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Puppeteer ActionOptions: Configure Locator Actions

Puppeteer ActionOptions documents an optional AbortSignal for aborting a locator action. Learn how that differs from locator timeouts and readiness checks.
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Puppeteer’s ActionOptions interface documents one option: an optional signal of type AbortSignal that aborts a locator action. For a time limit, use the separate Locator.setTimeout(timeout) method; it sets the total timeout for locator actions and defaults to the page’s default timeout.

What ActionOptions configures

The Puppeteer ActionOptions API reference, identified as version 25.9.0, lists a single property:

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  • signal?: AbortSignal — an optional signal to abort the locator action.

Use this option when your code needs to cancel an action through an AbortSignal. The reference does not specify cancellation timing, rollback behavior, or what happens to page-side effects, so do not rely on any particular outcome for those details.

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How locator actions work

Puppeteer recommends locators for interacting with page elements. A locator identifies an element and automatically waits for it to be present and in an appropriate state for the requested action. The exact readiness checks depend on the action. For example, the page-interactions guide describes viewport, visibility, enabled-state, and stable-bounding-box checks for clicking.

The guide also shows ways to change some action preconditions. Treat readiness and cancellation as separate concerns: readiness determines when Puppeteer can proceed, while an AbortSignal is the documented way to abort a locator action.

Cancellation and timeout are different controls

Control Purpose Scope
ActionOptions.signal Aborts a locator action. An individual locator action receiving the option.
Locator.setTimeout(timeout) Sets the total time allowed for locator actions. A cloned locator; the method returns the clone.

The Locator.setTimeout API reference says the timeout defaults to Page.getDefaultTimeout(). Passing 0 disables the timeout. A timeout is not another spelling of cancellation, and the signal property is not documented as a duration limit.

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Set a locator-specific timeout

Set the timeout on a locator before invoking its action. The interactions guide demonstrates 3,000 milliseconds as an example, not as a universal recommended value:

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const button = page.locator('button').setTimeout(3000);
await button.click();

Because setTimeout() returns a cloned locator, use the returned locator for the action. Choose a duration that fits the page and task; use 0 only when you deliberately want to disable the locator timeout.

Find the right selector and action

Page.locator() accepts a selector or a function. The reference documents CSS selectors as well as Puppeteer-specific selector syntax. After creating a locator, use the action whose documented readiness behavior fits the interaction. Do not assume every action applies the same checks as clicking.

When you need lower-level control, the interactions guide also covers waitForSelector and ElementHandle. It describes waitForSelector as a lower-level option that does not automatically retry the action if that action fails. Prefer a locator when its automatic waiting and action behavior suit the task.

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Or skip the browser setup

If your task is to capture a website rather than automate a locator interaction, ScreenshotNeo provides a website screenshot API and MCP server. One GET request returns an image or PDF; for a WebP screenshot of Stripe, use:

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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp

See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for options and setup. It removes cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are not billed; and its MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card, and paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month, with no card required.

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