Headless browser Zombie not loading URLs in Node.js

Other Questions Headless Browser
1

I’m new to Node.js and trying to use the Zombie headless browser for testing. But I’m running into issues loading URLs. Here’s what I’ve tried:

const Browser = require('zombie');
const assert = require('assert');

const browser = new Browser();
const testUrl = 'https://example.com';

describe('Page Test', () => {
  it('should load the page', async () => {
    await browser.visit(testUrl);
    assert.equal(browser.text('title'), 'Example Domain');
  });
});

When I run this with Jasmine, I get errors like:

TypeError: Object [object Promise] has no method 'fail'

I’ve tried different Node versions and OS setups, but no luck. Am I missing something obvious in my Zombie setup? Any tips for a newbie would be great. Thanks!

2

I’ve been in your shoes, and Zombie can be tricky. Have you considered using a timeout? Sometimes the page doesn’t load fast enough for the test. Try adding this to your Browser instance:

browser.waitDuration = ‘30s’;

Also, double-check your Node.js version. Zombie works best with Node 12+. If you’re still stuck, try debugging with browser.debug = true before visiting the URL. It’ll give you more info on what’s happening behind the scenes.

Lastly, make sure you’re not running into HTTPS issues. Some sites require additional setup for SSL in Zombie. If nothing else works, Puppeteer might be a more reliable alternative for headless browser testing.

3

hey mate, i had similar probs with zombie. have u tried using async/await instead? like this:

async function loadPage() {
await browser.visit(testUrl);
assert.equal(browser.text(‘title’), ‘Example Domain’);
}

it(‘should load the page’, loadPage);

might help. good luck!

4

I’ve encountered similar issues when working with Zombie and Node.js. One thing that helped me was explicitly handling the promise returned by browser.visit(). Try modifying your test like this:

it('should load the page', (done) => {
  browser.visit(testUrl).then(() => {
    assert.equal(browser.text('title'), 'Example Domain');
    done();
  }).catch(done);
});

This approach ensures proper promise handling and gives Jasmine the chance to catch any errors. Also, make sure you’re using a compatible version of Zombie with your Node version. I found that keeping both up-to-date resolved many headaches.

If you’re still having trouble, consider using a more actively maintained headless browser like Puppeteer. It has better documentation and wider community support, which can be a lifesaver when you’re learning.