In Selenium 2’s Python bindings, use ActionChains to move the mouse by an offset, then click at its current position:
from selenium.webdriver.common.action_chains import ActionChains
ActionChains(driver).move_by_offset(x, y).click().perform()This is a relative pointer move, not a command to click absolute desktop or screen coordinates. The offsets start at the pointer’s current position, and the queued actions run when you call perform(). If you can identify the page element, clicking that element directly is usually clearer.
What “arbitrary position” means in Selenium 2
Selenium 2’s Python ActionChains API lets you describe pointer actions without passing a page element to click(). In the coordinate pattern, move_by_offset(x, y) moves the pointer relative to where it currently is; click() with no element clicks at the pointer’s current position. The Selenium Python Bindings 2 Action Chains documentation describes these methods and the queued-action model.
That distinction matters: x and y are not coordinates measured from the top-left of the monitor, browser window, or document. The reviewed Selenium 2 documentation does not provide a general conversion formula between those coordinate systems and the browser pointer. If you need an operating-system-level click or a point mapped from a screenshot, this API pattern does not, by itself, establish that mapping.
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Click at a point relative to the current pointer
Use this pattern when the target is genuinely point-based and you know the desired offset from the pointer’s current location:
from selenium.webdriver.common.action_chains import ActionChains
ActionChains(driver).move_by_offset(x, y).click().perform()Here, driver is your active Selenium WebDriver and x and y are integer offsets in the pointer movement. The first line creates an action chain; the next two queue a movement and a click; perform() dispatches them in order. The Selenium 2 documentation explains that actions remain queued on the ActionChains object until perform() is called.
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The example below opens a page and then makes a relative pointer move. Replace the URL and offsets with values appropriate to your page and browser session. It is deliberately not presented as a universal screen-coordinate conversion: the target position depends on where the pointer is when the movement begins.
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from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.action_chains import ActionChains
url = input("Page URL: ")
x = int(input("Horizontal pointer offset: "))
y = int(input("Vertical pointer offset: "))
driver = webdriver.Firefox()
try:
driver.get(url)
ActionChains(driver).move_by_offset(x, y).click().perform()
finally:
driver.quit()This uses Selenium’s Firefox WebDriver interface and assumes the browser driver is available to the Selenium installation. The click occurs after navigation returns; if the page has not reached the visual state you need, first establish that state in your own test flow. The sources cited here define the pointer action behavior, but do not prescribe a page-specific readiness strategy.
Why the final call matters
ActionChains stores actions in a queue. Building the chain does not itself fire the events; perform() is the execution step. If you omit it, the intended movement and click have not been dispatched. You can chain additional documented actions before the final call, but keep the sequence explicit so it is clear which pointer position the click uses.
Click relative to a known element instead
If you have a WebElement and need a point inside it rather than its ordinary click behavior, Selenium 2.3’s manual documents move_to_element_with_offset(element, x, y). In that historical manual, the offsets are relative to the element’s top-left corner:
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ActionChains(driver).move_to_element_with_offset(element, x, y).click().perform()This differs from move_by_offset(): the movement is anchored to an element rather than the pointer’s current position. It can make the origin easier to reason about when an element is available. For an ordinary button, link, or other identifiable control, prefer the element’s normal click when a point-specific interaction is not needed.
Version wording is important. The Selenium Python Bindings Documentation, Release 2.3 documents the historical top-left origin. The current Selenium Python API describes move_to_element_with_offset() offsets relative to the element’s in-view center. Do not apply that current description retroactively to Selenium 2.3 code.
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|---|---|---|
move_by_offset(x, y) |
Current pointer position | A point specified as a relative pointer movement, without an element reference |
move_to_element_with_offset(element, x, y) in Selenium 2.3 |
Element’s top-left corner, per the 2.3 manual | A point specified relative to a known element |
element.click() |
The identified WebElement | A normal click on a known control |
Keep the target in the visible browser viewport
Pointer offsets must land on a usable position in the browser’s visible viewport. The current Selenium Python API documents an out-of-bounds exception when pointer movement targets a location outside that viewport. That is a current API statement; it should not be treated as proof that every Selenium 2 and browser-driver combination reports the same exception or handles the boundary identically.
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- Check that the page is at the intended scroll position before choosing a point.
- Keep the target within the visible viewport rather than assuming a document coordinate can be sent directly.
- Verify the interaction in the specific browser and driver combination used by your test.
- If the target is a normal page control, use its WebElement instead of estimating a point.
Common failure modes and how to investigate them
The click appears to do nothing
First confirm that the chain ends with .perform(); actions are queued before that call. Then check that the intended page state and pointer origin are correct. With move_by_offset(), the offset is relative to the pointer’s current location, so assuming a fixed absolute origin can put the click elsewhere than expected.
The target is outside the viewport
Reposition the page so the target point is visible and use offsets that remain within the browser viewport. The current API documents an out-of-bounds movement exception for an outside target. Because that detail comes from current documentation, inspect the behavior of the actual Selenium 2 binding and browser-driver pair if you are maintaining a legacy test.
An element-relative offset lands in the wrong place
Check the version-specific origin before adjusting the numbers. Selenium 2.3 describes offsets from the element’s top-left; current Selenium Python API documentation describes the in-view center. Mixing those definitions shifts the intended target. Confirm the binding version and follow the documentation for that version.
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A coordinate copied from a screenshot does not match
The documented Selenium 2 methods here use either the current pointer position or a WebElement as their origin; they do not establish a universal conversion from screenshot pixels to browser pointer offsets. Avoid assuming that browser chrome, page scrolling, display scaling, and driver behavior can be collapsed into a single formula from these method definitions. Prefer a DOM element when one is available, or validate the exact coordinate mapping in the environment where the test runs.
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Choose the right click method
- Use
WebElement.click()when the target is an identifiable page element and you want a standard click. - Use
move_to_element_with_offset()when a point within a known element is required, applying the Selenium 2.3 top-left origin for that historical API. - Use
move_by_offset()when the interaction is genuinely defined as movement from the pointer’s current position.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Selenium 2 click at absolute desktop coordinates with this method?
No. The documented method moves by an offset from the current pointer position; it is not a direct absolute screen-coordinate API.
Why does the element-offset example differ from current Selenium documentation?
The Selenium 2.3 manual gives the element’s top-left as the origin, while current Selenium Python API documentation describes the in-view center. Use the semantics documented for the binding version in your project.
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