Puppeteer browser launch options are the settings you pass to puppeteer.launch() to choose a browser process and control how it starts. In Puppeteer 25.12.0, headless defaults to true, the startup timeout defaults to 30 seconds, and puppeteer-core requires you to specify a browser executable or Chrome channel. The examples below show the main choices and the defaults that matter when a browser will not launch as expected.
What Puppeteer launch options control
puppeteer.launch(options) starts a browser process. Its options determine which browser binary to run, what command-line arguments to pass, whether the session is headless, and how Puppeteer handles startup and communication. The current official API reference covers Puppeteer 25.12.0; option names, defaults, and compatibility can change between releases. See the LaunchOptions API.
LaunchOptions also extends ConnectOptions, so some settings—such as the default viewport and protocol timeout—are inherited rather than unique to launching a process.
Choose which browser binary to launch
Use Puppeteer’s bundled browser
The Puppeteer package downloads a compatible Chrome for Testing build, which Puppeteer recommends using for the most reliable compatibility. If you use the standard puppeteer package and do not override the binary, Chrome is the documented default.
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Use an installed Chrome channel or executable
channel selects an installed Chrome release channel; executablePath points to a specific browser binary. When using executablePath, the API recommends setting browser as well, because the browser otherwise defaults to Chrome. Puppeteer does not guarantee that a Chrome version other than its bundled Chrome for Testing will work correctly.
Using puppeteer-core
puppeteer-core does not download a browser for you. Puppeteer’s launch() API says: “When using with puppeteer-core, options.executablePath or options.channel must be provided.”
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
executablePath: '/path/to/chrome',
browser: 'chrome',
});Use a path that exists in the environment where the Node.js process runs. A path on your laptop will not necessarily exist inside a container or remote host.
Set headless mode or open DevTools
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
headless: true |
Uses Chrome’s new headless mode; this is the documented default. |
headless: 'shell' |
Uses the old headless shell mode. |
headless: false |
Runs a visible, headful browser. |
devtools: true |
Opens DevTools and forces headful mode. |
For routine automation, leave the default unless a workload depends on a particular rendering mode. For interactive debugging, set headless: false or devtools: true; a visible browser also requires a display environment capable of running it.
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Add browser arguments without discarding defaults
Use args to add browser command-line arguments. Puppeteer supplies its own default arguments, and puppeteer.defaultArgs() returns that set. The API cautions that users likely need Puppeteer’s defaults, so prefer adding only the argument you need.
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
args: ['--start-maximized'],
});ignoreDefaultArgs: true removes all Puppeteer defaults. Passing an array filters only the named default arguments, which is the narrower option when there is a specific conflict to address:
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
ignoreDefaultArgs: ['--some-default-argument'],
});Do not copy an argument name into this example without checking the defaults for the Puppeteer version in use. Removing required defaults can change startup behavior or prevent expected automation features from working.
Configure profiles and extensions
Persistent browser data
userDataDir sets the browser’s user data directory. Use it when a run needs a particular profile directory; choose a directory with appropriate permissions and avoid having multiple browser processes concurrently use the same profile.
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Extensions
enableExtensions can avoid default arguments that prevent extensions from being enabled, or accept paths to unpacked extensions. extensionsEnabledInIncognito specifies extensions enabled in off-the-record profiles. Extension options are specialized; use them only when the automation depends on extensions, and verify compatibility with the selected browser.
Manage startup, logging, and shutdown
| Option | Documented behavior |
|---|---|
timeout |
Startup timeout in milliseconds; defaults to 30,000. Set to 0 to disable this timeout. |
waitForInitialPage |
Defaults to true. Set to false for cases such as launching Chrome with --no-startup-window. |
dumpio |
Defaults to false; when enabled, forwards browser stdout and stderr to Node.js stdout and stderr. |
env |
Environment variables visible to the browser; defaults to process.env. |
handleSIGHUP, handleSIGINT, handleSIGTERM |
Signal handlers default to true. |
signal |
An AbortSignal; aborting it closes the browser. |
Increasing timeout can help when startup is simply slow, but it will not repair a missing binary, unsupported browser, or incompatible runtime. Set dumpio: true when you need the browser’s own startup output to diagnose a failure.
Understand inherited connection options
Because launch options extend ConnectOptions, the following settings also apply. Their documented defaults are from Puppeteer’s ConnectOptions API.
| Option | Documented default and purpose |
|---|---|
defaultViewport |
800 × 600 pixels; sets the default page viewport. Set it to null if you do not want Puppeteer to set a viewport. |
protocolTimeout |
180,000 milliseconds; limits an individual protocol call, rather than the whole browser startup. |
Do not confuse the startup timeout with protocolTimeout: the first governs launching, while the inherited setting governs individual communication calls.
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Choose a WebSocket or pipe transport
pipe defaults to false, using WebSocket transport. Setting it to true uses a pipe instead; the API says pipe transport is supported only for Chrome. Avoid enabling it as a generic performance fix: choose it only when your browser setup supports it and you specifically need pipe transport.
Set defaults outside the launch call
Puppeteer configuration can set a default browser and executable path. The configuration API also identifies PUPPETEER_BROWSER and PUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATH as environment-variable overrides. These are useful when a deployment environment should choose the binary without hard-coding a machine-specific path in application code. See the Puppeteer configuration guide.
Runnable launch example
This example uses the standard Puppeteer package and its bundled browser. Install puppeteer in the project before running it.
const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
(async () => {
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
headless: true,
timeout: 30_000,
args: [],
});
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
console.log(await page.title());
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
})();For an ES module project, import Puppeteer with import puppeteer from 'puppeteer'; and keep the same launch and cleanup logic. An empty args array is unnecessary unless you plan to add arguments; omitting it uses the same defaults.
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Troubleshoot common launch problems
puppeteer-corecomplains about a missing executable or channel: passexecutablePathorchannel, and verify that the selected browser is installed in the runtime environment.- Browser executable cannot be found: check the resolved path and permissions, or use Puppeteer’s bundled Chrome for Testing with the standard package. Configuration and environment overrides may affect binary selection.
- Launch times out: enable
dumpio: trueto see browser output, confirm the binary can start in the host environment, and only then consider increasingtimeout. Setting it to0disables the startup timeout rather than fixing the underlying cause. - No visible browser window appears:
headless: trueis the default. Useheadless: falsefor a visible browser; setdevtools: trueto open DevTools, which also forces headful mode. - Expected page does not appear at launch:
waitForInitialPagedefaults to true. If the launch intentionally uses--no-startup-window, consider setting it to false. - Browser behavior changed after argument customization: restore Puppeteer’s default arguments and add only the required custom argument. If filtering is necessary, use an array with
ignoreDefaultArgsrather than removing every default. - Pipe transport fails with a non-Chrome browser: pipe is documented as Chrome-only; use the default WebSocket transport for other browser choices.
- Calls stall after launch: review the inherited
protocolTimeout, which limits individual protocol calls, separately from the launch timeout.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does Puppeteer’s `headless: ‘shell’` option select?
It selects the old headless shell mode, rather than the new headless mode selected by `headless: true`.
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