In Node.js, use Playwright to launch a browser, open a page, navigate to the URL, and call page.screenshot(). By default, that saves the visible viewport if you provide a file path. Set fullPage: true for the full scrollable page, or capture a matched element with a locator.
Capture a URL with Playwright in Node.js
The basic sequence is navigation first, capture second, and browser cleanup after. This example saves a viewport screenshot as a PNG:
const { chromium } = require('playwright');
(async () => {
const browser = await chromium.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png' });
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
})();Save the code in a file such as capture.js, make sure the Playwright package is available to the project, and run it with node capture.js. When navigation and capture complete, the image is written to screenshot.png in the process’s current working directory. The try/finally structure ensures the browser is closed even if navigation or screenshot capture throws an error.
The example uses Chromium. Playwright’s documented screenshot workflow also works with WebKit and Firefox; choose the engine that suits the purpose of the capture and the browser setup in your project. The method and options below refer to Playwright’s page and locator screenshot APIs.
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Choose what to capture
Pick the capture scope before building downstream processing around the image. A screenshot can represent the current viewport, the full scrollable page, one element, or an image held in memory.
| Need | Playwright call | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Visible viewport | await page.screenshot({ path: 'view.png' }) |
The currently visible page area; this is the default screenshot scope. |
| Full scrollable page | await page.screenshot({ path: 'full.png', fullPage: true }) |
A capture of the full page rather than just the current viewport. |
| One matched element | await page.locator('.header').screenshot({ path: 'header.png' }) |
An image of the area occupied by the locator’s matched element. |
| Image bytes for further processing | const image = await page.screenshot() |
Screenshot bytes returned as a buffer instead of being saved to a file. |
Viewport screenshot
Use the default page.screenshot() behavior when the visible browser area is what you need—for example, when you want an image of the page as presented in a particular viewport. The call does not imply a full-page capture. If the content extends below the visible area, choose fullPage: true or capture a particular element instead.
Full-page screenshot
Add fullPage: true to request the full scrollable page. This is useful for a page record or a visual review of content beyond the first screen. It is a different scope from capturing the viewport: decide which one your consumer or comparison expects, and use that setting consistently.
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await page.screenshot({ path: 'full-page.png', fullPage: true });Element screenshot
Use page.locator(selector).screenshot() when only a component or region matters. For instance, the following captures the matched header after first navigating to the target page:
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.locator('.header').screenshot({ path: 'header.png' });A locator screenshot scrolls the element into view and waits for actionability checks. If the element becomes detached, Playwright reports an error; see the troubleshooting section before treating an element capture as a guaranteed output.
Save the image or keep it in memory
Pass path to save an image. A relative path is resolved from the current working directory, and Playwright infers the image type from the file extension. The documented types include PNG, JPEG, and WebP. For example, changing the path to page.jpg or page.webp selects the corresponding type.
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await page.screenshot({ path: 'page.webp' });Omit path if the next step in your program needs the image bytes rather than a file:
const image = await page.screenshot();
// Pass image to the next step in your application.That call returns a buffer; it does not save a file by itself. Choose file output when a human or another process needs a named artifact on disk. Choose a buffer when you intend to pass the bytes on without making a separate file.
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Region and output scale
The screenshot API includes clip for a specified rectangular region and scale to select CSS-pixel or device-pixel output. Use a clip when a rectangular portion of the page is the intended artifact. Choose the scale deliberately when the output’s pixel dimensions matter to a later consumer; do not compare captures made at different scales as though they were identical outputs.
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Animation and changing content
For a capture where CSS or Web Animations would make the frame inconsistent, the API provides animations: 'disabled'. Visual tests can also use screenshot masking and a stylesheet to suppress or standardize dynamic content. These are ways to control known sources of variation; they do not make different machines render every page identically.
Wait for the page state your work needs
page.goto(url) is the navigation step and should happen before the screenshot call. A successful call to the screenshot API only means the screenshot operation produced bytes or a file; it does not establish that every application-specific element has finished updating or that the page is in the state your downstream use expects.
There is no single readiness condition that is right for every site. A page used for a quick manual review may need a different state from a page used as a repeatable visual-test baseline. Identify what must be present or settled for your particular capture, then choose a readiness strategy appropriate to the page before taking the screenshot. Do not assume that a screenshot taken immediately after navigation always represents the final state of a dynamic page.
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Use screenshots for visual regression tests
For repeatable comparisons, Playwright Test provides expect(page).toHaveScreenshot(). Its first run creates a reference image; later runs compare against that baseline. This is a testing workflow rather than simply saving a one-off screenshot to a path.
Keep the baseline and comparison environment consistent. Playwright warns that rendered output can vary with the host operating system, browser version, settings, hardware, power source, headless mode, and other factors. If those conditions change between the baseline and a later run, differences in the image may reflect the environment as well as changes to the page. Masking or a stylesheet can help standardize dynamic page content, but the browser and host setup still matter.
Troubleshooting common capture problems
- No screenshot file appears: Check that the screenshot call includes a
path. Without one, Playwright returns image bytes instead of saving to disk. Also check the path relative to the process’s current working directory. - The image only shows the first screen: The default scope is the visible viewport. Use
fullPage: truewhen the full scrollable page is required. - The element capture errors because the element detached: The locator’s target was detached during the operation. Check whether the page replaces that element as it updates, and make sure the intended element is present when the locator screenshot runs.
- The screenshot is blank or shows the wrong page state: Confirm that the script navigates to the intended URL before capturing. If the site updates after navigation, identify the page-specific state that needs to be ready before the screenshot.
- A visual comparison changes unexpectedly: Compare the baseline and test on a consistent operating system, browser version, settings, hardware, power source, and headless configuration. Consider standardizing dynamic content with screenshot masking or a stylesheet.
- Navigation or capture throws an error: Treat navigation and screenshot failures as failures rather than silently using an image from an earlier run. Preserve browser cleanup with a
finallyblock, then investigate whether navigation to that URL succeeded and whether the requested page or element was available.
Or skip the browser setup
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different browser engine from Chromium?
Yes. The documented screenshot workflow shows WebKit and notes Chromium and Firefox as options. Use the engine that matches your project setup and the purpose of the capture.
Does the basic Playwright example produce a PDF?
No. It writes an image file. The example is for screenshot capture; the output formats described here are PNG, JPEG, and WebP.
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