How to handle StaleElementReferenceException in Selenium?
StaleElementReferenceException in Selenium
The following exception StaleElementReferenceException occurs when an element on a web page is no longer attached to the DOM (Document Object Model), but you’re still trying to interact with it. A WebElement is a reference to an element in the DOM.
This exception is thrown when the element you interacted with is destroyed and recreated. When this happens, the reference to the element in the DOM you previously used has become stale, and you can no longer use this reference to interact with the element in the DOM. When this happens, refresh your reference or find the element again.
Reasons
This can happen for several reasons:
- DOM Changes
- Dynamic Content
- Timing Issues
How to handle it?
If the page’s content changes dynamically, ensure your tests account for these changes by waiting for specific conditions or elements to stabilize before proceeding with interactions.
To handle StaleElementReferenceException in Selenium, consider the following strategies:
Explicit Waits
Use Selenium’s explicit waits to ensure the element is present and stable before interacting with it. This helps avoid race conditions in which the element might become stale.
Refresh Element Reference
If you encounter a StaleElementReferenceException, catch the exception and attempt to find the element again. This can be useful in situations where the DOM might have changed unexpectedly.
Page Refresh
In some cases, refreshing the page can resolve issues related to stale elements, especially after navigation.
