Use puppeteer.connect() to attach Puppeteer to a browser that is already running. If you have its complete Chrome DevTools WebSocket URL, pass it as browserWSEndpoint. In Node.js, put WebSocket headers under wsOptions.headers; use options such as protocolTimeout and defaultViewport to configure Puppeteer’s session, not to locate or authenticate the browser.
Connect Puppeteer to an existing browser
puppeteer.connect(options) resolves to a Browser instance attached to an existing browser; it does not launch one. The example below assumes you already have a debugger WebSocket endpoint and have installed Puppeteer in a Node.js project. See the Puppeteer 25.12.0 connect() reference.
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';
const endpoint = process.env.BROWSER_WS_ENDPOINT;
if (!endpoint) {
throw new Error('Set BROWSER_WS_ENDPOINT to the browser WebSocket URL');
}
const browser = await puppeteer.connect({
browserWSEndpoint: endpoint,
});
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
console.log(await page.title());
} finally {
// Detach this Puppeteer client; leave the browser running.
browser.disconnect();
}For an application that owns the browser lifecycle, call await browser.close() instead of disconnecting when the work is done and you intend to shut down the browser.
Find the WebSocket endpoint
When Puppeteer launched the browser
Call browser.wsEndpoint() on the connected instance to get its debugger WebSocket URL, then pass that string to browserWSEndpoint when reconnecting. Puppeteer documents this method in its Browser.wsEndpoint() reference.
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const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
const endpoint = browser.wsEndpoint();
browser.disconnect();
const reconnected = await puppeteer.connect({
browserWSEndpoint: endpoint,
});
await reconnected.close();This reconnect pattern requires that the launched browser remain alive after the first client disconnects. Puppeteer’s Browser management guide documents disconnecting and reconnecting in this way.
When Chrome is already running independently
The Puppeteer API reference says the debugger URL is available as webSocketDebuggerUrl from http://HOST:PORT/json/version. Its documented WebSocket shape is ws://HOST:PORT/devtools/browser/<id>. Replace HOST, PORT and <id> with the values returned by that browser’s endpoint; do not guess an ID or path.
const response = await fetch('http://127.0.0.1:9222/json/version');
if (!response.ok) {
throw new Error(`Could not read Chrome version endpoint: ${response.status}`);
}
const info = await response.json();
if (!info.webSocketDebuggerUrl) {
throw new Error('Response did not include webSocketDebuggerUrl');
}
const browser = await puppeteer.connect({
browserWSEndpoint: info.webSocketDebuggerUrl,
});This assumes the browser exposes its debugging endpoint on that host and port and that your process can reach it. Keep remote debugging access restricted to trusted clients.
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browserURL or browserWSEndpoint?
The current ConnectOptions reference (Puppeteer 25.12.0) lists both browserURL and browserWSEndpoint, but its generated table provides no descriptions for either row. If you already have the full debugger WebSocket URL, use the explicit browserWSEndpoint form shown here. The reference alone does not establish detailed discovery behavior or precedence for browserURL; consult documentation for the browser setup you use rather than assuming it is interchangeable with a WebSocket URL.
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Pass authentication headers and WebSocket options
In Node.js, set WebSocket options through wsOptions. Current Puppeteer documentation directs users to wsOptions.headers; the top-level headers option is deprecated, and wsOptions.headers takes precedence if both are supplied.
const browser = await puppeteer.connect({
browserWSEndpoint: endpoint,
wsOptions: {
headers: {
Authorization: `Bearer ${token}`,
},
},
});This is an illustrative configuration shape, not a universal remote-browser authentication recipe. A service may require a different endpoint, header, credential or connection process; follow that service’s current instructions. Puppeteer’s generic API reference does not establish provider-specific conventions.
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wsOptions is Node-only. The API reference also notes that browser builds lack a ping-frame API, so keep-alive options are ignored there. Do not use protocolTimeout as a substitute for WebSocket connection or handshake settings: it governs individual protocol calls.
Choose protocol and session behavior
These options affect how Puppeteer operates after connecting; they do not identify the browser endpoint.
| Option | What it controls | Documented detail |
|---|---|---|
protocol |
Protocol used for the connection. | The documented default for a browser connection is CDP. Chrome launch defaults to CDP; Firefox launch defaults to WebDriver BiDi. |
capabilities |
Capabilities for a WebDriver BiDi connection. | Documented for protocol="webDriverBiDi" with Puppeteer.connect(). |
protocolTimeout |
Timeout for individual CDP calls. | Documented default: 180_000 ms. This is not documented as a WebSocket handshake timeout. |
defaultViewport |
Viewport applied to each page. | Documented default: {width: 800, height: 600}. |
targetFilter |
Callback that decides which targets Puppeteer connects to. | Use when controlling target selection. |
slowMo |
Delays Puppeteer operations for debugging. | Value is a delay in milliseconds. |
networkEnabled |
Network-event monitoring. | Experimental. Setting it to false disables network events and breaks features that depend on them, including HTTPRequest and HTTPResponse. |
allowlist / blocklist |
Experimental URLPattern-based controls. | Chrome-only; documented for Chrome 149 or later. Existing targets that violate the controls may be detached, and disallowed requests fail. Puppeteer warns these controls are not complete network sandboxing; use container- or OS-level sandboxing where that is required. |
channel |
Finds an open Chrome WebSocket in a known user-data directory and connects to its active port. | Experimental; limited in the reference to Chrome in Node.js. |
Check the versioned ConnectOptions reference for the exact option types and compatibility as your Puppeteer version changes.
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Node.js, browser builds and Chrome pipe
Node.js
Node.js supports connecting to an existing browser and also provides Puppeteer’s browser launch and download capabilities. Use this runtime when your code needs Node-only connection options such as wsOptions.
Running in a browser page
Puppeteer can connect over WebSockets to an existing browser from a browser build, but it cannot launch or download browsers there because those operations depend on Node.js APIs. The official Running Puppeteer in the browser guide demonstrates the browser-specific puppeteer-core entry point and a browserWSEndpoint connection. Browser builds do not support the Node-only WebSocket settings described above.
Chrome pipe
Puppeteer documents Chrome pipe as a launch-time transport option in LaunchOptions. It is not an endpoint format for attaching with connect() to an already-running browser.
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Disconnect or close?
browser.disconnect()detaches the Puppeteer client while leaving the browser and its pages running. The Browser management guide states: “Unlikebrowser.close(),browser.disconnect()does not shut down the browser or close any pages.”await browser.close()gracefully closes the browser. Use this when your program owns the browser and should end its lifecycle.
For a shared browser, disconnect after your task so other clients or users can continue using it. For a browser dedicated to a one-off job, close it when cleanup should include shutting down Chrome.
Troubleshoot connection failures
Connection fails before a Browser is returned
- Check the endpoint value. Ensure
browserWSEndpointcontains the complete WebSocket URL, including the browser debugger path, not just an HTTP host and port. - Query the version endpoint. If the browser exposes
/json/version, read itswebSocketDebuggerUrlrather than constructing the URL yourself. - Check reachability. Confirm that the connecting process can reach the browser host and port and that the browser’s debugging endpoint is enabled and available.
- Verify service credentials and endpoint rules. For hosted browsers, use that provider’s current instructions; Puppeteer does not define a universal authentication header or endpoint convention.
Authentication is rejected
For Node.js, place headers in wsOptions.headers. Confirm the required credential format and header name with the browser service; the Bearer example is not a universal requirement. Do not rely on deprecated top-level headers.
A protocol operation times out
protocolTimeout applies to individual CDP calls, with a documented default of 180_000 ms in Puppeteer 25.12.0. Check whether the operation itself is stalled or the browser is overloaded before increasing it. It does not repair an invalid WebSocket endpoint or change the connection handshake.
Pages or network APIs behave differently than expected
Check defaultViewport, targetFilter and whether networkEnabled was disabled. The latter disables network-event monitoring and therefore affects features built on HTTPRequest and HTTPResponse.
Chrome closes unexpectedly after cleanup
Use browser.disconnect() to detach without closing the browser. browser.close() is the shutdown operation.
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