---
title: "Troubleshooting 'Javascript Error' in Autify | Autify Guide"
slug: "javascript-error"
description: "Fix 'Javascript Error' Issues in Autify. Start your Free Trial!"
updated: 2024-07-17T06:26:40Z
published: 2024-07-17T06:26:40Z
canonical: "help.autify.com/javascript-error"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.autify.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# JavaScript Error

If an error occurs in a JS step, the following message appears in the test result:

![js_error_en](https://cdn.document360.io/a099d8a2-cfd2-42ca-9906-68b4a337f4a5/Images/Documentation/js_error_en.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T14%3A10%3A47Z&se=2026-11-11T15%3A10%3A47Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=VVYc6%2BaJX5Wod9wjh8BTi0XWMG21l6XpRR8EWu1TFXI%3D)

The message after "JavaScript error: " gives you a clue as to what the issue is.

Here are some possible causes of JS Step errors and how to fix them.

## The JS Step was executed before the page load was complete

JS Steps are executed without waiting for the page to load. For example, if it's a JS Step that clicks on an element found by a CSS Selector, the step will fail if it's executed before the page has finished loading, since the CSS Selector can't find the element.

Review the screenshots and [video logs](/docs/en/video-logs-for-test-results) of the test results. If you see a loading screen or the page is incomplete, it's possible that the JS Step was executed before the page was fully loaded.

In this case, the solution is to add a [sleep step](/docs/en/sleep-step). Insert a sleep step before the JS Step so that it waits a few seconds for the page to load.

## Causes of Error Messages and Fixes

Next, let's take a look at some common error messages.

### Cannot read properties of null

This error message appears when you try to access a property of an object and the object is `null`. For example, suppose you want to click on an element selected by a CSS selector. If there is no element available in the CSS selector specified in `document.querySelector()`, `null` will be returned. If a `click` is executed on this returned `null`, an error will occur:

![cannot_read_properties_of_null](https://cdn.document360.io/a099d8a2-cfd2-42ca-9906-68b4a337f4a5/Images/Documentation/cannot_read_properties_of_null.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T14%3A10%3A47Z&se=2026-11-11T15%3A10%3A47Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=VVYc6%2BaJX5Wod9wjh8BTi0XWMG21l6XpRR8EWu1TFXI%3D)

Please see [this article](/docs/how-to-get-css-selectors#how-to-validate-css-selector-xpath) to check if the specified CSS selector can select the correct element.

### xxx is not defined

This error occurs if you try to reference an undefined variable or function. Please ensure that the variable or function is defined.

![is_not_defined](https://cdn.document360.io/a099d8a2-cfd2-42ca-9906-68b4a337f4a5/Images/Documentation/is_not_defined.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T14%3A10%3A47Z&se=2026-11-11T15%3A10%3A47Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=VVYc6%2BaJX5Wod9wjh8BTi0XWMG21l6XpRR8EWu1TFXI%3D)

### Error: cannot find the element with selector/XPath

Some snippets in [Autify JavaScript Snippets](https://javascript-snippets.autify.com/) use a CSS selector/XPath to select the element before clicking on it. If the specified CSS selector/XPath is incorrect, or if the CSS selector contains dynamic values that change each time the test is run, the element cannot be selected and an error occurs:

![cannot_find_the_element_with](https://cdn.document360.io/a099d8a2-cfd2-42ca-9906-68b4a337f4a5/Images/Documentation/cannot_find_the_element_with.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T14%3A10%3A47Z&se=2026-11-11T15%3A10%3A47Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=VVYc6%2BaJX5Wod9wjh8BTi0XWMG21l6XpRR8EWu1TFXI%3D)

Please see [this article](/docs/how-to-get-css-selectors#how-to-validate-css-selector-xpath) and make sure the specified CSS selector / XPath can select the correct element.

## If you are still having trouble...

Please contact our Customer Support team. We will help resolve the issue.

## Related articles

- [How to get CSS selectors / XPath](/docs/how-to-get-css-selectors)
- [Using CSS selectors effectively](/docs/how-to-use-css-selectors-effectively)