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Use page.setContent() when your HTML is a string, and page.open() when the page already lives at a URL. PhantomJS creates a browser-like page with require('webpage').create(); you can inspect it with page.evaluate() or save a rendered image with page.render(). The project is archived, so treat the examples below as a legacy maintenance guide rather than a recommendation for a new application. The PhantomJS repository was archived on May 30, 2023, and its 2.x branch is deprecated and no longer maintained (PhantomJS Wiki).
What PhantomJS can create
PhantomJS is a command-line tool that executes JavaScript files. A script creates a webpage object, loads either an address or supplied markup, then performs work inside that page. The basic object creation is:
var page = require('webpage').create();The phrase “create an HTML page” can describe two different inputs:
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| An HTML string in your script | page.setContent(html, url) |
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The second argument to setContent() supplies the page URL and origin-like context even though the markup came from your script. The method sets the content and URL, then reloads the webpage without making an HTTP request (setContent API).
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Create a page from an HTML string
If you literally have HTML text and want PhantomJS to create a document from it, put the markup in a string and pass it to setContent(). This complete script creates a heading, reads the title, prints it, and exits:
var page = require('webpage').create();
var html = '<!doctype html><html><head><title>Example</title></head><body><h1>Hello</h1></body></html>';
page.setContent(html, 'http://example.com/');
var title = page.evaluate(function () {
return document.title;
});
console.log(title);
phantom.exit();Save the file, for example as create-page.js, and execute that JavaScript file with the PhantomJS command-line executable:
phantomjs create-page.jsThe output is Example. The function passed to evaluate() runs in the page context, where document and other DOM APIs exist. Values crossing back to the PhantomJS script must be simple primitives or JSON-serializable objects; functions, closures and DOM nodes cannot be transferred (evaluate API).
Adding markup safely
For a larger document, use a JavaScript template string only if the PhantomJS JavaScript version in your environment accepts it; otherwise concatenate quoted strings. Escape quote characters that would terminate the JavaScript string. Keep the supplied URL syntactically complete, such as http://example.com/, because it becomes the page’s URL when PhantomJS reloads the content.
Reading structured data from the document
var page = require('webpage').create();
var html = '<!doctype html><html><head><title>Inventory</title></head><body><ul id="items"><li>Keyboard</li><li>Mouse</li></ul></body></html>';
page.setContent(html, 'http://example.com/catalog/');
var result = page.evaluate(function () {
return {
title: document.title,
items: Array.prototype.map.call(
document.querySelectorAll('#items li'),
function (item) { return item.textContent; }
)
};
});
console.log(JSON.stringify(result));
phantom.exit();This returns a plain object containing the title and an array of strings. Returning the list elements themselves would violate the serialization boundary.
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Load an existing URL with page.open()
When the HTML already exists on a server, call page.open(url, callback)[0m. The callback receives a status such as success or fail; inspect that value before calling evaluate() or render() (open API).
var page = require('webpage').create();
var url = 'https://example.com/';
page.open(url, function (status) {
if (status !== 'success') {
console.log('Could not load ' + url + ' (status: ' + status + ')');
phantom.exit(1);
return;
}
var title = page.evaluate(function () {
return document.title;
});
console.log(title);
phantom.exit();
});Do not assume a usable document merely because the callback fired. A failed status should take the failure path, and the process should still be terminated with phantom.exit(). The official quick start uses the same status check before rendering (PhantomJS Quick Start).
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Save the rendered page as an image
After a successful load (or after setContent() has created the document), call page.render() with an output filename:
var page = require('webpage').create();
page.open('https://example.com/', function (status) {
if (status !== 'success') {
console.log('Load failed: ' + status);
phantom.exit(1);
return;
}
page.render('example.png');
console.log('Saved example.png');
phantom.exit();
});The quick-start documentation demonstrates this rendered-file workflow (Quick Start). Use a filename extension appropriate to the format supported by the PhantomJS build you maintain, and verify that the process has permission to write in the current directory.
Choose between setContent() and open()
Use setContent() for generated or fixture markup
- Your application already has the complete HTML string.
- You are testing a template or creating a deterministic fixture.
- You want to avoid an HTTP request while constructing the document.
- You need to choose the URL value used as the page context.
Use open() for a published page
- The source is identified by an HTTP or HTTPS URL.
- You need PhantomJS to perform the page load and report whether it succeeded.
- You intend to inspect the loaded document or render the loaded view.
These methods are alternatives for the input stage; evaluate() and render() are outcome stages. You can inspect either kind of page with evaluate(), and you can render either kind after the document is ready for your workflow.
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Control the script lifecycle
PhantomJS is a command-line process, not a long-running browser window. Call phantom.exit() on every terminal path. In a callback, return immediately after an error exit so later code cannot run against a failed load.
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if (status !== 'success') {
phantom.exit(1);
return;
}
var data = page.evaluate(function () {
return { title: document.title, href: location.href };
});
console.log(JSON.stringify(data));
phantom.exit();
});The page module exposes the creation API and related page operations in the Web Page Module reference. Keep all DOM access inside the function supplied to evaluate(); keep file output, logging and process exit in the outer PhantomJS script.
Troubleshoot common failures
The command never finishes
Cause: the script did not call phantom.exit() after its work. Fix: add an exit on both success and failure branches, including callbacks that report a failed status.
evaluate() returns an unusable value
Cause: the function attempted to return a DOM node, function or closure. Fix: return text, numbers, booleans, arrays or plain JSON objects, and extract the properties you need inside the page context.
The script inspects a page after a failed URL load
Cause: code ignored the success/fail status supplied to the open() callback. Fix: compare the status with 'success'; log the failure and exit before evaluating or rendering.
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The HTML string produces a syntax error
Cause: an unescaped quote or newline ended the JavaScript string early. Fix: escape quotes, build the string in smaller pieces, or use a supported multiline-string technique for the exact PhantomJS version you maintain.
The output image is missing
Cause: rendering occurred before a successful load, or the process lacked permission to write the destination. Fix: call page.render() only from the successful branch and use a writable, explicit output path.
Modern sites render incorrectly
Cause: PhantomJS is an archived project and its 2.x branch is deprecated and no longer maintained. Its documentation does not establish compatibility with current browser engines or web-platform features. Fix: keep PhantomJS for legacy scripts that require it, isolate it from new services, and evaluate a maintained browser automation tool before building new functionality. The archive status is recorded in the project wiki.
Operational guidance for legacy jobs
- Separate input and outcome: choose
setContent()oropen()first, then decide whether the job needs data fromevaluate(), an image fromrender(), or both. - Make failures explicit: log the URL and callback status, use a non-zero exit code for failures, and never process a page whose load status is not
success. - Keep transfers small and serializable: extract only the fields needed by the outer script instead of trying to return DOM objects.
- Pin the legacy runtime: because the project is archived, record the exact PhantomJS binary and script version used by your job so a future environment change is diagnosable.
- Validate artifacts: after
page.render(), check that the expected file exists and is readable before marking the job successful.
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- Quick Start with PhantomJS — the basic load, status check and render flow.
- Web Page Module — page creation and API reference.
- content property — page-content API details.
- Page Automation with PhantomJS — broader automation examples.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does setContent() download the URL passed as its second argument?
No. It uses that string as the page URL while loading the supplied HTML and does not make an HTTP request for the document itself.
Can I return a DOM element from page.evaluate()?
No. Extract serializable properties such as text, attributes or coordinates and return those values instead.
Is PhantomJS a suitable foundation for a new production browser service?
The project repository is archived and the 2.x branch is deprecated and no longer maintained, so the documented workflow is best reserved for legacy maintenance rather than new browser automation.
The Bottom Line
For a supplied HTML string, call page.setContent(html, url); for a live address, call page.open(url, callback) and require a success status before using evaluate() or render(). Always terminate with phantom.exit(), and remember that PhantomJS is archived.
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