# selenium.common.exceptions.StaleElementReferenceException: Message: stale element reference: element is not attached to the page document

- **ID:** `python/pytest-selenium-stale-element`
- **Domain:** python
- **Category:** runtime_error
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 80%

## Root Cause

The test holds a WebElement reference obtained before a DOM re-render (navigation, AJAX update, React key change); the underlying node was replaced.

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| 4.18 | active | — | — |
| 4.20 | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **** (90% success)
   ```
   def click_row(driver, row_text):
    for _ in range(5):
        try:
            row = driver.find_element(By.XPATH, f"//tr[td[text()='{row_text}']]")
            row.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, 'button.delete').click()
            return
        except StaleElementReferenceException:
            continue
    raise AssertionError('element never stabilized')
   ```
2. **** (93% success)
   ```
   from selenium.webdriver.support.ui import WebDriverWait
from selenium.webdriver.support import expected_conditions as EC
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By

el = WebDriverWait(driver, 10).until(
    EC.element_to_be_clickable((By.ID, 'submit'))
)
el.click()
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **** — The element may still be replaced after the sleep; timing is not the root cause and the test becomes slow and flaky. (75% fail)
- **** — Swallowing the exception skips the assertion entirely, producing false positives and hiding real UI regressions. (85% fail)