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To capture a browser window after a button click, call navigator.mediaDevices.getDisplayMedia() inside the click handler, let the user choose and approve a window or other display surface, then grab one video frame and save it as a PNG. The API returns a live media stream, not an image. This approach requires the user’s permission each time and cannot silently capture an arbitrary browser window.
What the browser can capture—and what it cannot
The Screen Capture API lets a web page request permission to capture a display surface. The browser presents its own picker, where the user chooses an available source such as a window, tab, or screen. The exact choices and picker presentation depend on the browser and operating system. The page cannot use JavaScript to silently select a particular window or bypass that picker.
In this article, “browser window screenshot” means a still image of a surface the user selected in the browser’s screen-sharing prompt. It is not the same as capturing the current page’s DOM, and it does not guarantee that the chosen surface is an entire browser window. If you need a specific page element, see Element Capture and Region Capture; those APIs have additional support requirements.
Build the button and download flow
Use a secure context (typically HTTPS, or localhost during development), give the user a clear explanation of what the button does, and call getDisplayMedia() directly from the click event. The example below captures one frame, encodes it as PNG, starts a download, and stops the capture tracks even when something fails.
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HTML
<button id="capture" type="button">Capture screenshot</button>
<p id="status" role="status" aria-live="polite"></p>
<a id="download" hidden>Download screenshot</a>JavaScript
const button = document.querySelector("#capture");
const downloadLink = document.querySelector("#download");
const status = document.querySelector("#status");
let previousUrl;
button.addEventListener("click", async () => {
button.disabled = true;
status.textContent = "Choose a window, tab, or screen in the browser prompt.";
let stream;
let bitmap;
try {
// Must be called while handling the user's click.
stream = await navigator.mediaDevices.getDisplayMedia({
video: { displaySurface: "window" },
audio: false,
});
const [track] = stream.getVideoTracks();
if (!track) throw new Error("The selected source has no video track.");
const imageCapture = new ImageCapture(track);
bitmap = await imageCapture.grabFrame();
const canvas = document.createElement("canvas");
canvas.width = bitmap.width;
canvas.height = bitmap.height;
const context = canvas.getContext("2d");
if (!context) throw new Error("Could not create a canvas context.");
context.drawImage(bitmap, 0, 0);
const blob = await new Promise((resolve) => {
canvas.toBlob(resolve, "image/png");
});
if (!blob) throw new Error("Could not encode screenshot.");
if (previousUrl) URL.revokeObjectURL(previousUrl);
previousUrl = URL.createObjectURL(blob);
downloadLink.href = previousUrl;
downloadLink.download = "screenshot.png";
downloadLink.hidden = false;
downloadLink.click();
status.textContent = "Screenshot captured. If it did not download, use the download link.";
} catch (error) {
console.error("Screenshot capture failed:", error);
if (error.name === "NotAllowedError") {
status.textContent = "Capture was cancelled or permission was not granted.";
} else {
status.textContent = `Screenshot failed: ${error.message || error.name}`;
}
} finally {
stream?.getTracks().forEach((track) => track.stop());
bitmap?.close();
button.disabled = false;
}
});This follows the sequence documented by MDN’s capture-and-download example, while omitting its optional element-restriction steps. The ImageCapture API is not supported everywhere, so check the compatibility of both it and getDisplayMedia() against your target browsers before shipping.
Why each step matters
Start from a real user action
getDisplayMedia() requires transient user activation. Call it from the button handler, not from page-load code, a timer, or a delayed background task. It can reject if the call is not associated with a user gesture. The user must be prompted for permission every time; there is no durable grant that lets a site capture later without asking.
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Treat the picker result as a live stream
The returned MediaStream contains a video track. ImageCapture.grabFrame() turns one moment from that track into an ImageBitmap. Drawing the bitmap onto a canvas and calling toBlob() produces an image file payload. If you want to show a preview instead of downloading immediately, set an img element’s src to the object URL and provide an explicit save button.
Release resources promptly
Stopping every stream track in finally ends capture after the still is obtained, including on encoding or download errors. Close the bitmap when finished, and revoke an older object URL before replacing it. If you keep a preview on screen, retain its URL until the preview is replaced or removed, then call URL.revokeObjectURL().
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Choose the right capture scope
| Need | Suitable approach | Important boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Let the user choose a window, tab, or display and save a still | getDisplayMedia(), followed by frame extraction and image encoding |
The user chooses the surface in the browser picker; a display-surface preference cannot force a particular source. |
| Capture a particular DOM element | Consider Element Capture or Region Capture where supported | These are additional APIs with their own compatibility requirements; they still build on display capture. |
| Capture a page or URL without opening a user-facing picker | Use a server-side browser screenshot service or browser automation designed for that workflow | This is a different task from client-side screen sharing and does not capture a user’s arbitrary desktop window. |
The displaySurface: "window" setting in the example expresses a preference for window capture; it does not remove other choices from the browser’s picker. Options are applied after source selection. For current option behavior, browser-specific support, and error conditions, consult MDN’s getDisplayMedia() reference.
Security, privacy, and embedding requirements
- Explain the action clearly. A selected surface may show private information. Tell users what can be captured before opening the picker, and avoid sending captured pixels to a server unless the user understands and agrees to that separate action.
- Respect browser indicators. Browser prompts and capture indicators are part of the user’s safety model; do not suggest that capture is invisible or automatic.
- Check embedding policy. If the page is inside an iframe and Permissions Policy is used, the
display-capturedirective must allow the relevant document to use screen capture. See MDN’s Screen Capture API guide. - Verify environment support. MDN marks
getDisplayMedia()as having limited availability. Support forImageCapture.grabFrame()and Element/Region Capture is separate. Test the browser and operating-system combinations your application actually supports.
Troubleshooting common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
navigator.mediaDevices or getDisplayMedia is missing |
The browser, context, or embedding environment does not expose the API. | Use a supported secure context, check the target browser’s current compatibility, and inspect iframe Permissions Policy settings. |
| The request rejects when called | The call was not made during transient user activation, permission was denied, the document is inactive, or capture is unavailable. | Invoke it directly in the click handler, keep the document active, and present a useful cancellation or failure message. |
| The user closes the picker | Picker cancellation is a normal user choice, not a successful capture. | Catch the rejection, restore the button, and let the user try again without implying a file was created. |
ImageCapture is undefined or grabFrame() fails |
The browser lacks that interface or the track ended before the frame was read. | Feature-detect ImageCapture, verify the video track is live, and test against the supported browser matrix. Consider a video-element-and-canvas fallback only after validating it in the browsers you support. |
The PNG is empty or toBlob() returns null |
The canvas was not drawn, has invalid dimensions, lacks a 2D context, or image encoding failed. | Check the bitmap dimensions, confirm drawImage() completed, and handle a null Blob before creating a download URL. |
| The download does not appear | Browser download behavior or user settings blocked the programmatic download, or the generated link was not usable. | Keep the visible download link in the page as a fallback and leave its object URL alive until the user has had a chance to use it. |
Performance and reliability considerations
For a single still, capture one frame and stop the stream immediately rather than leaving a screen-sharing session active. The bitmap and canvas use memory proportional to the captured pixel dimensions; very large displays can require substantial memory. Avoid retaining multiple full-size bitmaps or object URLs, and release each when no longer needed.
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Do not assume the requested surface size or frame arrives instantly, or that every browser uses the same picker choices. Handle a missing track, an ended track, a null Blob, user cancellation, and encoding failure as ordinary branches. If you need repeatable captures of URLs for a backend workflow, the user-facing screen picker is not the right mechanism.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can a website capture a browser window without asking the user?
No. The browser’s screen-capture picker and permission prompt are required for each getDisplayMedia() request.
Does getDisplayMedia() return a PNG?
No. It returns a MediaStream; the example extracts one frame and encodes it as a PNG Blob.
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No. It is a preference for the resulting stream and cannot silently choose a source or remove picker options.
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