The Tool Desk
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MDN does not define a standalone product called the “MDN Screenshot API.” The phrase usually refers to this WebDriver BiDi command. It is different from the Screen Capture API’s getDisplayMedia(), which asks a person to choose a tab, window, or monitor for sharing.
What the MDN screenshot command captures
browsingContext.captureScreenshot operates inside a WebDriver BiDi session. The request identifies a browsing context and can optionally specify the capture origin, output format, quality, and clipping region. MDN’s command reference is the authoritative description: browsingContext.captureScreenshot.
| Goal | Request setting | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Current viewport | Omit origin |
Only the currently visible browser viewport |
| Full page | origin: "document" |
The scrollable document, including content below the viewport |
| One element | clip: {type: "element", element: ...} |
The element identified by a WebDriver shared ID |
| Rectangle | clip: {type: "box", x, y, width, height} |
A custom rectangular crop |
PNG is the default. You can request an image MIME type such as image/png or image/jpeg. For lossy formats such as JPEG, quality ranges from 0.0 to 1.0. If quality is omitted, the browser chooses its compression behavior.
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Prerequisites and session flow
- A browser or automation driver that exposes a WebDriver BiDi connection.
- An active WebDriver session and its browsing-context ID.
- Code that can send BiDi commands and decode Base64 responses.
The command is a protocol message, not something you paste into a normal browser console. Your automation code must first create a session, navigate to the target URL, and retain the context ID. The exact session-start and connection details depend on your WebDriver BiDi client and browser; use that client’s current documentation for those steps.
The essential message
{
"method": "browsingContext.captureScreenshot",
"params": {
"context": "YOUR_BROWSING_CONTEXT_ID"
}
}The response contains an object with Base64 image data. Decode that value as bytes and write it with a .png extension unless you requested another format.
Viewport, full-page, and JPEG examples
Capture the visible viewport
{
"method": "browsingContext.captureScreenshot",
"params": {
"context": "YOUR_BROWSING_CONTEXT_ID"
}
}Because origin is omitted, this captures what is visible in the context at that moment. Wait for navigation and any application-specific rendering before sending the command.
Capture the complete scrollable document
{
"method": "browsingContext.captureScreenshot",
"params": {
"context": "YOUR_BROWSING_CONTEXT_ID",
"origin": "document"
}
}This is the WebDriver BiDi equivalent of a full-page screenshot. Very tall pages can create large image files and consume more memory than a viewport capture, so use it selectively for long documents.
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Request a compressed JPEG
{
"method": "browsingContext.captureScreenshot",
"params": {
"context": "YOUR_BROWSING_CONTEXT_ID",
"origin": "document",
"format": {
"type": "image/jpeg",
"quality": 0.8
}
}
}JPEG is useful when file size matters and minor lossy compression is acceptable. Choose PNG for sharp text, transparency, or pixel-level comparisons.
Capture an element or a custom rectangle
Element clipping
Element clipping requires a WebDriver shared element ID. Obtain that ID with browsingContext.locateNodes, or by evaluating or calling a script that returns the element. Then include it in the clip:
{
"method": "browsingContext.captureScreenshot",
"params": {
"context": "YOUR_BROWSING_CONTEXT_ID",
"clip": {
"type": "element",
"element": {
"sharedId": "YOUR_ELEMENT_SHARED_ID"
}
}
}
}The element can be outside the currently visible area; the browser uses its rendered bounds. The element must belong to the document in the context being captured.
Rectangular clipping
For a fixed crop, provide a box with offsets and dimensions. Coordinates and dimensions must describe a non-empty region that intersects the capture origin:
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{
"method": "browsingContext.captureScreenshot",
"params": {
"context": "YOUR_BROWSING_CONTEXT_ID",
"clip": {
"type": "box",
"x": 0,
"y": 120,
"width": 960,
"height": 540
}
}
}Use element clipping when the target is a semantic page component; use a box when the crop is defined by exact coordinates.
Do not confuse screenshots with screen sharing
getDisplayMedia(), documented in MDN’s Screen Capture API reference, starts a display-media stream after the user chooses a surface. A browser can offer a tab, complete window, or monitor. It is intended for sharing or recording, not silent server-side page capture.
Screen capture has a user-permission model: a recent user interaction (transient activation) is required, and the browser still presents a selection prompt. A site’s Permissions-Policy header or an iframe’s allow attribute can control whether display capture is permitted, but policy does not remove the prompt. MDN marks this API as limited availability and not Baseline, so check the current compatibility table before targeting a particular browser.
Turning a display stream into a still image
If a human-selected display stream is genuinely what you need, MDN’s Element and Region Capture guide describes obtaining a frame with ImageCapture.grabFrame(), drawing the resulting ImageBitmap to a canvas, and exporting it with HTMLCanvasElement.toBlob(). This still requires display selection and permission; it is not equivalent to browsingContext.captureScreenshot.
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Element Capture limits a stream to a selected DOM tree and descendants. Region Capture uses a tab region’s bounding box and may include content that overlaps that region. Choose Element Capture when excluding material outside a DOM tree (for example, private notifications or speaker notes) is important; choose Region Capture when the physical tab region is the desired output.
Troubleshoot protocol errors
| Error | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
invalid argument |
A required parameter is missing or has the wrong type. | Verify the context string, clip object, format MIME type, and numeric quality value. |
no such element |
The shared element ID cannot be resolved or belongs to another context’s document. | Locate the element again in the target context immediately before capture. |
no such frame |
The context ID is unknown or the session no longer owns it. | Use the context ID returned by the current session and recreate the session if it was closed. |
unable to capture screen |
The requested clip has zero width or height, or does not intersect the capture origin. | Inspect the element’s rendered bounds or adjust the rectangle to a non-empty area. |
unsupported operation |
The browser cannot capture that context. | Check the browser/driver’s current BiDi support and try a supported context. |
Blank or incomplete images
- Wait for navigation and application rendering before capture; a command sent too early can record an intermediate state.
- For lazy-loaded pages, ensure the page has actually rendered the content you expect before requesting
origin: "document". - Confirm that you decoded the response’s Base64 data rather than writing the Base64 text itself.
- Check that your output extension matches the requested format.
Performance, reliability, and format choices
Viewport captures are generally smaller and faster to transfer than full-document captures. Full-page images grow with document height, while element and rectangle clips reduce both image dimensions and memory use. JPEG can reduce storage for photographic pages; PNG preserves text and sharp edges.
For repeatable automation, wait on a page-specific readiness condition rather than an arbitrary short delay, keep the context ID associated with the same session, and treat each capture as binary data. If a page can change during rendering, capture only after its main content and fonts have loaded. A failed command should be retried only after checking whether the context, element, or clip is still valid; blindly repeating an invalid request will not fix it.
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ScreenshotNeo provides a hosted screenshot API and MCP server, so you can request an image without managing a WebDriver BiDi session. It accepts a URL and returns PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. Before capture it accepts cookie/consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be disabled. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status.
One call is enough:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo documentation for all parameters, including full-page capture, CSS-selector elements, device presets, retina scale, PDF settings, custom CSS and JavaScript, clicks, waits, blocking rules, headers, cookies, user agents, timezone, geolocation, transparent backgrounds, resizing, caching, signed links, asynchronous webhooks, bulk capture, usage, and the OpenAPI specification. Parameter names used by other screenshot APIs also work, which can simplify migration.
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Python
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
r.raise_for_status()
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Screenshot failed: ${res.status}`);
const fs = await import('node:fs/promises');
await fs.writeFile('shot.webp', Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer()));ScreenshotNeo also offers an MCP server with take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients. The Free plan includes 1,000 shots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account.
Frequently asked questions
Does the command require a visible browser window?
The documented workflow requires a WebDriver BiDi connection and active session; whether the browser is headed or headless depends on the browser and driver configuration you choose.
Can I select a screenshot format other than PNG?
Yes. Supply a supported image MIME type in format.type; JPEG quality is controlled with a value from 0.0 to 1.0.
Is a full-page capture the same as scrolling and stitching screenshots?
No. The BiDi command requests the document origin directly with origin: "document"; it does not require your code to stitch viewport images.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MDN Screenshot API called?
The browser-automation command documented by MDN is WebDriver BiDi’s browsingContext.captureScreenshot; “MDN Screenshot API” is informal wording, not a separate API product.
What does a WebDriver shared element ID mean?
It is the protocol identifier returned when WebDriver locates or evaluates a DOM element. Use that identifier in an element clip, and obtain it in the same browsing context you capture.
When should I use Screen Capture API instead?
Use getDisplayMedia() when a person must choose a tab, window, or monitor to share or record. Use WebDriver BiDi for automated page, document, element, or rectangle screenshots.
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