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Chromium (Browser Task / Document Composer) ​
The Browser Task and Document Composer features render web pages using a headless Chromium browser — for example to automate a web page or to lay out and produce a document. This check confirms that Chromium has been downloaded and is ready to use on the server.
Readiness check
On the engine home page, the Chromium (Browser Task / Document Composer) check confirms Chromium is present. It must show Passed before these features will run. See Server Readiness.
How Chromium is installed ​
Chromium is downloaded automatically the first time a Browser Task or Document Composer workflow runs. Key points:
- The download is roughly 170 MB and happens once.
- It requires outbound internet access from the server at the time of that first run.
- After it completes, Chromium is cached and reused — no further downloads, and the readiness check then shows Passed.
On a server with normal internet access, there is nothing to do: run a Browser Task or Document Composer workflow once and the download completes by itself.
Servers without internet access ​
On restricted or air-gapped servers the automatic download will not complete, and the check will report that Chromium has not been downloaded. Choose whichever of these fits your environment:
Option 1 — Allow the download temporarily ​
Temporarily permit outbound internet access, run one Browser Task or Document Composer workflow to trigger the one-time download, then re-secure the server. Because Chromium is cached, it keeps working after internet access is removed.
Option 2 — Allow it through the proxy / firewall ​
If the server uses a proxy or restricted firewall, allow the engine's outbound HTTPS download to complete (the browser is fetched from Google's public Chromium storage). Once the download succeeds, no further access is needed.
Option 3 — Pre-seed from another machine (fully offline) ​
For a server that can never reach the internet, copy Chromium from a machine that already has it:
- On a machine running the same version of the Automations engine, let Chromium download (Option 1) so it is fully installed.
- Copy the engine's downloaded Chromium folder to the same location on the offline server.
- Reload the engine home page and confirm the Chromium check now shows Passed.
Tips ​
- It's a one-time download per engine version. After upgrading the Automations engine, a newer Chromium build may be required; the engine downloads it on the next Browser Task / Document Composer run, so allow internet access (or pre-seed again) after a major upgrade.
- Plan for the disk. Budget at least the ~170 MB download plus working space; see Hardware Readiness.
- Use the check as confirmation. After any of the options above, the readiness check is the quickest way to confirm Chromium is in place before relying on it in a production workflow.
Troubleshooting ​
| Symptom | Cause & resolution |
|---|---|
| Check fails: Chromium has not been downloaded yet | The one-time download hasn't completed. Ensure outbound internet access and run a Browser Task / Document Composer workflow, or pre-seed Chromium (Option 3). |
| Download appears to start but never completes | A proxy or firewall is blocking the download, often silently. Allow the download through (Option 2), or pre-seed from another machine (Option 3). |
| Check passed before, but fails after an engine upgrade | The upgrade needs a newer Chromium build. Allow internet access for one run, or pre-seed the new version. |