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Choose the method that matches the frame scope
| Need | Method | What it returns |
|---|---|---|
| Direct children of the main frame | page.mainFrame().childFrames() |
Immediate child frames only |
| Descendants at any nesting depth | Recursively call childFrames() |
All descendants, excluding the starting frame |
| Every currently attached frame | page.frames() |
A flat array that includes the main frame |
These methods are documented in the Frame.childFrames(), Frame, and Page references.
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Get the main frame’s direct child frames
Once you have a Puppeteer Page, call mainFrame() and then childFrames():
const childFrames = page.mainFrame().childFrames();
for (const frame of childFrames) {
console.log(frame.url());
}This is a one-level lookup. If a child frame contains its own iframe, that nested frame is not included in this array.
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Find nested child frames recursively
Walk each child’s descendants to collect every nested frame below the main frame:
function collectFrames(frame) {
return frame.childFrames().flatMap(child => [child, ...collectFrames(child)]);
}
const childFrames = collectFrames(page.mainFrame());
for (const frame of childFrames) {
console.log(frame.url());
}The result includes all descendants and excludes the main frame itself. For a recursive traversal that also processes frames as it visits them, use:
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function visitChildFrames(frame, visit) {
for (const child of frame.childFrames()) {
visit(child);
visitChildFrames(child, visit);
}
}
visitChildFrames(page.mainFrame(), frame => {
console.log(frame.url());
});Puppeteer’s official Frame documentation demonstrates traversing the frame tree using childFrames().
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List all frames attached to the page
If you do not need to distinguish parent and child relationships, use page.frames():
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const frames = page.frames();
for (const frame of frames) {
console.log(frame.url());
}This is a flat list of all frames currently attached to the page, including the main frame. Filter or inspect the list when you need a page-wide search rather than traversal from a particular parent.
Identify a frame by its iframe element
If you know an iframe’s name attribute, the Frame reference documents finding the associated frame by inspecting each frame’s element:
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const targetFrame = await (async () => {
for (const frame of page.frames()) {
const element = await frame.frameElement();
const name = await element.evaluate(el => el.getAttribute('name'));
if (name === 'checkout') {
return frame;
}
}
})();
if (targetFrame) {
console.log('Found:', targetFrame.url());
}Use the returned Frame object for work inside that frame. A frame-scoped query, for example, is await targetFrame.$eval('h1', el => el.textContent). The frame element identifies the iframe in its parent document; the frame object is the context for querying or evaluating in the frame’s own document.
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Call frame.parentFrame() to get a frame’s parent. It returns null for the main frame and for a detached frame. See the official Frame.parentFrame() reference.
Account for frame lifecycle changes
A page’s frame tree changes as frames attach, navigate, or detach. If the target may be created or removed during page activity, collect or refresh frame references after the relevant change rather than assuming an earlier list is current. Puppeteer documents these lifecycle events in its Frame reference.
When reading or evaluating page content, use the specific frame object. Puppeteer notes: “When JavaScript is executed in a frame, the JavaScript does not affect frames inside the ambient frame the JavaScript executes in.” Evaluating in the main frame does not automatically query nested frame documents.
Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is a screenshot rather than frame inspection, ScreenshotNeo can return one with a GET request, without setting up Puppeteer:
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Quick Recap
Troubleshoot common frame lookup problems
- A nested frame is missing:
childFrames()returns immediate children only. Recurse through each child or usepage.frames()for a flat page-wide list. - The frame is not in the list: It may not have attached yet, or it may have detached. Refresh the list after the page’s frame lifecycle changes.
- A query does not find content inside an iframe: Run the query against the frame’s
Frameobject, not the main frame’s document. Use a frame-scoped method such asframe.$eval(). parentFrame()returnsnull: That is expected for the main frame; the method also returnsnullfor a detached frame.
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