Puppeteer's click() never returns for an element in a background tab

Fact

ElementHandle.click(), and page.click() with it, first calls scrollIntoViewIfNeeded(), which waits for an IntersectionObserver callback to measure visibility, with no timeout. A page in a background tab is hidden, and a hidden page gets no observer callbacks, so the click waits forever without throwing. The test runner's timeout is the first thing to fire.

Why it matters

The pattern is common: open a second page, then go back and click in the first. evaluate() and $eval() on that page keep working, so the hang looks like a broken click handler or a stuck navigation rather than the click itself.

How to apply

• await page.bringToFront() before clicking in a page that may not be the active tab.
• Or click from inside the page (page.$eval(sel, (el) => el.click())), which skips the wait but also skips hit-testing: [[element-click-does-not-hit-test]].
• The underlying rule: [[hidden-page-delivers-no-scroll-or-intersections]].