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Pass the actual DOM element to html2canvas(), wait for its Promise, and export the returned canvas. The smallest working example is:
const element = document.querySelector('#capture');
const canvas = await html2canvas(element);
document.body.appendChild(canvas);html2canvas rebuilds the selected element from its DOM and CSS in the browser; it does not take a pixel-for-pixel operating-system screenshot. That distinction explains most differences, missing images and unsupported-style problems.
Capture a div and display the result
Load html2canvas in your page, give the target a stable selector, then pass the resolved element—not the selector string—to the function. Because the function is asynchronous, use await inside an async function or handle the returned Promise.
<button id="capture-button" type="button">Capture card</button>
<div id="capture" class="card">
<h2>Monthly report</h2>
<p>Revenue increased 18% this month.</p>
</div>
<script src="/vendor/html2canvas.min.js"></script>
<script>
document.querySelector('#capture-button').addEventListener('click', async () => {
const element = document.querySelector('#capture');
if (!element) throw new Error('The #capture element was not found');
const canvas = await html2canvas(element);
document.body.appendChild(canvas);
});
</script>The Promise resolves to an HTML <canvas>. Appending that canvas is useful while you tune the capture; production code normally converts it to a downloadable file or uploads it.
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Promise syntax without async/await
html2canvas(document.querySelector('#capture')).then(canvas => {
document.body.appendChild(canvas);
}).catch(error => {
console.error('Capture failed', error);
});Save the div as a PNG
The canvas API can produce a PNG data URL. Create a temporary anchor, assign the URL, and trigger it:
async function downloadDivAsPng() {
const element = document.querySelector('#capture');
if (!element) return;
const canvas = await html2canvas(element);
const link = document.createElement('a');
link.download = 'capture.png';
link.href = canvas.toDataURL('image/png');
link.click();
}
document.querySelector('#capture-button')
.addEventListener('click', downloadDivAsPng);toDataURL() keeps the complete image in memory as a string, so a very large result can consume substantial memory. For large captures, convert the canvas with toBlob() and create an object URL instead:
function canvasToDownload(canvas, filename = 'capture.png') {
canvas.toBlob(blob => {
if (!blob) throw new Error('The browser could not encode the canvas');
const url = URL.createObjectURL(blob);
const link = document.createElement('a');
link.download = filename;
link.href = url;
link.click();
URL.revokeObjectURL(url);
}, 'image/png');
}
html2canvas(document.querySelector('#capture')).then(canvas => {
canvasToDownload(canvas);
});Control resolution, crop and background
Options are passed as the second argument. These are the settings most often needed for a div capture:
| Option | Purpose | Practical use |
|---|---|---|
scale |
Controls output pixel density; the default is window.devicePixelRatio. |
Use 1 for a smaller file or set 2 for sharper retina-style output. Higher values increase memory use. |
x, y, width, height |
Defines a crop/render region. | Useful when capturing a subsection or avoiding surrounding whitespace. |
backgroundColor |
Sets the canvas background. | Use null for transparency; otherwise an unspecified DOM background defaults to white. |
windowWidth, windowHeight |
Changes the virtual viewport used while rendering. | Set dimensions deliberately when media queries or responsive layout affect the div. |
data-html2canvas-ignore |
Marks an element to omit. | Add the attribute to buttons, selection handles or other controls that should not appear. |
ignoreElements |
Receives a predicate and skips matching nodes. | Use JavaScript when the elements to hide are dynamic. |
useCORS |
Attempts to load images with cross-origin requests. | Works only when the image server permits the request with suitable CORS headers. |
proxy |
Routes image loading through a proxy. | Use a server you control when remote images cannot provide CORS permission. |
Example: transparent, high-resolution card
const canvas = await html2canvas(document.querySelector('#capture'), {
scale: 2,
backgroundColor: null,
windowWidth: 1200,
windowHeight: 900,
ignoreElements: element => element.matches('.no-export')
});Choose the scale before exporting. A scale of 2 doubles each dimension and therefore produces about four times as many pixels as scale 1; it is not a free quality improvement.
Make the capture reflect the final state
Wait for fonts, images and application data
Call html2canvas only after the content you want is present. In an app that loads data asynchronously, wait for the request and render update first. For web fonts, wait for document.fonts.ready where supported. For individual images, wait for their load events before capturing. A timeout alone is less reliable because network and device speed vary.
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await document.fonts.ready;
await Promise.all([...document.images].map(image => {
if (image.complete) return Promise.resolve();
return new Promise(resolve => {
image.addEventListener('load', resolve, { once: true });
image.addEventListener('error', resolve, { once: true });
});
}));
const canvas = await html2canvas(document.querySelector('#capture'));Capture a hidden or scrollable component
An element with display: none has no layout for html2canvas to render. Temporarily move it into a visible, positioned container, capture it, then restore the styles. For content clipped by a scroll box, capture the element’s full scroll dimensions or pass explicit width and height; set windowWidth and windowHeight to matching values when responsive rules are causing a cut-off result.
Remove controls only from the image
Prefer data-html2canvas-ignore for static exclusions:
<button data-html2canvas-ignore>Edit</button>For a rule-based exclusion, use ignoreElements as shown above. This changes only the rendered clone, not the live page.
Know what html2canvas can and cannot reproduce
The library parses the DOM and supported CSS properties, then paints an approximation into a canvas. It is not a literal browser compositor capture. Complex or unsupported CSS, browser-specific rendering and effects outside the library’s supported property set can differ from what the user sees. Test the styles that matter to your design rather than assuming visual identity.
Cross-origin images
Browser security rules still apply. A remote image must provide suitable CORS headers for useCORS: true to help. If it does not, the image may be skipped or the canvas may become unreadable (“tainted”), preventing export. The alternative documented by html2canvas is a proxy that fetches the image server-side and serves it with permission. You cannot use html2canvas options to bypass another server’s policy.
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Images in iframes
Same-origin iframe documents can be recursively rendered. A cross-origin iframe cannot be read because the browser withholds its contentDocument; a sandboxed iframe without allow-same-origin has the same practical restriction. Capture the iframe’s content from the page that owns it, or use a server-side browser where you control navigation and permissions.
Canvas size limits
Very large dimensions can render blank or only partially. The html2canvas FAQ gives rough, platform-dependent guides rather than guarantees: Chrome/Chromium is around 32,767 pixels on one dimension and about 268 megapixels total area; Firefox is around 32,767 pixels and about 472 megapixels; desktop Safari is around 32,767 pixels. iOS Safari limits are lower and depend on device memory. Keep scale and dimensions modest, split long pages into sections, and test on the devices you support.
Client-side versus server-side screenshots
html2canvas depends on browser APIs such as window, document and computed styles, so it is client-side code. It will not run directly in a Node.js process without a browser environment. For server-side, full-page screenshots, the html2canvas FAQ points to browser automation such as Puppeteer or Playwright. Browser extensions should generally use their native tab-capture APIs instead of trying to inject html2canvas.
Performance and reliability checklist
- Capture only the target node instead of the entire document.
- Use the lowest
scalethat meets your output requirement. - Wait for fonts, images and data before starting the render.
- Hide videos, animated widgets and controls that are not part of the exported design.
- Keep oversized scroll regions within tested canvas dimensions; split them when necessary.
- Handle rejected Promises and show the user a recoverable error.
- Test Chrome, Firefox, Safari and mobile Safari if the image is part of a customer-facing workflow.
Troubleshooting common failures
“html2canvas is not defined”
The library script has not loaded, loaded after your application code, or is blocked by a content-security policy. Check the Network panel, load the script before the capture code, and verify the global is available before the button handler runs.
“Cannot read properties of null”
querySelector() returned no element. Confirm the ID or class, run the code after the DOM exists, and guard against a missing node before calling html2canvas.
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The image is blank or cropped
Inspect the element’s computed size and overflow. A hidden node, an incorrect viewport, a scroll container or an oversized canvas can all cause this symptom. Try explicit width/height, matching windowWidth/windowHeight, a lower scale, or a split capture.
Remote pictures are missing
Open the image URL and check its response headers. If the server does not grant CORS access, useCORS: true cannot fix it; configure the image host or use a permitted proxy.
Text or CSS looks different
Confirm that fonts finished loading and identify unsupported or browser-specific CSS. Simplify the capture styles or provide a capture-only stylesheet. Remember that the result is a DOM/CSS reconstruction, not a compositor screenshot.
Export throws a security error
A cross-origin resource likely tainted the canvas. Remove that resource, make it CORS-enabled, or load it through an authorized proxy before exporting.
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If you need a clean screenshot from a URL rather than a canvas embedded in the current page, ScreenshotNeo provides a single GET request. It accepts cookie and consent banners as a visitor, then removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and the response identifies the page result and billing status in X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers.
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpimport 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)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 data = Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer());
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can html2canvas capture an element selected by CSS selector directly?
No. Resolve the selector with document.querySelector() (or another DOM method) and pass the resulting element object to html2canvas().
Does html2canvas create a JPEG as well as a PNG?
The documented download example uses canvas.toDataURL('image/png'). Other canvas export formats depend on the browser’s canvas implementation and your chosen MIME type.
Will capturing a div include content below its visible scroll area?
Only when the rendered dimensions include that content. Measure the full scroll region and provide suitable dimensions; otherwise capture separate sections.
Quick Recap
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