python: selenium.common.exceptions.InvalidArgumentException: Message: invalid argument: invalid locator

Question

I wanted to write a python code on python 3.10 with selenium to automize the loging in my gmail account. There is something false with Xpath.

The Error that I am getting is selenium.common.exceptions.InvalidArgumentException: Message: invalid argument: invalid locator

Below is my code

from selenium.webdriver.chrome.service import Service
import time

browser = webdriver.Chrome(service=Service("C:/Users/user/Desktop/chromedriver.exe"))
browser.get("https://www.google.de/")

browser.fullscreen_window()
time.sleep(1)
login = browser.find_element("By.XPATH", "//*[@id='gb']/div/div[1]/div/div[1]/a")
login.click()
time.sleep(2)
browser.quit()```

I tried to change the Xpath but it didn't work. I thought that is something false with selenium code then I uninstalled the selenium and installed it again but it didn't work.

Asked By: code the M

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Source

Answer 1

Newcomer…

Google first. Selenium has been industry standard since I remember, this has been posted in THOUSAND sites.

In short, "By.XPATH" is pretty wrong. You pass a string there, you has to pass the function.

So, go back to google (or even here- search …), and find how to import By function in selenium (like you did with selenium) then pass the method like login = browser.find_element(By.XPATH, "//*[@id='gb']/div/div[1]/div/div[1]/a") and you’ll fine.

Remember this after ask very common questions like this, you have THOUSAND of lines examples of everything in google. Spend your time reading.

Answered By: m3nda

Answer 2

Remove the double quotes in By.XPATH –

browser.find_element(By.XPATH, "//*[@id='gb']/div/div[1]/div/div[1]/a")

and import By:

from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By

Answered By: AbiSaran

python: selenium.common.exceptions.InvalidArgumentException: Message: invalid argument: invalid locator

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