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For the standard puppeteer package, call puppeteer.launch(); it starts a headless browser by default. Create a page, navigate it, and close the browser when finished:

import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';

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

Choose between puppeteer and puppeteer-core

The package determines who supplies the browser:

  • puppeteer installs a recent Chrome for Testing and chrome-headless-shell, a browser binary intended to work with Puppeteer.
  • puppeteer-core does not download Chrome. Use it when you manage installation yourself or connect to a remote browser. When launching it, supply executablePath or channel; the official API states that one of these must be provided. See the launch API.

Puppeteer says it works best with the Chrome for Testing version it downloads and does not guarantee compatibility with arbitrary Chrome versions. See the installation guide.

Install the package

Install puppeteer if you want Puppeteer to manage its compatible browser. Follow the official installation guide for the current install steps and browser management. If your package manager blocks install scripts, the guide says to install the browser manually using the Puppeteer browsers command or allow the package install script.

Pick a launch mode

The default is headless mode, so no visible browser window appears. Set headless: false to launch a visible Chrome window. Set headless: 'shell' to use the separate chrome-headless-shell binary, the old headless mode. The shell does not fully match regular Chrome, but Puppeteer’s guide describes it as more performant for automation when the full feature set is not needed. See headless modes.

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const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
// or: await puppeteer.launch({ headless: false });
// or: await puppeteer.launch({ headless: 'shell' });

Launch a browser installed elsewhere

With the higher-level package, use channel to select an installed Chrome release channel or executablePath to point to a specific browser binary:

const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
  channel: 'chrome',
  headless: true,
});

With puppeteer-core, provide either channel or executablePath. Available release-channel values and installed binary locations depend on the platform and installation. Using a browser other than Puppeteer’s bundled browser is at your own risk because compatibility is not guaranteed.

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Set useful launch options

The current generic LaunchOptions API page identifies version 25.12.0 and lists options including browser, channel, executablePath, headless, args, env, timeout, dumpio, userDataDir, devtools, and signal-handling controls. Consult the LaunchOptions API for exact types and current details.

  • timeout sets how long Puppeteer waits for browser startup; its documented default is 30 seconds.
  • dumpio: true pipes browser stdout and stderr to the Node process, which can help expose startup diagnostics.
  • devtools: true opens DevTools and forces headful mode.
  • Use ignoreDefaultArgs carefully. Puppeteer warns that it likely needs its default arguments.

Troubleshoot launch failures

“Could not find Chrome”

The package manager may have skipped Puppeteer’s browser installation script. Install the browser manually with the Puppeteer browsers command or allow the install script, as described in the installation guide.

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The configured executable path is wrong

Check that executablePath points to the actual browser executable on the host. Alternatively, select an installed Chrome with channel. For puppeteer-core, one of those options is required.

Linux reports missing libraries or dependencies

Installing the npm package does not necessarily install operating-system libraries. Puppeteer’s browser installation options document installDeps for Chrome on Debian and Ubuntu only; it requires system-level privileges. Confirm the host OS and dependency requirements in the installation options.

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The browser fails with a sandbox error

Sandbox problems can depend on the host configuration, including Windows and Ubuntu/AppArmor-related Linux setups. Puppeteer’s troubleshooting guide strongly discourages running without a sandbox and recommends configuring one. Do not treat --no-sandbox as a routine fix.

Startup diagnostics are missing

Set dumpio: true in the launch options to forward browser process output to Node’s stdout and stderr.

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cURL example, with the API details in the ScreenshotNeo documentation:

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.