I’ve been utilizing Selenium with Python for several months to automate downloads from a website that blocks direct HTTP downloads, which results in 403 errors. To overcome this, I switched to operating a headless browser for navigating to the file links and initiating their downloads. This worked effectively until recently. Now, it appears I can’t turn off the experimental option prompt_for_download in Selenium, resulting in a ‘Save As’ dialogue that disrupts the automated navigation. Below is a portion of my previously functional script, executed in a Windows 11 environment:
# necessary imports
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.service import Service
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options
from webdriver_manager.chrome import ChromeDriverManager
# setup for headless browser
chrome_options = Options()
chrome_options.add_argument('--headless')
# configuration for downloads
chrome_options.add_experimental_option('prefs', {
'download.default_directory': r'C:\my_download_path\',
'download.prompt_for_download': False,
'download.directory_upgrade': True,
'safebrowsing.enabled': True
})
# initialize browser instance
driver = webdriver.Chrome(
service=Service(ChromeDriverManager().install()),
options=chrome_options
)
# omitted details about navigating and finding the file URL ('download_url')
# downloading the file
driver.get(download_url)
# pause for download completion
time.sleep(5)
# proceed with further actions
I’m eager to hear if anyone else has encountered this issue lately or if there are any flaws in my code.
To resolve the issue of the 'Save As' dialogue box in your Selenium automation with a headless browser, try using the following approach:
1. **Update Selenium and Chrome Driver:**
Ensure both Selenium and Chrome Driver are updated to the latest versions. This may resolve compatibility issues causing the prompt.
2. **Add Additional Chrome Options:**
Include more configuration settings to manage behavior:
chrome_options.add_argument('--no-sandbox')
chrome_options.add_argument('--disable-dev-shm-usage')
chrome_options.add_argument('--disable-gpu') # In some environments, disabling GPU helps stability
chrome_options.add_argument('--disable-software-rasterizer')
3. **Use Full-Screen Browser:**
Try maximizing the browser window in headless mode. This can occasionally bypass dialog issues:
chrome_options.add_argument('--window-size=1920,1080')
4. **Correction in Script:**
Ensure `time.sleep(5)` matches the download time you expect. Consider using a more robust way of checking download completion like a file check.
5. **Alternative Tools:**
If the issue persists, tools like Helium might provide better control over headless operations without prompts.
By adopting these techniques, you should be able to navigate the download prompt issue more effectively. Let me know how it goes!
To tackle the issue with the 'Save As' prompt while using headless Selenium WebDriver, alter or add these configurations:
chrome_options.add_argument('--disable-popup-blocking')
chrome_options.add_argument('--headless=new')
These options might help in preventing the 'Save As' dialog. Ensure they're added above before initializing your webdriver.Chrome instance. Additionally, check if recent Chrome/driver updates introduced new settings that could be affecting the download process.