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“chromium.executablePath is not a function” means your code is calling a property as though it were a function. The correct syntax depends on the installed @sparticuz/chromium release: newer releases expose executablePath(location?), while older releases expose executablePath as a promise-valued getter. First verify the version that is actually deployed, then make your code, CDK bundling strategy, Lambda layer, and CPU architecture agree.
1. Identify which executablePath API your package exports
There are two incompatible call shapes in released versions of @sparticuz/chromium. Current documentation defines executablePath(location?: string) and returns a Promise<string>. Older releases used a getter that already returned a promise. Parentheses are therefore correct for one release and produce the error for the other.
| Installed API | Correct expression | What goes wrong if you use the other form |
|---|---|---|
| Function-style release | const executablePath = await chromium.executablePath(); |
Without parentheses you receive the function itself rather than a resolved path. |
| Getter-style release | const executablePath = await chromium.executablePath; |
With parentheses Node reports “is not a function”. |
Check the version used at runtime
- Run
npm ls @sparticuz/chromiumfrom the application directory. - Inspect the resolved entry in
package-lock.json(or your equivalent lockfile). - Check the Lambda asset or layer, not only your workstation. A stale layer or duplicate bundled copy can expose a different release than local source.
- Open that release’s README and TypeScript declarations. They are the authoritative indication of whether
executablePathis callable.
If esbuild has wrapped the module, inspect the generated bundle’s export shape as well. CommonJS/ES module interop can make an apparently correct import resolve to a wrapper object, and a stale deployment can preserve an old API after the dependency was upgraded.
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Function-style API (current releases)
import chromium from '@sparticuz/chromium';
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer-core';
export const handler = async () => {
const executablePath = await chromium.executablePath();
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
args: chromium.args,
defaultViewport: chromium.defaultViewport,
executablePath,
headless: chromium.headless,
});
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle0' });
return { statusCode: 200, body: await page.title() };
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
};Getter-style API (older releases)
import chromium from '@sparticuz/chromium';
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer-core';
export const handler = async () => {
const executablePath = await chromium.executablePath;
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
args: chromium.args,
defaultViewport: chromium.defaultViewport,
executablePath,
headless: chromium.headless,
});
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle0' });
return { statusCode: 200, body: await page.title() };
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
};Do not “fix” the error by trying both forms at runtime without understanding the package. A compatibility shim can hide a bad deployment and make future upgrades difficult. Pin the dependency, choose the syntax documented by that pinned release, and redeploy the lockfile and asset together.
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3. Choose one CDK packaging model
AWS CDK NodejsFunction bundles referenced modules with esbuild by default. Chromium can either be included in that function bundle or supplied by a Lambda Layer. Mixing the two accidentally is a frequent cause of path and version failures.
| Decision | Bundle with function | Provide with a layer |
|---|---|---|
| CDK setting | Do not list @sparticuz/chromium in externalModules. |
Set externalModules: ['@sparticuz/chromium']. |
| Where files live | Inside the function asset produced by esbuild/CDK. | nodejs/node_modules/@sparticuz/chromium in the layer ZIP. |
| Sharing | Each function deploys its own copy. | Several functions can attach one versioned layer. |
| Version control | Dependency and code are upgraded together. | Code and layer versions must remain synchronized. |
| Local reproduction | Usually simpler because one asset contains the dependency. | Requires reproducing the layer path or installing the same package locally. |
| Cold-start behavior | Extraction and initialization occur from the function asset. | Lambda mounts the layer under /opt; Chromium may extract there or to the location you provide. |
Bundled dependency pattern
const fn = new nodejs.NodejsFunction(this, 'PdfFn', {
entry: 'src/handler.ts',
runtime: lambda.Runtime.NODEJS_20_X,
architecture: lambda.Architecture.X86_64,
bundling: {
// @sparticuz/chromium is intentionally bundled.
},
});Keep @sparticuz/chromium in dependencies, not only devDependencies. A devDependency may be absent from the production installation used to build the Lambda asset.
Layer-supplied dependency pattern
const fn = new nodejs.NodejsFunction(this, 'PdfFn', {
entry: 'src/handler.ts',
runtime: lambda.Runtime.NODEJS_20_X,
architecture: lambda.Architecture.X86_64,
layers: [chromiumLayer],
bundling: {
externalModules: ['@sparticuz/chromium'],
},
});The layer ZIP must contain a Lambda-compatible path such as nodejs/node_modules/@sparticuz/chromium. Lambda makes Node.js layer modules available under /opt/nodejs/node_modules. If the layer does not have that directory structure, the module may be missing even though the layer is attached.
When a custom extraction location is required
The Chromium package documentation describes passing a layer location when appropriate:
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const executablePath = await chromium.executablePath('/opt/chromium');Use this only with a function-style release that accepts the location parameter and only when your layer actually places the Chromium files there. An error mentioning an input directory such as /var/task/bin commonly indicates that the package was not externalized correctly, the layer layout is wrong, or two copies are competing at runtime.
4. Set the Lambda architecture explicitly
The referenced @sparticuz/chromium build does not support ARM in the documented releases. An ARM64 function can therefore fail with an execution-format error even after the JavaScript API call is corrected. Set Architecture.X86_64 in CDK and deploy a matching x86_64 layer.
runtime: lambda.Runtime.NODEJS_20_X,
architecture: lambda.Architecture.X86_64,Do not infer compatibility from your development laptop. The binary architecture, Lambda architecture, Node.js runtime, and layer build must all match.
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The serverless Chromium build is headless and intended for Lambda. A local headful test can fail even when the Lambda configuration is correct. During local development, use a locally installed Chrome/Chromium or a Puppeteer-managed browser; select the Lambda binary only in the deployed branch.
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const isLocal = process.env.IS_LOCAL === '1';
const executablePath = isLocal
? process.env.LOCAL_CHROME_PATH
: await chromium.executablePath();
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
args: isLocal ? [] : chromium.args,
executablePath,
headless: isLocal ? false : chromium.headless,
defaultViewport: chromium.defaultViewport,
});Set LOCAL_CHROME_PATH to a real browser executable on the development machine. In CI, use a known installed browser or a Puppeteer-managed binary; do not assume /opt or /var/task exists outside Lambda.
6. A deployment checklist that catches most failures
- Run
npm ls @sparticuz/chromiumand record the exact version. - Confirm the README and declarations specify getter-style or function-style
executablePath. - Remove stale duplicate copies from both the function asset and any layer.
- Verify the layer contains
nodejs/node_modules/@sparticuz/chromium. - Use
externalModulesonly when the attached layer really supplies the module. - Keep the runtime package in
dependencies. - Set Lambda to
x86_64for releases without ARM support. - Log the resolved executable path once in a non-production diagnostic deployment.
- Launch Puppeteer with the same API shape your installed release exports.
7. Troubleshooting by symptom
“chromium.executablePath is not a function”
Your code uses parentheses against a getter-style release, or the import resolves to the wrong module object. Check the deployed version and export shape, then use await chromium.executablePath or upgrade and use await chromium.executablePath() consistently.
“chromium.executablePath is undefined”
The package may not be present in the asset, the import may be wrong for the module system, or a layer may be mounted without the expected Node.js directory. Inspect the bundle and layer contents and remove duplicate versions.
Input directory such as /var/task/bin
This usually points to incorrect bundler externalization or a layer-layout problem. Decide whether the package is bundled or layered, apply only that model, and verify the extraction location passed to executablePath.
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Execution-format error in Lambda
The binary and function architecture do not match. Deploy the documented package on x86_64 and rebuild the layer for that architecture.
Works locally but fails after deployment
Local code may resolve a different package version or a local Chrome binary. Compare lockfile, generated asset, layer contents, runtime, architecture, and environment variables. Log the resolved path in a diagnostic deployment.
Browser launches but pages fail or time out
That is no longer an executablePath API error. Check Lambda memory and timeout, network access, target-site bot checks, and whether the page requires additional wait conditions. Keep browser launch diagnostics separate from page-navigation diagnostics so the first failing stage is visible.
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Frequently asked questions
Can one codebase support both API styles?
Yes, but only with an explicit compatibility decision based on the resolved package version. Pin the version and test the exact deployed asset rather than guessing from local source.
Should I use puppeteer or puppeteer-core?
Use the browser package that matches your deployment design. When @sparticuz/chromium supplies the executable, puppeteer-core is commonly used so a second browser download is not included accidentally.
Is a Lambda layer always smaller?
Not necessarily. A layer can be shared across functions, but it still has its own size, versioning, extraction, and synchronization costs. Measure the produced assets and choose the model your deployment pipeline can reproduce reliably.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fix the error by adding parentheses everywhere?
No. Parentheses are correct only for releases that export function-style executablePath(location?); getter-style releases require await chromium.executablePath.
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