Selenium Module Import Issue on macOS

Product Support
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#1

I’m writing a script to check a website using Selenium for the first time on my macOS system. Even though I verified that selenium-2.46.0-py2.7.egg is present in /Library/Python/2.7/site-packages, when I try to run the script, it reports that there is no module named Selenium available.

Here’s the error log I’m encountering:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/GiulioColleluori/Desktop/Class_Checker.py", line 10, in <module>
    from selenium import webdriver
ImportError: No module named 'selenium'

I’m unsure why it’s not identify and why it’s telling me there is no module named Selenium despite it being installed. Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

#2

I’ve been working with Selenium for several years, and I’ve encountered the “no module named Selenium” error a few times. Here’s a step-by-step solution that might help:

If you have pip installed, you can install Selenium by running:


pip install selenium

If you encounter permission issues, you may need to use sudo:


sudo pip install selenium

For Python 3, you can install Selenium with pip3:


sudo pip3 install selenium

In comparison to easy_install, pip is considered a more reliable package installer and was designed to improve upon easy_install’s shortcomings.

When starting new projects, especially involving Selenium or other dependencies, creating and using virtual environments is recommended. Virtual environments help isolate project dependencies and prevent conflicts.

#3

I’ve got a solid background in resolving these kinds of issues, and I’ve seen the “no module named Selenium” error pop up frequently. If pip install commands aren’t working due to permission issues, a solution that often works is using:


sudo -H pip3 install -U selenium

This command installs or upgrades Selenium with elevated privileges, ensuring it’s accessible system-wide for Python 3 projects. By doing so, you should be able to get rid of the “no module named Selenium” issue.

#4

I’ve been in your shoes, especially on different systems and IDEs. I encountered the same issue on Windows 10 with VS Code 1.49.1. You’ve already installed Selenium, but you’re still getting an ImportError: No module named ‘selenium’.

Here’s what’s likely happening:

Installation Directory Mismatch: Selenium is installed in /Library/Python/2.7/site-packages and selenium-2.46.0-py2.7.egg. However, the Python interpreter you’re using, such as /Library/Python/3.8/site-packages, doesn’t have Selenium installed. This mismatch causes Python to not find the Selenium module.

Solution: You need to ensure Selenium is installed in the directory that matches your Python version, or alternatively, change the Python interpreter setting in VS Code to point to where Selenium is installed.

Steps to Resolve:

  1. Check which Python interpreter VS Code is using (bottom left corner of the screen).

  2. Install Selenium using pip for the correct Python version. For example, if you’re using Python 3.8:

    pip3 install selenium

  3. If you’ve installed Selenium in the correct directory but VS Code still doesn’t find it, change the interpreter in VS Code to match where Selenium is installed.

This adjustment should help Python locate the Selenium module without issues.