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If Chrome refuses to start and reports a sandbox error, add --no-sandbox to the Chrome options for that WebDriver session, then rerun a minimal test. Use this only as a targeted workaround: disabling Chrome’s sandbox weakens browser isolation, and it is not a general fix for screenshot commands that fail after Chrome has started.
First determine whether Chrome is failing to launch
A screenshot failure can happen at two different stages: Chrome may exit before the WebDriver session starts, or the browser may start and navigate successfully but fail when Selenium requests a screenshot. The sandbox flag is relevant to the first case only.
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- Reduce the test to creating a WebDriver session, navigating to one page, and taking one screenshot.
- Save the complete exception and, if available, Chrome and ChromeDriver logs.
- Record your Selenium, Chrome, and ChromeDriver versions, operating system or container, and the Chrome arguments used to launch the session.
- Check whether Chrome exits before navigation or remains available until the screenshot call.
Selenium notes that many reported errors arise in the underlying drivers that receive Selenium commands, rather than in Selenium itself (Selenium troubleshooting). Do not assume a sandbox problem solely because the screenshot call failed.
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Fix a sandbox-related Chrome launch failure
Pass --no-sandbox as a Chrome argument when creating the affected session. Selenium’s Chrome documentation shows this option (Selenium Chrome options).
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Python example
from selenium import webdriver
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument("--no-sandbox")
driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)
try:
driver.get("https://example.com")
driver.save_screenshot("shot.png")
finally:
driver.quit()Retry the same minimal test. If Chrome now launches but the screenshot still fails, treat that as a separate capture or driver problem and follow the diagnostic steps below.
Security limitation
Chrome’s sandbox is an important isolation boundary. Disabling it reduces protection, so use this workaround only in a constrained automation environment where it is required. Prefer configuring the runtime so Chrome’s normal sandbox can operate when feasible. Do not use sandbox-disabled Chrome for untrusted browsing workloads.
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Send the option to a remote Chrome session
With Selenium Grid or another remote WebDriver endpoint, Chrome runs on the remote node. The argument must be part of the Chrome options or capabilities used to create that remote session; adding it only to a local browser configuration will not affect the remote Chrome process. Selenium’s remote examples demonstrate setting Chrome arguments on the options passed to the remote builder (Selenium Chrome options).
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options
options = Options()
options.add_argument("--no-sandbox")
driver = webdriver.Remote(
command_executor="http://grid-host:4444",
options=options,
)Replace the example endpoint with your Grid URL. If the remote session still fails, inspect the remote node’s Chrome and ChromeDriver logs and confirm that the requested options reach that node.
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Separate sandbox errors from headless and display setup
Headless mode controls whether Chrome displays a browser window; it does not disable or repair the sandbox. For a headless run, add the headless argument separately. Selenium’s headless guidance demonstrates --headless=new (Selenium Chrome documentation).
options.add_argument("--headless=new")
options.add_argument("--no-sandbox")Use the headless argument appropriate for the Chrome version installed in your environment. Chromium’s testing guidance also describes --ozone-platform=headless for tests that do not need to draw, and Xvfb for tests that require a display (Chromium headless testing). Choose between these according to whether the test needs display behavior; neither is a substitute for diagnosing a sandbox launch error.
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If Chrome starts but taking the screenshot fails
- Check whether navigation and other WebDriver commands work before the screenshot call. If they do, the browser has started and changing launch flags without evidence is unlikely to address the capture failure.
- Keep the full exception and inspect Selenium and ChromeDriver logs for the failed command.
- Try to reproduce the same capture in another browser if practical; this can help identify a driver-specific issue, as Selenium suggests in its troubleshooting guidance (Selenium troubleshooting).
- Confirm that the session is still alive and that the page has reached the state your test expects before requesting the screenshot.
Check Chrome and ChromeDriver compatibility
Capture the actual browser and driver versions from the environment running the test; do not infer them from the Selenium package version. Selenium’s Chrome documentation says Chrome and ChromeDriver must match at the major-version level. The same page says Selenium 4 is compatible with Chrome v75 and newer, but that statement does not guarantee every old browser-and-driver combination works (Selenium Chrome documentation).
If the Chrome and ChromeDriver major versions differ, align them and rerun the minimal test before investigating more obscure causes.
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Common symptoms and next steps
| What you observe | What to check next |
|---|---|
| Chrome exits during session creation with a sandbox-related message | Add --no-sandbox to that session’s Chrome options, then retry. Use the workaround with the security limitation described above. |
| Chrome starts and navigates, but the screenshot call throws | Inspect the screenshot exception and driver logs; do not treat it as a launch failure. |
| Local Chrome works but a remote session fails | Pass the options when creating the remote Chrome session and inspect the remote node. |
| The failure occurs in CI without a display | Configure headless mode for the installed Chrome version, or use Xvfb if the test needs a display. |
| Browser and driver versions appear incompatible | Check their actual major versions and align them. |
Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is simply to get a website screenshot rather than exercise Selenium, ScreenshotNeo provides a screenshot API. Its one-call request returns an image or PDF; the API accepts URL parameters used by other screenshot APIs as well. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo accepts cookie or consent banners before capture and removes 60+ known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; these steps can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and each response identifies the page verdict and billing status in headers. Its MCP server provides screenshot tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients. The Free plan includes 1,000 shots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.
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Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFrequently Asked Questions
Does adding --headless=new fix a Chrome sandbox error?
No. Headless mode changes display behavior; it does not address Chrome’s sandbox. Use it only when your environment needs headless execution.
Should I always run Chrome with --no-sandbox?
No. It weakens browser isolation. Apply it only when a sandbox-related launch failure requires the workaround, and avoid it for untrusted browsing workloads.
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