(Created on )
Puppeteer: --user-data-dir is malformed
A raw --user-data-dir argument lacks the expected equals-sign value.
A raw —user-data-dir argument lacks the expected equals-sign value.
Error message
--user-data-dir is malformed
How this error happens
A raw --user-data-dir argument without an equals-sign value cannot be parsed as a Chrome profile path.
The snippets use the imported puppeteer instance.
await puppeteer.launch({
args: [
"--user-data-dir",
],
});
How to fix
Use Puppeteer’s userDataDir option instead of constructing the raw flag.
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
userDataDir: "/absolute/path/automation-profile",
});
Things to keep in mind
Use a writable automation profile, not your personal Chrome profile. Only one browser process should own that directory at a time.