Downloading a file at a specified location through python and selenium using Chrome driver
Question:
I am trying to automatically download some links through selenium’s click functionality and I am using a chrome webdriver and python as the programming language. How can I select the download directory through the python program so that it does not get downloaded in the default Downloads directory. I found a solution for firefox but there the download dialog keeps popping up every time it clicks on the link which does not happen in Chrome.
Answers:
Update 2018:
Its not valid Chrome command line switch, see the source code use hoju answer below to set the Preferences.
Original:
You can create a profile for chrome and define the download location for the tests. Here is an example:
from selenium import webdriver
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument("download.default_directory=C:/Downloads")
driver = webdriver.Chrome(chrome_options=options)
I found the accepted solution didn’t work, however this slight change did:
from selenium import webdriver
chrome_options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
prefs = {'download.default_directory' : '/path/to/dir'}
chrome_options.add_experimental_option('prefs', prefs)
driver = webdriver.Chrome(chrome_options=chrome_options)
If you are using linux distribution
Use this code
prefs = {'download.prompt_for_download': False,
'download.directory_upgrade': True,
'safebrowsing.enabled': False,
'safebrowsing.disable_download_protection': True}
options.add_argument('--headless')
options.add_experimental_option('prefs', prefs)
driver = webdriver.Chrome('chromedriver.exe', chrome_options=options)
driver.command_executor._commands["send_command"] = ("POST", '/session/$sessionId/chromium/send_command')
driver.desired_capabilities['browserName'] = 'ur mum'
params = {'cmd': 'Page.setDownloadBehavior', 'params': {'behavior': 'allow', 'downloadPath': r'C:chickenbutt'}}
driver.execute("send_command", params)
To provide download directory and chrome’s diver executable path use the following code.
from selenium import webdriver
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument("download.default_directory=C:/Your_Directory")
driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options ,executable_path='C:/chromedriver')
change the path in your code accordingly.
the exact problem I also have faced while trying to do exactly same what you want to 🙂
For chrome:
from selenium import webdriver
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument("--start-maximized")
prefs = {"profile.default_content_settings.popups": 0,
"download.default_directory":
r"C:Usersuser_dirDesktop\",#IMPORTANT - ENDING SLASH V IMPORTANT
"directory_upgrade": True}
options.add_experimental_option("prefs", prefs)
browser=webdriver.Chrome(<chromdriver.exe path>, options=options)
For Firefox:
follow this blog for the answer:
https://srirajeshsahoo.wordpress.com/2018/07/26/how-to-bypass-pop-up-during-download-in-firefox-using-selenium-and-python/
The blog says all about the pop-up and downloads dir and how to do
This worked for me on Chrome v81.0.4044.138
preferences = {
"profile.default_content_settings.popups": 0,
"download.default_directory": os.getcwd() + os.path.sep,
"directory_upgrade": True
}
chrome_options.add_experimental_option('prefs', preferences)
browser = webdriver.Chrome(executable_path="/usr/bin/chromedriver", options=chrome_options)
Using prefs solved my problem
path = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
prefs = {"download.default_directory":path}
options = Options()
options.add_experimental_option("prefs", prefs)
driver = webdriver.Chrome('../harveston/chromedriver.exe',options = options)
I see that many people have the same problem, just add the backslash at the end
op = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
prefs = {'download.default_directory' : 'C:\Users\SAJComputer\PycharmProjects\robot-test\'}
op.add_experimental_option('prefs', prefs)
driver = webdriver.Chrome(executable_path=driver_path , options=op)
Below code snippet holds good for Windows/linux/MacOs distro:
downloadDir = f"{os.getcwd()}//downloads//"
# Make sure path exists.
Path(downloadDir).mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
# Set Preferences.
preferences = {"download.default_directory": downloadDir,
"download.prompt_for_download": False,
"directory_upgrade": True,
"safebrowsing.enabled": True}
chromeOptions = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
chromeOptions.add_argument("--window-size=1480x560")
chromeOptions.add_experimental_option("prefs", preferences)
driver = webdriver.Chrome(DRIVER_PATH, options=chromeOptions)
driver.get(url)
time.sleep(10)
driver.close()
Update 2022:
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options
options = Options()
prefs = {"download.default_directory" : "C:YourDirectoryFolder"}
options.add_experimental_option("prefs", prefs)
driver = webdriver.Chrome(service=Service(ChromeDriverManager().install()), options=options)
I am trying to automatically download some links through selenium’s click functionality and I am using a chrome webdriver and python as the programming language. How can I select the download directory through the python program so that it does not get downloaded in the default Downloads directory. I found a solution for firefox but there the download dialog keeps popping up every time it clicks on the link which does not happen in Chrome.
Update 2018:
Its not valid Chrome command line switch, see the source code use hoju answer below to set the Preferences.
Original:
You can create a profile for chrome and define the download location for the tests. Here is an example:
from selenium import webdriver
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument("download.default_directory=C:/Downloads")
driver = webdriver.Chrome(chrome_options=options)
I found the accepted solution didn’t work, however this slight change did:
from selenium import webdriver
chrome_options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
prefs = {'download.default_directory' : '/path/to/dir'}
chrome_options.add_experimental_option('prefs', prefs)
driver = webdriver.Chrome(chrome_options=chrome_options)
If you are using linux distribution
Use this code
prefs = {'download.prompt_for_download': False,
'download.directory_upgrade': True,
'safebrowsing.enabled': False,
'safebrowsing.disable_download_protection': True}
options.add_argument('--headless')
options.add_experimental_option('prefs', prefs)
driver = webdriver.Chrome('chromedriver.exe', chrome_options=options)
driver.command_executor._commands["send_command"] = ("POST", '/session/$sessionId/chromium/send_command')
driver.desired_capabilities['browserName'] = 'ur mum'
params = {'cmd': 'Page.setDownloadBehavior', 'params': {'behavior': 'allow', 'downloadPath': r'C:chickenbutt'}}
driver.execute("send_command", params)
To provide download directory and chrome’s diver executable path use the following code.
from selenium import webdriver
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument("download.default_directory=C:/Your_Directory")
driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options ,executable_path='C:/chromedriver')
change the path in your code accordingly.
the exact problem I also have faced while trying to do exactly same what you want to 🙂
For chrome:
from selenium import webdriver
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument("--start-maximized")
prefs = {"profile.default_content_settings.popups": 0,
"download.default_directory":
r"C:Usersuser_dirDesktop\",#IMPORTANT - ENDING SLASH V IMPORTANT
"directory_upgrade": True}
options.add_experimental_option("prefs", prefs)
browser=webdriver.Chrome(<chromdriver.exe path>, options=options)
For Firefox:
follow this blog for the answer:
https://srirajeshsahoo.wordpress.com/2018/07/26/how-to-bypass-pop-up-during-download-in-firefox-using-selenium-and-python/
The blog says all about the pop-up and downloads dir and how to do
This worked for me on Chrome v81.0.4044.138
preferences = {
"profile.default_content_settings.popups": 0,
"download.default_directory": os.getcwd() + os.path.sep,
"directory_upgrade": True
}
chrome_options.add_experimental_option('prefs', preferences)
browser = webdriver.Chrome(executable_path="/usr/bin/chromedriver", options=chrome_options)
Using prefs solved my problem
path = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
prefs = {"download.default_directory":path}
options = Options()
options.add_experimental_option("prefs", prefs)
driver = webdriver.Chrome('../harveston/chromedriver.exe',options = options)
I see that many people have the same problem, just add the backslash at the end
op = webdriver.ChromeOptions() prefs = {'download.default_directory' : 'C:\Users\SAJComputer\PycharmProjects\robot-test\'} op.add_experimental_option('prefs', prefs) driver = webdriver.Chrome(executable_path=driver_path , options=op)
Below code snippet holds good for Windows/linux/MacOs distro:
downloadDir = f"{os.getcwd()}//downloads//"
# Make sure path exists.
Path(downloadDir).mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
# Set Preferences.
preferences = {"download.default_directory": downloadDir,
"download.prompt_for_download": False,
"directory_upgrade": True,
"safebrowsing.enabled": True}
chromeOptions = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
chromeOptions.add_argument("--window-size=1480x560")
chromeOptions.add_experimental_option("prefs", preferences)
driver = webdriver.Chrome(DRIVER_PATH, options=chromeOptions)
driver.get(url)
time.sleep(10)
driver.close()
Update 2022:
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options
options = Options()
prefs = {"download.default_directory" : "C:YourDirectoryFolder"}
options.add_experimental_option("prefs", prefs)
driver = webdriver.Chrome(service=Service(ChromeDriverManager().install()), options=options)