Puppeteer’s defaultBrowser setting and the browser installer’s default provider are different things. defaultBrowser selects which browser Puppeteer uses and defaults to Chrome; the default provider is the final fallback download source used by @puppeteer/browsers when installing a browser. Keeping those roles separate makes browser selection, installation, and compatibility easier to reason about.
What Puppeteer means by “default provider”
The provider is part of browser installation, not the setting that chooses which browser Puppeteer launches. In the @puppeteer/browsers install API, you may supply custom providers and chain them in order. Puppeteer automatically adds its default provider as the final fallback. See the InstallOptions API.
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By contrast, Puppeteer’s defaultBrowser configuration property answers “Which browser would you like Puppeteer to use?” Its documented default is chrome. See the configuration guide.
Which browser does Puppeteer install and use by default?
Puppeteer’s managed Chrome is Chrome for Testing, a browser build paired with Puppeteer so the API is intended to work with that version. Chrome for Testing replaced Chromium as Puppeteer’s downloaded and supported Chrome build starting with Puppeteer v20. The supported-browser table is release-specific: the documentation version reported on October 3, 2026 lists Puppeteer v25.12.0 with Chrome for Testing 154.0.8037.57 and Firefox 156.0.1. Check the table for the exact Puppeteer version you have rather than assuming those numbers apply to another release: Puppeteer supported browsers.
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How to select a browser or change its download setup
Choose a browser
For the puppeteer package, set defaultBrowser in Puppeteer’s configuration or set the PUPPETEER_BROWSER environment variable. Applicable environment values override configuration-file options. The configuration guide documents both methods and the supported settings.
If you need a specific executable rather than Puppeteer’s managed browser, provide its path when launching Puppeteer. This changes which binary is launched; it does not turn the default provider into a browser-selection setting.
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Control browser downloads
Download configuration is separate from browser selection. Puppeteer documents skipDownload and browser-specific download settings. After changing download options, run npx puppeteer browsers install to install using those settings. By default, Puppeteer’s browser cache is ~/.cache/puppeteer for versions beginning with v19.0.0. See the configuration guide for the option names and current behavior.
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Some package managers block install scripts, which can prevent the automatic browser download. In that case, install the browser deliberately with the documented browser-install command or configure an executable that is already available in your environment.
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Important difference for puppeteer-core
puppeteer-core ignores Puppeteer configuration files and Puppeteer environment variables. If you use it, configure browser installation and launch explicitly through your own setup and the launch options; do not expect defaultBrowser or PUPPETEER_BROWSER to take effect.
Should you use a custom provider?
Use the default provider when you want Puppeteer’s documented compatibility path. Custom providers can control where or how browser binaries are obtained, and multiple providers can be tried in sequence before the default fallback. However, Puppeteer says custom providers are not officially supported. It tests and guarantees compatibility for default binaries, not custom-provider binaries. With a custom provider, your team owns checking browser-version compatibility, archive format, integration details, launch behavior, and consistent versions across platforms. The InstallOptions API describes the provider mechanism.
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| Choice | What it gives you | Who owns compatibility work? |
|---|---|---|
| Default provider | Puppeteer’s final fallback browser download source and the documented compatibility-assured route. | Puppeteer tests and guarantees compatibility for default binaries. |
| Custom provider | Control over the browser source or build; providers may be chained before the default fallback. | You must test the binary, version pairing, archive compatibility, integration, and cross-platform consistency. |
Browser lifecycle is a separate decision
Provider choice concerns obtaining a browser binary. It does not dictate how Puppeteer manages a running browser. The browser management guide covers these lifecycle options:
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puppeteer.launch()starts a browser managed by Puppeteer.puppeteer.connect()connects Puppeteer to a browser started elsewhere.- Browser contexts isolate tasks: their cookies and local storage are not shared.
browser.close()closes the browser.browser.disconnect()disconnects Puppeteer without shutting down the browser or closing its pages.
Troubleshooting browser setup
The expected browser is not installed
Check whether install scripts were blocked or downloads were skipped, then review the browser-specific download configuration. Run npx puppeteer browsers install after changing the relevant download settings.
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Puppeteer launches a different browser than expected
Confirm the effective defaultBrowser value and whether PUPPETEER_BROWSER overrides the configuration file. If you supply an executable path at launch, check that path too. With puppeteer-core, configure the browser explicitly because Puppeteer configuration files and environment variables are ignored.
A custom-provider binary fails to launch or behaves incompatibly
Verify that the binary version matches the Puppeteer release and that the provider supplies an archive and executable in the form your setup expects. Test the exact binary on every target platform; custom providers are outside Puppeteer’s compatibility guarantee.
Tasks unexpectedly share or lose browser state
Use separate browser contexts when tasks must not share cookies or local storage. When the work is done, choose deliberately between browser.close(), which closes the browser, and browser.disconnect(), which leaves the browser process and its pages running.
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