Approximates the current location of the Chrome browser across platforms.

chrome-location2

• By default checks only stable. Optionally can cascade to beta / dev / canary.
• Supports macOS / Windows / Linux
• Works both as an ES module or CommonJS

New in this version:

• Honors environment overrides: CHROME_FOR_TESTING_PATH, CHROMIUM_BINARY, CHROME_BINARY
• On macOS, auto-detects Chrome for Testing at /Applications/Google Chrome for Testing.app/...
• Optional helper to throw with a friendly install guide when nothing is found
• CLI output is colorized (green on success, red on error)
• New: Cross-platform version API that does not execute the browser by default

Installation

# Pick one
pnpm add chrome-location2
npm i chrome-location2
yarn add chrome-location2

Support table

This table lists the default locations where Chrome is typically installed for each supported platform and channel. By default, only the Stable channel is checked. When fallback is enabled, the package checks these paths (in order) and returns the first one found.

Platform	Channel	Paths checked
macOS	Chrome (Stable)	/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome ~/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome
	Chrome Beta	/Applications/Google Chrome Beta.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome Beta ~/Applications/Google Chrome Beta.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome Beta
	Chrome Dev	/Applications/Google Chrome Dev.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome Dev ~/Applications/Google Chrome Dev.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome Dev
	Chrome Canary	/Applications/Google Chrome Canary.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome Canary ~/Applications/Google Chrome Canary.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome Canary
Windows	Chrome (Stable)	%LOCALAPPDATA%\\Google\\Chrome\\Application\\chrome.exe %PROGRAMFILES%\\Google\\Chrome\\Application\\chrome.exe %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\\Google\\Chrome\\Application\\chrome.exe
	Chrome Beta	%LOCALAPPDATA%\\Google\\Chrome Beta\\Application\\chrome.exe %PROGRAMFILES%\\Google\\Chrome Beta\\Application\\chrome.exe %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\\Google\\Chrome Beta\\Application\\chrome.exe
	Chrome Dev	%LOCALAPPDATA%\\Google\\Chrome Dev\\Application\\chrome.exe %PROGRAMFILES%\\Google\\Chrome Dev\\Application\\chrome.exe %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\\Google\\Chrome Dev\\Application\\chrome.exe
	Chrome Canary	%LOCALAPPDATA%\\Google\\Chrome SxS\\Application\\chrome.exe %PROGRAMFILES%\\Google\\Chrome SxS\\Application\\chrome.exe %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\\Google\\Chrome SxS\\Application\\chrome.exe
Linux/other	Chrome (Stable)	google-chrome (on $PATH)
	Chrome Beta	google-chrome-beta (on $PATH)
	Chrome Unstable	google-chrome-unstable (on $PATH)
	Chromium	chromium-browser / chromium (on $PATH)

Returns the first existing path found (given selected channels), or null if none are found.

Usage

Via Node.js (strict by default):

import chromeLocation from 'chrome-location2'

// Strict (Stable only)
console.log(chromeLocation())
// => "/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome" or null

// Enable fallback (Stable / Beta / Dev / Canary; includes Chromium on macOS/Windows; Chromium/Chromium-browser on Linux)
console.log(chromeLocation(true))
// => first found among Stable/Beta/Dev/Canary (or Chromium) or null

// Throw with a friendly, copy-pasteable guide when not found (path-only resolution; never executes the browser)
import {locateChromeOrExplain, getInstallGuidance, getChromeVersion} from 'chrome-location2'
try {
  const path = locateChromeOrExplain({allowFallback: true})
  console.log(path)

  // Cross-platform version (no exec by default)
  const v = getChromeVersion(path)
  console.log(v) // e.g. "120.0.6099.109" or null

  // Opt-in: allow executing the binary to fetch version on platforms without metadata (e.g. Linux)
  const v2 = getChromeVersion(path, {allowExec: true})
  console.log(v2)
} catch (e) {
  console.error(String(e))
  // Or print getInstallGuidance() explicitly
}

CommonJS:

const api = require('chrome-location2')
const locateChrome = api.default || api

// Strict (Stable only)
console.log(locateChrome())

// With fallback enabled
console.log(locateChrome(true))

// Helper that throws with guidance
try {
  const p = (
    api.locateChromeOrExplain || ((o) => locateChrome(o?.allowFallback))
  )({allowFallback: true})
  console.log(p)
} catch (e) {
  console.error(String(e))
}

Via CLI:

npx chrome-location2
# Strict (Stable only)

npx chrome-location2 --fallback
# Enable cascade (Stable / Beta / Dev / Canary)

# Short flag
npx chrome-location2 -f

# Respect environment overrides
CHROME_FOR_TESTING_PATH=/custom/path/to/chrome npx chrome-location2

# Print Chrome version instead of path (no exec by default)
npx chrome-location2 --chrome-version

# Allow executing the binary if metadata is unavailable (mainly Linux)
npx chrome-location2 --chrome-version --allow-exec

Exit behavior:

• Prints the resolved path on success
• Exits with code 1 and prints a guidance message if nothing suitable is found
• When --chrome-version is used: prints version or exits with code 2 if not determinable without exec and --allow-exec was not provided

Notes:

• Output is colorized when printed to a TTY (green success, red error)
• After you run npx @puppeteer/browsers install chrome@stable once, we auto-detect Chrome for Testing from Puppeteer's cache on all platforms. No env vars needed.

When nothing is found

The helper returns actionable guidance (Vercel-like tone):

We couldn't find a Chrome/Chromium browser on this machine.

Here's the fastest way to get set up:

1) Install Chrome for Testing (recommended)
   npx @puppeteer/browsers install chrome@stable

Then re-run your command — we'll detect it automatically.

Alternatively, install Chromium via your system's package manager and re-run.

API

• default export locateChrome(allowFallback?: boolean): string | null

  • Returns the first existing path among the selected channels or null.
  • When allowFallback is true, checks Stable → Beta → Dev → Canary. May also consider Chromium depending on platform.

• locateChromeOrExplain(options?: boolean | { allowFallback?: boolean }): string

  • Returns a path if found, otherwise throws an Error with a friendly installation guide.
  • Path resolution never executes the browser.

• getChromeVersion(bin: string, opts?: { allowExec?: boolean }): string | null

  • Cross-platform version resolver that does not execute the browser by default.
  • Windows: reads PE file metadata via PowerShell (no GUI spawn).
  • macOS: reads Info.plist (no GUI spawn).
  • Linux/other: attempts to infer from Puppeteer cache path; if not available, returns null unless allowExec is true.

• getInstallGuidance(): string

  • Returns the same guidance text used by locateChromeOrExplain().

Environment overrides

If any of these environment variables are set and point to an existing binary, they take precedence:

• CHROME_FOR_TESTING_PATH
• CHROMIUM_BINARY
• CHROME_BINARY

Related projects

• brave-location
• edge-location
• firefox-location2
• opera-location2
• vivaldi-location2
• yandex-location2

License

MIT (c) Cezar Augusto.