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Use await page.createCDPSession() to open a Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) session for a Puppeteer page. Send protocol commands with session.send(), subscribe to protocol events with session.on(), and call session.detach() when finished. For a debuggable target you are handling outside a Page workflow, create the session from the Puppeteer Target instead.

Create a CDP session for a page

Puppeteer documents Page.createCDPSession() as creating a Chrome DevTools Protocol session attached to the page. It is the direct default for page-level work; Page.target() is marked obsolete for this purpose. See the Page.createCDPSession() API reference and the Page.target() API reference.

This runnable ES-module example follows Puppeteer’s documented CDPSession Animation example. Confirm the commands and events against the Chrome or Chromium protocol supported by the browser you are using; CDP capabilities vary by protocol version.

import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';

const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
  const page = await browser.newPage();
  await page.goto('https://example.com');

  const session = await page.createCDPSession();
  try {
    await session.send('Animation.enable');

    session.on('Animation.animationCreated', event => {
      console.log('Animation created', event);
    });

    const result = await session.send('Animation.getPlaybackRate');
    console.log('Playback rate:', result.playbackRate);

    await session.send('Animation.setPlaybackRate', { playbackRate: 2 });
  } finally {
    await session.detach();
  }
} finally {
  await browser.close();
}

The Animation.enable command enables the domain before the event listener is used. session.send() takes a protocol method name and, when required, a parameters object; it resolves with the protocol response. Event callbacks receive the event payload. In the example, the playback rate is read and then set to 2.

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Send commands and listen for events

A CDPSession is Puppeteer’s raw interface to the Chrome DevTools Protocol: send() issues protocol methods, while on() subscribes to events. Use the exact method and event names defined by the protocol supported by the connected browser. A command may require an enable command for its domain before related events are emitted, as with Animation.enable in the example.

The response shape depends on the method. For example, Animation.getPlaybackRate returns an object with a playbackRate property in the documented example. Protocol event payloads likewise depend on the event. Consult Puppeteer’s CDPSession reference and the protocol supported by the target browser for the method’s parameters, return values, and event fields.

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Use a target-level session when appropriate

A Puppeteer target is a debuggable entity; examples include a frame, page, or worker. If your code already works with a Target and needs a session attached to that target, call target.createCDPSession():

const target = /* a Puppeteer Target you already obtained */;
const session = await target.createCDPSession();

try {
  const result = await session.send('Runtime.evaluate', {
    expression: 'location.href',
  });
  console.log(result);
} finally {
  await session.detach();
}

The target reference documents the attachment method, and Puppeteer’s API reference explains targets and protocol support: Target.createCDPSession() and Puppeteer API Reference. This example illustrates the call shape; whether a particular protocol method is valid depends on the target and its active protocol. For a page workflow, prefer page.createCDPSession() rather than routing through the obsolete page.target().

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Detach the session and manage its lifetime

Call await session.detach() when the session is no longer needed. After detaching, it cannot send messages and no longer emits events. Keep it attached for as long as commands and listeners are required, and put detachment in a finally block so it also runs when a command throws. The browser cleanup belongs in its own outer finally, as in the page example.

Do not directly construct or subclass CDPSession; Puppeteer documents its constructor as internal. Obtain a session through a page or target. The CDPSession reference describes its raw-protocol role and detached behavior.

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Connect Puppeteer to an existing browser

Creating a CDP session is separate from connecting Puppeteer to a browser. Puppeteer’s ConnectOptions reference lists browserURL and browserWSEndpoint as connection settings. Use the form that matches how the browser exposes its connection endpoint, then create the session from the page or target you need.

The same reference documents protocolTimeout for individual CDP calls and shows a default of 180,000 milliseconds on the current page. That is a version-sensitive documented default, not a timeless guarantee; check the reference for the Puppeteer release installed in your project before relying on it.

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Troubleshoot common CDP session failures

  • Unsupported method or operation: CDP methods depend on the active protocol. Puppeteer documents UnsupportedOperation when the current protocol does not support an operation. Verify the browser and protocol version, and confirm the method is available for the target you attached to.
  • Commands fail after detaching: A detached session cannot send messages or emit events. Create a new session from the page or target if more protocol work is needed.
  • Connection closed: Puppeteer documents ConnectionClosedError for a closed underlying connection. Check whether the browser or its protocol connection has closed before retrying; a retry cannot use a session whose connection is gone.
  • Protocol command error: A ProtocolError indicates a protocol-level error. Inspect the failing method, its parameters, and the target’s protocol support rather than treating every failure as a transport problem.
  • Events do not arrive: Check that the session is still attached, that the event listener is registered on the session, and that the relevant protocol domain has been enabled when required.
  • Session construction fails: Do not instantiate CDPSession directly; use page.createCDPSession() or target.createCDPSession().

Puppeteer describes these error types and protocol support in its API Reference. The API references used here show Puppeteer 25.12.0 for several methods, while CDPSession details are also available in the Next reference. Match documentation to your installed Puppeteer release and browser rather than assuming that every current-page example applies unchanged to another version.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a CDP session with a browser Puppeteer connected to rather than launched?

Yes. Connect Puppeteer using a supported connection setting such as `browserURL` or `browserWSEndpoint`, then create the session from the relevant page or target.

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Does `session.send()` return the protocol response?

Yes. It resolves with the response for the protocol method; the response’s properties depend on that method.

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