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Puppeteer’s Chrome settings are primarily JavaScript options passed to puppeteer.launch(); use args for additional Chrome command-line switches. Start with the defaults, then change only the settings your automation requires. The options and defaults below follow the Puppeteer v25.12.0 documentation and may change in later releases.
Set up a launch with sensible defaults
For a typical Node.js script, let Puppeteer use its bundled browser and default headless mode. Here is a minimal runnable example:
const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
(async () => {
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
console.log(await page.title());
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
})();For ES modules, use import puppeteer from 'puppeteer'; in place of the require line. The key configuration point is that launch() accepts an options object; options affect the browser process or the pages it creates, depending on the setting.
Choose a headless mode
The documented headless choices are true, 'shell', and false. Puppeteer’s headless guide says the default launch is equivalent to { headless: true }.
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| Setting | What it runs | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
true |
Modern headless Chrome. | Ordinary automation where no visible browser window is needed. |
'shell' |
The separate chrome-headless-shell program associated with the older headless implementation. |
Automation where its narrower behavior is acceptable and performance is a priority. The official guide says it does not completely match regular Chrome behavior. |
false |
A visible, headful browser window. | Debugging or automation that needs a visible browser. |
For example, change the launch call to puppeteer.launch({ headless: false }) to see the browser, or use puppeteer.launch({ headless: 'shell' }) to request the shell binary. Puppeteer’s guide describes shell as potentially more performant for automation that does not need the complete Chrome feature set; this is guidance from the documentation, not a guarantee of speed for every workload.
Select the browser binary and manage compatibility
Puppeteer works best with the Chrome for Testing version it downloads by default. Its launch documentation does not guarantee compatibility with arbitrary browser versions, and the LaunchOptions reference warns that it is only guaranteed to work with the bundled browser. Prefer that bundled browser unless your project specifically needs an installed version.
To request a locally installed Chrome channel, set channel. To specify an executable directly, set executablePath:
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const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
channel: 'chrome',
headless: false,
});const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
executablePath: '/path/to/chrome',
});These are alternatives for choosing a browser, not settings to copy blindly across operating systems. Confirm the installed path or channel in the environment where the script will run, then validate your automation against that browser. If you use puppeteer-core, the launch method requires an executablePath or channel.
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Puppeteer’s supported-browser guide says it has downloaded and worked with Chrome for Testing since v20.0.0. Its v25.12.0 documentation maps that release to Chrome for Testing 154.0.8037.57; treat this as a version-specific documentation snapshot, not a permanent browser-version requirement. See the supported browsers guide and LaunchOptions API for the current compatibility details.
Use Chrome arguments without removing needed defaults
args adds command-line flags to the browser process. Use it when a specific flag is required, and choose flags appropriate to the browser and deployment environment:
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const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
args: ['--window-size=1280,900'],
});ignoreDefaultArgs changes Puppeteer’s own default flags instead. Set it to true to suppress all defaults, or pass an array to filter out selected defaults. The API cautions that this should be done carefully because Puppeteer’s defaults are likely needed for expected behavior. Its example filters out --mute-audio:
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
ignoreDefaultArgs: ['--mute-audio'],
});Prefer adding a required flag with args. Remove a default only when you understand its effect and have a concrete reason; suppressing every default can change how Puppeteer starts Chrome.
Set the profile, viewport, and waits for the right scope
Several settings that sound like general “Chrome settings” control different parts of a session. In the v25.12.0 API, the launch-start timeout defaults to 30,000 ms, the page viewport defaults to 800 by 600, and the protocol-call timeout defaults to 180,000 ms.
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| Option | Controls | Documented default or behavior |
|---|---|---|
userDataDir |
The user-data directory path. | Supply a path when the launch needs a specified directory. The cited API identifies its purpose but does not establish broader profile-sharing or lifecycle guarantees. |
defaultViewport |
Page dimensions set for each page. | 800 × 600; null is also accepted. |
timeout |
How long to wait for browser startup. | 30,000 ms; 0 disables this timeout. |
protocolTimeout |
How long to wait for an individual Chrome DevTools Protocol call. | 180,000 ms. |
slowMo |
A delay added to Puppeteer operations. | Useful when slowing actions helps with debugging. |
For example, a launch that sets a larger initial viewport and a longer startup allowance might look like this:
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
timeout: 60_000,
defaultViewport: { width: 1440, height: 900 },
});Changing timeout does not extend the time allowed for an individual protocol call; change protocolTimeout for that. Likewise, defaultViewport changes page geometry, not whether Chrome is headless. These connection options apply to launch and connect configurations because LaunchOptions extends ConnectOptions.
Configure diagnostics, signals, and process behavior
devtoolsopens DevTools for each tab; setting it totrueforces headful mode.dumpiopipes browser stdout and stderr to the Node.js process streams, which can help diagnose browser-process output.handleSIGHUP,handleSIGINT, andhandleSIGTERMcontrol Puppeteer’s handling of the corresponding Node.js signals; the documented default for each istrue.pipeselects pipe transport instead of WebSocket transport and is documented as Chrome-only.waitForInitialPagecontrols whether Puppeteer waits for the initial page. Disabling it can be useful when Chrome is explicitly started without a startup window.envsets environment variables visible to the browser; by default it inheritsprocess.env.
Example diagnostic launch:
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
dumpio: true,
devtools: true,
});Because devtools: true forces headful mode, do not use that example as a way to keep a headless session. For defaults and exact option types, consult the LaunchOptions API reference.
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Separate global configuration from per-launch options
Launch options shape one browser session. Puppeteer’s configuration API covers installation and runtime configuration, including the default browser, executable path, browser cache directory, temporary directory, log level, and whether browser downloads are skipped. Several configuration settings have environment-variable overrides. Use this layer when you need to control what is installed or where Puppeteer finds its browser; use launch() for settings specific to a particular run. The configuration guide documents the available settings and overrides.
Troubleshoot common launch problems
- Chrome does not start before the timeout. The
timeoutoption governs browser startup and defaults to 30,000 ms. Check that the selected browser can launch in the current environment; increase this value only if startup legitimately needs longer, or set it to0to disable the launch timeout. - A protocol operation times out even though Chrome started. That is a different timeout:
protocolTimeoutgoverns individual protocol calls and defaults to 180,000 ms. Adjust it for the affected connection or launch configuration rather than changing the startup timeout. - A custom Chrome version behaves differently or fails. Puppeteer’s compatibility baseline is its bundled Chrome for Testing build. Confirm the
channelorexecutablePathpoints to the intended browser, then check the supported-browser mapping for your Puppeteer release. - The browser behaves unexpectedly after changing flags. Review
argsandignoreDefaultArgsseparately. Added arguments supplement defaults; filtering or suppressing defaults can remove settings Puppeteer expects. - The window is visible when you expected headless operation. Check for
headless: falseanddevtools: true; the latter forces headful mode. - Browser process output is missing during diagnosis. Set
dumpio: trueto pipe stdout and stderr to Node.js streams.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a Chrome installation already on my machine?
Yes. Use channel for a known Chrome channel or executablePath for a specific binary; Puppeteer’s compatibility guarantee applies to its bundled browser.
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The documented defaultViewport is 800 by 600 pixels; the API also accepts null.
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