Puppeteer on Lambda

This repository demonstrates how to run Puppeteer on AWS Lambda. In 2024, I successfully managed to run Puppeteer on Lambda using the Node.js 18.x runtime with the following libraries and versions:

• @sparticuz/chromium: ^119.0.2
• aws-sdk: ^2.1691.0
• puppeteer-core: ^21.11.0

Use Case: PDF Generation

This project provides an example of how to generate a PDF from a URL using AWS services. When an API request is made, an AWS Lambda function is triggered, which runs Puppeteer to render the specified URL into a PDF. The resulting PDF is stored in an S3 bucket, and the function returns a signed URL for temporary access to download the file.

AWS Services Involved:

• Lambda: Executes the code for rendering and generating the PDF.
• S3: Used for storing the generated PDF file.
• API Gateway: Exposes the Lambda function as a RESTful API.
• IAM Roles: Manage permissions for Lambda to interact with S3 and other services.

Example Workflow:

1. A POST request is sent to the API Gateway endpoint, containing the URL to be converted.
2. The Lambda function is invoked, Puppeteer launches a headless Chromium instance to render the page and generate the PDF.
3. The PDF is uploaded to a predefined S3 bucket, and a signed URL is returned for accessing the file. A lifecycle policy is set on the S3 bucket to automatically delete old files, preventing unnecessary storage costs.

Advantages of a serverless approach:

• Automatic scaling: Lambda functions automatically scale based on the workload, handling thousands of requests without manual intervention.
• Cost efficiency: With a pay-per-use model, you only pay for the compute time you consume, which is ideal for unpredictable or low-volume traffic.
• Reduced operational overhead: No need to manage or provision servers, allowing you to focus on writing code instead of handling infrastructure.
• Built-in fault tolerance: AWS Lambda automatically handles the replication and availability of your functions across multiple availability zones.
• Integration with other AWS services: Lambda seamlessly integrates with services like S3, API Gateway, DynamoDB, SQS and others, making it easy to build fully managed, scalable applications.

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How to Run

To run the project locally and deploy it to AWS, follow these steps:

Prerequisites:

• Install Node.js 18.x
• Install Serverless Framework

Steps:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-repository/puppeteer-on-lambda.git
   cd puppeteer-on-lambda
   

2. Set the AWS credentials:

aws configure

3. Install the dependencies:

npm install

4. Deploy the service to AWS using Serverless:

serverless deploy

5. Test the deployed service using curl:

curl -X POST https://your-api-id.execute-api.your-region.amazonaws.com/dev/pdf \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"url": "https://example.com"}'

The response will include a signed URL to download the generated PDF.