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puppeteer.launch(options) starts a browser process and accepts an optional LaunchOptions object. For most unattended automation, start with the default headless: true and Puppeteer’s bundled Chrome for Testing; change browser selection, command-line arguments, or startup behavior only when your task requires it. This guide describes Puppeteer 25.12.0, so check the LaunchOptions API reference before relying on names or defaults in another release.
What Puppeteer launch options control
Launch options configure the browser process Puppeteer starts: which browser binary to run, whether it is visible, which command-line switches it receives, how Puppeteer communicates with it, and how startup and shutdown are handled. They are distinct from page-level settings such as viewport size or navigation timeouts.
A minimal launch is:
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();Because the options object is optional, this uses the documented defaults. A typical explicit setup is:
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
headless: true,
timeout: 30_000,
});Use the browser API documentation for the complete, version-specific option list: Puppeteer LaunchOptions.
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How do I launch Puppeteer in headless mode?
In Puppeteer 25.12.0, headless: true is the default and selects new headless Chrome. Choose another value when you need to see the browser or have a specific reason to use the separate shell binary.
| Setting | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
headless: true |
Runs new headless Chrome without a visible browser window. | Ordinary unattended automation and tests. |
headless: false |
Shows the browser window. | Debugging launch setup or observing page behavior. |
headless: 'shell' |
Runs the separate chrome-headless-shell binary. |
When its potential speed benefit for some automation is useful and its behavior differences are acceptable. |
The shell binary does not match all behavior of regular Chrome, so do not treat it as an interchangeable performance switch. Puppeteer’s guide notes that before v22, old Headless mode was the default; older examples may therefore describe behavior that is no longer the default. See the official headless modes guide.
Example: inspect the page in a visible browser
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({ headless: false });
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com');
} finally {
await browser.close();
}How do I use a specific Chrome executable with Puppeteer?
Puppeteer works best with the Chrome for Testing version it downloads. Its documentation says, “Puppeteer is only guaranteed to work with the bundled browser.” Other browser versions may work, but compatibility is not guaranteed. If a project needs a system-installed browser, set channel for a known Chrome release channel or set executablePath to the browser binary’s path. The API recommends also setting browser when using executablePath, since the default browser is Chrome.
Use a release channel
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
channel: 'chrome',
});Use an explicit executable path
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
browser: 'chrome',
executablePath: '/path/to/chrome',
});Replace the example path with the actual executable path on the host running Node.js. An invalid or inaccessible path will prevent the browser from starting.
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Using puppeteer-core
puppeteer-core does not supply the same bundled browser selection as the full Puppeteer package: provide either executablePath or channel when launching. For the distinction and compatibility guidance, consult the Puppeteer configuration guide.
How do I pass Chrome arguments to Puppeteer?
Pass additional browser command-line switches as strings in args. Add only the switches your environment or task needs; there is no universally appropriate set of extra flags.
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
args: ['--some-required-switch'],
});Puppeteer also supplies default arguments. The API cautions that users probably want to keep them. ignoreDefaultArgs: true removes the entire default list and can change browser behavior substantially; prefer an array that filters only a specific default argument when that is the actual goal.
Remove one default argument
For example, the API demonstrates filtering --mute-audio while leaving other defaults in place:
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const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
ignoreDefaultArgs: ['--mute-audio'],
});Use ignoreDefaultArgs: true only when you have checked which defaults your application needs and are prepared to supply or replace the necessary behavior yourself. Do not copy security-sensitive or container-specific flags without understanding their effect.
Startup timeout, logs, and browser shutdown
Adjust the startup timeout
timeout is the maximum time Puppeteer waits for the browser to start. In version 25.12.0 its default is 30,000 milliseconds (30 seconds). Raise it if browser startup is legitimately slower in your environment; set it to 0 to disable the launch timeout.
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
timeout: 60_000,
});Forward browser logs
Set dumpio: true to forward browser stdout and stderr to Node.js’s corresponding streams. This can expose diagnostic output when startup fails.
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({ dumpio: true });Control signal handling
The signal-handling options govern whether Puppeteer closes the browser when Node.js receives SIGHUP, SIGINT, or SIGTERM. They default to true in the API reference. Change these only if your process manager or application has a deliberate shutdown strategy; otherwise, automatic cleanup is generally the safer starting point.
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Specialized launch options
These settings are useful in specific setups but are rarely the first options to change:
pipe: truerequests pipe-based communication instead of WebSocket; it is documented for Chrome only.userDataDirselects a browser profile directory. A profile can retain browser state, so consider whether a persistent or fresh profile is appropriate for the task.devtools: trueopens DevTools and forces headful mode.waitForInitialPagecontrols whether Puppeteer waits for the initial page. It may matter when startup behavior has been changed, such as by passing--no-startup-window.
For the exact available controls and their current types, use the versioned API reference.
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Unattended automation
Use the bundled browser and the default headless mode unless the job requires a different browser or startup configuration.
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();Debug a launch or page visually
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
headless: false,
dumpio: true,
});The visible window helps inspect what Chrome is doing; forwarded logs can add information from the browser process.
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Run with a locally managed Chrome
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
browser: 'chrome',
executablePath: '/path/to/chrome',
headless: true,
});This trades some of the bundled-browser compatibility assurance for control over the installed executable. Verify that the path exists and that the selected browser works with your Puppeteer release.
Troubleshooting launch failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Launch fails immediately when using a custom binary. | executablePath is wrong, points to a non-browser file, or cannot be accessed by the Node.js process. |
Check the path and access permissions; if using a custom executable, specify browser as recommended in the API. |
puppeteer-core cannot find a browser. |
No browser location was supplied. | Set either executablePath or channel. |
| Startup reports a timeout. | The browser did not start within the configured wait. | Enable dumpio: true to inspect browser output, check browser selection and arguments, and increase timeout if startup is simply slow. |
| A custom argument change creates unexpected behavior. | A default argument was removed or an added switch changed Chrome behavior. | Remove unnecessary switches and filter one default with ignoreDefaultArgs: ['--argument'] rather than disabling the full list. |
| The headless shell behaves differently from Chrome. | headless: 'shell' launches a separate binary that does not reproduce all regular Chrome behavior. |
Try headless: true when matching regular Chrome behavior matters. |
The official material referenced here does not establish a universal operating-system dependency list or container flag recipe. For those environments, diagnose the actual browser error and consult the documentation for the OS and deployment image you use rather than assuming one flag set applies everywhere.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need a website screenshot rather than a locally controlled Puppeteer browser, ScreenshotNeo returns an image or PDF from one GET request. Its API accepts cookie banners like a visitor and removes known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. ScreenshotNeo also provides an MCP server with screenshot, page-info, and PDF tools for AI agents. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month without a card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000.
cURL:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
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Does launch() return a page?
No. It returns a browser instance; create or access a page through that browser after launch.
Is headless shell the same as headless Chrome?
No. It uses a separate binary and does not match all regular Chrome behavior.
Can I use Puppeteer’s launch options to set the page viewport?
Viewport sizing is a page-level concern rather than a launch option; the documented 800 × 600 default belongs to connection options, not launch().
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