# hCaptcha image clicking with Selenium

> Use Python, Selenium 4 and HCaptchaClassification to complete hCaptcha 3x3 image challenges in a real browser. Click the checkbox, read the question and the 9 images, call the API, click and submit; complete example code.

Source: https://docs.yescaptcha.com/en/guides/hcaptcha-click-selenium/ · Last verified: 2026-10-15

This guide opens hCaptcha’s demo page with Selenium 4 and completes the 3x3 image challenge in a real browser: it reads the question and the 9 images, asks [hCaptcha image recognition](https://docs.yescaptcha.com/en/tasks/hcaptcha-classification/) (`HCaptchaClassification`) which ones are targets, and clicks them.

hCaptcha also has click-a-position and drag questions, which return coordinates instead of tiles; see [hCaptcha image recognition](https://docs.yescaptcha.com/en/tasks/hcaptcha-classification/). Without code, the [browser extension](https://docs.yescaptcha.com/en/extension/) handles all of them.

## Setup

```bash
pip install requests selenium
export YESCAPTCHA_CLIENT_KEY=your_client_key
```

## Steps

1.  **Click the checkbox.** It is inside the hCaptcha iframe whose URL contains `frame=checkbox`; switch into it and click `#checkbox`.
2.  **Switch to the challenge iframe**, whose URL contains `frame=challenge`.
3.  **Read the question.** The text in `.prompt-text` is the question; send it as is (switching hCaptcha’s language to English or Simplified Chinese is recommended). If example images appear next to the question, send them in `anchors` too.
4.  **Get the images.** Each tile’s `.task-image .image` has the picture as a background image; download them in order, Base64-encode them, and build the `queries` list.
5.  **Recognize.** Call `createTask` with type `HCaptchaClassification`. `objects` in the result corresponds to the tiles; `true` means target.
6.  **Click and submit.** Click the target tiles and press the submit button. Several rounds may follow; repeat steps 3 to 6.
7.  **Done.** After passing, the page’s `h-captcha-response` field holds the token, which is submitted with the form.

## Complete code

hcaptcha_click_selenium.py

```python
"""Click through an hCaptcha 3x3 image challenge with Selenium 4 and HCaptchaClassification.

Flow: open the page -> click the checkbox -> read the question and the 9 images ->
ask YesCaptcha which images match -> click them -> submit. Repeat while new rounds appear.

Run:  pip install requests selenium
      export YESCAPTCHA_CLIENT_KEY=your_client_key
      python hcaptcha_click_selenium.py
Each recognized round is charged (see the price list; rounds with no target found are free).
hCaptcha changes its page structure often; adjust the selectors below if a step stops working.
Click and drag questions return coordinates instead; see the HCaptchaClassification page.
"""
import base64
import os
import re
import time

import requests
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
from selenium.webdriver.support import expected_conditions as EC
from selenium.webdriver.support.wait import WebDriverWait

CLIENT_KEY = os.environ["YESCAPTCHA_CLIENT_KEY"]
PAGE_URL = "https://accounts.hcaptcha.com/demo"

def classify(question, images_b64):
    task = {"type": "HCaptchaClassification", "question": question, "queries": images_b64}
    data = requests.post(
        "https://api.yescaptcha.com/createTask",
        json={"clientKey": CLIENT_KEY, "task": task},
        timeout=60,
    ).json()
    if data.get("errorId"):
        raise RuntimeError(f"{data.get('errorCode')}: {data.get('errorDescription')}")
    return data["solution"]  # synchronous

def background_image_b64(element):
    """The tiles are <div>s with a CSS background image; download it and Base64-encode it."""
    style = element.get_attribute("style") or ""
    match = re.search(r'url\("?(.*?)"?\)', style)
    if not match:
        return None
    return base64.b64encode(requests.get(match.group(1), timeout=30).content).decode()

driver = webdriver.Chrome()
wait = WebDriverWait(driver, 15)
try:
    driver.get(PAGE_URL)

    # 1. Click the checkbox (inside the first hCaptcha iframe)
    wait.until(EC.frame_to_be_available_and_switch_to_it(
        (By.CSS_SELECTOR, 'iframe[src*="hcaptcha"][src*="frame=checkbox"]')))
    wait.until(EC.element_to_be_clickable((By.ID, "checkbox"))).click()
    driver.switch_to.default_content()

    # 2. Solve rounds in the challenge iframe
    wait.until(EC.frame_to_be_available_and_switch_to_it(
        (By.CSS_SELECTOR, 'iframe[src*="hcaptcha"][src*="frame=challenge"]')))
    for _ in range(5):
        question = wait.until(EC.presence_of_element_located((By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".prompt-text"))).text.strip()
        tiles = driver.find_elements(By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".task-image")
        images = [background_image_b64(t.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".image")) for t in tiles]
        if not tiles or None in images:
            print("not a 3x3 image challenge; see the docs for click/drag questions")
            break
        solution = classify(question, images)
        for tile, hit in zip(tiles, solution.get("objects", [])):
            if hit:
                tile.click()
                time.sleep(0.3)
        driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".button-submit").click()
        time.sleep(3)
        if not driver.find_elements(By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".task-image"):
            break

    driver.switch_to.default_content()
    token = driver.find_element(By.NAME, "h-captcha-response").get_attribute("value")
    print("token received" if token else "not passed")
finally:
    driver.quit()
```

## Notes

-   hCaptcha changes its page structure often; adjust the selectors if a step stops working.
-   Each recognized round is charged; rounds with no target found are free. Rounds whose clicks were rejected can be [reported](https://docs.yescaptcha.com/en/api/report/) within 1 hour for a refund.
-   If a new question returns `ERROR_UNKNOWN_QUESTION`, refresh for another challenge or contact support.