How to Update Chromedriver in Selenium

November 2, 2024

4 minutes

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In Selenium testing, keeping the Chromedriver updated is essential to ensure compatibility with the latest versions of the Chrome browser. Using an outdated driver can cause unexpected issues, leading to failed tests and compatibility errors. This guide will walk you through the steps to update Chromedriver in Selenium, helping you avoid these issues and maintain the reliability of your test scripts.

Why Updating Chromedriver in Selenium is Important

Selenium relies on Chromedriver to interact with the Chrome browser during testing. Each new Chrome update can introduce changes that might be incompatible with an outdated Chromedriver, causing errors or failures in your tests. Updating Chromedriver ensures that your test scripts can execute without interruptions, aligning with the current Chrome browser’s APIs and features.

Check the Current Chrome Version

To match Chromedriver with your Chrome version, you first need to check which version of Chrome you’re running. Follow these steps:

Open Google Chrome on your system.
Click on the three-dot ... menu in the upper-right corner.
Go to Help About Google Chrome .

This page will display the current version of Chrome, such as Chrome Version 130.0.6723.70. Note this version number, as it will help you find the compatible Chromedriver.

Download the Compatible Chromedriver

Chromedriver releases are tied to specific versions of Chrome, so it’s important to download the one that matches your browser version.

Go to the official Chromedriver download page and click the Version Selection link.

In the Version selection page, if you're using a Chrome Browser 115 and newer, click the the Chrome for Testing (CIT) availability dashboard link.

Find the Chromedriver version that matches your Chrome version. For example, if your Chrome version is 130, download Chromedriver 130.x.xxxx.xx..

Copy the link based on your operating system (e.g., Windows, macOS, or Linux) and paste it in a new tab and the ChromeDriver will automatically start downloading.

Replace the Old Chromedriver

Once downloaded, you’ll need to replace your old Chromedriver with the updated version. Locate the existing Chromedriver file in your project or Selenium setup. In our project we have a designated location to store our chromedriver so we’ll place the new driver there.

Copy the newly downloaded Chromedriver to the same directory.
Ensure the new file has the same permissions as the previous one (e.g., executable permissions on Linux/macOS).

Accept Permissions
Once you add ChromeDriver to your project, you must authorize it as a trusted application in your System Settings. Please go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy and accept the ChromeDriver as a verified third-party developer.

Update Path (if Necessary)

If your Chromedriver is stored in a directory included in your system’s PATH, Selenium will automatically use the updated version. However, if you’re using a custom path for Chromedriver, make sure your scripts point to the new file location.

In Java, you can specify the path as follows:

Set ChromeDriver Path

System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", "path/to/new/chromedriver");
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();

Test the Updated Chromedriver

To verify that the updated Chromedriver works as expected, run a simple Selenium script. Here’s an example in Java:

ChromeDriver.java

import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

public class ChromeDriver {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", "path/to/new/chromedriver");
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
        driver.get("https://www.masteringqa.com");
        System.out.println("Title of the page is: " + driver.getTitle());
        driver.quit();
    }
}

If the script opens Mastering QA home successfully and retrieves the page title without errors, your update is complete.

Automating Chromedriver Updates with WebDriverManager

To streamline Chromedriver updates, consider using WebDriverManager. This tool automatically manages drivers for popular browsers, including Chrome, eliminating the need for manual downloads. Here’s an example of how to use WebDriverManager in a Selenium project.

Add WebDriverManager to your project’s dependencies, such as through Maven:

Automatically Set ChromeDriver

<dependency>
    <groupId>io.github.bonigarcia</groupId>
    <artifactId>webdrivermanager</artifactId>
    <version>5.0.3</version>
</dependency>

In your code, use the following line to set up Chromedriver automatically:

Using Maven Chrome Driver

WebDriverManager.chromedriver().setup();
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();

WebDriverManager will ensure that the correct Chromedriver version is downloaded based on your installed Chrome browser, saving time and reducing potential errors from mismatched versions.

Conclusion

Updating Chromedriver in Selenium is a simple yet crucial step to keep your test environment compatible with the latest Chrome updates. By following these steps, you’ll ensure that your test scripts run smoothly and are free from unexpected errors due to driver incompatibilities. For teams managing multiple environments, WebDriverManager can be a valuable addition, automating driver updates and making Selenium testing more efficient.

Updating Chromedriver regularly keeps your Selenium tests reliable and ensures they perform well across all Chrome browser updates.