What is the difference between browser.close and browser.disconnect

browser.close() and browser.disconnect() both end your current control flow, but they affect the browser lifecycle differently.

• browser.close() closes the entire browser process.

• It closes all pages/tabs and releases browser resources.

• Use it when your automation run is fully finished.

• browser.disconnect() only detaches your Puppeteer client.

• The browser process keeps running with its pages still open.

• Use it when you want the browser to continue running (for example, shared or remote sessions).

Quick rule:

• Use close() to stop the browser.
• Use disconnect() to stop only your connection.

const browser = await puppeteer.connect({ browserWSEndpoint });

// Keep browser running, just detach this script
await browser.disconnect();

// Fully shut down browser process
// await browser.close();