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To reconnect to a Browserless browser, request reconnect information before disconnecting, save the returned BrowserQL or WebSocket endpoint, detach without closing the remote browser, then connect to that endpoint again before its idle timeout expires. Authenticate the new connection as required. For a longer break or separate runs, use Browserless’s Session API to persist browser data—but stored cookies and localStorage are not the same as keeping open pages alive.
Reconnect to a live browser: the short handoff
The reconnect operation creates a way back to the running browser; it is not a durable session link. The returned endpoint is useful only while the browser session remains alive. A reconnect idle window and your plan’s maximum session lifetime may both apply.
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- Connect to Browserless with your chosen client and a valid account API token.
- Perform the browser work that needs to survive the handoff.
- While still connected, request reconnect information. The timeout is specified in milliseconds; Browserless examples use
60000for a requested one-minute idle window. That is an example, not a universal account allowance. - Store the returned endpoint securely. Treat it and any token as sensitive; do not put credential-bearing URLs in logs.
- Detach using the method supported by your client. Puppeteer’s
disconnect()detaches while leaving the remote browser running. Do not close or terminate the remote browser if you intend to resume it. - Connect the next client to the returned endpoint before the idle window expires, supplying valid authentication as needed.
- When finished, explicitly terminate the session if the API you used provides that operation.
See Browserless’s reconnect examples and BrowserQL reconnect guide for the current interface-specific syntax.
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Choose the kind of persistence you need
| Need | Approach | What can survive | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pause briefly and resume the exact running browser | Reconnect operation or standard session | The same live process, including open pages and in-memory page state | Both the idle timeout and the account’s absolute session deadline can apply. |
| Reuse browser data across longer gaps or separate runs | Session API persistence | Cookies, localStorage, and cache can be restored from the session profile | If the browser process stops, open pages, navigation history, scroll position, and in-memory state do not come back. |
| Keep live pages during a grace period through Session API | Session API with process keep-alive, where supported | Live process state during the grace period, plus persisted profile data | The persistence guide documents a Puppeteer-specific limitation for processKeepAlive; check support for your client. |
Browserless explains profile persistence in Continue browser state across runs and its Persisting State guide. For the broader API model, see Session Management Overview.
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Timeouts, authentication, and reconnecting from another machine
Idle timeout is not the maximum lifetime
The reconnect timeout is an idle grace period. The BrowserQL guide says each successful reconnect resets that idle timer, but the account plan’s maximum session lifetime remains an absolute deadline measured from browser start. Reconnecting repeatedly cannot extend the browser beyond that deadline. Plan limits vary, so check the current account documentation rather than relying on a copied ceiling.
Use the returned endpoint and valid credentials
Depending on the interface, reconnect information can include a browserQLEndpoint for follow-up BrowserQL queries and/or a browserWSEndpoint for a CDP-based client. A client on another machine can reconnect if it can reach Browserless, supplies the required authentication, and the session is still alive.
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- Used Book in Good Condition
Endpoints are not necessarily credentials. In particular, the BAP guide says returned endpoints omit credentials, so the next client must provide its own valid token. The endpoint and token should both be handled as secrets. See Reconnecting to sessions in BAP.
Client-specific cautions
- BrowserQL: Send the next query to the returned
browserQLEndpoint. A WebSocket endpoint is available for CDP clients where shown by the operation. - Puppeteer: Use
puppeteer.connect()with the returned WebSocket endpoint and valid authentication. In the standard-session workflow, follow Browserless’s documented CDP command before detaching; usedisconnect()rather than closing the browser. - Playwright: Browserless documents connecting over CDP to the returned WebSocket endpoint. Do not assume Puppeteer’s detach workflow transfers directly: the standard-session guide warns that Playwright does not expose Puppeteer’s
disconnect()method. Follow the current supported Playwright pattern in the Browserless guide for your client version. - BAP:
page.reconnect()returns handoff endpoints. Adapt the endpoint for the next BAP WebSocket connection and authenticate that connection with a token.
Troubleshoot a failed reconnect
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or do |
|---|---|---|
| Connection error or expired endpoint | The idle timeout or absolute plan session deadline passed. | Reconnect sooner next time; request a longer grace period only if your account permits it. |
| Timeout rejected immediately | The requested reconnect timeout exceeds the plan’s allowed maximum. | Lower the requested milliseconds value and confirm the current account limit. |
| 401 Unauthorized | The follow-up connection lacks valid authentication, or the token is invalid. | Supply a valid token in the way required by the client. BAP endpoints omit credentials, so the next connection must authenticate separately. |
| 429 Too Many Requests | A previous BrowserQL session may still occupy a concurrency slot. | Terminate the earlier session when finished, if the interface provides termination; otherwise wait for its timeout. |
| Pages or page state appear missing | The client connected to a different endpoint/session, or the original process stopped. | Verify the returned endpoint belongs to the intended session. Profile persistence can restore stored data, but not live pages after process shutdown. |
| Remote browser stopped when the first client closed | The close operation terminated the browser instead of detaching, or reconnect information was not requested successfully before close. | Request reconnect information while connected and use the documented detach behavior for that client. For Puppeteer, Browserless distinguishes disconnect() from terminating the browser. |
Idle sessions can consume concurrency until they expire, so clean up sessions explicitly when possible.
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