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To reconnect to a Browserless browser, request reconnect information before disconnecting, save the endpoint it returns, detach without ending the remote browser, then connect to that endpoint with valid authentication before its idle timeout expires. A reconnect preserves the same live browser only while that process remains available; for browser data you need across longer gaps or process restarts, use Browserless’s Session API persistence instead.

Reconnect before your client disconnects

The reconnect endpoint is for handing off a live session, not recovering one that has already ended. The exact call depends on how you connected: BrowserQL has a reconnect mutation, Puppeteer uses Browserless’s documented standard-session procedure, and BAP exposes page.reconnect(). Follow the applicable instructions in Browserless’s disconnect and reconnect guide.

  1. Connect using the intended client and a valid Browserless API token.
  2. Complete the browser work you want to preserve, such as opening a page or navigating to a URL.
  3. While still connected, request reconnect information. The timeout is specified in milliseconds; Browserless examples use 60000 for a requested one-minute idle window. That example is not a universal plan entitlement.
  4. Save the returned endpoint securely. Do not put token-bearing URLs in logs or expose them to untrusted users.
  5. Detach using the method supported by that connection type, leaving the remote browser running.
  6. Connect the next client to the returned endpoint before the idle window expires, supplying valid authentication as required.
  7. When finished, explicitly terminate the session if the API you used provides a termination operation.

The endpoint is session-specific; retain the returned value rather than constructing a new one. The Browserless examples and API details are documented at Reconnect to Session, BAP reconnects, and the reconnect guide.

Use the endpoint for the client you are connecting

BrowserQL

BrowserQL’s reconnect mutation returns a browserQLEndpoint for follow-up queries. The documentation also describes a browserWSEndpoint for CDP-based clients. Send follow-up BrowserQL work to the returned BrowserQL endpoint; do not treat the endpoint as a permanent session URL. See the BrowserQL reconnect documentation.

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Puppeteer

For a CDP connection, connect Puppeteer to the returned WebSocket endpoint with puppeteer.connect(). Browserless’s standard-session guidance distinguishes Puppeteer’s disconnect(), which detaches the client while leaving the remote browser alive, from ending the browser connection. Follow the documented standard-session procedure, including its CDP command and authentication requirements, rather than closing the browser as if it were local. See Browserless’s reconnect example and Session Management Overview.

Playwright

Browserless shows connecting over CDP to the returned WebSocket endpoint. Do not copy Puppeteer’s detach workflow blindly: Browserless’s standard-session guide notes that Playwright does not expose Puppeteer’s disconnect() method and documents a limitation with that workflow. Use the current Browserless-supported Playwright route for your connection type and library version. See Session Management Overview and the reconnect example.

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BAP

In BAP, page.reconnect() returns the information needed to hand off the session. The returned endpoints omit credentials, so the new BAP WebSocket connection must provide its own valid token. Follow the URL adaptation and authentication instructions in Browserless’s BAP reconnect guide.

Know what lasts—and for how long

A reconnect timeout is an idle grace period, not an extension to the browser’s maximum lifetime. BrowserQL’s reconnect guide says that reconnecting resets the idle timer, but the plan’s maximum session duration remains an absolute deadline measured from when the browser started. Repeated reconnects cannot extend the browser beyond that deadline. Timeout limits vary by account plan, so check the current Browserless reconnect documentation rather than assuming a particular limit.

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Cross-machine reconnection is possible when the new client can reach Browserless and the session is still alive. The endpoint does not work indefinitely: the applicable idle window or absolute session lifetime can end the session. Treat both the endpoint and API token as sensitive credentials.

Choose reconnection or Session API persistence

Choose based on whether you need the same live browser process or browser data that can be restored later.

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Need Approach What can survive Limit
Pause briefly and resume the exact browser Reconnect operation or standard session The running browser, including open pages and live page state Both the idle timeout and the plan’s absolute session deadline apply.
Reuse browser data across longer gaps or separate runs Session API persistence Cookies, localStorage, and cache can be restored from the session profile If the browser process restarts, open pages, navigation history, scroll position, and in-memory state do not survive.
Keep live pages during a Session API grace period Session API with process keep-alive, where supported Live process state during the keep-alive period, plus persisted profile data The persistence guide documents a Puppeteer-specific limitation; verify support for your client.

Browserless explains profile persistence in Continue browser state across runs and its Persisting State guide. Persisted cookies or storage are not a substitute for reconnecting to a live page if your workflow depends on the page’s current in-memory state.

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Troubleshoot reconnect failures

  • Connection error or expired endpoint: The idle window or plan maximum may have elapsed. Request reconnect information while the session is live and reconnect sooner; only request a longer idle window if it is within your account’s allowed limit.
  • Timeout rejected immediately: The requested reconnect timeout may exceed the plan’s maximum. Check the current account documentation and choose an allowed value.
  • 401 Unauthorized: Supply valid authentication in the form required by your endpoint and client. BAP endpoints omit credentials, so the follow-up connection must provide its own token; see BAP reconnects.
  • State appears missing: Confirm the client connected to the endpoint returned for the same session. If the browser process stopped, profile data may be restorable, but the live page and its in-memory state are not; see Persisting State.
  • 429 Too Many Requests: A BrowserQL session may still be consuming a concurrency slot. Terminate sessions explicitly when the API supports it, or allow their applicable timeout to expire; see Reconnect to Session.
  • Session ends when the client closes: Check that the reconnect call completed before closing and that the client used its documented detach behavior. Puppeteer’s and Playwright’s connection semantics are not interchangeable; see the reconnect examples.

Or skip the browser setup

If your goal is to capture a website rather than resume an interactive browser session, ScreenshotNeo is a screenshot API and MCP server for developers. Its one-request API returns an image or PDF:

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API documentation

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

ScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are not billed. AI agents can take screenshots through its MCP server, and the free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. This captures a page—it does not reconnect you to an existing live browser session.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I reconnect to a Browserless session from a different machine?

Yes, if the new client can reach Browserless, uses valid authentication, and connects before the session expires.

Does reconnecting preserve cookies after the browser process restarts?

A reconnect resumes a live process; after a restart, use Session API persistence to restore supported profile data such as cookies, localStorage, and cache.

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