puppeteer.launch(options) starts a browser process using an optional configuration object. For most automation, begin with headless: true and Puppeteer’s bundled Chrome for Testing; add only the launch settings your task actually needs. In Puppeteer 25.12.0, the default headless mode is new headless Chrome, and the documented browser-startup timeout is 30 seconds. Option names and defaults can change between releases.
What Puppeteer launch options control
The LaunchOptions object configures how Puppeteer starts a browser: which browser binary to use, whether it is visible, what command-line arguments to pass, and how Puppeteer handles startup and process communication. These are launch-time choices; they do not by themselves configure what a page does after it opens.
The examples below use Puppeteer 25.12.0, the version identified by the official documentation covered here. Check the API reference for the version installed in your project before relying on a particular option or default.
Start with a basic launch
Install Puppeteer in a Node.js project, then launch the browser with the defaults:
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import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com');
console.log(await page.title());
} finally {
await browser.close();
}With Puppeteer 25.12.0, omitting the options object uses headless mode by default. Puppeteer works best with the Chrome for Testing version it downloads; compatibility with other browser versions is not guaranteed.
Choose headless or visible Chrome
The headless option determines whether Chrome runs without a visible window and, when headless, which implementation is used.
| Value | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
true |
Uses new headless Chrome; this is the default in Puppeteer 25.12.0. | Ordinary unattended automation and tests. |
false |
Shows the browser window. | Debugging launch or page behavior where seeing the browser is useful. |
'shell' |
Uses the separate chrome-headless-shell binary. The documentation says it can be faster for some automation, but it does not match full Chrome behavior. |
Jobs where that performance tradeoff is suitable and the shell’s behavior is acceptable. |
For example, to make the window visible, pass the option explicitly:
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({ headless: false });Older examples may describe the former headless default. Puppeteer’s guide notes that before v22 it launched the old Headless mode by default; do not assume advice written for that behavior describes current defaults.
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Select a browser executable or channel
The bundled Chrome for Testing is the best-supported choice. If your project needs a system-installed Chrome or another specifically selected browser, use channel for a known Chrome release channel or executablePath for a browser binary path. The LaunchOptions reference recommends also setting browser when using executablePath, because the default browser is Chrome.
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
executablePath: '/path/to/chrome',
browser: 'chrome',
});Replace the example path with the executable path for your environment. A path alone does not establish that an arbitrary browser version is compatible: Puppeteer guarantees compatibility only with its bundled browser.
Using puppeteer-core
puppeteer-core does not provide the same bundled-browser setup. Its launch requires you to specify either executablePath or channel:
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer-core';
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
channel: 'chrome',
});Use a channel available in the target environment, or supply the executable path instead. If you use a non-bundled browser, account for the compatibility risk.
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Pass Chrome arguments without removing defaults
Use args to add browser command-line switches required by your environment or task:
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
args: ['--mute-audio'],
});ignoreDefaultArgs behaves differently: set it to true to discard Puppeteer’s entire default argument list, or pass an array of argument strings to filter selected defaults. The API documentation cautions that users probably want Puppeteer’s defaults. Prefer a narrow change over removing the complete list:
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
ignoreDefaultArgs: ['--mute-audio'],
});Do not copy a generic set of browser flags as though every deployment requires them. Add only a flag whose effect you understand and whose need you have established in your environment.
Set startup timeout and inspect launch failures
timeout sets how long Puppeteer waits for the browser to start. In version 25.12.0 its default is 30,000 milliseconds (30 seconds). Raise it if browser startup legitimately takes longer; set it to 0 to disable the launch timeout.
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const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
timeout: 60_000,
dumpio: true,
});dumpio: true forwards the browser process’s stdout and stderr to Node’s corresponding streams, which can help expose startup diagnostics. A longer timeout does not fix a browser that cannot launch; use the emitted output to investigate the underlying failure.
Specialized process and startup controls
Signal handling
The signal-handling options control whether Puppeteer closes the browser when Node receives SIGHUP, SIGINT, or SIGTERM. The API reference lists these behaviors as enabled by default. Change them only when your process lifecycle requires different handling.
Pipe communication
pipe: true requests pipe communication instead of WebSocket communication. It is documented as Chrome-only, so do not assume it applies to other browser types.
Browser profile directory
userDataDir sets the browser profile directory. Use it when the launch needs a specified profile location; choose the directory deliberately rather than relying on an accidental profile state.
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DevTools and initial page behavior
devtools: true opens DevTools and forces headful mode. waitForInitialPage controls whether launch waits for the initial page. It is a specialized setting for altered startup behavior, such as launching with --no-startup-window, rather than a routine first adjustment.
Practical configurations by task
Unattended automation
Use the defaults with the bundled browser unless the task has a specific requirement. This avoids unnecessary compatibility and argument changes:
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();Visual debugging
Set headless: false to see the browser, and use dumpio: true if you also need browser-process output:
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
headless: false,
dumpio: true,
});Environment-specific switch
Add the necessary switch through args, leaving other defaults intact:
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const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
args: ['--mute-audio'],
});The switch shown is an example of passing a browser argument, not a universal requirement.
Troubleshoot common launch problems
- Browser fails to start or times out: enable
dumpio: trueto see the browser process’s output. If startup is slow but otherwise succeeds, increasetimeout; use0only if you deliberately want no launch timeout. - Using
puppeteer-corewithout a browser selection: supplyexecutablePathorchannelin the launch options. - Using a system browser with unexpected behavior: Puppeteer only guarantees operation with its bundled browser. Check which binary your path or channel selects; compatibility with other browser versions is not guaranteed.
- Browser behavior changes after removing defaults: avoid
ignoreDefaultArgs: trueunless you intend to replace the full default argument set. Filter only the specific argument you need to change. - Need to see what the automation is doing: set
headless: false. Remember thatdevtools: truealso forces headful mode.
Or skip the browser setup
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