Downloading a file at a specified location through python and selenium using Chrome driver

Question

I am trying to automatically download some links through selenium's click functionality and I am using a chrome webdriver and python as the programming language. How can I select the download directory through the python program so that it does not get downloaded in the default Downloads directory. I found a solution for firefox but there the download dialog keeps popping up every time it clicks on the link which does not happen in Chrome.

Cankerous

Go to chrome settings and check Ask to save each file before downloading – Tadtada

Possible duplicate of setting Chrome preferences w/ Selenium Webdriver in Python – Underline

Answer 1

Update 2018:

Its not valid Chrome command line switch, see the source code use hoju answer below to set the Preferences.

Original:

You can create a profile for chrome and define the download location for the tests. Here is an example:

from selenium import webdriver

options = webdriver.ChromeOptions() 
options.add_argument("download.default_directory=C:/Downloads")

driver = webdriver.Chrome(chrome_options=options)

Abby

Why do you need to import Options? – Dreary

This does not appear to work. Perhaps Chromedriver's interface has changed? hoju's response appears to work now. – Sissified

it's not work if we want download a video..video show on chrome instead of download...How download video now? – Molecule

It's not work for me in mac, just try ans below: prefs = {'download.default_directory' : '/path/to/dir'}; chrome_options.add_experimental_option('prefs', prefs) – Bayer

This answer is deprecated. Acceptable answer should be changed to Hoju's. – Haymo

How to change the default directory after Webdriver started? How to get the name of file downloaded? – Zennie

Answer 2

I found the accepted solution didn't work, however this slight change did:

from selenium import webdriver

chrome_options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
prefs = {'download.default_directory' : '/path/to/dir'}
chrome_options.add_experimental_option('prefs', prefs)
driver = webdriver.Chrome(chrome_options=chrome_options)

Maggiore

Thanks! This really solve my problem. However, it seems not working for relative path. e.g. D:/ddd works while ./tmp does not. The ./tmp (relative path) ends up poping up a dialog for me to manually choose the directory... – Viradis

Is there a way to change download path while on current session, similar to how you click Chrome Settings->Download ? The answer I saw always incur building new option + new driver + get a whole new session . I would wish not to close the current session, since my folder separation based on each item in a drop-down list and there's no need to reload a new page. There are thousands of items in that drop-down; the accepted method means closing and loading the page thousands times. – Methadone

It's works! Mac google chrome 78.0.3904.97 and chromedriver 2.40 – Bayer

How to change the default directory after WebDriver started? – Zennie

How to get the name of file downloaded? – Zennie

chrome_options is deprecated – Disembark

Doesn't work for me and I am getting a download error. Code works fine for default download directory though (Windows) – Nicholle

Code worked for me and I don't get any down error. Also Chrome_Options is deprecated so I used options instead earlier the path was C:/Users/myusname/drivers/DownloadFiles I changed it to C:\Users\myusname\drivers\DownloadFiles\\ downloadFilepath = r"C:\Users\myusname\drivers\DownloadFiles\\"; chrome_options = webdriver.ChromeOptions() prefs = {"download.default_directory" : downloadFilepath} options.add_experimental_option('prefs', prefs) driver=webdriver.Chrome(executable_path=chromedriver,options=options) Solution: https://mcmap.net/q/328958/-selenium-webdriver-in-python-files-download-directory-change-in-chrome-preferences – Nicholle

@Methadone is this possible. Did you find the solution ? – Bedtime

Answer 3

the exact problem I also have faced while trying to do exactly same what you want to :)

For chrome:

from selenium import webdriver
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument("--start-maximized")
prefs = {"profile.default_content_settings.popups": 0,
             "download.default_directory": 
                        r"C:\Users\user_dir\Desktop\\",#IMPORTANT - ENDING SLASH V IMPORTANT
             "directory_upgrade": True}
options.add_experimental_option("prefs", prefs)
browser=webdriver.Chrome(<chromdriver.exe path>, options=options)

For Firefox: follow this blog for the answer: https://srirajeshsahoo.wordpress.com/2018/07/26/how-to-bypass-pop-up-during-download-in-firefox-using-selenium-and-python/

The blog says all about the pop-up and downloads dir and how to do

Hargrave

Answer 4

Using prefs solved my problem

path = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
prefs = {"download.default_directory":path}
options = Options()
options.add_experimental_option("prefs", prefs)
driver = webdriver.Chrome('../harveston/chromedriver.exe',options = options)

Cardialgia

Answer 5

This worked for me on Chrome v81.0.4044.138

preferences = {
                "profile.default_content_settings.popups": 0,
                "download.default_directory": os.getcwd() + os.path.sep,
                "directory_upgrade": True
            }

chrome_options.add_experimental_option('prefs', preferences)
browser = webdriver.Chrome(executable_path="/usr/bin/chromedriver", options=chrome_options)

Ilmenite

This one is working also on Chrome 80.0.3987.149. I tried the other answers above and they didn't work on my Ubuntu machine. Thanks @Ilmenite – Sorce

ditto for working with 81.0.4044.69. needs add of chrome_options = webdriver.ChromeOptions() – Strade

also: webdriver.Chrome(options=blah) supercedes webdriver.Chrome(chrome_options=blah) I would use a variable name other than chrome_options or options to avoid confusion. – Strade

The chrome_options is deprecated now. And if I use the options as mentioned in previous comment does not work(I wonder why it is not working). The above code works in my Mac of Chrome Version 83 – Supposed

Answer 6

If you are using linux distribution

Use this code

prefs = {'download.prompt_for_download': False,
         'download.directory_upgrade': True,
         'safebrowsing.enabled': False,
         'safebrowsing.disable_download_protection': True}

options.add_argument('--headless')
options.add_experimental_option('prefs', prefs)
driver = webdriver.Chrome('chromedriver.exe', chrome_options=options)
driver.command_executor._commands["send_command"] = ("POST", '/session/$sessionId/chromium/send_command')
driver.desired_capabilities['browserName'] = 'ur mum'
params = {'cmd': 'Page.setDownloadBehavior', 'params': {'behavior': 'allow', 'downloadPath': r'C:\chickenbutt'}}
driver.execute("send_command", params)

Eden

Answer 7

I see that many people have the same problem, just add the backslash at the end

op = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
prefs = {'download.default_directory' : 'C:\\Users\\SAJComputer\\PycharmProjects\\robot-test\\'}
op.add_experimental_option('prefs', prefs)
driver = webdriver.Chrome(executable_path=driver_path , options=op)

Error

Instead of using double backslash in the path you can convert the path as raw string using r'C:\Users\SAJComputer\PycharmProjects\robot-test' – Edmead

Answer 8

Update 2022:

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options

options = Options()

prefs = {"download.default_directory" : "C:\YourDirectory\Folder"}

options.add_experimental_option("prefs", prefs)

driver = webdriver.Chrome(service=Service(ChromeDriverManager().install()), options=options)

Corenda

What is Service in this case? it not defined before – Surtax

Answer 9

To provide download directory and chrome's diver executable path use the following code.

from selenium import webdriver
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions() 
options.add_argument("download.default_directory=C:/Your_Directory")
driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options ,executable_path='C:/chromedriver')

change the path in your code accordingly.

Ahearn

Answer 10

Below code snippet holds good for Windows/linux/MacOs distro:

    downloadDir = f"{os.getcwd()}//downloads//"
    # Make sure path exists.
    Path(downloadDir).mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
    
    # Set Preferences.
    preferences = {"download.default_directory": downloadDir,
                   "download.prompt_for_download": False,
                   "directory_upgrade": True,
                   "safebrowsing.enabled": True}

    chromeOptions = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
    chromeOptions.add_argument("--window-size=1480x560")
    chromeOptions.add_experimental_option("prefs", preferences)

    driver = webdriver.Chrome(DRIVER_PATH, options=chromeOptions)
    driver.get(url)
    time.sleep(10)
    driver.close()

Misgive

Answer 11

It's for relative path:

download_directory = os.path.abspath('./tmp')
chrome_options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
prefs = {'download.default_directory' : download_directory}
chrome_options.add_experimental_option('prefs', prefs)
driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=chrome_options)

Murraymurre

Answer 12

This is non code level solution with no chrome profiling/options settings.

If you are using script only on your local machine then use this solution

Click on Menu -> Setting -> Show advanced settings... -> Downloads

Now uncheck

Ask where to save each file before downloading

Hope it will help you :)

Matildematin

This question is about controlling chrome through an automated system called selenium. You answered as if he asked about controlling chrome manually. – Kuhlman

It's a one time configuration you have to made and yes it's a solution too – Matildematin

This is actually a valid and working answer. It worked perfectly for me. – Chorizo

Please rate this answer .. I need to remove it if it will have negative rating – Matildematin

Shubam had answered it well. Set your chrome profile's default directory and then it will be the solution. – Topmost

The goal is to change this configuration through Selenium and not manually... the whole point of Selenium is to automatize. – Haymo

Doesn’t you all guys just look it at a solution for local as I said and if not work then downgrade me .. so if I delete this working solution and no one else can see even if useful for them does that make all happy? – Matildematin