Tired of Selenium Errors? Here’s How to Fix 6 WebDriver Exceptions in Java

🧑‍💻 Introduction

Are you tired of your Selenium WebDriver scripts failing with confusing Java errors?

You’re not alone.

Whether you’re a beginner or experienced tester, it’s frustrating to see your automation break due to unexpected exceptions. But here’s the good news — most Selenium errors are common and solvable.

In this post, you’ll learn about the 6 most common WebDriver exceptions in Java, why they happen, and how to fix them with clear code examples and pro tips.

This guide is written in simple language, perfect for anyone learning web automation testing with Selenium and Java.

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🔍 What Are Selenium WebDriver Exceptions?

Selenium WebDriver exceptions are runtime errors that occur when the script can’t perform a specific action on a web element — like clicking a button or finding a field.

These exceptions usually happen because:

• The element doesn’t exist or isn’t ready yet.
• The page has changed (DOM refresh).
• You’re using an incorrect locator.
• Something is blocking the interaction (like a popup).

Let’s dive into the top 6 exceptions you’re most likely to face 👇

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1️⃣ NoSuchElementException

❓ What it means:

Selenium can’t find the element with the given locator.

⚠️ Common causes:

• Typo in the locator (e.g. wrong id or xpath)
• Page hasn’t loaded completely
• Element is inside an iframe

✅ Solution (Java):

javaCopyEdittry {
    WebElement button = driver.findElement(By.id("submitBtn"));
    button.click();
} catch (NoSuchElementException e) {
    System.out.println("Element not found. Please check the locator.");
}

🧠 Pro Tip:

Use explicit wait to wait until the element is present.

javaCopyEditWebDriverWait wait = new WebDriverWait(driver, Duration.ofSeconds(10));
WebElement button = wait.until(ExpectedConditions.presenceOfElementLocated(By.id("submitBtn")));

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2️⃣ ElementNotInteractableException

❓ What it means:

Selenium found the element, but can’t interact with it (it’s invisible, hidden, or disabled).

⚠️ Common causes:

• Hidden element
• Trying to type before the field is ready
• The field is disabled

✅ Solution:

javaCopyEditWebDriverWait wait = new WebDriverWait(driver, Duration.ofSeconds(10));
WebElement input = wait.until(ExpectedConditions.elementToBeClickable(By.id("username")));
input.sendKeys("testuser");

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3️⃣ TimeoutException

❓ What it means:

Your script waited for something to happen, but it didn’t occur in the given time.

⚠️ Common causes:

• Element never became visible
• Incorrect wait condition
• Element doesn’t exist

✅ Solution:

javaCopyEditWebDriverWait wait = new WebDriverWait(driver, Duration.ofSeconds(5));
try {
    wait.until(ExpectedConditions.visibilityOfElementLocated(By.id("welcomeMessage")));
} catch (TimeoutException e) {
    System.out.println("Element not visible within timeout.");
}

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4️⃣ StaleElementReferenceException

❓ What it means:

Selenium is referring to an element that is no longer attached to the DOM (due to page refresh or change).

⚠️ Common causes:

• DOM was updated
• Page refreshed
• Navigating back and trying to use an old element reference

✅ Solution:

javaCopyEditWebElement element = driver.findElement(By.id("myBtn"));
try {
    element.click();
} catch (StaleElementReferenceException e) {
    element = driver.findElement(By.id("myBtn")); // re-locate the element
    element.click();
}

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5️⃣ ElementClickInterceptedException

❓ What it means:

Selenium tries to click an element, but something else (like a popup or overlay) is blocking it.

⚠️ Common causes:

• Modal window or cookie popup is covering the element
• Sticky headers or footers
• Scroll issues

✅ Solution:

javaCopyEditWebElement btn = driver.findElement(By.id("loginBtn"));
JavascriptExecutor js = (JavascriptExecutor) driver;
js.executeScript("arguments[0].scrollIntoView(true);", btn);
btn.click();

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6️⃣ InvalidSelectorException

❓ What it means:

The locator you wrote (XPath or CSS) is not valid.

⚠️ Common causes:

• Broken XPath
• Wrong quotes or brackets
• Typo in CSS selector

✅ Solution:

javaCopyEdittry {
    WebElement input = driver.findElement(By.xpath("//input[@name='username']"));
} catch (InvalidSelectorException e) {
    System.out.println("Check the XPath or CSS syntax.");
}

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✅ Pro Tips to Avoid Selenium Exceptions

Here are some best practices that can save your scripts from crashing:

• 🔁 Re-locate elements after navigation or page update.
• ⏱ Use WebDriverWait instead of Thread.sleep().
• 🔍 Test your locators using browser DevTools first.
• 🎯 Use descriptive error handling with try-catch.
• 📄 Organize code using Page Object Model (POM) for better reusability.

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📘 Conclusion

Selenium exceptions are part of every automation tester’s journey — but they don’t have to stop you. Most exceptions like NoSuchElementException, TimeoutException, or StaleElementReferenceException happen for predictable reasons and can be solved with the right techniques.

By using waits, writing clean locators, and adding exception handling, you can make your Java Selenium scripts far more reliable.