guides

Wait For Selector

Pause browser execution until a specific CSS selector appears in the DOM, with optional timeout and error handling.

Updated May 28, 2025

Pause execution until a specific element appears in the DOM — ideal for waiting on AJAX content, modal windows, or any dynamically loaded section.

Command

"wait_for_selector"

This action waits until a particular CSS selector appears on the page. It's useful for synchronization and ensuring elements are present before interacting with them.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`cssSelector`	string	Yes	The CSS selector to wait for. Example: `[class='col']`
`timeout`	number	No	Time in milliseconds to wait before timing out. Default is system-defined. Example: `30000`
`when`	string	No	When to run the check: `"beforeload"` or `"afterload"`. Default is `"afterload"`.
`ignoreErrors`	boolean	No	Set to `true` to continue even if the selector is not found.

Example

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Notes

Use Case Ideas:

Wait for content to load after an AJAX call before scraping.
Detect when modals or confirmation boxes appear before clicking.
Ensure dynamic tables or product listings are fully rendered.

Tips:

Use wait_for_selector before actions like click, type, or solve_captcha.
Combine with ignoreErrors: true if the element may not always appear, but scraping should continue.