Automating File Downloads using Selenium Python

Automating file downloads is a common task in web testing and browser automation. Whether it’s downloading reports, images, PDFs, or spreadsheets, Selenium with Python offers a powerful and flexible way to automate these actions. However, since Selenium interacts with web elements and doesn’t natively handle OS-level popups like the browser’s file download dialog, it requires additional setup to automate file downloads successfully.

In this blog, we’ll walk through how to automate file downloads using Selenium in Python, including configuring the browser, handling download dialogs, and verifying file download success.


Why File Downloads Are Tricky with Selenium

Selenium controls the browser through the DOM (Document Object Model), but file download dialogs are not part of the DOM. These are system-level pop-ups that Selenium cannot control directly. That’s why we need to configure browser preferences to automatically download files to a specific location without prompting.


Step-by-Step: Automating File Downloads in Chrome

To automate file downloads, you need to:

  • Set the download directory
  • Disable download popups
  • Specify file types to download automatically

Here's how you can do it using Google Chrome and Selenium with Python:

python

from selenium import webdriver

from selenium.webdriver.chrome.service import Service

from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options

import time

import os


# Define download directory

download_dir = "/path/to/download/folder"


# Set Chrome options

chrome_options = Options()

prefs = {

    "download.default_directory": download_dir,

    "download.prompt_for_download": False,

    "download.directory_upgrade": True,

    "safebrowsing.enabled": True

}

chrome_options.add_experimental_option("prefs", prefs)


# Set up WebDriver

service = Service(executable_path="path/to/chromedriver")

driver = webdriver.Chrome(service=service, options=chrome_options)


# Navigate to file download page

driver.get("https://www.sample-videos.com/download-sample-pdf.php")


# Click on download link

driver.find_element("xpath", "//a[contains(text(),'Download Sample pdf File')]").click()


# Wait for download to complete

time.sleep(5)  # Or use a better wait strategy


# Check if file exists

filename = os.path.join(download_dir, "sample.pdf")

if os.path.exists(filename):

    print("Download successful!")

else:

    print("Download failed.")


driver.quit()

Automating File Downloads in Firefox

Firefox also allows you to configure download preferences using FirefoxProfile.

python

from selenium import webdriver


profile = webdriver.FirefoxProfile()

profile.set_preference("browser.download.folderList", 2)

profile.set_preference("browser.download.dir", "/path/to/download/folder")

profile.set_preference("browser.helperApps.neverAsk.saveToDisk", "application/pdf")

profile.set_preference("pdfjs.disabled", True)


driver = webdriver.Firefox(firefox_profile=profile)

driver.get("https://file-examples.com/index.php/sample-documents-download/sample-pdf-download/")

driver.find_element("xpath", "//a[text()='Download sample pdf file']").click()


Tips and Best Practices

  • Always configure the download directory dynamically using Python’s tempfile or os modules for testing environments.
  • Use proper MIME types for the file format you're downloading. For example, PDF: application/pdf, Excel: application/vnd.ms-excel.
  • Avoid using fixed sleep timers; instead, use logic to check if the file has been fully downloaded.
  • Use os.path.exists() or file size monitoring to verify download completion.
  • Consider headless mode if running in CI/CD pipelines.

Conclusion

Automating file downloads using Selenium in Python involves more than just clicking a download button. It requires smart browser configuration to bypass popups and save files automatically. With the right setup, you can streamline your test flows, validate download functionality, and make your automation more robust.

Whether you're downloading PDFs, CSVs, or reports, this knowledge will save you time and make your Selenium tests far more effective.

Learn Selenium with Pyhton Training Hyderabad
Read More: Handling Dynamic Elements in Selenium Python


Visit IHUB Talent Institute Hyderabad
Get Direction

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Use Tosca's Test Configuration Parameters

Tosca by Tricentis is a powerful model-based test automation tool widely used in enterprise environments for end-to-end testing. One of its most useful features is Test Configuration Parameters (TCPs), which provide flexibility and control in managing test execution. TCPs enable testers to create reusable test cases by passing dynamic values without hardcoding them. This significantly enhances test maintenance, scalability, and efficiency. In this blog, we’ll explore what Test Configuration Parameters are, how to create and use them, and the best practices to follow when working with TCPs in Tosca. What Are Test Configuration Parameters? Test Configuration Parameters are custom-defined key-value pairs that can be associated with test cases, test case folders, or execution lists in Tosca. They help manage configuration data such as environment URLs, browser types, credentials, or any other variable data that may differ across test runs. By using TCPs, you can avoid duplicating test case...
Read more

Installing Java and Eclipse IDE for Selenium Automation

Selenium is one of the most popular open-source tools for automating web applications for testing purposes. To begin your journey with Selenium automation using Java, you need to first install Java Development Kit (JDK) and an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) like Eclipse. This blog will walk you through the step-by-step process of setting up Java and Eclipse IDE on your system, preparing you to start writing and executing Selenium scripts. Step 1: Install Java Development Kit (JDK) What is JDK? The Java Development Kit (JDK) provides the tools required to develop and run Java applications. It includes the Java Runtime Environment (JRE), compiler (javac), and various development tools. How to Install JDK: Download JDK: Visit the official Oracle website or use an open-source version like AdoptOpenJDK. Download the latest stable version (preferably JDK 11 or later). Install JDK: Run the downloaded installer and follow the installation wizard. During installation, note the install...
Read more

How Flutter Works Behind the Scenes

Flutter, Google’s open-source UI toolkit, has rapidly become a popular choice for building beautiful, natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase. But have you ever wondered how Flutter works behind the scenes to deliver such smooth and performant apps? In this blog, we’ll dive into Flutter’s architecture and explain the key components that make it tick. What is Flutter? At its core, Flutter allows developers to write code in the Dart programming language, which is then compiled to native machine code. Flutter doesn’t rely on native UI components; instead, it draws every pixel on the screen using its own rendering engine. This unique approach gives developers full control over the UI and enables consistent behavior across platforms. Flutter’s Architecture: The Big Picture Flutter’s architecture can be broken down into three main layers: Dart Framework Flutter Engine Platform-Specific Embedder 1. Dart Framework The Dart framework is what developers...
Read more