karatelabs/karate · error · DriverException

WebDriver request failed: " + request.method() + " " +…

Error message

WebDriver request failed: " + request.method() + " " + request.uri() + ": " + e.getMessage()

What it means

This DriverException wraps low-level transport failures (IOException or InterruptedException) that occur while sending a request to the WebDriver remote endpoint. Unlike error 270, the HTTP exchange itself failed — no valid WebDriver response was received — so the message includes the full request URI and the underlying exception message.

Solutions

1. Verify the driver process is still running and its port is correct
2. Check driver/server logs for a crash just before the request
3. Increase the HTTP/read timeout if the command legitimately takes long
4. Restart the browser session and retry the scenario

Example fix

// before
session.get(url); // stale session after driver crash
// after
if (!session.isAlive()) { session = new W3cSession(options); }
session.get(url);

// probe the driver endpoint before issuing commands
try (var s = new java.net.Socket()) {
    s.connect(new java.net.InetSocketAddress(host, port), 2000); // throws if driver dead
}

try {
    return session.get(path);
} catch (DriverException e) {
    if (e.getCause() instanceof java.io.IOException) {
        // transport failure: restart driver/session and retry once
        session = restartSession(options);
        return session.get(path);
    }
    throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: get(), postRaw() or delete() calls in W3cSession.execute() where the connection is refused, the driver process has died, the socket times out, or the thread is interrupted while awaiting the response. The thread-interrupt flag is re-set before throwing.

Common situations: Chromedriver/geckodriver crashed mid-session or was killed, wrong port configured for the driver endpoint, network firewall blocking localhost, or test-framework timeouts interrupting the HTTP call.

Related errors

• WebDriver session create failed: " + e.getMessage()
• Timeout waiting for WebDriver on
• Port : not available within timeout
• Failed to start
• javascript failed

AI-assisted analysis of karatelabs/karate@a22eb90246 (2026-09-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/4915695a4e118026. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at karate-core/src/main/java/io/karatelabs/driver/w3c/W3cSession.java:465

                    Map<String, Object> errorMap = (Map<String, Object>) value;
                    message = (String) errorMap.getOrDefault("message", message);
                    String error = (String) errorMap.get("error");
                    if (error != null) {
                        message = error + ": " + message;
                    }
                }
                throw new DriverException("WebDriver " + request.method() + " "
                        + request.uri().getPath() + " failed (" + response.statusCode() + "): " + message);
            }

            return result;
        } catch (DriverException e) {
            throw e;
        } catch (IOException | InterruptedException e) {
            if (e instanceof InterruptedException) {
                Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
            }
            throw new DriverException("WebDriver request failed: " + request.method() + " "
                    + request.uri() + ": " + e.getMessage(), e);
        }
    }

    private static Object getValue(Map<String, Object> response) {
        return response.get("value");
    }

    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    private static String extractElementId(Map<String, Object> elementMap) {
        String id = (String) elementMap.get(W3C_ELEMENT_KEY);
        if (id == null) {
            // Fallback for legacy servers
            id = (String) elementMap.get("ELEMENT");
        }
        if (id == null) {
            throw new DriverException("WebDriver response missing element ID: " + elementMap);
        }

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