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In current Puppeteer, record a browser page with page.record(). It starts an MP4 screen recording and returns a ScreenRecording object; run the interactions you want to capture, then call await recorder.stop(). The complete workflow is: install Puppeteer, launch a browser, prepare a page, navigate, start recording, perform actions, stop the recorder, and close the browser.

What you need before recording

  • Node.js and a JavaScript project.
  • Puppeteer installed with a usable Chrome or Chromium browser.
  • A writable output location for the MP4 file.

The puppeteer package normally downloads a compatible Chrome during installation. puppeteer-core installs the library without downloading Chrome, so you must provide a browser executable yourself. If installation scripts are blocked, install a Puppeteer-managed browser manually with npx puppeteer browsers install.

Install Puppeteer

npm i puppeteer

Use puppeteer-core instead when your deployment already manages Chrome or Chromium:

npm i puppeteer-core

Record a page with the current API

This example follows the current recording sequence. The try/finally block ensures the browser is closed if an action throws an error.

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import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';

const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
  const page = await browser.newPage();

  // Optional: choose a predictable video size.
  await page.setViewport({ width: 1280, height: 720 });

  // Navigate before recording if you do not want the navigation itself in the clip.
  await page.goto('https://www.example.com');

  const recorder = await page.record({ path: 'recording.mp4' });

  // Perform the browser actions you want to capture.
  await page.click('button');
  await page.waitForTimeout(1000);

  await recorder.stop();
} finally {
  await browser.close();
}

1. Launch the browser and create a page

puppeteer.launch() starts the browser, and browser.newPage() creates the tab that will be recorded. Set the viewport before recording when the output must have consistent dimensions across runs.

2. Navigate before recording when appropriate

Call await page.goto(url) before page.record() when the page load should not appear in the video. If the navigation animation or initial load is the subject of the clip, start recording first and navigate afterward.

3. Start the MP4 recording

Use const recorder = await page.record({ path: 'recording.mp4' });. The current API outputs an MP4 video stream and returns a ScreenRecording object that behaves as a readable stream. The path tells Puppeteer where to write the recording.

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4. Perform the actions to capture

Run your normal Puppeteer commands while recording is active: click controls, type text, scroll, open menus, wait for animations, or navigate between pages. The exact timing and visual result depend on the page and your automation; do not assume a particular frame rate unless your installed Puppeteer documentation specifies one.

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5. Stop the recorder

Call await recorder.stop() after the final action. Stopping ends the stream and completes the output file before the browser is closed.

6. Close the browser

Use await browser.close() in cleanup code so Chromium does not remain running after the recording finishes or an exception occurs.

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Controlling what appears in the video

  • Stable dimensions: set the viewport before starting the recorder.
  • Deterministic timing: wait for selectors or application state rather than relying only on arbitrary delays.
  • Clean start: navigate and dismiss any setup UI before calling page.record() when those steps are not part of the demonstration.
  • Complete ending: stop only after the last animation or transition you need has finished.

Recording captures the browser page as it runs. It does not automatically make a dynamic site deterministic, remove overlays, or guarantee that a failed navigation produces a usable clip.

Page.record() versus the obsolete Page.screencast()

Current Puppeteer documentation marks Page.screencast() obsolete and directs users to Page.record(). Use the older API only when maintaining existing code that specifically depends on it.

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Aspect Page.record() Page.screencast() (obsolete)
Status Current documented method Obsolete; migrate to Page.record()
Output MP4 video stream WebM using VP9 by default
Documented frame rate Not specified in the cited current reference 30 FPS by default
Browser requirement Use the browser support required by your installed Puppeteer version Reference documents Chrome 153 or newer
Extra software No ffmpeg requirement is stated for this API in the cited reference ffmpeg must be installed on the system
Stopping Call stop() on the returned recording Uses a recorder handle with a stop operation

The WebM, VP9, 30 FPS, Chrome 153+, and ffmpeg details belong to the legacy screencast reference; they should not be presented as requirements of Page.record().

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Troubleshooting common failures

The browser does not launch

If you installed puppeteer-core, confirm that Chrome or Chromium is installed and that your launch configuration points to it. With the full puppeteer package, check whether your package manager blocked its browser-install script; run npx puppeteer browsers install if needed.

The MP4 file is missing or incomplete

Keep the recorder reference, await recorder.stop(), and only then close the browser. Also verify that the destination directory exists and is writable.

The recording starts too late

Anything before page.record() is excluded. Move the recording call earlier if you need to include navigation or setup actions.

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The clip contains unwanted setup UI

Perform login, navigation, cookie handling, and other preparation before starting the recorder, or explicitly automate those steps while recording if they are part of the tutorial.

Existing code uses screencast()

Treat that as legacy code. The current documentation recommends replacing it with page.record(); retain ffmpeg and WebM assumptions only for the old implementation.

Or skip the browser setup

If you need a clean image of a web page rather than a time-based video, ScreenshotNeo provides a one-request screenshot API. It accepts cookie or consent banners before capture and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be disabled. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status.

Use the API with cURL (see the ScreenshotNeo documentation):

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

ScreenshotNeo is not a replacement for a video recorder: this call returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF capture. It is useful when the deliverable is a clean static page image, or when an AI agent should capture a page through its MCP server. The MCP tools include take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf. The free plan includes 1,000 shots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account.

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.