Choose puppeteer when its installation workflow can download and manage a compatible browser for you. Choose puppeteer-core when you need to supply a local browser or connect to one that is already running. Then decide separately whether your automation tasks need isolated browser contexts and who should shut down the browser process.
Choose who manages the browser
Puppeteer browser management is about where the browser binary comes from, who starts its process, and who owns that process’s lifetime. It is separate from task isolation: multiple tasks can use contexts within one browser process.
| Approach | Best fit | Who manages the browser | Main setup consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
puppeteer with its downloaded browser |
You want Puppeteer’s default setup and a compatible browser installed with the package workflow. | Puppeteer’s installation workflow obtains Chrome for Testing. | Install scripts may be blocked by package-manager policy; run the browser install command or allow the script. Puppeteer installation guide |
puppeteer-core with a local browser |
Your workstation, deployment image, or another browser-management workflow owns the installation. | Your environment. | Provide an executablePath or supported channel, and check compatibility. Installation guide · Supported browsers |
puppeteer-core connected to a running browser |
A browser process is launched elsewhere, locally or in a remote environment. | The external launcher or service. | Obtain the browser’s WebSocket endpoint and connect to it; disconnecting does not stop it. Browser management guide |
Start with the default when it fits
The puppeteer package is the simplest choice if you want its installation workflow to fetch a compatible browser and do not need to supply your own. This keeps browser installation tied to Puppeteer’s documented setup rather than requiring you to locate and configure a binary separately.
Use core for a browser your environment owns
puppeteer-core does not download Chrome. Use it when your deployment provisions browsers separately or your code must select a particular supported local installation. Set a path or channel deliberately instead of assuming Puppeteer will find an arbitrary browser executable. See the configuration guide for executable and configuration behavior.
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Use core to attach to a running process
If another process or service has already started the browser, connect with its WebSocket endpoint using puppeteer-core. The external process remains responsible for starting and ultimately stopping that browser; Puppeteer can detach without shutting it down.
Install and launch a managed browser
For the standard package-managed path, install Puppeteer and launch a page. Installation downloads a compatible browser as part of the documented workflow.
npm install puppeteerconst puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
(async () => {
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
console.log(await page.title());
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
})();The finally block makes the process-lifetime choice explicit: this script launched the browser, so it closes it after its work. For an application that intentionally reuses one browser, move launch and close to the application’s startup and shutdown lifecycle rather than closing it after every task.
Manage browser binaries separately
The @puppeteer/browsers tooling provides CLI and programmatic workflows for browser binaries, including install, list, launch, and clear operations. Use it when browser installation is part of your deployment or development workflow rather than relying on the default package install alone. Consult the @puppeteer/browsers API and CLI documentation for current command syntax.
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When a package manager blocks installation scripts, the browser download may be skipped even though the package itself installed. The documented recovery is to run:
npx puppeteer browsers installAlternatively, permit the relevant install script according to your package manager’s policy. Do not treat a missing browser as evidence that the Puppeteer API is broken.
Use a self-managed local browser
Install puppeteer-core and pass the executable location for a compatible Chrome or Chromium build. The path is machine- and deployment-specific; replace the example value below with the actual executable path in your environment.
npm install puppeteer-coreconst puppeteer = require('puppeteer-core');
(async () => {
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
executablePath: '/path/to/chrome-or-chromium',
headless: true
});
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
console.log(await page.title());
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
})();Where a standard installed Chrome channel is appropriate, Puppeteer also supports selecting a channel. Whether a particular channel or browser build is supported depends on the Puppeteer version, so verify the current supported-browser mapping rather than pinning an assumed pairing from an old example.
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Connect to a browser that is already running
Connect with puppeteer-core using the WebSocket endpoint exposed by the browser’s launcher or service. The endpoint is specific to that running process; obtain it from the system that started the browser rather than guessing or hard-coding a stale value.
npm install puppeteer-coreconst puppeteer = require('puppeteer-core');
(async () => {
const browser = await puppeteer.connect({
browserWSEndpoint: process.env.BROWSER_WS_ENDPOINT
});
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
console.log(await page.title());
} finally {
await browser.disconnect();
}
})();Here, disconnect() is deliberate because an external supervisor owns the browser. If your code instead launched the browser with puppeteer.launch() and should end that process, call close(). Puppeteer documents that close() shuts down the launched browser, while disconnect() detaches from a connected browser without shutting it down or closing its pages. Browser management guide
Separate tasks with BrowserContexts
BrowserContexts isolate cookies and local storage between automation tasks within a browser process. They are not separate browser processes. Closing a context closes its pages, making a context-per-task pattern useful when tasks should not share site state.
const context = await browser.createBrowserContext();
try {
const page = await context.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com');
// Perform work isolated from other contexts.
} finally {
await context.close();
}This pattern assumes browser is an already launched or connected Puppeteer browser. Closing the context ends its pages; it does not by itself express ownership of the browser process. See the browser management documentation.
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Make the lifecycle decision explicitly
- One script, one browser run: launch, do the work, then call
browser.close(). - Long-running worker or service: launch once under the worker’s lifecycle, create and close contexts as tasks need isolation, then close the browser during orderly shutdown.
- Externally supervised browser: connect to its WebSocket endpoint and call
browser.disconnect()when Puppeteer is done, leaving shutdown to the external supervisor. - Separate browser processes required: BrowserContexts are not process isolation; use a separate browser launch for each process boundary you actually need.
The documentation describes these management patterns but does not establish a comparative performance, cost, or reliability advantage for one over another. Choose based on ownership, reproducibility, compatibility control, and required isolation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common setup failures
Browser not found after installation
Likely cause: a package manager blocked install scripts, so the package was installed without its browser download. Fix: run npx puppeteer browsers install or allow the relevant install script, following the installation guidance.
Executable path does not work
Likely cause: the path is wrong in the current runtime or points to a browser build incompatible with this Puppeteer version. Fix: confirm the executable exists in the environment where the code runs, then check the versioned browser support table. A workstation path may not exist inside a container or deployment image.
Connection to an existing browser fails
Likely cause: the WebSocket endpoint is missing, stale, or not reachable from the Puppeteer process. Fix: retrieve the endpoint from the browser’s current launcher or service, verify network access from the connecting environment, and connect with puppeteer-core.
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The browser unexpectedly stops
Likely cause: code called browser.close() even though another process expected to keep the browser alive. Fix: when attached to an externally owned process, call browser.disconnect(); reserve close() for a browser process Puppeteer should shut down.
Cookies or storage leak between tasks
Likely cause: tasks are sharing a context. Fix: create a distinct BrowserContext for each task that needs separate cookies and local storage, then close that context when the task finishes.
Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is simply to obtain a website screenshot or PDF, ScreenshotNeo is an alternative to try first: it handles browser capture behind a single API request, removes cookie banners, popups, and chat widgets before the shot, and bills only clean shots. Bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots, and the free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for setup and options. For Puppeteer-specific browser control, keep using the approaches above; ScreenshotNeo is for the screenshot result rather than managing a browser process in your application.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use `puppeteer-core` without specifying a browser?
Not for launching a local browser unless you provide a supported `executablePath` or `channel`; for an already running browser, connect using its WebSocket endpoint.
Does disconnecting Puppeteer close the pages in the browser?
No. `browser.disconnect()` detaches without shutting down the browser or closing its pages.
Are BrowserContexts separate browser processes?
No. They are isolated contexts within one browser process.
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