How to Handle 'Stale Element Reference' Exceptions in Selenium?

Stale Element Reference: Unveiling the Cause and Finding a Solution

In Selenium, encountering a "stale element reference" exception can be frustrating, as it indicates that the element being referenced is no longer attached to the page document. This error often occurs when the DOM has undergone significant changes, such as dynamic loading or page navigation.

To resolve this issue, it is crucial to identify the exact line of code that triggers the exception. In the provided code, the line responsible for the error seems to be:

<code class="java">driver.findElement(By.xpath(String.format(BenefitStatLi, i))).click();</code>

This line attempts to click on an element based on a formatted XPath string. However, the underlying element may have been removed or modified by the time the click is executed, leading to the stale element reference exception.

The underlying cause of this issue is that the DOM is not stable when the code executes. To address this, one can consider implementing a retry mechanism that waits for the element to become available again before clicking it. Here's an example of such a retry:

<code class="java">try {
    // Attempt to click on the element
    driver.findElement(By.xpath(String.format(BenefitStatLi, i))).click();
} catch (org.openqa.selenium.StaleElementReferenceException ex) {
    // Element is not yet available, so wait and try again
    Thread.sleep(200); // Replace with appropriate wait time
    driver.findElement(By.xpath(String.format(BenefitStatLi, i))).click();
}</code>

By introducing a wait time before retrying the click, the code gives the DOM enough time to stabilize and ensures that the element is present and clickable before proceeding.

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