For a page controlled by Puppeteer, use Puppeteer’s Page.record() method to record an MP4; it is currently marked experimental. If you need Chrome to let someone choose a tab, window, or screen, use getDisplayMedia() instead: it opens a browser chooser and does not silently select a tab. These are distinct capture paths, not two names for the same Puppeteer feature.
Choose the recording method for your workflow
| What you need | Use | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Record a page that Puppeteer controls | Page.record() |
Records through Chrome DevTools Protocol and outputs MP4; the Puppeteer reference marks it experimental. Puppeteer Page.record reference |
| Use Puppeteer’s documented screencast method | Page.screencast() |
Defaults to WebM, VP9 and 30 FPS; requires ffmpeg. Puppeteer Page.screencast reference |
| Let a person choose a tab, window or screen | getDisplayMedia() |
Chrome shows a source-selection dialog. Chrome screen-capture guide |
| Start capture of the active tab from an extension action | chrome.tabCapture |
Requires an extension and user invocation. Chrome tabCapture reference |
These methods have different owners and workflows. The cited documentation does not establish that they have identical image quality, audio support or performance, so choose based on who selects the source, the required output and whether capture must survive navigation.
Record a Puppeteer page with Page.record()
The current Puppeteer API documents Page.record() as a page-recording method that uses Chrome DevTools Protocol’s Page.startScreenRecording API and produces MP4. Its experimental label matters: check the API reference for the Puppeteer version installed in your project before relying on it in production.
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({ headless: true });
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
const recorder = await page.record({
path: 'recording.mp4',
});
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle2' });
// Perform the page interactions you want included in the recording here.
await page.waitForTimeout(3000);
await recorder.stop();
} finally {
await browser.close();
}Install Puppeteer in a Node.js project with npm install puppeteer. The recording starts when page.record() is called; navigate and perform the actions you want captured while it is active, then call stop() to finish the file. The documented example starts recording around page navigation and stops the recorder afterward. See the current Page.record API reference for accepted options and the exact signature for your installed release.
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Keep the recording bounded
- Call
stop()before closing the browser so the recorder can finish writing the output. - Choose a local output path that the Node.js process can write to, and ensure the destination directory exists.
- Use the appropriate navigation wait condition for the page; a page that continually makes network requests may not reach a network-idle state.
- Because this method is experimental, pin and verify your Puppeteer version rather than assuming the API is stable across releases.
Use Page.screencast() when its format and dependency fit
Puppeteer also documents Page.screencast(). Its documented defaults are WebM, VP9 and 30 FPS, and the method requires ffmpeg to be installed. Do not assume this produces the same format as Page.record(): the latter is documented as MP4, while screencast defaults to WebM.
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({ headless: true });
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
const screencast = await page.screencast({ path: 'recording.webm' });
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle2' });
// Perform the interactions to capture.
await page.waitForTimeout(3000);
await screencast.stop();
} finally {
await browser.close();
}Install ffmpeg using the package manager for your operating system, then confirm it is available to the process running Puppeteer. Check the Page.screencast reference for supported options and the API signature in your release.
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Use getDisplayMedia() when a person must choose the source
getDisplayMedia() is a browser-mediated web API. Chrome presents a chooser where the user selects what to share; a page cannot use this call to silently choose a specific Chrome tab.
const stream = await navigator.mediaDevices.getDisplayMedia({
audio: true,
video: true,
});This requests audio and video and prompts the user to select a source. It returns a media stream; it is not itself a saved video file. Chrome’s guide directs developers to the MediaRecorder API to record the stream. Consult that guide for the capture flow and browser-specific details: Chrome screen capture documentation.
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Know the navigation limitation in the extension guide
Chrome’s extension guide says a getDisplayMedia() capture initiated from a content script ends if the user navigates to a new page. For background recording that needs to continue across navigations, the guide recommends using an offscreen document with the DISPLAY_MEDIA reason. That extension architecture is distinct from calling the API in an ordinary page.
Use an extension API for extension-owned capture
Capture the active tab with chrome.tabCapture
chrome.tabCapture is intended for extensions that capture a tab after the user invokes the extension. It is not a drop-in replacement for Puppeteer’s page recorder or a normal web page’s getDisplayMedia() call. Follow the permission and invocation flow in the tabCapture API reference.
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The reference describes a Chrome 116 change relevant to using a stream ID created by a service worker in an offscreen document, subject to the documented origin and process restrictions. Treat that version boundary as specific to that stream-ID/offscreen pattern, not as a general minimum version for every tab-capture use.
Let the user choose a desktop source with chrome.desktopCapture
Chrome distinguishes chrome.desktopCapture, which provides a desktop-source chooser flow, from chrome.tabCapture, which is for active-tab capture. Use the API that matches the extension’s source-selection requirement; see the desktopCapture reference.
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Troubleshoot common recording failures
Page.recordis unavailable or its call fails: check the installed Puppeteer version and its API reference. The method is marked experimental, so availability or behavior may differ by release.- The recording file is missing or incomplete: ensure the output directory is writable and await
recorder.stop()orscreencast.stop()before closing the browser. Page.screencast()cannot start: confirm ffmpeg is installed and visible on the PATH of the Node.js process.getDisplayMedia()does not choose a tab automatically: that is expected; Chrome requires a person to select a source in its chooser.- Display capture ends after navigation: Chrome documents this behavior for capture started from a content script. Use the recommended offscreen-document approach with the
DISPLAY_MEDIAreason when the extension must continue across navigations. - An extension stream ID does not work in an offscreen document: verify the Chrome version and the origin/process constraints in the
tabCapturedocumentation; the relevant documented service-worker behavior changed in Chrome 116.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need a still screenshot rather than a video recording, ScreenshotNeo returns a screenshot or PDF from one GET request. Cookie banners are accepted or removed, and newsletter popups and chat widgets are removed before capture; those steps can each be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and response headers report the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server gives AI agents tools to take screenshots, inspect page information and capture PDFs.
For a screenshot of a page rather than a recording, the call is:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Learn about ScreenshotNeo or sign up free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does getDisplayMedia() record a Chrome tab by itself?
No. It opens Chrome’s source chooser and returns a media stream; a recording mechanism must handle that stream.
Which Puppeteer method outputs MP4?
The current Puppeteer reference documents Page.record() as producing MP4, and labels the method experimental.
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