WebDriver init() multiple values for 'options'

Problem Statement

When initializing a Chrome WebDriver in Selenium Python with explicit driver executable paths and browser options, you might encounter the error:
TypeError: WebDriver.__init__() got multiple values for argument 'options'.

This error frequently occurs in Selenium 4.10.0 and newer versions due to API changes where the constructor signature no longer accepts executable_path as a positional argument. Instead, it expects options as the first argument.

Example code causing the error:

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options

chrome_options = Options()
chrome_options.add_argument('--headless')
chrome_options.add_argument('--no-sandbox')
chrome_options.add_argument('--disable-dev-shm-usage')

# Triggers error: executable_path now conflicts with options
browser = webdriver.Chrome(
    executable_path=r'/usr/bin/chromedriver',  # Problematic position
    options=chrome_options
)

Error traceback:

TypeError: WebDriver.__init__() got multiple values for argument 'options'

Solutions

Follow these approaches to resolve the conflict, depending on your use case.

1. Use Service Object (Recommended)

Selenium ≥4.10.0 requires using a Service object to specify the driver path. This is the official solution that works across all environments.

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.service import Service
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options

# Configuration
chrome_options = Options()
chrome_options.add_argument('--headless')
chrome_options.add_argument('--no-sandbox')
chrome_options.add_argument('--disable-dev-shm-usage')

service = Service(executable_path=r'/usr/bin/chromedriver')  # Path to chromedriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome(
    service=service,  # Pass service instead of executable_path
    options=chrome_options
)

# ... your code ...

driver.quit()  # Clean up resources

2. Automatic Driver Management (No Explicit Path)

If you don't need explicit driver path management, chromedriver_autoinstaller simplifies setup by auto-downloading the correct driver version.

# Install helper library
!pip install chromedriver-autoinstaller  # For notebooks; omit '!' in regular scripts

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options
import chromedriver_autoinstaller

chrome_options = Options()
chrome_options.add_argument('--headless')
chrome_options.add_argument('--no-sandbox')
chrome_options.add_argument('--disable-dev-shm-usage')

# Auto-installs and configures chromedriver
chromedriver_autoinstaller.install()  

driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=chrome_options)

# ... your code ...

driver.quit()

Explanation

API CHANGES IN SELENIUM 4.10.0

Prior to Selenium 4.10.0, webdriver.Chrome() accepted executable_path as the first positional argument. Newer versions interpret the first argument as options, causing a conflict when both positional executable_path and keyword options are passed.

• Why the error occurs:
  The current Chrome WebDriver constructor expects either:

  • A positional options argument OR
  • Keyword arguments including service and options.
    Passing both a positional argument (mistaken as options) and an explicit options keyword creates duplication.

• Solution 1 advantages:

  • Maintains explicit driver path control
  • Follows Selenium's updated best practices
  • Works in persistent environments (e.g., servers, containers)

• Solution 2 advantages:

  • Simplifies driver setup
  • Ideal for ephemeral environments (e.g., Google Colab, CI/CD pipelines)
  • Automatically handles driver version compatibility

CHECK YOUR SELENIUM VERSION

Verify your Selenium version with pip show selenium. Solutions apply to 4.10.0+. Downgrading to older versions (e.g., pip install selenium==4.9.0) is not recommended as it avoids modern best practices and security updates.

Conclusion

Use the Service object to pass the driver path explicitly or adopt chromedriver_autoinstaller for simplified workflows. Both solutions eliminate the multiple values for argument 'options' error while aligning with current Selenium practices. Always prefer Selenium's Service API for long-term compatibility.