Playwright force click on hidden element does not work

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05-10-2024

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Playwright: Conquering the Challenge of Clicking Hidden Elements

Scenario: You're building an automated test using Playwright and encounter a frustrating issue: you can't interact with a hidden element, even though it's present in the DOM. The standard click() method fails, leaving you in a state of "click-less despair."

The Problem: Playwright, a powerful tool for web automation, relies on the browser's native event system. This system treats hidden elements as inaccessible, preventing interactions like clicks.

Let's break it down:

Imagine a scenario where you're automating a web application with a hidden "submit" button. Your code might look something like this:

const { chromium } = require('playwright');

async function main() {
  const browser = await chromium.launch();
  const page = await browser.newPage();

  await page.goto('https://your-website.com');
  await page.locator('button[type="submit"]').click(); // Fails to click the hidden button

  await browser.close();
}

main();

This code will fail because the "submit" button is hidden and therefore cannot be clicked directly.

Solution: The key is to manipulate the browser's environment to make the hidden element visible and clickable. Here's how you can achieve this:

1. Force Visibility:

• Using CSS: You can temporarily change the element's style using Playwright's evaluate method.

  await page.evaluate(() => {
      document.querySelector('button[type="submit"]').style.display = 'block'; 
  });
  

  This code snippet forces the "submit" button to be displayed as a block element, making it visible and clickable.

• Using Browser Context: Playwright allows you to create a new browser context with specific settings, such as disabling certain browser features. For example, you can create a context with "ignore-https-errors" enabled, which can be useful for dealing with websites that have security issues.

  const context = await browser.newContext({
     ignoreHTTPSErrors: true,
  });
  const page = await context.newPage();
  // ... rest of your code
  

• Force Click: In some cases, you might need to use a direct approach to click the hidden element, such as using page.mouse.click(x, y). You can use page.locator('button[type="submit"]').boundingBox() to get the coordinates of the element and then use those coordinates to click the element directly.

2. Address the Underlying Issue:

The root cause of the hidden element should be addressed. Is it intentionally hidden for user experience reasons? Is it hidden due to a bug in the website? Identifying the source of the hidden element allows you to explore more sustainable solutions.

3. Leveraging Playwright's Advanced Features:

• WaitForSelector: The waitForSelector method can be used to wait until the hidden element becomes visible before attempting to click it.
• WaitForNavigation: You can wait for the page to load completely or for specific events, such as form submissions, before attempting to click hidden elements.
• Clicking using JavaScript: Use page.evaluate to execute JavaScript code on the page that directly clicks the hidden element.

Example:

const { chromium } = require('playwright');

async function main() {
  const browser = await chromium.launch();
  const page = await browser.newPage();

  await page.goto('https://your-website.com');

  // Wait for the button to become visible
  await page.waitForSelector('button[type="submit"]');

  // Force the button to be displayed
  await page.evaluate(() => {
    document.querySelector('button[type="submit"]').style.display = 'block';
  });

  // Click the button
  await page.locator('button[type="submit"]').click();

  await browser.close();
}

main();

Important Considerations:

• Specificity: Ensure your selector targets the correct element. Use multiple attributes to make your selectors more precise.
• Timing: In dynamic websites, the element might appear later in the page lifecycle. Consider using waitForSelector to ensure the element is ready before attempting to interact with it.

In Conclusion:

Playwright provides you with a powerful toolkit to navigate the complexities of interacting with hidden elements. By understanding the limitations and leveraging the appropriate techniques, you can confidently test and automate interactions with hidden elements, even in the most dynamic web applications.