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Wrap the click (or other download-triggering action) in page.expect_download(), then call download.save_as() before closing the browser context. The context owns the temporary download, so saving it first is what makes the file persist at a path your Python program controls.
Install Playwright and its browsers
Install the Python package and browser binaries in the environment that will run the script:
python -m pip install playwright
playwright installThe second command downloads the browser engines Playwright launches. In restricted networks, the installer supports proxy settings, a custom download host, and a configurable connection timeout. Make sure the account running your script can write to the destination directory.
The reliable download pattern
Register the download wait before performing the action that starts the download. A fast response can otherwise arrive before your code begins waiting. The context manager returns a Download object when the browser reports the event.
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with page.expect_download() as download_info:
page.get_by_text("Download file").click()
download = download_info.valueUse save_as() to copy the completed or in-progress download to your chosen path. It waits as necessary and is safe to call while the transfer is still running.
Complete synchronous Python example
This version creates the destination directory, preserves the browser-suggested name, saves the file, and only then closes the context:
from pathlib import Path
from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright
output_dir = Path("downloads")
output_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
with sync_playwright() as playwright:
browser = playwright.chromium.launch()
context = browser.new_context()
page = context.new_page()
page.goto("https://example.com")
with page.expect_download() as download_info:
page.get_by_text("Download file").click()
download = download_info.value
destination = output_dir / download.suggested_filename
download.save_as(destination)
context.close()
browser.close()Replace the example URL and locator with the page and control in your workflow. The locator can be a role, label, text locator, CSS selector, or another locator appropriate for the page. Creating the directory is your responsibility; save_as() does not create missing parent directories.
Asynchronous Python version
In an async application, use the async API and await both the browser operations and download methods:
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from pathlib import Path
from playwright.async_api import async_playwright
async def main():
output_dir = Path("downloads")
output_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
async with async_playwright() as playwright:
browser = await playwright.chromium.launch()
context = await browser.new_context()
page = await context.new_page()
await page.goto("https://example.com")
async with page.expect_download() as download_info:
await page.get_by_text("Download file").click()
download = await download_info.value
destination = output_dir / download.suggested_filename
await download.save_as(destination)
await context.close()
await browser.close()
asyncio.run(main())Do not mix synchronous objects with the async API. The control flow is the same: create a context, begin waiting, trigger the download, save it, and close the context.
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Choose the filename and destination
Use the browser-suggested name
download.suggested_filename is usually derived from the response’s Content-Disposition header or the HTML download attribute. It is a suggestion, not a guarantee that every browser will calculate the same name. This is the most useful choice when the server supplies meaningful names:
destination = Path("downloads") / download.suggested_filename
download.save_as(destination)Use a fixed name
For a pipeline that always expects one artifact, select your own filename instead of relying on server metadata:
destination = Path("downloads/report.pdf")
download.save_as(destination)Validate or normalize a server-provided name before using it in a multi-tenant or untrusted workflow. A fixed directory and an application-defined filename make the storage policy explicit.
Inspect the temporary path
After a successful download, download.path() returns Playwright’s temporary file path. The internal name is a random GUID, so use suggested_filename when you need a human-readable name. For normal local runs, save_as() is preferable because it copies directly to your controlled destination.
Keep the download alive long enough to save it
Downloads belong to the browser context that created them. Playwright removes temporary download files when that context closes. Always call save_as() (or otherwise copy the data) before context.close(). Closing the page or context while the event is still pending can also prevent the expected download from arriving.
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Contexts accept downloads by default. If you need browser artifacts to remain after the browser closes, launch with an artifacts_dir; without that option Playwright uses a temporary directory and cleans it up on browser close.
Timeouts, predicates, and download status
Allow enough time
page.expect_download() has a documented default timeout of 30,000 milliseconds. Override it when the site takes longer to start a transfer:
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with page.expect_download(timeout=90_000) as download_info:
page.get_by_role("button", name="Export").click()The timeout covers waiting for the download event, not an arbitrary amount of time after your script has already moved on. Keep the page and context open until the event and save operation finish.
Filter when several controls can download
The wait accepts an optional predicate. For example, select the event whose suggested name ends in .csv:
with page.expect_download(
predicate=lambda item: item.suggested_filename.endswith(".csv")
) as download_info:
page.get_by_role("button", name="Export").click()
download = download_info.value
download.save_as("downloads/data.csv")Use a predicate only when it distinguishes the intended event; otherwise a broad wait is simpler and less likely to reject a valid filename.
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Check failures explicitly
After the event, download.failure() waits for completion and returns an error when the transfer failed. An active transfer can be stopped with download.cancel(), and an already downloaded temporary file can be removed with download.delete():
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if error:
raise RuntimeError(f"Download failed: {error}")
download.save_as("downloads/result.bin")Common problems and fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
expect_download times out |
The action did not initiate a browser download, the locator targeted the wrong element, or the site took longer than 30 seconds. | Verify the locator, keep the wait around the triggering action, increase timeout, and check whether the click opens a viewer instead of an attachment. |
| The file disappears after the script exits | The temporary file was never copied before its browser context closed. | Call save_as() before closing the context and use a destination outside Playwright’s temporary directory. |
| The destination path raises a file-not-found error | The parent directory does not exist. | Create it first with Path(path).mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True). |
| The saved name is unexpected | The browser derived a different suggestion from Content-Disposition or the download attribute. |
Log download.suggested_filename, or choose a fixed application-defined filename. |
| The download reports an error | The server canceled the response, authentication expired, or the connection failed. | Call download.failure(), preserve the error text in your logs, and retry only after addressing the server or session cause. |
| The browser cannot start | The Python package is installed but its browser binaries are missing, or the runtime cannot reach the download host. | Run playwright install in the same environment and configure the documented proxy, host, or timeout settings for your network. |
| The page closes before the event | A redirect, test teardown, or exception closed the page or context while Playwright was waiting. | Keep the page and context alive through the wait and save operation; move cleanup into a final block that runs afterward. |
Production and test-suite considerations
- Control lifetimes explicitly. Create a browser context and page yourself when a job, test, or worker needs a precise ownership boundary.
- Use deterministic destinations. Separate each job’s output directory or filename so concurrent runs do not overwrite one another.
- Record status. Save the suggested filename and the result of
failure()in logs. A successful event does not replace application-level validation of file type or size. - Save before cleanup. Put context and browser closure after the copy, even when using context managers, so a temporary download is not deleted prematurely.
- Account for slow responses. Set a timeout that matches the site and network, but keep it finite so a stuck transfer does not hold a worker forever.
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FAQ
Can I call download.path() over a remote connection?
No. The API reference says download.path() throws when the browser is connected remotely. Use save_as() to copy the file to a path available to your workflow instead.
Where does Playwright cache its browser binaries?
The setup guide documents operating-system-specific cache locations. The default installer uses Microsoft’s CDN; environments that cannot reach it need the documented proxy or custom-host configuration.
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What happens if I need to stop a transfer?
Call download.cancel() while it is active. Afterward, use download.failure() if you need the resulting error state for logging or control flow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I call download.path() over a remote connection?
No. The API reference says download.path() throws when the browser is connected remotely. Use save_as() to copy the file to a path available to your workflow instead.
Where does Playwright cache its browser binaries?
The setup guide documents operating-system-specific cache locations. The default installer uses Microsoft’s CDN; environments that cannot reach it need the documented proxy or custom-host configuration.
What happens if I need to stop a transfer?
Call download.cancel() while it is active. Afterward, use download.failure() if you need the resulting error state for logging or control flow.
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