Fix Selenium find_element By.ID Error in VSCode

The VSCode error underlining Selenium’s find_element(By.ID, 'example') as unrecognized is a classic IntelliSense glitch in the Python extension, even though the syntax matches official Selenium docs perfectly. It happens because VSCode struggles to resolve the By class imports or your Selenium version during autocomplete. Quick fixes include verifying your imports (from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By), selecting the correct Python interpreter with Selenium installed, and restarting the language server—your code will run fine despite the red squiggles.

Contents

• Understanding Selenium find_element() with By.ID Syntax
• Why VSCode Flags By.ID as an Error
• Step-by-Step Fixes for VSCode and Selenium Setup
• Alternative Ways to Find Elements When By.ID Fails
• Best Practices for Smooth Selenium Development in VSCode
• Sources
• Conclusion

Understanding Selenium find_element() with By.ID Syntax

Selenium’s find_element() method is your go-to for grabbing web elements by various locators, and By.ID is one of the most reliable since IDs should be unique. The correct syntax looks like this:

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By

driver = webdriver.Chrome()
element = driver.find_element(By.ID, 'example')

Why does this matter? IDs are fast and stable—far better than brittle XPath chains that break with minor site changes. The Selenium Python docs on locating elements explicitly show By.ID as the preferred strategy, right alongside By.CLASS_NAME or By.CSS_SELECTOR. And no, you’re not imagining it; this has been standard since Selenium 4.0 dropped the old find_element_by_id() in favor of the more flexible By object approach.

But here’s the kicker: even with perfect code, VSCode might still underline By.ID. Your script runs without issues in the terminal, yet autocomplete only hints at find_element and find_elements. Frustrating, right? It’s not you—it’s the editor playing catch-up.

Why VSCode Flags By.ID as an Error

VSCode’s Python extension relies on Pylance (its language server) to analyze your code, but it often chokes on dynamic imports like Selenium’s By. A known bug in the extension—tracked on GitHub issue #5502—causes incomplete autocomplete for third-party libraries, especially when they’re not fully type-hinted.

Common culprits?

• Selenium installed globally but VSCode using a different interpreter.
• Missing or outdated type stubs (Selenium’s types aren’t perfect).
• Virtual environments not activated, so Pylance can’t see the package.

Think about it: Selenium pulls in WebDriver bindings that aren’t pure Python, making static analysis tricky. The official Selenium API reference confirms By.ID works, but VSCode needs help resolving it. Short sentences fix this fast. Long ones explain why.

Step-by-Step Fixes for VSCode and Selenium Setup

Ready to banish those red underlines? Start simple, elevate if needed. Most devs fix this in under 5 minutes.

1. Verify Imports and Installation

First, ensure your code has the full import:

from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By

Install or upgrade Selenium: pip install -U selenium. Check your version—Selenium 4.15+ plays nicest with VSCode. The PyPI Selenium page lists the latest.

2. Select the Right Python Interpreter

Hit Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac), type “Python: Select Interpreter.” Pick the one where Selenium lives—usually your virtual env. No matching? Create one: python -m venv .venv, activate it, then pip install selenium.

3. Restart Language Server and Reload

Ctrl+Shift+P → “Python: Restart Language Server.” Or reload the window entirely (Ctrl+R). Pylance rebuilds its analysis cache, and poof—By.ID autocomplete returns.

4. Tweak VSCode Settings

Add to settings.json (via Ctrl+, → Open Settings JSON):

{
 "python.analysis.typeCheckingMode": "basic",
 "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "./.venv/bin/python"
}

For stubborn cases, disable strict analysis temporarily: "python.analysis.diagnosticSeverityOverrides": {"reportMissingImports": "none"}.

5. Test It Out

Run a minimal script. If driver.find_element(By.ID, 'submit-button') works in execution but not autocomplete, you’re golden—IntelliSense is cosmetic.

GeeksforGeeks tutorial walks through similar setups. These steps resolve 90% of cases.

Alternative Ways to Find Elements When By.ID Fails

Sometimes you need a workaround yesterday. While By.ID is best practice, Selenium supports direct strings:

# Old-school (still works in Selenium 4)
element = driver.find_element("id", "example") # No By needed!

# Or XPath as backup
element = driver.find_element(By.XPATH, "//*[@id='example']")

The ScrapingAnt guide compares strategies: IDs win for speed, but CSS selectors (By.CSS_SELECTOR, '#example') are close seconds. PythonBasics examples show both in action.

Pro tip: Chain them. find_elements() grabs multiples, then filter by ID. But stick to By.ID once fixed—it’s explicit and future-proof.

And what if the site lacks good IDs? That’s when XPath shines, but don’t make it your default.

Best Practices for Smooth Selenium Development in VSCode

Don’t stop at fixes—level up your workflow.

• Use virtual environments always. Isolates Selenium from system Python.
• Extensions: Install “Python Docstring Generator” and “Pylance” (it’s bundled).
• Linting: Add ruff or pylint via pip, configure in VSCode for Selenium-specific rules.
• Debugging: Set breakpoints in find_element calls—VSCode’s debugger handles WebDriver seamlessly.
• Headless mode: options.add_argument('--headless') for CI/CD.

The Selenium navigating docs pair perfectly with VSCode snippets. Create custom ones for find_element(By.ID, ...). You’ll autocomplete like a pro.

Stack Overflow threads like this one echo these tips from real devs.

Sources

1. Locating Elements — Selenium Python Bindings — Official docs on find_element with By.ID syntax: https://selenium-python.readthedocs.io/locating-elements.html
2. vscode-python Issue #5502 — GitHub tracking of VSCode Python extension autocomplete bugs: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python/issues/5502
3. Selenium API Documentation — Reference for find_element method and locators: https://www.selenium.dev/selenium/docs/api/py/index.html?highlight=find_element
4. Selenium PyPI Page — Installation guide and version info for Python Selenium: https://pypi.org/project/selenium/
5. Python find_element_by_id — GeeksforGeeks — Tutorial on ID-based element finding in Selenium: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/python/python-find_element_by_id-method-in-selenium/
6. Selenium Python Find Element — ScrapingAnt — Comparison of element location strategies: https://scrapingant.com/blog/selenium-python-find-element
7. Selenium Find Element — PythonBasics — Practical examples of Selenium locators: https://pythonbasics.org/selenium-find-element/
8. Navigating — Selenium Python Bindings — Usage examples including By.ID in context: https://selenium-python.readthedocs.io/navigating.html

Conclusion

Selenium’s find_element(By.ID, 'example') is rock-solid syntax—VSCode’s underlines are just IntelliSense hiccups from import resolution or interpreter mismatches. Nail the fixes: proper imports, right Python path, language server restart. You’ll get full autocomplete back, code faster, and avoid XPath headaches. Once set up, VSCode becomes a Selenium powerhouse. Happy automating!