Can a Python headless Chrome browser be made visible?

Other Questions Headless Browser
1

I’m working on a project with Selenium and Python. I’ve set up a headless Chrome browser using the --headless argument. Here’s how I did it:

options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument('--headless')
driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)

Now I’m wondering if it’s possible to make this browser visible later on, like when a certain condition is met. I tried removing the headless argument:

options.arguments.remove('--headless')

But it didn’t work. The browser stays invisible. Is there a way to switch from headless to visible mode while the script is running? Or do I need to start a new browser instance? Any ideas would be appreciated!

2

As someone who’s worked extensively with Selenium, I can confirm that switching from headless to visible mid-session isn’t possible. The headless mode is set when initializing the WebDriver and can’t be changed afterwards. However, there’s a workaround that I’ve used successfully in similar situations.

You’ll need to close your current headless driver and create a new visible one. Here’s how you can do it:

driver.quit()
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)

This approach allows you to start with a headless browser for speed, then switch to a visible one when needed. Just remember to transfer any necessary state (like cookies or local storage) between the two instances if required for your specific use case.

While it’s not as seamless as flipping a switch, it’s the most practical solution given Selenium’s constraints. Hope this helps with your project!

3

hey mate, i feel ur pain. switching from headless to visible mid-script ain’t possible. what u could do is kill the current driver and make a new one without the headless option. something like:

driver.quit()
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)

might not be perfect but it should work for ya

4

I’ve run into this exact issue before, and it’s a bit tricky. Unfortunately, you can’t just flip a switch to make a headless browser visible mid-session. The headless mode is baked in when you start the WebDriver.

What I ended up doing was creating two separate driver instances - one headless and one visible. Then, based on my conditions, I’d switch between them. It’s not the most elegant solution, but it worked for my needs.

Here’s a rough idea of how I structured it:

headless_options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
headless_options.add_argument('--headless')
headless_driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=headless_options)

visible_options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
visible_driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=visible_options)

# Use headless_driver for most operations

if some_condition:
    # Switch to visible_driver for specific tasks
    visible_driver.get(current_url)
    # Perform visible operations

# Switch back to headless_driver when done

This approach lets you leverage the speed of headless browsing most of the time, but still have the option to ‘see’ what’s happening when needed. Just remember to manage your resources and close drivers when you’re done with them.