Puppeteer icon

Puppeteer

Request a webpage using Puppeteer
Join our community

Actions3

Overview

This n8n node uses Puppeteer (with optional stealth mode) to automate browser actions and capture screenshots of web pages. The "Get Screenshot" operation navigates to a specified URL, waits for the page to load (with customizable timing and conditions), and then captures an image of the rendered page. This is useful for:

  • Monitoring website appearance or uptime.
  • Archiving visual states of web pages.
  • Generating thumbnails or previews for links.
  • Automated testing of web UI rendering.

Example use cases:

  • Take daily screenshots of a dashboard for reporting.
  • Capture product pages for e-commerce monitoring.
  • Generate images for social media sharing from dynamic content.

Properties

Name Type Meaning
URL String The web address of the page to screenshot.
Property Name String Name of the binary property in which to store the image data.
Type Options Image format: PNG, JPEG, or WebP.
Quality Number Image quality (0–100). Only applies to JPEG and WebP formats.
Full Page Boolean If true, captures the entire scrollable page; otherwise, only the visible viewport.
Wait Before Screenshot String Time in milliseconds to wait before taking the screenshot after navigation.
Query Parameters Collection Additional query parameters to append to the URL.
Options > Emulate Device Options Emulate a specific device (e.g., mobile, tablet) for the screenshot.
Options > Executable path String Path to the browser executable for Puppeteer.
Options > Extra Headers Collection Custom HTTP headers to send with the request.
Options > File Name String File name to set in the binary output.
Options > Launch Arguments Collection Additional command-line arguments for the browser instance.
Options > Timeout Number Maximum navigation time in milliseconds (0 disables timeout).
Options > Wait Until Options Event that determines when navigation is considered complete (e.g., load, DOMContentLoaded).
Options > Page Caching Boolean Enable or disable page-level caching.
Options > Headless mode Boolean Run browser in headless mode (no GUI).
Options > Stealth mode Boolean Use stealth techniques to avoid detection as a bot.
Options > Proxy Server String Proxy server configuration for browser traffic.

Output

  • Binary Data:

    • The screenshot is returned as binary data under the property name specified by "Property Name".
    • The MIME type matches the selected image format (e.g., image/png, image/jpeg, image/webp).
    • If a file name is provided, it is included in the binary metadata.

  • JSON Data:

    • headers: HTTP response headers from the page load.
    • statusCode: HTTP status code of the page load.

Example output structure:

{
  "binary": {
    "data": {
      "data": "<Buffer ...>",
      "mimeType": "image/png",
      "fileName": "screenshot.png"
    }
  },
  "json": {
    "headers": { /* ... */ },
    "statusCode": 200
  }
}

Dependencies

  • External Services/Dependencies:
    • Requires internet access to reach the target URL.
    • Uses Puppeteer and puppeteer-extra-plugin-stealth (bundled).
  • API Keys: None required.
  • n8n Configuration:
    • Sufficient system resources to run a headless browser.
    • Optional: Environment variables if using a custom browser executable or proxy.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

  • Navigation Timeout:

    • Error: Request failed with status code ... or navigation never completes.
    • Solution: Increase the "Timeout" value or check network connectivity.

  • Blocked by Bot Detection:

    • Some sites may block automated browsers. Enable "Stealth mode" to reduce detection.

  • Invalid URL or Network Errors:

    • Ensure the URL is correct and accessible from the n8n host.

  • Screenshot Not Captured:

    • Check "Wait Before Screenshot" to ensure the page has enough time to render.

  • Proxy/Device Emulation Issues:

    • Verify proxy settings and device names are valid.

Error Messages:

  • Request failed with status code <code>: The page did not return a 200 OK status. Check the URL or site availability.
  • Browser launch errors: May indicate missing dependencies or incorrect executable path.

Links and References

Discussion