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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11The error means your code is calling executablePath with the wrong API shape for the installed @sparticuz/chromium version. Current releases expose chromium.executablePath(location?) as a function, so use await chromium.executablePath(). Older releases exposed executablePath as a promise-returning getter, so the correct form was await chromium.executablePath. Check the package actually deployed to Lambda, then fix your CDK bundling or layer configuration so only the intended copy is loaded.
Start with the correct call syntax
Use the form that matches the installed package and its TypeScript declarations:
Current function-style API
const executablePath = await chromium.executablePath();
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
args: chromium.args,
defaultViewport: chromium.defaultViewport,
executablePath,
headless: chromium.headless,
});Older getter-style API
const executablePath = await chromium.executablePath;
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
args: chromium.args,
defaultViewport: chromium.defaultViewport,
executablePath,
headless: chromium.headless,
});Do not choose between these forms by copying an old blog post. Confirm the version that is installed in the Lambda asset with npm ls @sparticuz/chromium and by inspecting package-lock.json (or your equivalent lockfile). Read that release’s README and declaration file. If CDK bundles the module, inspect the generated bundle as well: esbuild interop, a stale Lambda layer, or a duplicate package can make the runtime export differ from your local source.
Why “is not a function” appears
JavaScript throws this TypeError when a value is called with parentheses even though it is not callable. In the older package API, chromium.executablePath was already a promise. Adding () attempted to invoke that promise as a function. In the current API, the property is a function that returns a promise, so omitting parentheses leaves you with the function itself rather than the resolved path.
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The error can therefore survive a source-code change when Lambda is loading another copy. Common causes include a layer that still contains an older release, a bundled copy alongside the layer copy, or a deployment asset that was not rebuilt after changing dependencies.
Verify what Lambda is really loading
- Resolve the dependency tree. Run
npm ls @sparticuz/chromiumfrom the application directory. Multiple versions are a warning sign. - Check the lockfile. Confirm the exact version selected for production installation, not merely the version range in
package.json. - Check the deployed asset. For a bundled function, inspect the generated JavaScript or deployment archive. For a layer, inspect the layer archive and its package metadata.
- Inspect the export shape in a diagnostic deployment. A temporary log such as
console.log(typeof chromium.executablePath)tells you whether Lambda sees a function or another value. Log the resolved path once, then remove or restrict the diagnostic.
Keep @sparticuz/chromium in dependencies when the function needs it at runtime. A devDependency may be omitted from a production install and leave the deployed function without the module or its binary.
Choose one CDK packaging model
A reliable deployment has one deliberate source for the Chromium package. Either bundle it with the function or provide it through a Lambda layer. Mixing both models accidentally is a frequent reason local code and Lambda behave differently.
| Decision point | Bundle with the function | Provide through a layer |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment package | Contains the module and its Chromium assets with each function. | Function package is smaller; the layer carries the shared files. |
| Sharing | Each function has its own copy. | Several functions can use one attached layer. |
| Version synchronization | Version follows the function’s lockfile and bundle. | You must keep the layer’s package compatible with the function code. |
| CDK configuration | Do not externalize @sparticuz/chromium. |
Set externalModules: ['@sparticuz/chromium'] when the layer supplies it. |
| Cold-start behavior | Chromium assets are extracted from the function deployment. | Layer assets are mounted under /opt and may still need extraction by the package. |
| Local reproduction | Usually simpler because the function bundle contains its dependency. | Requires reproducing the layer path and attachment when testing packaging. |
Bundle @sparticuz/chromium with NodejsFunction
CDK’s NodejsFunction bundles referenced modules with esbuild by default. Keep the package in runtime dependencies and do not list it as external when the function is meant to contain it.
import * as path from 'node:path';
import * as cdk from 'aws-cdk-lib';
import * as lambda from 'aws-cdk-lib/aws-lambda';
import * as nodejs from 'aws-cdk-lib/aws-lambda-nodejs';
const fn = new nodejs.NodejsFunction(this, 'PdfFn', {
entry: path.join(__dirname, '../src/handler.ts'),
runtime: lambda.Runtime.NODEJS_20_X,
architecture: lambda.Architecture.X86_64,
// No externalModules entry for @sparticuz/chromium:
// esbuild includes the runtime dependency.
});After changing the dependency version, rebuild and redeploy the function asset. Remove old generated assets from your build process if your CI system caches them; otherwise a successful CDK deployment can still contain the previous export shape.
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Put the package in a Lambda layer
A Node.js layer must use Lambda’s expected directory layout. The archive should contain a path such as nodejs/node_modules/@sparticuz/chromium. At runtime Lambda exposes Node.js layer modules under /opt/nodejs/node_modules.
const fn = new nodejs.NodejsFunction(this, 'PdfFn', {
entry: 'src/handler.ts',
runtime: lambda.Runtime.NODEJS_20_X,
architecture: lambda.Architecture.X86_64,
layers: [chromiumLayer],
bundling: {
externalModules: ['@sparticuz/chromium'],
},
});Use externalModules only when the attached layer really supplies the package. If the layer is missing, incorrectly laid out, or not attached to the deployed function, externalization removes the bundled fallback and produces a module or binary error. Conversely, leaving a layer-supplied module bundled can create two copies with different versions.
The Chromium package documentation also describes passing an explicit extraction location when your layer design requires it:
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsconst executablePath = await chromium.executablePath('/opt/chromium');Use that location only when the binary assets are actually available there and the installed release supports the argument.
Use the supported Lambda architecture
The documented Chromium build does not support ARM. Set the CDK architecture explicitly to Architecture.X86_64 unless the exact package release you selected documents ARM support. An ARM64 deployment can fail with an execution-format error before Puppeteer starts; switching the function and compatible layer to x86_64 resolves that class of failure.
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architecture: lambda.Architecture.X86_64Architecture must match across the function, layer, and native binaries. Changing only the function setting while retaining an incompatible layer does not fix the deployment.
Test locally without assuming the Lambda binary works headfully
The serverless Chromium build is intended for a headless Lambda environment. For local development, use a locally installed Chrome or Chromium, or a browser managed by Puppeteer, and select that executable in an IS_LOCAL branch.
const isLocal = process.env.IS_LOCAL === 'true';
const executablePath = isLocal
? process.env.LOCAL_CHROME_PATH
: await chromium.executablePath();
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
args: isLocal ? [] : chromium.args,
defaultViewport: chromium.defaultViewport,
executablePath,
headless: isLocal ? false : chromium.headless,
});This separation prevents a headful local failure from being mistaken for a CDK packaging failure. Set LOCAL_CHROME_PATH to a browser executable that exists on the development machine, and test the deployed path separately in Lambda.
Deployment checklist
- Run
npm ls @sparticuz/chromiumand record the single version used at runtime. - Read that release’s API table and declarations to determine whether
executablePathis a getter or a function. - Use exactly one call form:
await chromium.executablePathfor the getter API orawait chromium.executablePath()for the function API. - Choose bundle or layer packaging; do not leave an accidental second copy in the other location.
- If using a layer, verify
nodejs/node_modules/@sparticuz/chromiumin the archive and confirm the layer is attached. - Set
externalModulesonly for a module genuinely supplied by that layer. - Keep the runtime package in
dependencies, not only indevDependencies. - Deploy x86_64 for releases that do not support ARM.
- In a non-production diagnostic deployment, log
typeof chromium.executablePathand the resolved path once. - Launch Puppeteer with
chromium.args,chromium.defaultViewport, the resolved path, and the package’s headless setting.
Troubleshooting common Lambda failures
chromium.executablePath is not a function
Cause: The deployed release exposes a getter, or the runtime loaded an older duplicate. Fix: inspect the lockfile, bundle, and layer; then remove parentheses or update all copies to a function-style release.
/var/task/bin or an input-directory error
Cause: The package was bundled or externalized contrary to your chosen model, or the Chromium assets are absent from the expected directory. Fix: for a layer, verify the nodejs layout and externalize the module; for a bundled function, stop externalizing it and rebuild the asset. If your layer stores extracted files elsewhere, pass the supported location to executablePath(location).
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Execution-format or ELF errors on startup
Cause: An ARM64 function is executing a binary built for x86_64. Fix: deploy the function and matching layer as Architecture.X86_64, or select a package release that explicitly supports your architecture.
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Cause: The dependency was omitted from production installation, was marked external without a layer, or the layer path is wrong. Fix: move it to dependencies, remove inappropriate externalization, or correct the layer archive and attachment.
Local code works but Lambda still throws the old error
Cause: CDK or CI deployed a cached asset, a stale layer version, or a second package copy. Fix: inspect the deployed artifact rather than only source files, invalidate the stale asset, publish the intended layer version, and redeploy.
The path resolves but Puppeteer cannot launch
Cause: The executable path is valid but the binary’s architecture, extraction directory, launch arguments, or Lambda packaging is wrong. Fix: confirm x86_64 compatibility, use chromium.args, ensure the extraction directory is writable and present, and test with the headless settings intended for Lambda.
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FAQ
Can I support both getter and function releases in one codebase?
Yes, but an explicit package upgrade is clearer and safer. If you must run against multiple releases, inspect typeof chromium.executablePath and handle the two shapes deliberately, then standardize the dependency in deployment so production is deterministic.
Does changing the Puppeteer version fix this TypeError?
Not directly. The mismatch is in the @sparticuz/chromium export shape. Puppeteer still needs a valid resolved executable path, but changing Puppeteer alone does not turn a getter into a function.
Should every Lambda function get its own Chromium layer?
No. A compatible layer can be shared by multiple functions, provided each function attaches the layer and uses a package API compatible with its contents. Separate layers can be simpler when functions must move versions independently.
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Can I support both getter and function releases in one codebase?
Yes, but standardizing one @sparticuz/chromium release for deployment is safer. If compatibility is unavoidable, inspect the runtime type before resolving the path.
Does changing Puppeteer fix this TypeError?
No. The error comes from the @sparticuz/chromium export shape; Puppeteer only consumes the resolved executable path.
Can one Chromium layer serve multiple Lambda functions?
Yes, when the layer is compatible with every attached function and each function is configured to load the layer-supplied module.
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