Hey folks,
I’m looking into ways to upgrade our company’s internal screenshot API. We’re thinking about using headless browsers to render and capture components. But we’re not sure how well they perform or how reliable they are, especially at scale.
Here’s what I’m wondering:
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Can we really speed up the API? We’ve got a Java Playwright demo running at about 300ms, but we’re aiming to cut that down to 150ms to keep up with our current setup.
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How stable are headless browsers in real-world use? Since they’re basically full browsers with some extra layers of communication, I’m worried about potential failure points.
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Are there any super-fast Chrome headless options out there that stand out from the rest?
We’re kind of new to this tech, so any insights would be awesome. Thanks!
hey, i’ve used headless browsers for screenshots too. they can be pretty quick if you set em up right. browser pools are key for speed. stability’s usually good, but yeah, watch out for hangups.
chrome’s new headless mode is pretty sweet - def check it out. also, tweak your network setup cuz that can slow things down big time. good luck with your project!
I’ve been in your shoes, trying to optimize screenshot generation with headless browsers. It’s a tricky balance between speed and stability, but it’s definitely achievable.
For performance, we managed to get our API down to about 180ms by implementing a browser pool and pre-warming instances. We also found that fine-tuning viewport sizes and limiting unnecessary CSS/JS helped shave off precious milliseconds.
Stability-wise, we encountered some issues with memory leaks over time. Our solution was to implement a rolling restart policy for browser instances, which significantly improved long-term reliability.
As for specific options, we’ve had good results with Puppeteer’s Chrome headless mode. It’s been consistently fast and stable for us, especially when combined with smart caching strategies.
One thing to watch out for: make sure your infrastructure can handle the increased load. We had to upgrade our servers to cope with the CPU and memory demands of running multiple headless instances simultaneously.
I’ve worked extensively with headless browsers for screenshot generation, and they can indeed be optimized for performance. To hit your 150ms target, consider implementing a browser pool to keep instances warm and ready. This significantly reduces startup time.
Stability-wise, headless browsers are generally reliable, but proper error handling and recovery mechanisms are crucial. We implemented a watchdog process to restart hung instances, which greatly improved uptime.
For speed, Chrome’s new Headless=new mode is promising. It’s lighter and faster than traditional headless mode. Coupled with techniques like caching frequently accessed pages and using lower image quality for less critical captures, we’ve seen impressive speed gains.
Remember, network latency often becomes the bottleneck at scale. Ensure your infrastructure is optimized to minimize this. With careful tuning, headless browsers can be both fast and stable for large-scale screenshot generation.