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To load a page without images, use Chrome DevTools’ Request conditions to block image URL patterns, or use Playwright routing to abort requests whose resource type is image. Chrome is useful for a one-off inspection; Playwright gives you a repeatable rule for tests and automation. The two methods do not have identical coverage, so verify what was actually blocked in the Network panel or in your test logs.
Block images for a one-off inspection in Chrome
Chrome does not provide a universal “disable every image” switch in the Request conditions workflow. Instead, DevTools blocks requests whose URLs match patterns that you define. That distinction matters: an extension-based rule can miss an image with an unusual URL, while an overly broad pattern can block scripts, fonts, CSS, or API calls.
Open Request conditions
- Open the page in Chrome.
- Open DevTools with
F12,Ctrl+Shift+Ion Windows or Linux, orCommand+Option+Ion macOS. - Open the DevTools menu and choose More tools > Request conditions.
- If the drawer is hard to find, open the Command menu with
Ctrl+Shift+P(Windows, Linux, ChromeOS) orCommand+Shift+P(macOS), then search for Request conditions.
Add a blocking pattern
Add a URL pattern that matches the image requests you want to stop. A practical way to build an accurate pattern is to start with a real request from the Network panel, then narrow or broaden the pattern deliberately. You can also right-click a request in Network and choose Block request; Chrome adds the pattern to Request conditions and enables blocking.
After adding a pattern, make sure its blocking control is enabled. Reload the page with the Network panel open. Blocked requests are labeled (blocked:devtools). Inspect several image requests, including responsive variants and images loaded after scrolling, and refine the pattern if any still arrive.
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Keep the limitation in mind
- A pattern matching
.jpg,.png, or another suffix can miss images delivered through extensionless URLs, query strings, CSS, or an image CDN route. - A broad host or path pattern can also block non-image resources from that host.
- Request blocking is active only while DevTools is open and blocking is enabled. Chrome saves your patterns, but closing DevTools disables their effect. Reopen Request conditions and enable blocking when you need them again.
Verify what Chrome actually blocked
Do not judge success only by whether the page looks empty. In Network, filter for image requests, reload, and check their status. Look for (blocked:devtools) rather than a normal HTTP response. Test a page that lazy-loads images by scrolling through the relevant sections. If an image appears despite your rule, copy its request URL and create a more specific pattern.
Blocking can alter layout. An image’s intrinsic dimensions may reserve space even when its bytes never arrive, while CSS background images may follow a different URL than the visible <img>. Record which patterns you used if you are comparing page behavior, because the result is a URL-pattern experiment rather than a guaranteed resource-type filter.
Block image requests in Playwright
For automation, route requests before navigation and inspect each request’s resource type. The following Node.js example blocks requests classified by Playwright as images while allowing other resource types to continue:
const { chromium } = require('playwright');
(async () => {
const browser = await chromium.launch();
const context = await browser.newContext({ serviceWorkers: 'block' });
await context.route('**/*', route => {
if (route.request().resourceType() === 'image') {
return route.abort();
}
return route.continue();
});
const page = await context.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
console.log(await page.title());
await browser.close();
})();Install Playwright with npm install playwright. The route is registered on the browser context before the page is created and navigated, so it applies to pages in that context. Replace the URL with the site you need to inspect.
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Why use resourceType() instead of filename suffixes?
Image URLs do not have to end in a familiar extension. Playwright classifies the request and exposes that classification through route.request().resourceType(). Checking for image therefore expresses the intent directly and avoids maintaining a list of extensions. You can log each request while diagnosing a site:
await context.route('**/*', async route => {
const request = route.request();
console.log(request.resourceType(), request.url());
if (request.resourceType() === 'image') {
await route.abort();
} else {
await route.continue();
}
});Context routing versus page routing
page.route() is appropriate when only one page needs the rule. browserContext.route() applies it across pages in that context and is the safer choice when a test opens multiple pages or a popup whose initial requests must also be covered. Register routing before navigation; adding it after a page has already loaded cannot retroactively intercept requests.
Python Playwright equivalent
If your test suite is written in Python, the same resource-type check is available through the synchronous API:
from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright
with sync_playwright() as p:
browser = p.chromium.launch()
context = browser.new_context(service_workers="block")
def handle(route):
if route.request.resource_type == "image":
route.abort()
else:
route.continue_()
context.route("**/*", handle)
page = context.new_page()
page.goto("https://example.com", wait_until="domcontentloaded")
print(page.title())
browser.close()Service workers, cache, and test fidelity
Playwright documents an important boundary: page.route() and browserContext.route() do not intercept requests handled by a service worker. Setting serviceWorkers: 'block' makes interception predictable for this kind of test, as in the examples above, but it also changes the site’s execution environment. If the purpose of your test is to validate the real service-worker path, leave workers enabled and treat requests handled by the worker as outside the route’s coverage.
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Routing also disables the HTTP cache. A routed run can therefore differ from an ordinary cached visit in timing, request count, and application behavior. Decide which behavior you are measuring before interpreting the result. For a network-policy test, disabled cache may be acceptable; for a performance comparison against a returning user, it is a confounding change.
Choose the right method
| Need | Chrome DevTools | Playwright |
|---|---|---|
| One-off visual or network inspection | Best fit; configure patterns interactively | Requires a script and browser setup |
| Repeatable CI check | Manual and difficult to reproduce exactly | Best fit; route logic lives in source control |
| How images are selected | Request URL patterns; verify in Network | request().resourceType() === 'image' |
| Scope | While DevTools is open and blocking is enabled | Page or browser-context routes |
| Popup coverage | Applies to the inspected browser session | Context routing covers popup initial requests more broadly than page routing |
| Service-worker requests | Not applicable to Playwright’s route limitation | Can bypass routes; block workers for predictable interception |
| HTTP cache | Normal browser behavior unless you change it separately | Routing disables HTTP cache |
Practical patterns and edge cases
Lazy-loaded images
Many pages request images only after an element enters the viewport. In Chrome, scroll through the page while watching Network. In Playwright, wait for the relevant content or scroll before asserting that no image request escaped. A successful initial navigation does not prove that later lazy requests were blocked.
CSS backgrounds and responsive images
A visual image may be fetched as a CSS background or selected from srcset; it can still be classified as an image in Playwright, but Chrome URL patterns must match the actual request URL. Check the request rather than relying on the element’s markup.
Popups and multiple pages
When a click opens a popup, create the context route before the click. A page-only route can miss the popup’s first request. Keep all related pages in the same context if they must share the policy.
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Allowing a small image subset
If a test needs a logo or an inline visual, make the handler conditional on both resource type and URL, allowing that known URL while aborting other images. Keep the exception narrow and document it so the test does not silently become an unrestricted load.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting
Chrome still displays images
- Confirm blocking is enabled in Request conditions.
- Reload after adding the pattern; existing responses may already be displayed.
- Inspect Network for the actual request URL and update the pattern for CDN, query-string, or extensionless URLs.
- Scroll to trigger lazy loading and check newly issued requests.
- Ensure DevTools remains open; closing it disables the blocking effect.
Chrome blocks too much
Remove the broad host or path rule and add a pattern based on a specific image request. Check whether CSS, fonts, scripts, or API calls from the same origin are being labeled as blocked. URL blocking has no guaranteed image-resource classifier in this workflow.
Playwright images are still requested
- Register the route before
goto()and before any popup-triggering action. - Use context routing if more than one page must be covered.
- Log
resourceType()and the URL to discover whether the request is classified differently than expected. - Check whether a service worker handled the request; use
service_workers="block"(Python) orserviceWorkers: 'block'(Node.js) when predictable interception is more important than testing the worker itself.
Assertions or timings changed after adding routing
Routing disables HTTP cache, and blocking service workers changes application behavior. Compare like with like, or run a separate baseline without routing. Do not treat a routed run as an ordinary cached browser visit.
The page fails after images are blocked
Some applications incorrectly depend on image load events, dimensions, or a service-worker cache. First confirm that the failure disappears without the route. Then decide whether the behavior is the bug you intend to test or an unrealistic test setup; selectively allow required resources rather than removing interception wholesale.
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Or skip the browser setup
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cURL
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython
import requests
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open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js
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What to record for a reproducible result
- Browser and Playwright versions.
- The exact Chrome URL patterns or route handler.
- Whether service workers were enabled or blocked.
- Whether the run used browser-context or page routing.
- Whether the page was a fresh or cached visit.
- The verification evidence: Chrome’s
(blocked:devtools)entries, or Playwright request logs and assertions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I disable images in Chrome without opening DevTools?
The documented Chrome workflow uses DevTools Request conditions. Patterns are saved, but their blocking effect is disabled when DevTools closes, so reopen DevTools and enable blocking for a later session.
Does Playwright’s image route block images loaded by a service worker?
No. Playwright routing does not intercept requests handled by a service worker. Block service workers for predictable interception, or keep them enabled when testing the real service-worker path and account for the limitation.
Why did adding a Playwright route change performance results?
Routing disables HTTP cache. A routed run is not equivalent to an ordinary cached visit, even aside from the images you abort.
Should I use URL extensions or resource type in Playwright?
Use route.request().resourceType() === 'image' for the broad image rule. URL patterns are useful for narrow exceptions, but extension matching can miss extensionless image URLs.
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