Install Selenium from a Wheel (.whl) File

A Python Wheel file (.whl) is a pre-built package that can be installed using pip. You can install Selenium directly from the downloaded Selenium wheel file without downloading Selenium from PyPI.

Check Python Installation

Open Command Prompt and run:

python --version

Example output:

Python 3.12.5

Check pip

pip --version

Example:

pip 24.x.x from C:\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip (python 3.12)

Locate the Selenium Wheel File

Suppose you have downloaded the Selenium wheel file to:

C:\Downloads\selenium-4.x.x-py3-none-any.whl

The exact filename depends on the Selenium version you downloaded.

Install Selenium from the Wheel File

Navigate to the folder containing the wheel file:

cd C:\Downloads

Then install it using:

pip install selenium-4.x.x-py3-none-any.whl

You can also provide the complete path:

pip install C:\Downloads\selenium-4.x.x-py3-none-any.whl

If You Have a Specific Python Version

On Windows, you can explicitly use Python’s module form of pip:

python -m pip install C:\Downloads\selenium-4.x.x-py3-none-any.whl

This is often preferable because it ensures that the package is installed into the pip environment associated with that Python installation.

Verify the Installation

Run:

python -c "import selenium; print(selenium.__version__)"

Example output:

4.x.x

Test Selenium with a Simple Python Program

from selenium import webdriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome()
driver.get("https://www.google.com")

print(driver.title)

driver.quit()

If Selenium is installed correctly and Chrome/WebDriver setup is available, the browser will open and navigate to Google.

Important: Installing Dependencies

Installing a wheel file may require Selenium’s dependent packages to be installed as well. When pip has access to the internet, it can normally resolve and install these dependencies automatically.

For a completely offline installation, you should have the required dependency wheel files available and install them from your local folder.

pip install C:\Downloads\*.whl

Note: Installing every wheel in a folder is convenient only when the folder contains the packages you actually need.

Common Error

If you see an error such as:

ERROR: ... is not a supported wheel on this platform.

the wheel may not be compatible with your Python version or operating system. Check the wheel filename and make sure it matches your Python environment.

Quick Command

The simplest installation command is:

python -m pip install C:\Downloads\selenium-4.x.x-py3-none-any.whl

Then verify:

python -c "import selenium; print(selenium.__version__)"