Why Do Some Websites Require Headless=False for Puppeteer to Function?

Why Require headless=false for Puppeteer to Function?

When using Puppeteer for web scraping, it may appear that the headless mode must be disabled for proper operation. Here's why that is and potential solutions to preserve headless mode.

Background: Headless Mode Detection

Certain websites implement measures to detect headless browsers and restrict their access to content. This is because headless browsing can be used for malicious purposes, such as scraping or data mining. When headless mode is enabled, Puppeteer simulates a headless environment, which may trigger these detection mechanisms.

Solution: Bypass Headless Detection

To bypass headless detection, several strategies exist:

Puppeteer-Extra

This library provides plugins to modify the browser environment and evade headless detection. Consider using the following plugins:

• puppeteer-extra-plugin-anonymize-ua: Anonymizes the User Agent to prevent identification as a repeat visitor.
• puppeteer-extra-plugin-stealth: Implements tricks to evade headless mode detection.

Real Chromium Instance

Instead of launching a headless Chromium instance, connect Puppeteer to a running browser using command line arguments. For instance, start Chrome with:

--remote-debugging-port=9222

Then, use Puppeteer to connect to this instance:

const browser = await puppeteer.connect({ browserURL: ENDPOINT_URL });

This requires technical expertise and server configuration, so be prepared for additional research and potential challenges.

Conclusion

While headless mode improves efficiency, certain websites may detect its use. By using puppeteer-extra plugins or running a real Chromium instance, you can mitigate detection and continue scraping with headless mode. Consider the trade-off between efficiency and detectability based on your specific scraping needs.

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