selenium actions API drag and drop not working in chrome

TL;DR

Chrome is picky about the classic drag_and_drop(source, target): it often needs the pointer to actually move in small steps, so build the action chain manually with click_and_hold, several move_by_offset steps, then release. If the app uses HTML5 drag events, even that can fail, and a small JavaScript snippet dispatching dragstart/drop events is the pragmatic fallback. Always scroll the source into view first; an element outside the viewport is the most common silent failure.

The query

selenium actions API drag and drop not working in chrome

Use this when

• drag_and_drop completes without error but nothing moves
• Drops land in the wrong position in Chrome
• HTML5 drag-and-drop widgets do not respond to Actions

Not for

• Drag and drop in Firefox or Safari
• File upload via drag and drop onto inputs (use send_keys to the input)
• Touch actions on mobile emulation

Steps

1. Scroll the source element into view and verify both source and target are visible and enabled. Expected output: both elements are in the viewport; visibility checks pass.
2. Replace the one-shot drag_and_drop with a manual chain: click_and_hold(source), 3-5 small move_by_offset steps toward the target, then release(). Expected output: the drag visibly progresses and the drop registers.
3. If it still fails, check whether the app listens for HTML5 drag events (many modern widgets do) and fall back to dispatching the events via execute_script. Expected output: the app's drop handler fires and state updates.
4. Assert the post-drop state (element order, updated list) rather than just the absence of errors. Expected output: the UI reflects the completed drag and drop.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_fbhMbWVq9hXwMnWc5-WDBg