Selenium can't find element by class name

Question

I want to send a message to this webpage with Python.

It is to say to do the following but with Python:

That's why I tried the following script with Selenium:

#!/usr/bin/env python3

from selenium import webdriver


api_location = 'http://iphoneapp.spareroom.co.uk'
api_search_endpoint = 'flatshares'
api_details_endpoint = 'flatshares'

location = 'http://www.spareroom.co.uk'
details_endpoint = 'flatshare/flatshare_detail.pl?flatshare_id='

def contact_room(room_id):
    url = '{location}/{endpoint}/{id}?format=json'.format(location=api_location, endpoint=api_details_endpoint, id=room_id)
    print(url)
    driver_path = 'C:\Program Files\chromedriver'
    driver = webdriver.Chrome(executable_path = driver_path )  # Optional argument, if not specified will search path.
    # Go to your page url
    driver.get(url)
    # Get button you are going to click by its id ( also you could use find_element_by_css_selector to get element by css selector)
    button_element = driver.find_element_by_class_name('button button--wide')
    button_element.click()

But it returns:

contact_room(14110387)

(roo_env) (base) C:\Users\antoi\Documents\Programming\roomfinder>python test_message.py
http://iphoneapp.spareroom.co.uk/flatshares/14110387

DevTools listening on ws://127.0.0.1:51038/devtools/browser/401513e8-f221-47f1-ba6b-a7b7f598d839
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "test_message.py", line 24, in <module>
    contact_room(14110387)
  File "test_message.py", line 21, in contact_room
    button_element = driver.find_element_by_class_name('button button--wide')
  File "C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\selenium\webdriver\remote\webdriver.py", line 564, in find_element_by_class_name
    return self.find_element(by=By.CLASS_NAME, value=name)
  File "C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\selenium\webdriver\remote\webdriver.py", line 978, in find_element
    'value': value})['value']
  File "C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\selenium\webdriver\remote\webdriver.py", line 321, in execute
    self.error_handler.check_response(response)
  File "C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\selenium\webdriver\remote\errorhandler.py", line 242, in check_response
    raise exception_class(message, screen, stacktrace)
selenium.common.exceptions.NoSuchElementException: Message: no such element: Unable to locate element: {"method":"css selector","selector":".button button--wide"}
  (Session info: chrome=77.0.3865.120)

While the button to access the messaging page is of the button button--wide class. In fact, in the source code there is:

<a class="button button--wide" data-ga-event-category="Listing Details" data-ga-event-action="clicked" data-ga-event-label="contact-box-email" href="/flatshare/flatshare_detail.pl?flatshare_id=14110387&amp;mode=contact&amp;submode=byemail&amp;flatshare_type=offered&amp;search_id=896264077&amp;search_results=%2Fflatshare%2F%3Fsearch_id%3D896264077%26&amp;city_id=9&amp;featured=&amp;alert_id=&amp;alert_type=&amp;upgrade_required=0&amp;" title="Email advertiser" rel="nofollow"><span><i class="far fa-envelope"></i>&nbsp;&nbsp;Message</span></a>

Trying `find_element_by_css_selector('.button.button--wide')`

Unfortunately, it tells me that I can't interact with the element:

(roo_env) (base) C:\Users\antoi\Documents\Programming\roomfinder>python test_message.py
http://iphoneapp.spareroom.co.uk/flatshares/14110387

DevTools listening on ws://127.0.0.1:52677/devtools/browser/4965ddbe-4b24-4ae7-a7f5-e44a8cbf2eef
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "test_message.py", line 25, in <module>
    contact_room(14110387)
  File "test_message.py", line 23, in contact_room
    button_element.click()
  File "C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\selenium\webdriver\remote\webelement.py", line 80, in click
    self._execute(Command.CLICK_ELEMENT)
  File "C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\selenium\webdriver\remote\webelement.py", line 633, in _execute
    return self._parent.execute(command, params)
  File "C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\selenium\webdriver\remote\webdriver.py", line 321, in execute
    self.error_handler.check_response(response)
  File "C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\selenium\webdriver\remote\errorhandler.py", line 242, in check_response
    raise exception_class(message, screen, stacktrace)
selenium.common.exceptions.ElementNotInteractableException: Message: element not interactable
  (Session info: chrome=77.0.3865.120)

find by class_name is buggy, apparently. You should always use css. — pguardiario
– pguardiario, Commented Nov 8, 2019 at 23:49
@RatmirAsanov Not yet, I was off. Will do, thank you for your help — Revolucion for Monica
– Revolucion for Monica, Commented Nov 13, 2019 at 9:29

Ratmir Asanov · Accepted Answer · 2019-11-08 22:22:07Z

2

Correct CSS Selector is: .button.button--wide:

So, in your case, it will be:

...
button_element = driver.find_element_by_css_selector(".button.button--wide")
...

UPD: Also, you can try to use explicit wait for locating element:

from selenium.webdriver.support import ui
from selenium.webdriver.support import expected_conditions as EC
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By

...
button_element = ui.WebDriverWait(driver, 10).until(EC.element_to_be_clickable((By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".button.button--wide")))
button_element.click()

And completely working code is:

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.support import ui
from selenium.webdriver.support import expected_conditions as EC
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By


API_LOCATION = "http://iphoneapp.spareroom.co.uk"
API_DETAILS_ENDPOINT = "flatshares"
ID = "14110387"
URL = "{location}/{endpoint}/{id}".format(
    location=API_LOCATION, endpoint=API_DETAILS_ENDPOINT, id=ID)

DRIVER = webdriver.Chrome()
DRIVER.get(URL)
ui.WebDriverWait(DRIVER, 10).until(
    EC.element_to_be_clickable((By.CSS_SELECTOR, "a.button.button--wide"))).click()

I hope it helps you!

edited Nov 8, 2019 at 22:22

answered Nov 8, 2019 at 21:34

Ratmir Asanov

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6 Comments

Revolucion for Monica Over a year ago

Oh, are you sure? I get

selenium.common.exceptions.InvalidSelectorException: Message: invalid selector: An invalid or illegal selector was specified

Ratmir Asanov Over a year ago

@IggyPass, I changed (extended) my answer a little bit. Check it, please.

Ratmir Asanov Over a year ago

@IggyPass, CSS Selector is correct (according to your provided HTML of element -- see screenshot above). Any updates? Thanks.

Ratmir Asanov Over a year ago

@IggyPass, I see your last error message. My updated answer must fix your problem. Thanks.

Revolucion for Monica Over a year ago

Thanks, unfortunately I get selenium.common.exceptions.TimeoutException: Message:

|

KunduK · Accepted Answer · 2019-11-08 22:12:32Z

The reason you were getting json in the browser because you have passed wrong parameter value in the function. You have provided api_details_endpoint this variable instead of details_endpoint. Second thing with that class_name there is 11 elements to get unique use parent element as well.

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
from selenium.webdriver.support.ui import WebDriverWait
from selenium.webdriver.support import expected_conditions as EC

api_location = 'http://iphoneapp.spareroom.co.uk'
api_search_endpoint = 'flatshares'
api_details_endpoint = 'flatshares'

location = 'http://www.spareroom.co.uk'
details_endpoint = 'flatshare/flatshare_detail.pl?flatshare_id='

def contact_room(room_id):
    url = '{location}/{endpoint}/{id}?format=json'.format(location=api_location, endpoint=details_endpoint, id=room_id)
    print(url)
    driver_path = 'C:\Program Files\chromedriver'
    driver = webdriver.Chrome(executable_path = driver_path )  # Optional argument, if not specified will search path.
    # Go to your page url
    driver.get(url)
    WebDriverWait(driver,10).until(EC.element_to_be_clickable((By.CSS_SELECTOR,"li.emailadvertiser > .button.button--wide"))).click()
    # Get button you are going to click by its id ( also you could use find_element_by_css_selector to get element by css selector)
    # button_element = driver.find_element_by_class_name('button button--wide')
    # button_element.click()

contact_room(14110387)

Mert Köklü · Accepted Answer · 2019-11-08 21:38:07Z

0

The element might be not getting loaded so it might gives no such element error. You can add

driver.implicitly_wait(15)

line before searching for element. (In this case, before driver.find_element_by_class_name('button button--wide') line.)

Don't worry it won't be wait 15 seconds. Whenever it the element is loaded, selenium will find it.

answered Nov 8, 2019 at 21:38

Mert Köklü

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Comments

Gadix · Accepted Answer · 2019-11-08 22:08:06Z

0

You can try this get the element by xpath (is more simple):

Take a look for this post: Is there a way to get the XPath in Google Chrome?

button_element = driver.find_element_by_xpath('your_xpath')
button_element.click()

edited Nov 8, 2019 at 22:08

answered Nov 8, 2019 at 21:44

Gadix

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