One-shot scrape? Use quick actions, not a session - and set base_url for self-host

TL;DR

And if you self-host steel-browser, set baseURL (Node) or base_url (Python) on the SDK - the default points at Steel Cloud, so a forgotten override sends your traffic to the wrong place. Do not spin up a stateful session for a one-shot scrape - the /scrape, /screenshot, and /pdf quick-action endpoints exist for exactly that and skip session management entirely.

Fix

1. And if you self-host steel-browser, set baseURL (Node) or base_url (Python) on the SDK - the default points at Steel Cloud, so a forgotten override sends your traffic to the wrong place. Expected: You get the expected result; the problem is gone.

When to use

• You are dealing with this situation.
• The symptom matches: One-shot scrape? Use quick actions, not a session - and set base_url for self-host.

When NOT to use

• Unrelated issues with a different cause.
• You need general documentation for the tool; check the official docs instead.

Compatibility

Reported per the linked source.

Variant phrasings

One-shot scrape? Use quick actions, not a session - and set base_url for self-host

Why it happens

Steel browser README: two ways to interact - Sessions for stateful workflows with fine-grained control, and the Quick Actions API (/scrape, /screenshot, /pdf) for simple read-only on-demand jobs. The Node and Python SDKs work against both Steel Cloud and self-hosted steel-browser instances, switching via the baseURL / base_url option.

Edge cases

• If your error message differs even slightly, this is probably a different issue; search the exact text.
• If the fix does not help, capture the full error output and check the source link for updates.

Steel browser README: two ways to interact - Sessions for stateful workflows with fine-grained control, and the Quick Actions API (/scrape, /screenshot, /pdf) for simple read-only on-demand jobs. The Node and Python SDKs work against both Steel Cloud and self-hosted steel-browser instances, switching via the baseURL / baseurl option. Resolved: Do not spin up a stateful session for a one-shot scrape - the /scrape, /screenshot, and /pdf quick-action endpoints exist for exactly that and skip session management entirely. Save sessions for multi-step, stateful work where you need cookies and control. And if you self-host steel-browser, set baseURL (Node) or baseurl (Python) on the SDK - the default points at Steel Cloud, so a forgotten override sends your traffic to the wrong place. Source: https://github.com/steel-dev/steel-browser