Common Selenium Exceptions and How to Fix Them

Selenium is one of the most widely used automation tools for web application testing. While it offers powerful capabilities, even experienced testers run into exceptions during script execution. Understanding these exceptions—and knowing how to fix them—can greatly improve test stability and reduce debugging time. This article covers the most common Selenium exceptions, their causes, and practical solutions.

1. No Such Element Exception

What It Means:

Selenium is unable to find the element on the webpage using the provided locator.

Common Causes

• Wrong locator (ID, XPath, CSS Selector…)

• Element not yet loaded

• Element inside an iframe

• Dynamic element IDs

How to Fix

• Verify locator using browser DevTools

• Add WebDriverWait to wait for element visibility

• Switch to the correct iframe if the element resides inside one

• Use relative XPaths instead of dynamic ones

new WebDriverWait(driver, Duration.ofSeconds(10))
        .until(ExpectedConditions.visibilityOfElementLocated(By.id("username")));

2. Timeout Exception

What It Means:

The expected condition did not occur within the specified wait time.

Common Causes

• Slow network or UI load

• Incorrect waiting strategy

• Wrong Expected Condition

How to Fix

• Increase wait time

• Ensure the condition matches the actual behavior

• Use Explicit Wait instead of Thread.sleep()

wait.until(ExpectedConditions.elementToBeClickable(By.xpath("//button")));

3. Element Not Interactable Exception

What It Means:

The element exists in the DOM but is not interactable (hidden, disabled, overlapped).

Common Causes

• Element is hidden or behind another element

• Modal dialogs or popups covering the element

• Timing issues

How to Fix

• Wait for element to be clickable

• Scroll the element into view

• Check if any overlay or loader is blocking interaction

((JavascriptExecutor) driver).executeScript("arguments[0].scrollIntoView(true);", element);

4. Stale Element Reference Exception

What It Means:

The element is no longer attached to the DOM.

Common Causes

• Page reload or partial refresh

• DOM updates due to dynamic content

• Reusing old element references

How to Fix

• Re-locate the element before interacting

• Use retry logic with a loop

• Wait for page/DOM stabilization

driver.findElement(By.id("submit")).click();

5. Element Click Intercepted Exception

What It Means:

Another element is blocking the element you are trying to click.

Common Causes

• Sticky banners, ads, loaders

• Animations in progress

• Overlapping elements

How to Fix

• Wait for overlays to disappear

• Scroll to the element

• Use JavaScript click as backup

((JavascriptExecutor) driver).executeScript("arguments[0].click();", element);

6. Web Driver Exception

What It Means:

General failure in WebDriver.

Common Causes

• Browser driver version mismatch

• Browser not reachable

• Session died unexpectedly

How to Fix

• Update browser driver (ChromeDriver, GeckoDriver, etc.)

• Ensure correct driver-browser compatibility

• Restart driver session

7. Invalid Selector Exception

What It Means:

The locator (XPath, CSS) you used is invalid.

Common Causes

• Syntax error in XPath

• Using XPath with CSS selector method or vice versa

• Unsupported locator format

How to Fix

• Validate the locator in DevTools

• Correct wrong syntax

• Use appropriate locator strategy

8. Session Not Created Exception

What It Means:

WebDriver session could not be created.

Common Causes

• Browser version higher than driver

• Corrupted driver

• Unsupported browser version

How to Fix

• Download matching driver version

• Use Web Driver Manager

• Update or downgrade browser if required

WebDriverManager.chromedriver().setup();

Best Practices to Avoid Selenium Exceptions

To minimize exceptions, follow these guidelines:

✅ Use Explicit Waits Smartly

Prefer WebDriverWait over implicit waits or Thread.sleep().

✅ Always Validate Locators

Use stable attributes, avoid dynamic XPaths.

✅ Handle Page Loads & AJAX

Wait for DOM readiness and asynchronous calls.

✅ Add Retry & Recovery Logic

Especially for dynamic elements.

✅ Keep Browser and Driver Versions in Sync

Use version managers to simplify updates.

Conclusion

Selenium exceptions are common, but most are easy to diagnose and fix once you understand their root cause. By implementing proper waits, using stable locators, and handling dynamic web pages correctly, you can build reliable, maintainable Selenium test scripts.