SeleniumHQ/selenium · error · NoSuchElementException

Could not locate element with index {index}

Error message

Could not locate element with index {index}

What it means

`select_by_index()` matches an option whose DOM `index` attribute equals the given integer. If no option has that index attribute it raises `NoSuchElementException`. Note it matches the HTML `index` attribute, not the list position.

Source

Thrown at py/selenium/webdriver/support/select.py:101

            matched = True
        if not matched:
            raise NoSuchElementException(f"Cannot locate option with value: {value}")

    def select_by_index(self, index: int) -> None:
        """Select the option at the given index by examining the "index" attribute.

        Args:
            index: The option at this index will be selected

        Raises:
            NoSuchElementException: If there is no option with specified index in SELECT
        """
        match = str(index)
        for opt in self.options:
            if opt.get_attribute("index") == match:
                self._set_selected(opt)
                return
        raise NoSuchElementException(f"Could not locate element with index {index}")

    def select_by_visible_text(self, text: str) -> None:
        """Select all options that display text matching the argument.

        Example:
            When given "Bar" this would select an option like:

            `<option value="foo">Bar</option>`

        Args:
            text: The visible text to match against

        Raises:
            NoSuchElementException: If there is no option with specified text in SELECT
        """
        xpath = f".//option[normalize-space(.) = {self._escape_string(text)}]"
        opts = self._el.find_elements(By.XPATH, xpath)
        matched = False

View on GitHub (pinned to aa36b38e69)

Solutions

1. Check the option count first: `len(select.options)` and ensure index is in range
2. Prefer `select_by_value` or `select_by_visible_text` for stability across dynamic lists
3. Catch NoSuchElementException and handle gracefully

Example fix

// before
select.select_by_index(5)

// after
if len(select.options) > 5:
    select.select_by_index(5)

if 0 <= index < len(select.options):
    select.select_by_index(index)

def index_in_range(select_obj, index) -> bool:
    return 0 <= index < len(select_obj.options)

from selenium.common.exceptions import NoSuchElementException

try:
    select.select_by_index(index)
except NoSuchElementException:
    # index not present
    pass

When it happens

Trigger: Calling `select.select_by_index(5)` when fewer options exist, or when the option's `index` attribute does not correspond to its position. Passing a negative index or one beyond the option count.

Common situations: Assuming index equals list position (the `index` attribute is assigned by the browser and usually aligns, but dynamic option lists can shift); requesting an index after options were removed; off-by-one from zero- vs one-based thinking.

Related errors

• Cannot locate option with value: {value}
• Could not locate element with visible text: {text}
• Could not locate element with value: {value}
• Select only works on <select> elements, not on {webelement.t
• No options are selected

AI-assisted analysis of SeleniumHQ/selenium@aa36b38e69 (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ad455598a2c5944d. Report an issue: GitHub.