I’ve been trying to find a headless browser that can handle JavaScript pop-ups but I’m running into some issues. I tested a couple of Docker images with browsers. One was completely headless and the other used Chrome with xvfb. The problem is that neither of them seem to support pop-ups created with window.open. When I check driver.window_handles, there’s always just one element.
I’m using Python with Selenium WebDriver for this project. Should I try running it without Docker? Or is there another solution I’m missing? I’d really appreciate any advice or suggestions on this. Has anyone else run into similar problems with headless browsers and pop-ups? What worked for you?
I’ve dealt with similar issues in my automation projects. From my experience, handling pop-ups in headless browsers can be tricky. One approach that worked for me was using Chrome in headless mode with the ‘–no-sandbox’ and ‘–disable-gpu’ flags. This setup allowed me to interact with pop-ups more reliably.
Another solution I found effective was using a tool like Puppeteer instead of Selenium. Puppeteer has better support for handling multiple windows and pop-ups in headless mode. It’s JavaScript-based, but there are Python wrappers available if you prefer sticking with Python.
If you’re set on using Selenium, you might want to try explicitly waiting for new window handles to appear after triggering actions that should open pop-ups. Sometimes the pop-ups take a moment to register. Also, ensure your JavaScript code for opening pop-ups is compatible with the headless environment.
Running without Docker could help isolate whether it’s a containerization issue, but in my experience, the problem usually lies in the browser configuration or the way pop-ups are being triggered and detected.
hey markseeker, i’ve had luck with phantomjs for popups. it’s a bit old but works well. make sure u set the right capabilities in selenium. also, try adding some sleep() calls after clicking stuff that opens popups. sometimes the browser needs a sec to catch up. good luck!
Have you considered using Playwright? It’s a newer automation framework that’s designed to handle modern web apps, including those with complex JavaScript and pop-ups. I’ve found it to be more reliable than Selenium for these scenarios, especially in headless mode.
Playwright supports multiple languages, including Python, and has built-in waiting mechanisms that make dealing with pop-ups much easier. It also provides better isolation between browser contexts, which can help avoid some of the issues you’re experiencing.
If you’re open to trying a different approach, I’d recommend giving Playwright a shot. It might save you some headaches down the line, especially if you’re dealing with a lot of dynamic content and pop-ups in your automation tasks.
Just remember to properly configure your browser instance and use the appropriate wait commands when interacting with pop-ups. This can make a big difference in the reliability of your tests.