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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →getDisplayMedia() does not download a screenshot: it opens the browser’s screen-sharing chooser and returns a live MediaStream for the surface the user selects. To save one still image, capture a video frame with ImageCapture.grabFrame(), draw it to a canvas, and export the canvas as a PNG. Start the request from a user gesture, handle cancellation and errors, and stop the stream when finished.
What the Screen Capture API does—and does not do
The Screen Capture API lets a page request access to a user-selected display surface, such as a screen, window, or browser tab. The browser controls the chooser; your code cannot silently select a source or remove options from that chooser. On success, navigator.mediaDevices.getDisplayMedia() returns a live stream, not an image file. To make a screenshot, take a frame from its video track and encode that frame yourself. See MDN’s getDisplayMedia() reference and its Screen Capture API overview.
This distinction matters when choosing an approach: use this API when the user must choose what to share, or when you need a stream for recording or further processing. If the requirement is a one-time image of a page your application controls, this is still a user-mediated screen capture workflow, not a direct DOM-to-image export.
Capture and download a PNG
Place the request in a click handler. The example below requests a video stream without audio, captures its first frame, turns that frame into a PNG blob, and triggers a download. The user still chooses the surface in the browser prompt.
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<button id="capture" type="button">Capture screenshot</button>
<script type="module">
const button = document.querySelector("#capture");
let previousUrl;
button.addEventListener("click", async () => {
let stream;
let bitmap;
let downloadUrl;
try {
stream = await navigator.mediaDevices.getDisplayMedia({
video: true,
audio: false,
preferCurrentTab: true,
});
const [track] = stream.getVideoTracks();
if (!track) throw new Error("The selected stream has no video track.");
bitmap = await new ImageCapture(track).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 2D canvas context.");
context.drawImage(bitmap, 0, 0);
const blob = await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
canvas.toBlob((result) => {
if (result) resolve(result);
else reject(new Error("PNG encoding failed."));
}, "image/png");
});
downloadUrl = URL.createObjectURL(blob);
const link = document.createElement("a");
link.href = downloadUrl;
link.download = "screenshot.png";
link.click();
} catch (error) {
console.error("Screenshot capture failed:", error);
alert(`Could not capture a screenshot: ${error.message}`);
} finally {
if (stream) {
for (const track of stream.getTracks()) track.stop();
}
if (bitmap) bitmap.close();
if (previousUrl) URL.revokeObjectURL(previousUrl);
previousUrl = downloadUrl;
}
});
</script>The click handler makes the permission request while transient user activation is available. The video: true constraint is required; audio: false avoids requesting audio. preferCurrentTab is a preference, not a way to bypass the chooser or force a source. Capture options can influence the resulting stream, but the browser retains control of source selection.
Why this sequence is necessary
- Request a stream: call
getDisplayMedia()from a user gesture and wait for the browser-controlled source selection. - Get a frame: pass the video track to
new ImageCapture(track)and awaitgrabFrame(). This produces anImageBitmap, not a file. - Draw and encode: set canvas dimensions to the bitmap dimensions, draw the bitmap, and call
toBlob()withimage/png. - Download and clean up: create an object URL for the blob, use it as a download link, then stop all stream tracks and close the bitmap. If you keep object URLs for later display, revoke each old URL when replacing it.
The download code is an adaptation of the workflow documented in MDN’s Element Capture and Region Capture guide. This still-image path depends on browser support for ImageCapture.grabFrame(); verify compatibility for the browsers you intend to support before relying on it.
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Capture a DOM element or a region instead of the full chosen surface
Element Capture and Region Capture are optional ways to narrow a tab capture to a page element. They do not replace the user’s screen-sharing prompt. They also differ in what can appear in the resulting image:
| Method | What is included | Privacy and fit |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary display capture | The selected screen, window, or tab. | Use when the selected surface itself is the desired capture. |
| Element Capture | The selected rendered DOM element and its descendants. | Isolates the element from other overlapping page content; useful when surrounding content must not be captured. |
| Region Capture | A crop based on the target element’s bounding box. | Content overlapping that rectangle can remain visible, so it is geometric cropping rather than DOM isolation. |
MDN’s example uses RestrictionTarget.fromElement() and track.restrictTo() to restrict a captured tab to an element before grabbing a frame. These APIs are not universally available: MDN notes that Element and Region Capture are supported only on desktop browsers and advises checking current compatibility information for target versions. The screenshot example also requires support for both Element Capture and ImageCapture.grabFrame(). Consult the current guide before making either feature a requirement.
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Permissions, user activation, and embedding
Call getDisplayMedia() directly in response to a click or another transient user activation. Browsers request consent each time; permission cannot be silently retained for later capture. This is intentional because a shared screen can expose private information. A browser’s display-capture controls remain in force even if your code supplies preferences.
If your site uses Permissions Policy to control this capability, allow the display-capture directive. The documented default allowlist is self; for a permitted embedded frame, the parent can use <iframe allow="display-capture">. Policy authorization does not remove the user’s source-selection prompt. See the API overview and the W3C Screen Capture editor’s draft for the security and specification context. The W3C page identifies itself as an incomplete draft subject to major changes.
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Troubleshooting common failures
| Symptom or error | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
InvalidStateError |
The request was made without transient user activation, or the document is not in an eligible state. | Invoke the request directly from a click handler, rather than after unrelated asynchronous work that may outlast activation. |
NotAllowedError |
The user denied the request, or browser or policy settings blocked it. | Explain why capture is needed and let the user initiate another request. Check the site’s Permissions Policy and, for an iframe, its allow attribute. |
NotFoundError |
No capture source is available. | Ask the user to retry when a screen, window, or tab is available, and handle the failure without assuming a stream was created. |
NotReadableError |
An operating-system or hardware problem prevented reading the selected source. | Report the failure and let the user choose again; application code cannot repair an unavailable source. |
Request fails when video is false |
Display capture requires video. | Set video: true; audio is optional and can be disabled separately. |
No PNG appears or toBlob() returns null |
Canvas encoding did not produce a blob, or the capture flow failed before drawing. | Reject the null result as in the example, check the console for the earlier error, and confirm the bitmap and canvas dimensions are valid. |
ImageCapture or grabFrame() is unavailable |
The browser does not implement the required still-frame capability. | Check compatibility for the target browser. Do not assume Element or Region Capture support implies grabFrame() support. |
| Repeated downloads or growing memory use | Object URLs or capture resources are retained after use. | Stop every stream track, call bitmap.close(), and revoke object URLs when they are no longer needed. |
MDN documents the request errors and their causes in the getDisplayMedia() reference. Your UI should treat a cancelled chooser as an expected user outcome, not as a reason to keep retrying automatically.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Performance, reliability, and output considerations
- The chooser is part of the workflow: the user must select and approve a source, so this is not suitable for unattended screenshots or silent background capture.
- Capture a single frame promptly: the returned stream is live, but a screenshot needs only one frame. Stop tracks immediately after encoding unless the application needs the stream for another purpose.
- Mind image dimensions: canvas width and height should match the bitmap to avoid unintended scaling. A larger captured surface produces a larger canvas and image; no universal memory or timing figure is established.
- PNG is an explicit choice: the example requests lossless PNG encoding. If your use case needs another supported canvas format, confirm browser behavior and adapt both MIME type and filename; this workflow’s documented example is PNG.
- Handle asynchronous failures: chooser rejection, frame capture, canvas context creation, and encoding can fail independently. Keep cleanup in
finallyso tracks do not remain active after an error.
Or skip the browser setup
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does getDisplayMedia() save a screenshot automatically?
No. It returns a live MediaStream. Capture a frame from its video track and export it from a canvas to create an image.
Can I capture without showing the browser’s chooser?
No. The user must select a surface and grant capture access for each request.
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Element Capture is designed to isolate an element and its descendants; Region Capture crops to a bounding rectangle and may include overlapping content.
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