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Capture and download a div as a PNG
html2canvas runs in the browser. It traverses the page’s DOM and styles to draw a representation onto a canvas, so it works well for ordinary HTML and CSS when you need to export part of the page without sending it to a screenshot server. It does not simply photograph the browser’s rendered pixels.
The example below uses a small Vite project so the npm-installed package can be imported as a JavaScript module. It captures the element with the ID capture when the user presses the button, then downloads a PNG.
1. Create the project and install html2canvas
npm create vite@latest div-capture -- --template vanilla
cd div-capture
npm install
npm install html2canvas
npm run devOpen the local address printed by Vite. Replace the contents of index.html with the following. The module script imports the dependency installed in the project.
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2. Add a target element and download button
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
<title>Capture a div</title>
<style>
body { font: 16px sans-serif; margin: 2rem; }
#capture { background: #f2f5f8; padding: 2rem; max-width: 32rem; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div id="capture">
<h2>Invoice</h2>
<p>This content will be rendered into an image.</p>
</div>
<p><button id="save" type="button">Download PNG</button></p>
<script type="module" src="/src/main.js"></script>
</body>
</html>Put this in src/main.js:
import html2canvas from 'html2canvas';
document.querySelector('#save').addEventListener('click', async () => {
const element = document.querySelector('#capture');
if (!element) throw new Error('The #capture element was not found');
try {
const canvas = await html2canvas(element);
const link = document.createElement('a');
link.download = 'capture.png';
link.href = canvas.toDataURL('image/png');
link.click();
} catch (error) {
console.error('Could not capture the element:', error);
}
});Click Download PNG. The browser should save capture.png. The await matters: rendering is asynchronous, so export only after html2canvas has resolved with the canvas.
Use the browser script release instead of npm
The project also supports a built script-tag release. If you use that installation method, load the library before the code that calls html2canvas, then use the same element-selection, rendering and export steps. For an application with a build setup, the npm import above makes the dependency explicit.
Choose the output format and download method
canvas.toDataURL('image/png') creates a data URL that can be assigned to an anchor’s href. It is convenient for a direct browser download and is the approach in the example. For workflows that upload the image or need a Blob rather than a large in-memory data URL, use toBlob():
const canvas = await html2canvas(element);
canvas.toBlob((blob) => {
if (!blob) {
console.error('The browser could not create the image blob');
return;
}
const objectUrl = URL.createObjectURL(blob);
const link = document.createElement('a');
link.href = objectUrl;
link.download = 'capture.png';
link.click();
URL.revokeObjectURL(objectUrl);
}, 'image/png');For an upload, pass the Blob to the upload code instead of creating a download link. Choose the MIME type explicitly if you need a format other than PNG, and check the browser’s supported canvas export formats for the target environment.
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Set capture size, sharpness, background and crop
Pass an options object as the second argument: html2canvas(element, options). The following settings are useful when the default capture does not match the intended output.
const canvas = await html2canvas(element, {
scale: window.devicePixelRatio,
backgroundColor: null,
width: element.scrollWidth,
height: element.scrollHeight,
windowWidth: element.scrollWidth,
windowHeight: element.scrollHeight,
});scale: controls the output pixel density. It defaults to the device pixel ratio; a higher scale can make the image sharper, but also increases its pixel dimensions and memory use.backgroundColor: defaults to white. Set it tonullwhen you want a transparent background and the chosen output format supports transparency.widthandheight: set the rendered canvas dimensions. For an element that extends beyond its visible box, itsscrollWidthandscrollHeightcan be useful values.windowWidthandwindowHeight: set the dimensions of the window used for rendering. For a tall element that is being cut off, the project FAQ recommends matching these to the element’s scroll dimensions.x,y,widthandheight: define a crop when you want a specific rendered area rather than the whole target.scrollXandscrollY: control the scroll position used for fixed-position content. This can change where fixed elements appear in the result.
Large captures are subject to browser canvas size limits, which vary by browser and device. If a full-height result is blank, truncated or fails to export, try a smaller scale, a narrower capture, or several smaller sections rather than assuming the element selector is wrong.
Capture only the content you want
You can exclude unwanted page elements without removing them from the live page. Set data-html2canvas-ignore on an element that should not appear, or use the ignoreElements option to exclude nodes programmatically. This is useful for hiding controls such as the download button, but should not be used to alter content the image is supposed to preserve.
The onclone option lets you change the cloned document used for rendering. For example, you can adjust a class or remove a temporary element in that clone without changing the original page the user is viewing. Use it when capture-only styling is needed; do not mutate the live UI just to prepare an export.
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Why images may be missing or the export may fail
Browser cross-origin rules apply to canvas content. html2canvas cannot bypass those rules. An image loaded from another origin can be omitted, or it can taint the canvas so that reading or exporting the result fails.
- Try
useCORS: trueonly when the image host permits it. The remote server must return an appropriateAccess-Control-Allow-Originresponse header. Setting the option does not grant permission by itself. - Use a same-origin proxy if the remote server cannot provide the required header. html2canvas has a
proxyoption; the proxy must be configured to fetch the image safely and make it available to the browser under your origin. - Check existing canvas elements as well. A canvas already tainted by cross-origin content remains unreadable, even if the new capture otherwise succeeds.
- Inspect frames and embedded content. Same-origin iframes are supported recursively. A cross-origin iframe cannot be read because its
contentDocumentis inaccessible to the page. Plugin content such as Flash or Java applets is not rendered.
For a CORS-enabled image host, add useCORS: true to the call:
const canvas = await html2canvas(element, { useCORS: true });If the host does not send the necessary CORS header, this setting alone is not a fix. Arrange for the asset to be served with permission, use an appropriately configured same-origin proxy, or accept that the asset cannot be included in a client-side export.
Know what html2canvas can and cannot reproduce
Because the library reconstructs an image from DOM nodes and CSS properties it understands, its output can differ from the browser’s actual composited pixels. Unsupported CSS may not render as expected. A successful call is therefore not a guarantee of pixel-for-pixel equivalence with a native browser screenshot.
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html2canvas is a good fit when the target is ordinary DOM/CSS content and the capture should run on the user’s browser. Consider a browser screenshot or a server-side rendering workflow when the requirement is a native view of the browser output, the page depends on content html2canvas cannot access, or the capture must run without a user’s browser. Compare alternatives by pixel fidelity, cross-origin and iframe coverage, whether client-side execution is required, output-size limits and the need for browser automation or a Node-compatible renderer.
The project documents support for modern evergreen Chrome/Chromium, Firefox and Safari. That compatibility statement does not mean every CSS feature or browser-specific page will render identically; check your actual target browsers and content.
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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.webpFor scripts or applications, the same request can be made with Python or Node.js:
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Troubleshooting checklist
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| The result is blank or the target is missing. | The selector did not match an element, or the content was not ready when capture began. | Check that document.querySelector('#capture') returns the intended element. Wait until application data and images have loaded before calling html2canvas. |
| Remote images are absent. | The image host did not permit cross-origin access. | Use useCORS: true only if the host returns an appropriate CORS header; otherwise use an authorized same-origin proxy or change the asset’s serving configuration. |
| The image looks cut off vertically. | The render used viewport-like dimensions or the canvas exceeded browser limits. | Try windowWidth and windowHeight based on scrollWidth and scrollHeight. If still too large, reduce scale or capture sections separately. |
toDataURL() throws or export fails. |
The canvas may have been tainted by cross-origin content. | Resolve CORS or proxy access for the offending assets. A tainted source canvas also remains unreadable. |
| Some styling differs from the page. | html2canvas recreates the DOM using supported CSS rather than taking a native screenshot. | Check the affected CSS and simplify or adjust it for capture; use a native browser screenshot workflow if exact compositor output is required. |
| An iframe or embedded object is missing. | Cross-origin frames are inaccessible; plugin content is not rendered. | Capture same-origin frame content where appropriate. A page cannot read a cross-origin frame’s document; choose a workflow that can capture the content with proper access. |
Frequently asked questions
Can html2canvas run in Node.js by itself?
No. It depends on browser APIs and runs in a browser. A Node-only script needs a browser automation or server-side rendering approach instead.
Does html2canvas make a native screenshot?
No. It builds a canvas representation by traversing DOM and styles. Its output can differ from the browser’s actual pixels.
Can I use it on any div?
You can pass a selected element, but the output depends on content the browser can access and CSS the renderer understands. Cross-origin frames, restricted images, plugins and unsupported styles can affect the result.
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