Selenium handles browser automation; CaptchaAI handles CAPTCHA solving. Together, they solve the most common automation challenge — pages that require both JavaScript execution and CAPTCHA completion. This guide covers the complete integration pattern for reCAPTCHA v2/v3, Cloudflare Turnstile, and image CAPTCHAs.
Prerequisites
pip install selenium requests webdriver-manager
Setup: Stealth-configuredion Selenium
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.service import Service
from webdriver_manager.chrome import ChromeDriverManager
def create_driver():
"""Create a Selenium driver with stealth-configuredion settings."""
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument("--disable-blink-features=AutomationControlled")
options.add_experimental_option("excludeSwitches", ["enable-automation"])
options.add_experimental_option("useAutomationExtension", False)
driver = webdriver.Chrome(
service=Service(ChromeDriverManager().install()),
options=options,
)
# Remove webdriver flag
driver.execute_cdp_cmd("Page.addScriptToEvaluateOnNewDocument", {
"source": "Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'webdriver', {get: () => undefined})"
})
return driver
CaptchaAI solver helper
import time
import requests
API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY"
def solve_captcha(method, **params):
"""Generic CaptchaAI solver — works for all CAPTCHA types."""
submit_data = {
"key": API_KEY,
"method": method,
"json": 1,
**params,
}
submit = requests.post("https://ocr.captchaai.com/in.php", data=submit_data, timeout=30)
data = submit.json()
if data.get("status") != 1:
raise Exception(f"Submit error: {data.get('request')}")
task_id = data["request"]
for _ in range(30):
time.sleep(5)
result = requests.get("https://ocr.captchaai.com/res.php", params={
"key": API_KEY,
"action": "get",
"id": task_id,
"json": 1,
}, timeout=30).json()
if result.get("status") == 1:
return result["request"]
if result.get("request") == "ERROR_CAPTCHA_UNSOLVABLE":
raise Exception("CAPTCHA unsolvable")
raise TimeoutError("Solve timed out")
reCAPTCHA v2 with Selenium
Full flow: detect, solve, inject token, submit
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
from selenium.webdriver.support.ui import WebDriverWait
from selenium.webdriver.support import expected_conditions as EC
import re
def solve_recaptcha_v2_selenium(driver, url):
"""Complete reCAPTCHA v2 solve in Selenium."""
driver.get(url)
# Wait for page to load
WebDriverWait(driver, 10).until(
EC.presence_of_element_located((By.TAG_NAME, "body"))
)
# Extract sitekey
page_source = driver.page_source
match = re.search(r'data-sitekey=["\']([A-Za-z0-9_-]{40})["\']', page_source)
if not match:
raise ValueError("reCAPTCHA sitekey not found")
sitekey = match.group(1)
print(f"Sitekey: {sitekey}")
# Solve via CaptchaAI
token = solve_captcha(
"userrecaptcha",
googlekey=sitekey,
pageurl=url,
)
print(f"Token received: {token[:50]}...")
# Inject token into the page
driver.execute_script(f"""
document.getElementById('g-recaptcha-response').value = '{token}';
document.getElementById('g-recaptcha-response').style.display = 'block';
""")
# If there's a callback function, call it
driver.execute_script(f"""
if (typeof ___grecaptcha_cfg !== 'undefined') {{
var clients = ___grecaptcha_cfg.clients;
for (var key in clients) {{
var client = clients[key];
if (client.rr && client.rr.l) {{
client.rr.l.callback('{token}');
}}
}}
}}
""")
# Submit the form
submit_button = driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, "button[type='submit'], input[type='submit']")
submit_button.click()
return token
# Usage
driver = create_driver()
try:
solve_recaptcha_v2_selenium(driver, "https://example.com/login")
print(f"Current URL: {driver.current_url}")
finally:
driver.quit()
Cloudflare Turnstile with Selenium
def solve_turnstile_selenium(driver, url):
"""Complete Turnstile solve in Selenium."""
driver.get(url)
WebDriverWait(driver, 10).until(
EC.presence_of_element_located((By.TAG_NAME, "body"))
)
# Extract sitekey
page_source = driver.page_source
match = re.search(r'data-sitekey=["\']([0-9x][A-Za-z0-9_-]+)["\']', page_source)
if not match:
# Try JavaScript API pattern
match = re.search(r"sitekey\s*:\s*['\"]([0-9x][A-Za-z0-9_-]+)['\"]", page_source)
if not match:
raise ValueError("Turnstile sitekey not found")
sitekey = match.group(1)
print(f"Turnstile sitekey: {sitekey}")
# Solve via CaptchaAI
token = solve_captcha(
"turnstile",
sitekey=sitekey,
pageurl=url,
)
print(f"Turnstile token: {token[:50]}...")
# Inject token
driver.execute_script(f"""
// Set the hidden input value
var inputs = document.querySelectorAll('[name="cf-turnstile-response"]');
inputs.forEach(function(input) {{ input.value = '{token}'; }});
// Also try the callback approach
if (typeof turnstile !== 'undefined' && turnstile.getResponse) {{
// Widget already rendered
}}
""")
# Submit form
submit_button = driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, "button[type='submit'], input[type='submit']")
submit_button.click()
return token
Image CAPTCHA with Selenium
For traditional image/text CAPTCHAs (type the letters you see):
import base64
def solve_image_captcha_selenium(driver, captcha_selector):
"""Solve image CAPTCHA visible in the browser."""
# Find the CAPTCHA image element
captcha_img = driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, captcha_selector)
# Get image as base64
img_base64 = captcha_img.screenshot_as_base64
# Solve via CaptchaAI
answer = solve_captcha("base64", body=img_base64)
print(f"CAPTCHA answer: {answer}")
# Type the answer into the input field
captcha_input = driver.find_element(
By.CSS_SELECTOR, "input[name='captcha'], input[name='code'], input.captcha-input"
)
captcha_input.clear()
captcha_input.send_keys(answer)
return answer
reCAPTCHA v3 with Selenium
def solve_recaptcha_v3_selenium(driver, url, sitekey, action="verify"):
"""Solve reCAPTCHA v3 in Selenium."""
driver.get(url)
# Solve via CaptchaAI
token = solve_captcha(
"userrecaptcha",
googlekey=sitekey,
pageurl=url,
version="v3",
action=action,
min_score="0.7",
)
# Inject token
driver.execute_script(f"""
// Set reCAPTCHA response
var textarea = document.getElementById('g-recaptcha-response');
if (textarea) {{
textarea.value = '{token}';
textarea.style.display = 'block';
}}
// Set any hidden input fields
var inputs = document.querySelectorAll('input[name="g-recaptcha-response"]');
inputs.forEach(function(input) {{ input.value = '{token}'; }});
""")
return token
Complete automation example
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
from selenium.webdriver.support.ui import WebDriverWait
from selenium.webdriver.support import expected_conditions as EC
import re
import time
import requests
API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY"
class SeleniumCaptchaSolver:
"""Complete Selenium + CaptchaAI automation class."""
def __init__(self, api_key):
self.api_key = api_key
self.driver = None
def start(self):
"""Initialize the browser."""
options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument("--disable-blink-features=AutomationControlled")
options.add_experimental_option("excludeSwitches", ["enable-automation"])
self.driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)
self.driver.execute_cdp_cmd("Page.addScriptToEvaluateOnNewDocument", {
"source": "Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'webdriver', {get: () => undefined})"
})
def stop(self):
"""Close the browser."""
if self.driver:
self.driver.quit()
def navigate(self, url):
"""Navigate to URL and wait for load."""
self.driver.get(url)
WebDriverWait(self.driver, 15).until(
lambda d: d.execute_script("return document.readyState") == "complete"
)
def detect_captcha(self):
"""Detect which CAPTCHA type is on the page."""
source = self.driver.page_source
if re.search(r'data-sitekey=["\'][A-Za-z0-9_-]{40}["\']', source):
if "recaptcha/api.js" in source or "grecaptcha" in source:
return "recaptcha_v2"
if "cf-turnstile" in source or "challenges.cloudflare.com/turnstile" in source:
return "turnstile"
if re.search(r'recaptcha.*v3|render=[A-Za-z0-9_-]{40}', source):
return "recaptcha_v3"
captcha_imgs = self.driver.find_elements(
By.CSS_SELECTOR, "img.captcha, img[alt*='captcha'], img[src*='captcha']"
)
if captcha_imgs:
return "image"
return None
def solve_and_submit(self, url, form_data=None):
"""Navigate, solve CAPTCHA, fill form, and submit."""
self.navigate(url)
captcha_type = self.detect_captcha()
if not captcha_type:
print("No CAPTCHA detected")
return self._fill_and_submit(form_data)
print(f"Detected: {captcha_type}")
if captcha_type == "recaptcha_v2":
self._solve_recaptcha_v2()
elif captcha_type == "turnstile":
self._solve_turnstile()
elif captcha_type == "image":
self._solve_image()
return self._fill_and_submit(form_data)
def _solve_recaptcha_v2(self):
source = self.driver.page_source
match = re.search(r'data-sitekey=["\']([A-Za-z0-9_-]{40})["\']', source)
sitekey = match.group(1)
token = self._api_solve("userrecaptcha", googlekey=sitekey, pageurl=self.driver.current_url)
self.driver.execute_script(f"""
document.getElementById('g-recaptcha-response').value = '{token}';
""")
def _solve_turnstile(self):
source = self.driver.page_source
match = re.search(r'data-sitekey=["\']([0-9x][A-Za-z0-9_-]+)["\']', source)
sitekey = match.group(1)
token = self._api_solve("turnstile", sitekey=sitekey, pageurl=self.driver.current_url)
self.driver.execute_script(f"""
document.querySelectorAll('[name="cf-turnstile-response"]')
.forEach(function(el) {{ el.value = '{token}'; }});
""")
def _solve_image(self):
img = self.driver.find_element(
By.CSS_SELECTOR, "img.captcha, img[alt*='captcha'], img[src*='captcha']"
)
answer = self._api_solve("base64", body=img.screenshot_as_base64)
captcha_input = self.driver.find_element(
By.CSS_SELECTOR, "input[name='captcha'], input[name='code']"
)
captcha_input.clear()
captcha_input.send_keys(answer)
def _fill_and_submit(self, form_data):
if form_data:
for name, value in form_data.items():
try:
field = self.driver.find_element(By.NAME, name)
field.clear()
field.send_keys(value)
except Exception:
pass
submit = self.driver.find_element(
By.CSS_SELECTOR, "button[type='submit'], input[type='submit']"
)
submit.click()
time.sleep(3)
return self.driver.current_url
def _api_solve(self, method, **params):
submit = requests.post("https://ocr.captchaai.com/in.php", data={
"key": self.api_key, "method": method, "json": 1, **params,
}, timeout=30)
data = submit.json()
if data.get("status") != 1:
raise Exception(f"Submit error: {data.get('request')}")
task_id = data["request"]
for _ in range(30):
time.sleep(5)
result = requests.get("https://ocr.captchaai.com/res.php", params={
"key": self.api_key, "action": "get", "id": task_id, "json": 1,
}, timeout=30).json()
if result.get("status") == 1:
return result["request"]
raise TimeoutError("Solve timed out")
# Usage
solver = SeleniumCaptchaSolver(API_KEY)
solver.start()
try:
result_url = solver.solve_and_submit(
"https://example.com/login",
form_data={"username": "user@example.com", "password": "pass123"},
)
print(f"Result: {result_url}")
finally:
solver.stop()
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| CAPTCHA detected but token injection fails | g-recaptcha-response not found |
Check for iframes — reCAPTCHA may be in an iframe |
| Token injected but form doesn't submit | Callback not triggered | Call the reCAPTCHA callback function explicitly |
| "webdriver detected" by site | Stealth-configuredion not applied | Add CDP command to remove webdriver flag |
| Image CAPTCHA screenshot blank | Element not visible | Scroll element into view first |
| Turnstile token rejected | Wrong sitekey | Re-extract from live page source |
Frequently asked questions
Should I use Selenium or pure requests?
Use Selenium when the site requires JavaScript execution, dynamic content loading, or complex multi-page flows. Use requests for simple API-based form submissions where you just need the token.
How do I handle reCAPTCHA in iframes?
Switch to the reCAPTCHA iframe first: driver.switch_to.frame(driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, "iframe[src*='recaptcha']")). Extract the sitekey, then switch back: driver.switch_to.default_content().
Can I run Selenium headless?
Yes, but some CAPTCHAs detect headless mode. Use --headless=new and ensure WebGL/Canvas fingerprints are valid. CaptchaAI solves on its own workers, so headless detection doesn't affect the solve.
How much slower is Selenium vs requests?
Selenium adds 3-5 seconds overhead for browser launch and page rendering. CAPTCHA solve time is the same. Use requests when possible, Selenium when necessary.
Summary
Python Selenium + CaptchaAI handles any CAPTCHA in browser automation: detect the CAPTCHA type from the page source, solve via CaptchaAI's API, inject the token via JavaScript, and submit the form. The SeleniumCaptchaSolver class automates the full detect-solve-submit workflow.
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