In Selenium’s Python binding, call Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) with driver.execute_cdp_cmd("Page.captureScreenshot", ...), then base64-decode the returned data and write it to a file. Use this route when you need CDP-specific controls such as a crop rectangle, output format, JPEG quality, or the experimental beyond-viewport option. For a basic screenshot of the current browsing context, Selenium’s save_screenshot is simpler.
Capture a screenshot with CDP in Selenium Python
The example below opens a page, asks Chrome to capture a PNG, decodes the response, and saves it as screenshot.png. It assumes Selenium and a compatible Chrome/ChromeDriver setup are available in your environment.
import base64
from selenium import webdriver
# Requires Selenium with Chrome/ChromeDriver.
driver = webdriver.Chrome()
try:
driver.get("https://example.com")
result = driver.execute_cdp_cmd(
"Page.captureScreenshot",
{
"format": "png",
"captureBeyondViewport": True,
},
)
image_bytes = base64.b64decode(result["data"])
with open("screenshot.png", "wb") as image_file:
image_file.write(image_bytes)
finally:
driver.quit()Selenium documents execute_cdp_cmd as a way to dispatch a CDP command and receive its response as a dictionary. Chrome’s Page.captureScreenshot response contains image data encoded as base64, which is why the example decodes result["data"] before writing bytes.
Choose between Selenium’s screenshot API and CDP
| Approach | How the result is handled | When it fits | Options and compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|
driver.save_screenshot(path) |
Selenium saves the image directly to a file. | A straightforward screenshot of the current browsing context. | Use when you do not need the CDP-specific controls discussed below. See Selenium’s screenshot documentation. |
Page.captureScreenshot via execute_cdp_cmd |
CDP returns base64 image data; decode it and write the file yourself. | You need to specify a clip, output format, JPEG quality, or try capture beyond the viewport. | The beyond-viewport option is experimental. CDP tip-of-tree documentation can change frequently and does not guarantee backward compatibility; check the protocol available in the Chrome version used by your environment. See Chrome’s protocol overview. |
Set format, JPEG quality, or a clip
CDP supports PNG, JPEG, and WebP. PNG is the documented default, but specifying format makes the intended output explicit. The quality parameter applies to JPEG and accepts values from 0 to 100. To capture a particular region, provide a clip rectangle; inspect the page layout and the rectangle’s values if the resulting region or dimensions are not what you expected.
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For example, replace the command arguments in the main snippet with the following to request a JPEG crop. Adjust the rectangle to the coordinates and dimensions you need:
result = driver.execute_cdp_cmd(
"Page.captureScreenshot",
{
"format": "jpeg",
"quality": 85,
"clip": {
"x": 0,
"y": 0,
"width": 800,
"height": 600,
"scale": 1,
},
},
)Because the response is still base64 data, use the same decode-and-write steps from the main example. The screenshot bytes do not become a JPEG file merely because of the filename; set the CDP format to match the extension you choose.
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Capture beyond the visible viewport
captureBeyondViewport is documented as experimental and defaults to false. Setting it to true requests capture beyond the viewport, but do not treat that flag as a universal guarantee of full-document screenshots: behavior depends on the Chrome/CDP version, and the protocol’s tip-of-tree documentation may not match the browser installed in a local machine or CI environment. Verify the output with the Chrome version you actually run.
Give the page time to reach the state you want before capturing. If content is still loading or changing, the screenshot may reflect that intermediate state rather than the final page.
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Troubleshoot CDP screenshot failures
result["data"]is missing: inspect the full dictionary returned byexecute_cdp_cmdand confirm that the command completed successfully. CDP defines the successful screenshot response’s image data as base64.- The image contains only the visible region: confirm the installed Chrome version supports the experimental
captureBeyondViewportoption, check that it is enabled, and allow the page to settle before capture. Its documented default isfalse. - The crop or dimensions are wrong: review the
cliprectangle values and the page’s layout. CDP’s clip option captures a specified region. - The command behaves differently across environments: compare the Chrome/CDP version in each environment. Chrome notes that tip-of-tree protocol documentation changes frequently and has no backward-compatibility guarantee.
- The browser process remains after an error: keep capture code inside a
tryblock and calldriver.quit()infinally, as in the example, so cleanup runs even when capture fails.
Or skip the browser setup
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CDP command for a screenshot?
Use Page.captureScreenshot through Selenium’s execute_cdp_cmd method.
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Why does the CDP example base64-decode the response?
The command returns its screenshot image data as a base64-encoded string; decode it to obtain the bytes to write to a file.
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Which image formats does Page.captureScreenshot support?
PNG, JPEG and WebP. The documented JPEG quality range is 0–100.
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