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Read puppeteer.lastLaunchedBrowser to get the name or type of browser Puppeteer most recently launched. It is a PuppeteerNode property (a getter), not a method and not a Browser instance. For the browser Puppeteer will select on a future launch, use puppeteer.defaultBrowser instead.

Read the last launched browser

With the Puppeteer Node API available, access the property directly:

const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');

console.log(puppeteer.lastLaunchedBrowser);

The documented type is SupportedBrowser. Use it as a property, without parentheses: puppeteer.lastLaunchedBrowser, not puppeteer.lastLaunchedBrowser(). It identifies the browser name/type; it does not return the browser object, page, or process.

ES modules

import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';

console.log(puppeteer.lastLaunchedBrowser);

These examples show the property in a Puppeteer Node environment; they do not assert a particular value. The API reference does not specify the value before the first launch or how the property changes across successive launches. Check the behavior of the exact Puppeteer version you use if either detail matters to your application.

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Choose the property that answers your question

Property What it tells you Use it when
lastLaunchedBrowser The name/type of the browser last launched. You need to inspect the most recent launch selection.
defaultBrowser The browser Puppeteer will launch by default. You need to inspect the default for a future launch.
product Legacy getter; deprecated because it does not account for multiple browser types. Do not use for new code. Prefer defaultBrowser or lastLaunchedBrowser, depending on the question.

See the PuppeteerNode API reference for the properties and defaultBrowser reference for the default selection.

Understand launch versus connect

puppeteer.launch() starts a new browser instance and resolves to a Promise<Browser>. Its optional launch settings are passed as launch options. With puppeteer-core, provide an executable path or channel. A launched browser can be used separately from the property that reports the last launched browser:

const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
  console.log('Last launched browser:', puppeteer.lastLaunchedBrowser);
  // Use browser for pages and other browser operations.
} finally {
  await browser.close();
}

By contrast, puppeteer.connect() attaches Puppeteer to an already running browser. The documentation for lastLaunchedBrowser does not establish what value it has when you connect rather than launch. Do not treat it as a reliable description of a connected external browser unless you have verified that behavior for your Puppeteer version. The browser management guide explains launching, connecting, and managing the browser lifecycle.

Close and disconnect are different

  • browser.close() shuts down the browser.
  • browser.disconnect() detaches Puppeteer while leaving the browser and its pages running.

Common mistakes and fixes

  • Calling it like a function: remove the parentheses. It is a property/getter.
  • Expecting a browser instance: the property reports a browser name/type. Keep the Browser returned by launch() when you need to operate on the instance.
  • Using it to predict the next launch: inspect defaultBrowser for the default launch selection; “last launched” and “default” describe different things.
  • Reading product in new code: replace the deprecated getter with defaultBrowser or lastLaunchedBrowser, whichever matches your need.
  • Assuming a value before launch or after connect: those cases are not specified in the reviewed property documentation. Verify the exact package version rather than relying on an assumed value.
  • Launching with puppeteer-core without an executable path or channel: provide one in the launch options as required by the launch reference.

Or skip the browser setup

If your actual task is capturing a website screenshot rather than inspecting Puppeteer’s browser selection, ScreenshotNeo offers a screenshot API. One GET request returns an image or PDF; the code below requests a WebP screenshot of https://stripe.com. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is `lastLaunchedBrowser` a method?

No. It is a getter property on `PuppeteerNode`; access it without parentheses.

Does `lastLaunchedBrowser` return the browser instance?

No. It returns the browser name/type, typed as `SupportedBrowser`. Keep the `Browser` returned by `launch()` to operate on the instance.

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