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How to Add a Delay Before Taking a Screenshot in Puppeteer

Use an awaited JavaScript timer for a fixed Puppeteer screenshot delay, or choose a selector or application condition when the page must be ready first.
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To pause before a Puppeteer screenshot, await a JavaScript timer immediately before page.screenshot(): await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 2000));. The number is milliseconds, so this example waits two seconds. If you need to wait for the page to become ready rather than simply let time pass, wait for a selector or an application-specific condition instead.

Add a fixed delay before the screenshot

Puppeteer’s screenshot options control how the image is captured; they do not document a delay setting. Add the pause in your script, then await the screenshot call so capture completes before subsequent work. See the Page.screenshot() API and ScreenshotOptions reference.

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await page.goto('https://example.com');
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 2000));
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png' });

Replace 2000 with the number of milliseconds you want to wait. For example, 500 is half a second. The timer only guarantees that the specified time passes; it does not guarantee that network activity, animations, or application rendering have finished.

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Choose the wait that matches page readiness

Wait for a specific element

If an element indicates that the content you need is ready, wait for it instead of guessing how long the page will take:

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await page.waitForSelector('#content-ready', { visible: true });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png' });

waitForSelector() resolves when the selector appears; if it is already present, the wait returns immediately. With visible: true, Puppeteer also requires that the element not be hidden by display: none or visibility: hidden. See the waitForSelector() API.

Wait for an application condition

If your application exposes a readiness flag or another testable state, wait for that condition:

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await page.waitForFunction(() => window.appReady === true);
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png' });

waitForFunction() waits until its function returns a truthy value and can also accept an asynchronous function. This is useful when readiness is represented by application state rather than one particular element. See the waitForFunction() API.

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Wait for navigation and network activity to settle

Puppeteer’s screenshot guide demonstrates waiting for networkidle2 during navigation:

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await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle2' });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png' });

This is a navigation/network lifecycle condition, not proof that every application-specific render or animation has completed. Add a selector or custom condition if the screenshot depends on a particular UI state. See the Puppeteer screenshots guide.

Understand timeouts and capture options

Selector waits can time out if the expected element never appears. The documented default is 30 seconds; setting timeout: 0 disables the timeout. The WaitTimeoutOptions reference documents the same default for applicable waits.

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await page.waitForSelector('#content-ready', {
  visible: true,
  timeout: 10000
});
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png' });

Screenshot options such as path, fullPage, clip, encoding, and image quality affect the capture itself, not when it starts. Put timing or readiness logic before page.screenshot().

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Troubleshoot waits that do not behave as expected

  • The screenshot still shows loading content: A fixed timer may be too short or may not correspond to the app’s readiness. Wait for the relevant selector or state, then capture.
  • The selector wait times out: Check that the selector matches the page’s actual DOM and that the element is created on the page you are waiting on. If using visible: true, confirm it is not hidden with display: none or visibility: hidden. Increase the timeout only when a longer wait is appropriate; timeout: 0 disables timeout handling.
  • Later code runs before the screenshot finishes: Await page.screenshot(). It returns a promise, and awaiting it ensures capture finishes before the next step.
  • networkidle2 is not enough: Network settling does not establish that a particular component, animation, or application state is ready. Add a condition specific to the content in the screenshot.
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ScreenshotNeo takes a screenshot with one GET request. For example, using cURL:

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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.webp

See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. Cookie banners are accepted and removed before capture, along with supported newsletter popups and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers report the page verdict and billing status. ScreenshotNeo also offers an MCP server with screenshot tools for AI agents. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Puppeteer have a delay option in screenshot settings?

No delay parameter is documented in ScreenshotOptions. Put an awaited timer or readiness wait before the screenshot call.

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What unit does setTimeout use for the delay?

Milliseconds. For example, 2000 means two seconds.

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