Puppeteer saves a page’s downloaded file wherever the browser’s download behavior is configured to put it—not in a universal Heroku folder. The file is on the filesystem of the dyno that ran Puppeteer. Heroku dyno filesystems are isolated and ephemeral, so use the file on that dyno while it exists, or upload it to object storage such as Amazon S3 if it must remain available after a restart or to other dynos.
Which folder does Puppeteer use on Heroku?
There is no default Heroku download folder that applies to every Puppeteer app. The browser’s configured downloadPath determines where page downloads go, when the download policy allows them. Puppeteer’s API requires a path when the policy is allow or allowAndName. See the Puppeteer DownloadBehavior API.
The path is resolved in the environment running the browser. On Heroku, that means the dyno running your app. A path such as /app/tmp/downloads is only an example; it is not a universal setting or a persistent location. Choose and configure the path explicitly, and ensure your app can write to it.
Do not confuse downloads with Puppeteer’s browser cache
~/.cache/puppeteer is the default cache for browser binaries beginning with Puppeteer v19.0.0; it is not the destination for files that websites download through a page. Puppeteer documents the browser cache configuration separately in its Configuration guide and Installation guide.
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Likewise, ~/Downloads and /app should not be assumed to be the download destination. The configured download behavior and the path your app passes are what matter.
Why a downloaded file may disappear or be missing
Heroku gives each dyno its own ephemeral filesystem. As Heroku explains in its Dyno Isolation documentation, each dyno receives a fresh copy of the latest deployed code. Runtime-written files are not shared with other dynos and are discarded when the dyno stops or restarts, including automatic restarts. Heroku’s Dynos (App Containers) overview, last updated August 21, 2026, also describes the dyno filesystem model.
- It exists only on the producing dyno. A request handled by another web dyno cannot read that file from the first dyno’s local filesystem.
- It is temporary. A dyno stop or restart removes runtime-written files.
- A shell can be on a different dyno.
heroku run bashstarts a one-off dyno. It is not a shell into the existing web or worker dyno, so it will not show that dyno’s runtime downloads.
How to access the file
For a short-lived result: return it from the process that created it
If the caller needs the file immediately and temporary availability is acceptable, have the same application process that performed the download send the file as the HTTP response. For example, in a Node.js app, after the download has completed and you have verified the actual path, you can use a response helper such as res.download(path) in an Express route. Adapt the route to your app, and do not send the response until the download has finished.
This approach is only reliable while the file remains on the dyno that created it. Heroku routing may send a later request to another dyno, where the local path does not exist. It is therefore appropriate for an immediate response from the producing request, not as a durable URL to a dyno-local file.
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For durable or cross-dyno access: upload it to object storage
Upload the completed file to managed object storage, then return an application-controlled response or link to the stored object. Heroku’s guide Using AWS S3 to Store Static Assets and File Uploads, last updated September 10, 2025, describes S3 for application files and uploads. This separates file lifetime and access from the lifetime and routing of an individual dyno.
- Keep the object key or identifier in your application’s data store if you need to retrieve the file later.
- Decide how the application authorizes access; do not expose private files through an unrestricted public URL.
- Handle upload failures explicitly. A successful browser download does not mean the file was successfully stored elsewhere.
The official guidance establishes S3 as a persistent-storage pattern, but does not prescribe a universal bucket configuration or access policy for every application. Choose those based on your security and retention requirements.
How to inspect a Heroku filesystem
Use shell access with the dyno distinction in mind. Heroku’s One-Off Dynos and Working with One-Off Dynos documentation explains the available approaches.
Inspect a one-off dyno
- Run
heroku run bash -a YOUR_APP_NAME. - In that shell, inspect the deployed app and the configured download directory, for example with
pwdandls -la /your/configured/path. - Remember that this is a new one-off dyno with its own filesystem. It can help check the release and directory setup, but it cannot reveal runtime files on an already-running web dyno.
Access an existing dyno
For Cedar-generation apps, Heroku documents Heroku Exec for connecting to a running dyno and copying files off. The documentation directs Fir-generation users to heroku run:inside to run tasks inside an existing dyno. Which option applies depends on the app’s runtime generation; consult the current Heroku instructions before using a command. Even when you can access the producing dyno, local files remain temporary and isolated.
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Configure Puppeteer’s download destination deliberately
The exact setup depends on your Puppeteer version, browser context, and download policy. The API-level rule is to allow downloads and provide a path where required. A simplified illustration of the relevant behavior is:
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.setDownloadBehavior({
behavior: 'allow',
downloadPath: '/app/tmp/downloads',
});Check the API supported by the Puppeteer version in your app before using this example: method availability and browser-context behavior can vary. Create the directory before a download, verify it is writable by the running process, and wait for the download to finish before reading or returning the file. The /app/tmp/downloads value is illustrative, not a Heroku requirement.
When diagnosing a deployed app, establish these details rather than guessing a folder:
- The Puppeteer version and browser build installed in the release.
- The browser context and download behavior configured by the app.
- The exact path supplied as
downloadPath, and whether the process can write there. - Which dyno ran the browser, and whether the dyno restarted between download and retrieval.
Troubleshoot missing Puppeteer downloads on Heroku
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or change |
|---|---|---|
| No file appears after the page download | Downloads are not allowed, the configured path is wrong, or the directory is not writable. | Inspect the download behavior and configured downloadPath; check directory existence and write permissions on the dyno running Puppeteer. |
The file is present locally but not in ~/.cache/puppeteer |
The browser cache holds browser binaries, not files downloaded by pages. | Inspect the configured page-download path instead. |
heroku run bash cannot find the file |
The command opened a separate one-off dyno. | Use the documented existing-dyno access option for your runtime generation, or avoid local retrieval by returning the file from the producing request or uploading it to object storage. |
| A later web request gets “file not found” | The request may have reached a different dyno, or the original dyno may have restarted. | Do not use a dyno-local path as a durable cross-request file store. Store the result externally if it must outlive the producing request or dyno. |
| The file disappears after a restart | Runtime-written dyno files are ephemeral. | Upload files that must persist to managed object storage. |
| The file is zero-length, partial, or unreadable | The app may be reading before the browser finishes, or may be using the wrong path. | Wait for the download to complete, then verify the resulting file and path before serving or uploading it. |
Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is a screenshot or PDF rather than a downloaded file from a page, ScreenshotNeo provides a website screenshot API and MCP server. A single GET request can return an image or PDF; its API also supports options such as full-page capture, element selection, viewport and device settings, and PDF page configuration. It is not a replacement for Puppeteer workflows that need to download arbitrary files from a page.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Cost, reliability, and the right storage pattern
A dyno-local download avoids adding an external storage step, but its lifetime is tied to the dyno and it is unavailable to other dynos. Serving it directly is a temporary delivery pattern; it should not be treated as persistent storage. Object storage adds an upload and an access-management step, but makes the file independent of the producing dyno’s filesystem. Heroku’s cited S3 guide explains the storage use case; it does not establish provider prices, so compare current provider terms for your expected volume and retention.
For any workflow, treat browser download completion, file verification, and durable upload as separate stages. If a file is important, do not report success to the caller until the stage your application promises—temporary response or completed persistent upload—has actually succeeded.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Heroku provide a shared Downloads folder for all dynos?
No. Each dyno has its own isolated filesystem; dynos do not share runtime-written files.
Is Puppeteer’s ~/.cache/puppeteer where downloaded PDFs or images are saved?
No. It is the default browser-binary cache location from Puppeteer v19.0.0, not a page-download destination.
Will a file remain on a Heroku dyno after it restarts?
No. Runtime-written files are discarded when the dyno stops or restarts.
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