Selenium Python - Handling No such element exception

Question

I am writing automation test in Selenium using Python. One element may or may not be present. I am trying to handle it with below code, it works when element is present. But script fails when element is not present, I want to continue to next statement if element is not present.

try:
       elem = driver.find_element_by_xpath(".//*[@id='SORM_TB_ACTION0']")
       elem.click()
except nosuchelementexception:
       pass

Error -

selenium.common.exceptions.NoSuchElementException: Message: Unable to locate element:{"method":"xpath","selector":".//*[@id='SORM_TB_ACTION0']"}

Ogasontop · Accepted Answer · 2018-03-12 15:36:04Z

90

Are you not importing the exception?

from selenium.common.exceptions import NoSuchElementException

try:
    elem = driver.find_element_by_xpath(".//*[@id='SORM_TB_ACTION0']")
    elem.click()
except NoSuchElementException:  #spelling error making this code not work as expected
    pass

edited Mar 12, 2018 at 15:36

Ogasontop

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answered Jun 24, 2016 at 22:04

Levi Noecker

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Comments

JeffC · Accepted Answer · 2016-06-24 23:11:59Z

28

You can see if the element exists and then click it if it does. No need for exceptions. Note the plural "s" in .find_elements_*.

elem = driver.find_elements_by_xpath(".//*[@id='SORM_TB_ACTION0']")
if len(elem) > 0
    elem[0].click()

answered Jun 24, 2016 at 23:11

JeffC

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4 Comments

Serge Rogatch Over a year ago

Isn't it much worse in terms of performance? I believe it's much easier to find an element by id rather than by xpath.

JeffC Over a year ago

@SergeRogatch Agreed 100% but that's what OP had in their code so I replicated it. This is also 4 years ago and I like to think I've learned a lot since then and am more apt to bring up points like yours now in addition to "just answering the question".

Andre Holzner Nov 19 at 17:08

Note that the methods .find_element{s,}_by_* have been removed, see stackoverflow.com/a/72754667/288875

JeffC Nov 19 at 17:25

Yes, this question was answered almost 10 years ago.

Corey Goldberg · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-22 19:38:36Z

14

the way you are doing it is fine.. you are just trying to catch the wrong exception. It is named NoSuchElementException not nosuchelementexception

answered May 22, 2017 at 19:38

Corey Goldberg

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Comments

dataninsight · Accepted Answer · 2023-01-21 14:31:25Z

2

Handling Selenium NoSuchExpressionException

from selenium.common.exceptions import NoSuchElementException
try:
   elem = driver.find_element_by_xpath
   candidate_Name = j.find_element_by_xpath('.//span[@aria-hidden="true"]').text
except NoSuchElementException:
       try:
          candidate_Name = j.find_element_by_xpath('.//a[@class="app-aware link"]').text
       except NoSuchElementException:
              candidate_Name = "NAN"
              pass

edited Jan 21, 2023 at 14:31

answered Jan 13, 2022 at 20:34

dataninsight

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Comments

John Siu · Accepted Answer · 2025-06-12 06:02:00Z

0

I will expand on @alexcharizamhard answer, for a specific situation.

If there is wrapper element of the click target, that aways exist, but not display if empty. Then we can do following:

wrapper_elem = driver.find_element_by_xpath(".//xpath_of_wrapper_elem")
if wrapper_elem.is_displayed():
    elem = wrapper_elem.find_element_by_xpath(".//xpath_of_elem]")
    elem.click()

This is much faster than find_elements_* in some situations. But again, this is applicable only if such wrapper elements always exist.

answered Jun 12 at 6:02

John Siu

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Comments

AlexCharizamhard · Accepted Answer · 2016-06-24 22:26:05Z

-2

Why not simplify and use logic like this? No exceptions needed.

if elem.is_displayed():
    elem.click()

answered Jun 24, 2016 at 22:26

AlexCharizamhard

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1 Comment

JeffC Over a year ago

This will throw if the element is not found.

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