Google Maps Selenium automation using Python

Prerequisites: Browser Automation using Selenium

Selenium is a powerful tool for controlling a web browser through the program. It is functional for all browsers, works on all major OS and its scripts are written in various languages i.e Python, Java, C#, etc, we will be working with Python. It can be installed using the below command:

pip install selenium

In this article, we are going to see how to automate the Google Maps search using selenium by getting the location of a place and its transportation details to another location.

Step 1) Import modules

Python3

# import required modules
from selenium import webdriver
from time import sleep

Step 2) Mention the path of your chrome driver in the driver variable that you downloaded. And then we need to get a Google Maps website.

Python3

# assign url in the webdriver object
driver = webdriver.Chrome()
driver.get("https://www.google.co.in/maps/@10.8091781,78.2885026,7z")
sleep(2)

Step 3) Next step Declare a function under this function you need to inspect the search bar on the Google maps website. And Copy the Class name in the variable place. You need to send keys to a particular web element. Give your destination as an input. Provide the xpath value in the submit variable this is used to press the search button 

Python3

# search locations
def searchplace():
    Place = driver.find_element_by_class_name("tactile-searchbox-input")
    Place.send_keys("Tiruchirappalli")
    Submit = driver.find_element_by_xpath(
        "/html/body/jsl/div[3]/div[9]/div[3]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div[1]/button")
    Submit.click()

searchplace()

Step 4) Declare a function called directions. Under this function, you need to send a click to the direction button. Copy the X path value of the directions button from the Google maps website. And paste the value in the variable.

Python3

# get directions
def directions():
    sleep(10)
    directions = driver.find_element_by_xpath(
        "/html/body/jsl/div[3]/div[9]/div[7]/div/div[1]/div/div/div[5]/div[1]/div/button")
    directions.click()

directions()

Step 5) Declare a function called as find. Under this function, you need to create a variable and in this variable, you need to copy the xpath of the value of the search bar and paste the value in the variable.

Next, Send the starting point to the particular search box. And You need to send a click button to the search button to follow the Step 1 Process.

Python3

# find place
def find():
    sleep(6)
    find = driver.find_element_by_xpath(
        "/html/body/jsl/div[3]/div[9]/div[3]/div[1]/div[2]/div/div[3]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div/div/input")
    find.send_keys("Tirunelveli")
    sleep(2)
    search = driver.find_element_by_xpath(
        "/html/body/jsl/div[3]/div[9]/div[3]/div[1]/div[2]/div/div[3]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/button[1]")
    search.click()

find()

Step 6) Now we need to scrap the essential data to complete our automation process. Here we need to copy the xpath values of Total kilometers between two places

Bus travel time and Train travel time between these two places. Here I extracted the data from the Google maps website by using the Web-Elements.

Python3

# get transportation details
def kilometers():
    sleep(5)
    Totalkilometers = driver.find_element_by_xpath(
        "/html/body/jsl/div[3]/div[9]/div[7]/div/div[1]/div/div/div[5]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div")
    print("Total Kilometers:", Totalkilometers.text)
    sleep(5)
    Bus = driver.find_element_by_xpath(
        "/html/body/jsl/div[3]/div[9]/div[7]/div/div[1]/div/div/div[5]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/span[1]")
    print("Bus Travel:", Bus.text)
    sleep(7)
    Train = driver.find_element_by_xpath(
        "/html/body/jsl/div[3]/div[9]/div[7]/div/div[1]/div/div/div[5]/div[2]/div[1]/div[2]/div[1]/div")
    print("Train Travel:", Train.text)
    sleep(7)

kilometers()

Below is the complete program based on the above approach:

Python3

# import required modules
from selenium import webdriver
from time import sleep


# assign url in the webdriver object
driver = webdriver.Chrome()
driver.get("https://www.google.co.in/maps/@10.8091781,78.2885026,7z")
sleep(2)


# search locations
def searchplace():
    Place = driver.find_element_by_class_name("tactile-searchbox-input")
    Place.send_keys("Tiruchirappalli")
    Submit = driver.find_element_by_xpath(
        "/html/body/jsl/div[3]/div[9]/div[3]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div[1]/button")
    Submit.click()

searchplace()


# get directions
def directions():
    sleep(10)
    directions = driver.find_element_by_xpath(
        "/html/body/jsl/div[3]/div[9]/div[7]/div/div[1]/div/div/div[5]/div[1]/div/button")
    directions.click()

directions()


# find place
def find():
    sleep(6)
    find = driver.find_element_by_xpath(
        "/html/body/jsl/div[3]/div[9]/div[3]/div[1]/div[2]/div/div[3]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div/div/input")
    find.send_keys("Tirunelveli")
    sleep(2)
    search = driver.find_element_by_xpath(
        "/html/body/jsl/div[3]/div[9]/div[3]/div[1]/div[2]/div/div[3]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/button[1]")
    search.click()

find()


# get transportation details
def kilometers():
    sleep(5)
    Totalkilometers = driver.find_element_by_xpath(
        "/html/body/jsl/div[3]/div[9]/div[7]/div/div[1]/div/div/div[5]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div")
    print("Total Kilometers:", Totalkilometers.text)
    sleep(5)
    Bus = driver.find_element_by_xpath(
        "/html/body/jsl/div[3]/div[9]/div[7]/div/div[1]/div/div/div[5]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/span[1]")
    print("Bus Travel:", Bus.text)
    sleep(7)
    Train = driver.find_element_by_xpath(
        "/html/body/jsl/div[3]/div[9]/div[7]/div/div[1]/div/div/div[5]/div[2]/div[1]/div[2]/div[1]/div")
    print("Train Travel:", Train.text)
    sleep(7)

kilometers()

Output: