For a basic headless screenshot, run Chrome with --headless --screenshot. That captures the requested browser dimensions, not necessarily the entire page. To capture content beyond the viewport as an image, use a Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) client and set captureBeyondViewport: true on Page.captureScreenshot. If a document is acceptable instead of an image, Chrome’s --print-to-pdf option is simpler.
Choose the output you need
| Need | Command-line method | What it produces |
|---|---|---|
| A quick screenshot at chosen dimensions | --headless --screenshot --window-size=... |
An image at the requested dimensions; not a guaranteed capture of the whole document. |
| An image extending beyond the viewport | CDP Page.captureScreenshot with captureBeyondViewport: true |
Base64-encoded image data that your client must decode and save. |
| A printable page | --headless --print-to-pdf |
A PDF, not an image. |
Chrome’s Headless CLI documentation documents the screenshot and PDF flags. The CDP protocol reference describes beyond-viewport capture. Chrome and CDP behavior can vary by version, so check the documentation against the Chrome release installed on your machine.
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Capture a basic headless screenshot
Run this in a terminal where the Chrome executable is available:
chrome --headless --screenshot --window-size=1280,900 https://example.com/Chrome saves screenshot.png in the current working directory. The --window-size values request the screenshot dimensions. This is useful for a viewport-sized image, but the documented command does not promise that the image includes every part of a long page. Increasing the requested height is not a reliable substitute for a full-document capture.
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Set a wait cap when needed
You can add --timeout=<milliseconds> to limit how long Chrome waits before taking a screenshot or printing to PDF:
chrome --headless --timeout=5000 --screenshot --window-size=1280,900 https://example.com/The timeout is a maximum wait, not confirmation that a dynamic page has finished loading. Pages that populate content after network activity settles may still be incomplete when the capture occurs.
Capture beyond the viewport with CDP
For a full-page image, the relevant Chrome DevTools Protocol method is Page.captureScreenshot. Set its captureBeyondViewport option to true, then decode the response’s base64 data value and write the decoded bytes to an image file. The protocol supports PNG, JPEG, and WebP formats.
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This is not a single documented Chrome command-line flag. You need a CDP-capable client or script to connect to Chrome, issue the protocol command, receive its response, and save the image. The exact runnable syntax depends on that client; verify its connection and command syntax against the client documentation and the CDP protocol version supported by your installed Chrome.
- Start Chrome in headless mode with remote debugging enabled, following the connection instructions for your CDP client.
- Open the target page through that client and wait for the content you need to appear.
- Send
Page.captureScreenshotwithcaptureBeyondViewport: true; select PNG, JPEG, or WebP if your client exposes the format option. - Decode the returned base64 image data and save the bytes with the matching file extension.
Because the official protocol reference defines the capture option but not a universal shell-client syntax, do not paste a command written for one CDP client into another without adapting its connection, command, and base64-decoding steps.
Save the page as a PDF instead
If you need a printable document rather than an image, use Chrome’s headless print option:
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chrome --headless --print-to-pdf --no-pdf-header-footer https://example.com/This writes a PDF. The --no-pdf-header-footer flag suppresses the printed header and footer. You can also use --timeout=<milliseconds> as a wait cap, with the same caveat that elapsed time does not establish that dynamic content has loaded.
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- The image shows only the top portion of the page: the basic
--screenshotcommand captures requested dimensions, not a guaranteed full document. Use a CDP client andcaptureBeyondViewport: truefor an image extending beyond the viewport. - No screenshot appears: Chrome saves
screenshot.pngin the current working directory. Check that directory and confirm the command ran with a Chrome executable available in your shell. - The page is missing content that appears later: the timeout flag only caps the wait. Increase the wait or use an automation client that can wait for the relevant page state before capture.
- The CDP call returns data but no usable file: the screenshot response contains base64 data. Decode it to binary before writing the file, and use an extension that matches the requested image format.
- You need a document rather than a very tall image: use
--print-to-pdf; it creates a PDF, which is a different output format from a screenshot.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chrome have a documented full-page screenshot flag?
The documented --screenshot option is paired with --window-size; beyond-viewport capture is exposed through CDP’s captureBeyondViewport option.
Can Chrome save the capture as a PDF from the command line?
Yes. Use --headless --print-to-pdf; it creates a PDF rather than an image.
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