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Three different names serve three different purposes
When investigating a Puppeteer browser download, distinguish the utility’s standard name, the provider’s source archive name, and the installer’s temporary cached copy. None of these is necessarily the name of the browser executable after installation.
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| What you are identifying | How it is determined | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Standard archive filename | The documented buildArchiveFilename(browser, platform, buildId, extension) utility. |
The API index describes its purpose, but that description alone does not establish the exact filename template or default extension. |
| Provider’s source archive | The archive at the URL selected for the browser, platform, and build ID. The URL’s final path component supplies its filename. | Providers and releases can use different names and formats. |
| Installer’s temporary archive-cache path | path.join(browserRoot, `${options.buildId}-${fileName}`), where fileName comes from the provider URL. |
This is a cache path, not necessarily the provider’s original filename or the eventual installation directory. |
| Installed browser files | The separate installation location produced when Puppeteer unpacks the archive. | An executable inside the installation is a different thing from the downloaded archive. |
What buildArchiveFilename does—and what its documentation does not establish
Puppeteer’s browser API lists buildArchiveFilename(browser, platform, buildId, extension) as a utility to build a standard archive filename. The API separately lists getDownloadUrl, which obtains an archive URL associated with a browser, platform, and build ID, and install, which downloads and unpacks the archive.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11These are related steps, not interchangeable names for the same operation. In particular, the API description of a “standard archive filename” does not by itself tell you the utility’s exact output pattern, whether an extension is added or normalized, or what happens for every browser and platform. The detailed API page was unavailable for verification, and the implementation’s exact current behavior is not established here. Do not assume a template or default extension without checking the implementation for the Puppeteer package version you use.
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How installation gets its archive filename
- Resolve the provider URL. The download URL is tied to the browser, platform, and build ID. Different providers can supply different URL paths and archive names.
- Take the URL’s final path component. During installation, Puppeteer derives
fileNamefrom the last component of the provider URL. - Build the cache archive path. The installer forms
archivePathaspath.join(browserRoot, `${options.buildId}-${fileName}`). The build ID is therefore prepended to the URL-derived filename in this cache path. - Return the archive or unpack it. With
unpackdisabled, the operation returns or downloads the archive path. With unpacking enabled, Puppeteer installs into a distinct installation directory and removes the downloaded archive after successful processing.
The install options include the browser, platform, cache directory, build ID, and unpack choice. The build ID identifies the binary and is also used for caching. An optional expected SHA-256 checksum can be supplied; if it is omitted, the documented behavior is to proceed without that integrity verification.
Why real archive names vary
Archive names depend on the browser provider’s conventions, platform and architecture, build or release channel, and archive format. The API’s custom-provider examples show Chrome mirror filenames including chrome-linux64.zip, chrome-mac-x64.zip, chrome-mac-arm64.zip, chrome-win32.zip, and chrome-win64.zip. These illustrate platform-specific naming; they do not guarantee that every provider or release uses those names.
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Firefox provides a concrete example of why a single universal filename pattern is unsafe. Its source constructs names using channel, platform, and build ID. Stable, Beta, ESR, and Developer Edition use patterns that differ from Nightly, and Linux, macOS, and Windows names also differ. For the Firefox Nightly Linux archives described by that source, major version 135 and later use .tar.xz; earlier major versions use .tar.bz2. This is a Firefox source-code rule for those archives, not a general Puppeteer extension rule.
How to identify the name you actually need
- If you need the utility’s output: inspect
buildArchiveFilenamein the exact Puppeteer release or commit you run; the high-level API description does not specify its template. - If you need the upstream archive name: inspect the resolved provider URL for the target browser, platform, and build ID. Its last path component is the name the installer uses as
fileName. - If you need the installer cache path: combine the configured browser root with the build ID, a hyphen, and that URL-derived final component, following the installer’s path construction.
- If you need the installed executable path: inspect the installation layout after unpacking; do not infer it from the archive filename.
When comparing two filenames, record the browser, platform and architecture, build ID or channel, archive format, and whether each value names the source archive, temporary cache copy, or an installed file. Puppeteer’s API and implementation are mutable; version-specific conclusions should be checked against a release tag or commit rather than assumed to apply to every release.
Common filename and installation mistakes
- Treating “standard” as “provider’s exact name”: the utility description does not establish that every provider uses its output. Check the provider URL and the specific version’s implementation.
- Dropping the build-ID prefix when inspecting the cache: the temporary archive path adds
${options.buildId}-before the URL-derived filename. - Confusing cache archive and installation directory: unpacked files go to a separate installation location; after successful unpacking, the downloaded archive is removed.
- Assuming an extension across browsers or releases: formats can vary by platform, channel, and build. Firefox Nightly Linux is one example where the extension depends on the major version.
- Assuming checksum verification occurred: an expected SHA-256 checksum is optional. If it was not provided, the documented install flow proceeds without that verification.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently Asked Questions
Does the build ID appear in the provider’s original archive filename?
Not necessarily. The installer adds the build ID when it constructs its temporary cache path; the original filename comes from the final component of the provider URL.
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Does disabling unpacking leave an installed browser ready to run?
No. With unpacking disabled, the operation returns or downloads the archive path; unpacking is the step that installs browser files into a separate directory.
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