

  1. Read the full traceback. Identify the first command that raises the exception, rather than assuming the screenshot write itself failed.
  2. Inspect lifecycle and window state. Look for quit(), a context-manager boundary, close(), and any code that switches window handles.
  3. Separate session errors from file errors. save_screenshot(path) saves the current window as PNG and returns a Boolean. If it returns False while the session remains active, investigate the destination path and filesystem permissions or I/O. The Python WebDriver API reference documents the method and its return value.
  4. Check process and remote-session logs if lifecycle is correct. A browser or driver process failure, or a remote session that has expired or been deleted, is possible. Use the browser and driver logs; for Selenium Grid or another remote WebDriver service, inspect the relevant node or provider logs and session timeout settings. The exception name by itself does not prove any of these causes.

What to do if the session really ended

A retry or a sleep cannot revive a session that has been deleted. Create a new WebDriver instance, then restore the URL, window, authentication, cookies, or other state your workflow requires before continuing. Treat the replacement as a new session rather than assuming it inherits the old browser state.

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Example using cURL (see the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for options):

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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webp

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does InvalidSessionIdException mean the PNG filename is invalid?

No. It means the WebDriver session ID is not active. A screenshot file problem is a separate issue; check whether save_screenshot() returns False and investigate the path or filesystem.

Can I fix an ended session by waiting and retrying?

No. Once the session is deleted, create a new driver session and restore the browser state needed for the remaining work.

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