The quickest documented PHP route is Spatie Browsershot: Browsershot::url(...)->save(...) renders a page through Puppeteer and headless Chrome. It is a short PHP API, not a PHP-only runtime—you must deploy Node.js plus a Chrome or Chromium binary. Once those are available, you can capture a viewport, a full page, one element, or a clipped region and control when the page is considered ready.
Use Browsershot for the shortest PHP implementation
Browsershot is a PHP wrapper around Puppeteer, which controls headless Chrome. The basic call saves a PNG (the documented default):
<?php
require __DIR__ . '/vendor/autoload.php';
use SpatieBrowsershotBrowsershot;
$pathToImage = __DIR__ . '/storage/example.png';
Browsershot::url('https://example.com')
->save($pathToImage);
Install the Browsershot version that matches your PHP application by following the v4 introduction. The capture process still needs Node.js, Puppeteer and a Chrome/Chromium executable. Confirm those prerequisites in the host or container before debugging PHP code; the Laravel Screenshot requirements also call out Node.js and Chrome/Chromium for its Browsershot driver.
A complete command-line PHP example
This script accepts a URL and output path, creates the destination directory, and returns a nonzero exit code if the file was not written:
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<?php
declare(strict_types=1);
require __DIR__ . '/vendor/autoload.php';
use SpatieBrowsershotBrowsershot;
$url = $argv[1] ?? 'https://example.com';
$output = $argv[2] ?? __DIR__ . '/shots/example.png';
$directory = dirname($output);
if (!is_dir($directory) && !mkdir($directory, 0775, true) && !is_dir($directory)) {
throw new RuntimeException("Cannot create output directory: {$directory}");
}
Browsershot::url($url)->save($output);
if (!is_file($output) || filesize($output) === 0) {
throw new RuntimeException("Screenshot was not created: {$output}");
}
echo "Saved {$output}n";
Run it with the URL and a writable path, for example php capture.php https://example.com shots/example.png. Keep URLs and output paths under your application’s control if untrusted users can submit them.
Prepare the browser runtime before you capture
- Install Browsershot. Add the package through Composer and use the current v4 documentation for the PHP and package versions in your deployment.
- Install Node.js and Puppeteer. Browsershot delegates browser control to Puppeteer rather than rendering HTML inside PHP.
- Provide Chrome or Chromium. The executable must be available to the account running PHP (web server, queue worker or CLI user).
- Test from the same execution context. A browser that works in your shell may be unavailable to a restricted PHP-FPM or queue user because of PATH, permissions, sandbox or filesystem differences.
- Make the destination writable. Use an absolute path and verify the resulting file, as the example does.
There is no documented benchmark that makes one host, browser build or wait strategy universally fastest. Treat browser startup, page complexity and your server’s permissions as deployment variables.
Choose the image scope and output settings
The image creation guide documents the controls below. Pick the smallest capture that answers your use case; it reduces accidental whitespace and makes downstream processing easier.
| Goal | Browsershot setting | What it captures |
|---|---|---|
| Visible viewport | No extra scope option | The page at the browser viewport size. |
| Entire document | ->fullPage() |
A full-page image rather than only the initial viewport. |
| One DOM element | ->select('.selector') |
The element matching the CSS selector. |
| Defined rectangle | ->clip($x, $y, $width, $height) |
A region at the supplied coordinates and dimensions. |
| Fixed layout | ->windowSize($width, $height) |
A predictable viewport in CSS pixels. |
For example, a full-page capture at a fixed desktop viewport is:
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use SpatieBrowsershotBrowsershot;
Browsershot::url('https://example.com')
->windowSize(1440, 900)
->fullPage()
->save(__DIR__ . '/shots/full-page.png');
For a component, select it instead of stitching a whole document:
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Browsershot::url('https://example.com/pricing')
->windowSize(1280, 800)
->select('#pricing-table')
->save(__DIR__ . '/shots/pricing.png');
JPEG is available with setScreenshotType('jpeg', $quality). The guide also documents device scale factors for higher-density output and mobile emulation when you need a phone layout. Record the viewport, emulation and format alongside generated files so a later capture can be reproduced.
Wait for the page you actually want
A screenshot taken immediately after navigation can miss JavaScript-rendered content, fonts or lazy images. Match the wait to the page’s behavior rather than adding an arbitrary delay to every URL.
Wait for network activity to settle
Browsershot::url('https://example.com/catalog')
->fullPage()
->waitUntilNetworkIdle()
->save(__DIR__ . '/shots/catalog.png');
Network-idle waiting can be a poor fit for pages with analytics, polling or chat requests that never stop. Browsershot documents a less strict network-idle mode; use it when continuing background traffic should not block the capture.
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Browsershot::url('https://example.com/dashboard')
->waitForSelector('[data-rendered="true"]')
->save(__DIR__ . '/shots/dashboard.png');
This is usually more explicit than guessing how many milliseconds a page needs. The selector must be present only after the content you need is rendered.
Wait for a JavaScript condition or a fixed delay
Browsershot::url('https://example.com/report')
->waitForFunction('window.reportReady === true')
->save(__DIR__ . '/shots/report.png');
Browsershot::url('https://example.com/animation')
->delay(1500)
->save(__DIR__ . '/shots/animation.png');
A fixed delay is useful when you cannot expose a readiness signal, but it is sensitive to server and network conditions. Prefer a selector or function when you control the page.
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Control fidelity without making the capture fragile
- Viewport: Set
windowSize()whenever responsive breakpoints affect the result. - Pixel density: Set the documented device scale factor when the consumer needs a higher-density bitmap; expect the pixel dimensions and file size to change.
- Mobile layout: Use mobile emulation for a mobile rendering rather than merely shrinking a desktop screenshot.
- Full page versus lazy content: Full-page mode describes the document area, but lazy resources still need a trigger and an appropriate wait.
- Element and clip captures: A selector is resilient to page position changes; fixed coordinates are useful for a known canvas but can break after layout changes.
- Format: Keep PNG for lossless UI text and transparency needs; choose JPEG with an explicit quality when a smaller photographic file is more useful.
Do not assume that one setting works for every site. Consent dialogs, animations, endless feeds and background requests all change what “ready” means.
Alternatives when Browsershot is not a fit
| Approach | Where the browser runs | PHP integration | When to consider it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browsershot | Your Chrome/Chromium runtime | High-level PHP wrapper over Puppeteer | You want the shortest documented URL-to-image API and can operate Node.js plus Chrome. |
| chrome-php/chrome | Your Chrome/Chromium runtime | Direct PHP control of Chrome | You need lower-level browser control and accept more runtime detail. |
| Playwright PHP | Your browser runtime | Playwright’s PHP screenshot API | Your project already standardizes on Playwright and its documented API fits the capture. |
| Hosted screenshot API | An external provider | HTTP request from PHP | Your host cannot install or safely operate a browser, or you prefer provider-managed capture infrastructure. |
The available documentation does not establish a performance, reliability, feature or cost winner among these alternatives. Compare the browser’s location, PHP and runtime requirements, capture controls, credentials and external-data policy for your deployment.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a hosted website screenshot API and MCP server. One GET request returns PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF; the service accepts and removes cookie/consent banners, newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and each response identifies the page verdict and billing status in X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers.
Use the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for the complete parameter list. This cURL call writes the returned WebP:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpEquivalent PHP, Python and Node.js requests are:
<?php
$ch = curl_init('https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?' . http_build_query([
'access_key' => getenv('SCREENSHOTNEO_API_KEY'),
'url' => 'https://stripe.com',
]));
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT, 90);
$body = curl_exec($ch);
if ($body === false) {
throw new RuntimeException(curl_error($ch));
}
curl_close($ch);
file_put_contents(__DIR__ . '/shot.webp', $body);
import requests
r = requests.get(
"https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"},
timeout=90,
)
r.raise_for_status()
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
Its options include full-page capture with lazy images loaded, CSS-selector element capture, dark mode, 12 device presets plus custom viewports, retina scale, PDF paper and page-range controls, HTML/CSS-to-image, custom CSS and JavaScript, pre-capture clicks, hidden selectors, waits for selectors/delays/network idle, ad/tracker/request/resource blocking, headers, cookies, user agents and Authorization, timezone and geolocation, transparent backgrounds, resizing, configurable-TTL caching, signed image links, asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call, a usage API and an OpenAPI specification. Parameter names used by other screenshot APIs also work, which can simplify a migration.
ScreenshotNeo’s MCP server exposes take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf to Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients. Every feature is on every plan. The current plans are:
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| Plan | Included shots/month | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 1,000 | $0, no card |
| Starter | 3,000 | $5 |
| Growth | 15,000 | $15 |
| Pro | 60,000 | $39 |
| Scale | 250,000 | $99 |
| Business | 1,000,000 | $249 |
Yearly billing gives two months free. Keep the access key in an environment variable or secret store rather than committed PHP, Python or JavaScript source. If you want a managed browser, clean captures and agent access without installing Chrome, sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month with no card.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot the failures that appear most often
“Chrome/Chromium executable not found”
Cause: The browser is not installed, is outside the service user’s PATH, or the process points at a different environment. Fix: Install a supported Chrome/Chromium binary, make it readable and executable by the PHP worker, and test from that worker’s account.
Node or Puppeteer errors
Cause: Node.js/Puppeteer is missing or its versions do not match the Browsershot setup. Fix: Install the documented dependencies for your Browsershot version and run the capture from the same release environment used by the application.
The image is blank or incomplete
Cause: Capture happened before JavaScript, lazy images or fonts finished. Fix: Wait for a meaningful selector or JavaScript condition; use network-idle only when the page can become idle, or use the less strict mode for pages with continuing requests.
A full-page image stops at the viewport
Cause: The call did not enable full-page mode, or the page’s content is loaded only after scrolling/intersection events. Fix: Add ->fullPage(), then make sure the page has loaded the lazy content before the screenshot.
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The capture works in CLI but fails in production
Cause: Different user permissions, PATH, sandbox rules, writable directories or network egress. Fix: Compare the CLI and PHP-FPM/queue environments and log the browser and output paths without exposing credentials.
Network-idle waiting never finishes
Cause: Analytics, polling or chat keeps a request open. Fix: Replace it with waitForSelector(), waitForFunction(), a bounded delay, or the documented less strict network-idle option.
Operational checklist
- Pin the PHP package and browser runtime versions used in deployment.
- Run captures as the same account and filesystem context as production workers.
- Use absolute, writable output paths and verify file size after saving.
- Choose a deterministic viewport, scope and wait condition for repeatable images.
- Set a timeout around jobs and record the target URL, format and capture settings for diagnosis.
- Do not place API keys in source control; use environment or secret configuration.
- For external services, decide whether sending the target URL and page content to a provider fits your privacy and compliance requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a full-page screenshot the same as a long browser window?
No. Browsershot’s fullPage() option asks the browser to render the document’s full page area; a normal viewport capture contains only the visible viewport. Lazy content still needs an appropriate wait.
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Can I use a hosted API only for some URLs?
Yes. Keep local Browsershot for pages that must stay inside your infrastructure and call a hosted API for jobs your server cannot run, while applying the same credential, privacy and output-policy checks to each route.
Which wait should I choose for a page with live updates?
Prefer a page-specific readiness selector or JavaScript condition. Network-idle waits can remain open when analytics, polling or chat continuously requests data.
The Bottom Line
For a PHP application that can run Node.js and Chrome/Chromium, Browsershot is the shortest path: configure the runtime, choose the capture scope, and wait for the page’s real readiness signal. If installing that stack is the obstacle, use a documented direct browser library or a hosted service such as ScreenshotNeo.
Quick Recap
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