# Managing Puppeteer

> Use when working with Puppeteer — puppeteer browser automation management and analysis. Covers test suite configuration, browser launch settings, page performance metrics, screenshot and PDF generation review, network interception analysis, and script debugging. Use when managing Puppeteer test suites, analyzing browser automation scripts, or reviewing headless Chrome configurations.

- Skill: `cloudthinker-ai/managing-puppeteer` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add cloudthinker-ai/managing-puppeteer`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/cloudthinker-ai/managing-puppeteer/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector CAUTION)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Docs & Writing
- Author: cloudthinker-ai (https://skillmd.com/u/cloudthinker-ai)
- Updated: 2026-09-08
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/cloudthinker-ai/managing-puppeteer

---


# Puppeteer Browser Automation Management Skill

Manage and analyze Puppeteer browser automation scripts and test suites.

## Core Helper Functions

```bash
#!/bin/bash

# Check Puppeteer installation and browser
puppeteer_info() {
    node -e "const p = require('puppeteer'); console.log(JSON.stringify({version: require('puppeteer/package.json').version, executablePath: p.executablePath()}))" 2>/dev/null
}
```

## MANDATORY: Discovery-First Pattern

**Always discover project configuration and test structure before querying specifics.**

### Phase 1: Discovery

```bash
#!/bin/bash

echo "=== Puppeteer Installation ==="
node -e "console.log('Version:', require('puppeteer/package.json').version)" 2>/dev/null || echo "Puppeteer not installed"
node -e "const p = require('puppeteer'); console.log('Browser:', p.executablePath())" 2>/dev/null

echo ""
echo "=== Puppeteer Configuration ==="
if [ -f ".puppeteerrc.cjs" ]; then
    cat .puppeteerrc.cjs | head -20
elif [ -f ".puppeteerrc.js" ]; then
    cat .puppeteerrc.js | head -20
fi
grep -r "puppeteer" package.json 2>/dev/null | head -5

echo ""
echo "=== Test/Script Files ==="
find . -maxdepth 4 -name "*.puppeteer.*" -o -name "*puppet*test*" -o -name "*puppet*spec*" 2>/dev/null | head -15
find . -maxdepth 4 -name "*.e2e.*" 2>/dev/null | head -10
```

### Phase 2: Analysis

```bash
#!/bin/bash

echo "=== Browser Launch Configurations ==="
grep -rn "puppeteer.launch" --include="*.js" --include="*.ts" -A 5 2>/dev/null | head -20

echo ""
echo "=== Page Navigation Patterns ==="
grep -rn "page.goto\|page.waitFor\|page.click\|page.type" --include="*.js" --include="*.ts" 2>/dev/null | wc -l | xargs echo "Total page interactions:"

echo ""
echo "=== Screenshot/PDF Generation ==="
grep -rn "page.screenshot\|page.pdf" --include="*.js" --include="*.ts" 2>/dev/null | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Network Interception ==="
grep -rn "page.setRequestInterception\|page.on.*request\|page.on.*response" --include="*.js" --include="*.ts" 2>/dev/null | head -10
```

## Output Rules
- **TOKEN EFFICIENCY**: Target 50 lines per output
- Summarize script patterns rather than dumping full files
- Reference screenshot/PDF output paths, never embed binary content

## Anti-Hallucination Rules
- NEVER guess script file names — always discover via filesystem
- NEVER assume browser executable path — check actual Puppeteer config
- NEVER fabricate performance metrics — measure from actual runs

## Safety Rules
- NEVER execute Puppeteer scripts without user confirmation — they launch browsers
- NEVER modify automation scripts without user approval
- Be aware that headless browser execution can consume significant resources

## Output Format

Present results as a structured report:
```
Managing Puppeteer Report
═════════════════════════
Resources discovered: [count]

Resource       Status    Key Metric    Issues
──────────────────────────────────────────────
[name]         [ok/warn] [value]       [findings]

Summary: [total] resources | [ok] healthy | [warn] warnings | [crit] critical
Action Items: [list of prioritized findings]
```

Target ≤50 lines of output. Use tables for multi-resource comparisons.

## Counter-Rationalizations

| Shortcut | Counter | Why |
|----------|---------|-----|
| "I'll skip discovery and check known resources" | Always run Phase 1 discovery first | Resource names change, new resources appear — assumed names cause errors |
| "The user only asked for a quick check" | Follow the full discovery → analysis flow | Quick checks miss critical issues; structured analysis catches silent failures |
| "Default configuration is probably fine" | Audit configuration explicitly | Defaults often leave logging, security, and optimization features disabled |
| "Metrics aren't needed for this" | Always check relevant metrics when available | API/CLI responses show current state; metrics reveal trends and intermittent issues |
| "I don't have access to that" | Try the command and report the actual error | Assumed permission failures prevent useful investigation; actual errors are informative |