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To run your first Puppeteer browser script, install the puppeteer package, launch its bundled browser, open a page, navigate to a URL, and close the browser when finished. The example below prints a page title and uses try/finally so the browser is closed even if navigation or reading the title fails.
How Puppeteer scripts work
Puppeteer is a JavaScript library for controlling a browser. A typical script launches or connects to a browser, creates a page, navigates to a site, then reads or interacts with page content through Puppeteer’s API. The official guide describes this sequence as launch, create a page, navigate, interact or read, and close the browser. See Puppeteer’s getting-started guide.
Install Puppeteer
For the simplest local setup, install puppeteer. It downloads a compatible Chrome for Testing browser and a chrome-headless-shell binary. The downloads take disk space: Puppeteer’s documentation labelled version 25.12.0 gives approximate estimates of 170 MB on macOS, 282 MB on Linux, and 280 MB on Windows; these are estimates, not fixed requirements. Check the current installation guide for package-manager instructions and current details.
npm install puppeteerThe official installation guide also provides commands for Yarn, pnpm, and Bun. Puppeteer’s current documentation is labelled version 25.12.0; browser compatibility changes with releases. Check the current package’s Node.js engine requirement rather than relying on an assumed minimum, and use a supported Node.js version.
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Choose the package that fits your setup
puppeteerdownloads a compatible browser and is the straightforward choice for a first local script.puppeteer-coreis the library without an automatic browser download. Choose it when you will manage the browser yourself or connect to a remote browser.
Installation and package behavior are documented at pptr.dev/guides/installation.
Run your first browser script
Create a file named first-script.mjs and add:
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://developer.chrome.com/');
console.log(await page.title());
} finally {
await browser.close();
}Run it from the directory where you installed Puppeteer:
node first-script.mjsThe output is the document title returned by the page. This example uses the same basic operations as Puppeteer’s guide; the try/finally wrapper ensures cleanup if an operation throws.
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What each awaited operation does
puppeteer.launch()starts a browser process. With no options, Puppeteer runs headless by default.browser.newPage()creates a new tab and returns a page object to control.page.goto(url)navigates that tab to the requested URL and waits according to its navigation behavior.page.title()reads the page’s title and returns it for logging.browser.close()closes the browser process. Putting this infinallyprevents a failed step from leaving the process open.
Interact with a page
After navigation, use page methods to read content or perform actions. Puppeteer’s current getting-started example demonstrates setting a viewport, using locators to find elements by accessible name or text, interacting with them, waiting for a result, and reading text from the page. Prefer locators for element interaction where they fit the task; consult the official guide for a complete example and the current API.
Choose a browser and run mode
Use the bundled browser for the cleanest baseline
Puppeteer releases are paired with browser versions. The supported-browser table lists Puppeteer 25.12.0 with Chrome for Testing 154.0.8037.57 and Firefox 156.0.1. Puppeteer’s launch API says it works best with its bundled Chrome for Testing and does not guarantee compatibility with other Chrome versions. Check the live supported browsers table before substituting a browser; version mappings may change.
If you need a system-installed browser, the launch API supports configuring an executablePath or a channel. That offers more control, but trades away the known pairing of Puppeteer with its bundled browser. See the launch API.
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Use headless or visible Chrome
Headless mode is the default and runs without showing a browser window. To watch the automation while learning or debugging, change the launch call to:
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({ headless: false });Puppeteer also offers headless: 'shell', which selects the separate chrome-headless-shell binary. The documentation describes it as a potentially more performant automation option when full Chrome behavior is unnecessary. See Headless modes.
Fix common first-run problems
“Could not find Chrome (ver. …)”
A package manager may have skipped Puppeteer’s install script, which normally downloads its browser. Run the documented browser install command:
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npx puppeteer browsers installIf your package manager has a policy that blocks install scripts, allow Puppeteer’s install script according to that policy or install the browser explicitly. The installation guide lists the equivalent commands for other package managers.
Chrome does not start on Linux
Linux browser startup can fail when required system dependencies are missing. Puppeteer’s browser-management documentation describes installing Chrome dependencies through its command on Ubuntu and Debian; that command requires root privileges and should not be assumed to apply to every distribution. Consult the browser management documentation and the FAQ for the operating system you use.
A different browser version fails unexpectedly
Compare your Puppeteer release with the supported-browser table. As a first diagnostic step, return to the browser bundled for that Puppeteer release rather than assuming an arbitrary installed Chrome version is compatible.
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You expected to see a window
Headless is the default. Launch with { headless: false } to display the browser window.
Where to go next
Puppeteer automates Chrome through the Chrome DevTools Protocol by default. Its FAQ also describes production-ready WebDriver BiDi support for Chrome and Firefox from v23.0.0 onward, while noting that supported APIs differ. Check the FAQ before choosing a protocol or assuming every method works the same way across browsers.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need screenshots rather than general browser interaction, ScreenshotNeo can return an image or PDF from one GET request. Its API accepts cookie banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; those steps can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers report the page verdict and billing status. An MCP server provides screenshot tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://developer.chrome.com/ -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for setup and options. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots. Sign up for free.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Puppeteer with Firefox?
Puppeteer’s supported-browser table lists Firefox alongside Chrome for supported releases. Check the current table and API support for the release you plan to use: https://pptr.dev/chromium-support/.
Does Puppeteer use WebDriver?
Puppeteer automates Chrome through CDP by default. Its FAQ describes WebDriver BiDi support for Chrome and Firefox from v23.0.0 onward, with API differences: https://pptr.dev/faq.
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