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Puppeteer tracing captures browser activity for later inspection. Set categories to control included and excluded events, choose path to write the trace to disk or omit it to receive bytes from tracing.stop(), and enable screenshots only when you need them. The options reference consulted here is for Puppeteer 25.12.0; the separate Tracing class reference is for 25.9.0, so check the documentation matching your installed version before relying on version-specific behavior.
What Puppeteer tracing options control
The Puppeteer TracingOptions API reference documents four options:
| Option | What it controls | Documented behavior |
|---|---|---|
categories |
Which trace-event categories to include or exclude. | An array of strings. Prefix a category with - to exclude it; the reference gives -toplevel as an example. It does not provide an exhaustive category list. |
path |
Where to save a trace file. | If provided, Puppeteer writes the trace to that path. If omitted, the trace is not written to disk and can be returned by tracing.stop() as a Uint8Array. |
screenshots |
Whether to include screenshots in the trace. | Optional boolean; the documented default is false. This is separate from page.screenshot(), which captures an image through a different API. |
bufferSize |
Trace-buffer capacity. | Optional size in kilobytes. The 25.12.0 reference reports that Chromium’s default is 200 MB (200,000 KB) when unspecified or set to zero. Treat this as the documented default, not a guarantee for every browser build or workload. |
Capture a trace and save it to a file
Start tracing before the interaction or navigation you want to diagnose, then stop it after that work. This runnable Node.js example uses Puppeteer’s documented file-output pattern:
const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
(async () => {
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.tracing.start({
path: 'trace.json',
screenshots: false,
});
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'load' });
await page.tracing.stop();
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
})();Run it from a directory where the process can create trace.json. When tracing stops, the trace is written to that path. The Puppeteer Tracing class documentation says traces can be opened in Chrome DevTools or a timeline viewer, and its example starts a trace, navigates, and stops it.
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Retain bytes instead of writing a file
Omit path when you want the trace data in memory—for example, to pass it to another part of your program or save it under a name chosen after capture. The options reference specifies that stop() can return a Uint8Array in this mode:
const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
const fs = require('node:fs/promises');
(async () => {
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.tracing.start({ categories: ['devtools.timeline'] });
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'load' });
const traceBytes = await page.tracing.stop();
if (traceBytes) {
await fs.writeFile('trace.json', traceBytes);
}
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
})();The category shown is an example, not a recommendation for every diagnostic. Choose categories relevant to the question and verify their names against the browser tooling and Puppeteer version you use.
Choose categories, screenshots, and buffer size deliberately
Categories: narrow the capture to the question
categories accepts strings for event categories to include, and a leading hyphen excludes a category. The documented example -toplevel illustrates exclusion syntax. Since the Puppeteer options reference does not enumerate every valid category, do not treat any sample list as complete. Start with the trace detail your investigation needs; broader capture can make traces harder to interpret.
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Screenshots: optional trace detail
screenshots defaults to false. Turn it on only when visual context in the trace will help correlate page appearance with activity. It does not replace page.screenshot() and does not mean Puppeteer will save a standalone image using that method.
Buffer size: the documented Chromium default
bufferSize is measured in kilobytes. The Puppeteer 25.12.0 options reference says an omitted value or zero uses Chromium’s documented default of 200 MB (200,000 KB). That figure comes from the API documentation; actual behavior can depend on the Chromium build and workload. Set a value only if you have a reason to control buffer capacity, and validate results with the browser version you run.
How to inspect a trace
- Capture the specific navigation or interaction you need to investigate and stop tracing cleanly.
- Open the saved trace in Chrome DevTools or a timeline viewer. Puppeteer’s Tracing class documentation names both as ways to inspect a trace.
- In DevTools, use the Performance panel to examine the timeline and correlate events with the captured page activity.
- For comparisons, keep the workload and DevTools capture settings consistent. Change one diagnostic variable at a time so that differences are easier to interpret.
Chrome DevTools’ Performance panel can record, save, and load traces. Its capture settings include disabling JavaScript samples to reduce overhead and enabling advanced paint instrumentation, which the DevTools documentation says significantly hinders performance. Collect only the detail needed for the question; advanced paint instrumentation is not a free increase in detail.
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Important limits and version differences
- Only one Puppeteer trace can be active at a time per browser, according to the Tracing class reference. Stop the current trace before starting another on that browser.
- The TracingOptions page consulted is version 25.12.0, while the Tracing class page is version 25.9.0. These references are not version-aligned. Check the docs for the exact package version installed in your project when behavior matters.
- The Chrome DevTools Protocol has a lower-level Tracing domain with its own start/end methods, transfer modes, and configuration. Those protocol fields should not be assumed to be Puppeteer
TracingOptions; use Puppeteer’s API reference for the higher-level options it supports.
Troubleshooting trace capture
No trace file appears
Check that path was supplied and that the process can write to the target directory. If you intentionally omitted path, look for the returned value from await page.tracing.stop() instead; the documented behavior in that case is in-memory bytes rather than automatic disk output.
stop() does not provide bytes you can use
Confirm that tracing was started on the page and that the options omitted path if you expected returned bytes. If you set a path, use the file written by Puppeteer. Check the installed version’s API docs because the cited TracingOptions and Tracing class pages describe different versions.
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Only one trace can be active per browser. Await page.tracing.stop() for the active trace before starting another.
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The trace is too large or the capture seems costly
Reduce the event categories to the relevant diagnostic scope and leave screenshots disabled unless you need them. In DevTools, avoid enabling advanced paint instrumentation except when it answers your question; Chrome documents that it significantly hinders performance. No fixed trace-size or runtime outcome is guaranteed by the options reference.
The trace opens but does not answer the question
Capture only the relevant interaction, verify that your chosen categories are suitable, and use a viewer that supports the trace format. If a comparison is the goal, keep DevTools settings consistent across captures, particularly settings that alter captured detail or overhead.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Puppeteer tracing capture a screenshot by default?
No. The documented default for the tracing option screenshots is false.
Can I run more than one trace at once in a browser?
No. Puppeteer’s Tracing class documentation says only one trace can be active per browser.
Are Puppeteer tracing options the same as Chrome DevTools Protocol tracing fields?
No. The protocol has a lower-level Tracing domain; consult Puppeteer’s own options reference for the settings exposed by its higher-level API.
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