How do I send a DELETE keystroke to a text field using Selenium with Python?

Question

How do I send a Keys.DELETE keystroke to a text field with the Selenium web tester? I'm trying to simulate the user typing in a field and then deleting what they typed to test the interactive autosuggestion feature. It should filter the list to items beginning with their query, then show all the possible suggestions again when they delete their query. Unfortunatley sending a .clear() doesn't work to un-filter the list again. Neither does send_keys('\127').

def get_suggestions():
    driver.get('https://www.example.com/')
    driver.find_element_by_css_selector('#searchQuery').click()
    driver.find_element_by_css_selector('#searchQuery').send_keys('a')
    sleep(0.5)
    driver.find_element_by_css_selector('#searchQuery').send_keys(Keys.DELETE)
    sleep(0.5)
    for suggestion in driver.find_elements_by_css_selector('#search-form #suggestions'):
        yield suggestion

How can I simulate the user pressing the delete button on their keyboard?

from selenium.webdriver.common.keys import Keys just for anyone else wondering how to import it. — jmunsch
– jmunsch, Commented Mar 1, 2019 at 17:36

jason m · Accepted Answer · 2020-11-24 18:49:11Z

28

You need to use Keys.BACKSPACE instead of Keys.DELETE if you want to delete a character before the cursor. Keys.DELETE is used to delete a character after the cursor.

Be sure you are using the following import:

from selenium.webdriver.common.keys import Keys

edited Nov 24, 2020 at 18:49

jason m

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answered Dec 7, 2014 at 2:02

falsetru

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2 Comments

Nick Sweeting Over a year ago

Yup, ironically I just found the answer after posting this by seeing Keys.BACKSPACE in the autosuggestion list in iPython when I typed Keys. Feeling kind of dumb right now.

falsetru Over a year ago

@NickSweeting, Maybe you're using a Mac? The keyboard layout in the Mac make it confusing ;)

Tahlor · Accepted Answer · 2021-03-25 02:46:30Z

23

You can use Ctr+a to highlight the text and remove it by BACKSPACE:

from selenium.webdriver.common.keys import Keys

element.send_keys(Keys.CONTROL, 'a')
element.send_keys(Keys.BACKSPACE)

edited Mar 25, 2021 at 2:46

Tahlor

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answered Apr 14, 2019 at 6:47

Hamed Baziyad

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Comments

ncrmro · Accepted Answer · 2017-04-24 13:12:38Z

8

In python if element.clear() (doesn't fire onChange in react) doesn't work try this.

def clear_text(element):
            length = len(element.get_attribute('value'))
            element.send_keys(length * Keys.BACKSPACE)

answered Apr 24, 2017 at 13:12

ncrmro

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Comments

jason m · Accepted Answer · 2019-12-13 16:51:31Z

6

Why did no one say the import required?

from selenium.webdriver.common.keys import Keys

answered Dec 13, 2019 at 16:51

jason m

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Comments

Automation Engr · Accepted Answer · 2020-11-20 06:55:24Z

5

Also, if you want to delete the entire text you can mimic the ctrl + a & backspace in a single function like below:

def clear_entire_text(element):
    element.send_keys(Keys.CONTROL + 'a', Keys.BACKSPACE)

answered Nov 20, 2020 at 6:55

Automation Engr

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Comments

Herker · Accepted Answer · 2021-09-17 07:31:55Z

0

How to delete a line of text

This shortcut did not work for me Ctrl + a
But SHIFT + END worked perfectly

If the cursor is at the end of the line use SHIFT + HOME

action = ActionChains(driver)
action.key_down(Keys.SHIFT).send_keys(Keys.HOME, Keys.BACKSPACE).perform()

If the cursor is at the start of the line use SHIFT + END

action = ActionChains(driver)
action.key_down(Keys.SHIFT).send_keys(Keys.END, Keys.BACKSPACE).perform()

answered Sep 17, 2021 at 7:31

Herker

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Dat Minh · Accepted Answer · 2024-08-28 07:28:52Z

0

For C# you can do with this

using seleKey = OpenQA.Selenium.Keys;
element.SendKeys(seleKey.Control+ 'a'+ seleKey.Backspace);

answered Aug 28, 2024 at 7:28

Dat Minh

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