What is it and how to use it
Table of Contents
- There are all sorts of browsers available on the market, but one unique type is the headless browsers.
- These browsers are used by web developers, yet we’re going to show you how to use them too.
- To learn more about programming, we suggest that you read our other App development articles.
- For more information about web browsers, take your time and visit this Browsers Hub as well.
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When talking about web browsers, most of us are familiar with browsers such as Google Chrome, Opera, Firefox, etc.
However, there’s a special kind of browsers called headless browsers. In case you’re not familiar with these browsers, let us help you out.
In this article, we’re going to explain to you everything you need to know about these browsers with no graphical user interface.
Quick Tip:
If you’re a regular user, you might want to try something more user-friendly, such as Opera for example.
The browser is available on all desktop and mobile platforms, and thanks to the synchronization feature, you can always have your browsing data with you.
Opera is light on resources, so it should be able to handle any website with ease. In addition, the browser has the ability to organize tabs into workflows and a built-in search feature for opening tabs.
Regarding security, Opera offers tracking protection, a built-in ad blocker, and a free VPN with unlimited bandwidth.
Social media users should know that the browser has a built-in messenger, Twitter, and Instagram integration, so you can keep up with social networks at all times.
Opera
Could a headless browser be too much to handle? If you haven’t already, it’s time to install the user-friendly Opera browser!
What is a headless browser?
1. Discover all about headless browsers
A headless browser is a web browser without a graphical user interface. Such a web browser can perform certain commands using a command-line interface.
These types of browsers are usually used for testing web pages, or scrapping data for websites.
Developers also use them to run automated tests for JavaScript libraries or for taking screenshots.
2. How to use a headless browser?
Firefox:
C:Program FilesMozilla Firefoxfirefox.exe -p test -headles
This is a basic way of starting Firefox in headless mode. To execute commands, you’ll need to enter them manually.
Chrome:
C:Program Files (x86)GoogleChromeApplicationchrome.exe --headless --disable-gpu --remote-debugging-port=9222 https://www.website_name.com
To run commands, be sure to check online guidelines for the headless version of Chrome.
If you’re planning to actively use a headless version of Chrome or Firefox, it would be best to run commands from Command Prompt or PowerShell.
What are the best headless browsers?
There are several headless browsers that you can use, but here are the most popular ones:
- Chrome
- Firefox
- PhantomJS
- HtmlUnit
- TrifleJS
- Splash
- SimpleBrowser
While headless browsers are useful for automation and web development, regular users won’t have too much use for them.
Headless browsers can be useful to web developers and advanced users, and we hope that our article was helpful to you.
As for regular users, they should stick with standard GUI browsers such as Opera. Let us know your choice in the comments area below.
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