Use Playwright to visit each URL and save a screenshot, record each success or failure in a manifest, then use Nodemailer to email the results through an SMTP service. The example below processes a URL list sequentially and sends an HTML summary with the images attached. You control the batch loop, report format, and failure handling; neither library guarantees that every site will load or permit a screenshot.
What the workflow produces
This Node.js workflow reads one HTTP or HTTPS URL per line from urls.txt, captures a viewport screenshot for each address, and writes the images and a JSON manifest to an output folder. It then sends an email containing a status row for every URL and attaches the screenshots that succeeded.
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Playwright documents navigation and screenshot saving, including full-page capture, locator screenshots, and image buffers. Nodemailer supports SMTP delivery and attachments. The combination below is an implementation pattern, not a claim that the two libraries have been tested together in every environment. See the Playwright Page API, Playwright screenshot guide, Nodemailer overview, and Nodemailer attachments.
Set up the script
- Install a current Node.js release supported by the Playwright package you choose. Package versions and compatibility can change, so check the packages’ current installation documentation when setting up a new project.
- In a new project directory, install the libraries:
npm init -y, thennpm install playwright nodemailer. - Install Playwright’s Chromium browser with
npx playwright install chromium. In a Linux environment, follow Playwright’s current guidance if system dependencies are also required. - Create
urls.txtwith one URL per line, for example:https://example.com
https://www.wikipedia.org/ - Set SMTP configuration as environment variables rather than writing credentials into the script. The SMTP host, port, TLS settings, username and password depend on your provider; use its current instructions and policies. Nodemailer documents its SMTP transport.
Complete Node.js example
Save this as bulk-report.mjs. It uses sequential navigation to keep resource use predictable, records per-URL errors instead of dropping failed addresses, and emails successful images as attachments. By default it captures the visible viewport. Set FULL_PAGE=true to capture the full scrollable page.
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import fs from 'node:fs/promises';
import path from 'node:path';
import { pathToFileURL } from 'node:url';
import { chromium } from 'playwright';
import nodemailer from 'nodemailer';
const inputFile = process.env.URLS_FILE || 'urls.txt';
const outputDir = process.env.OUTPUT_DIR || 'screenshots';
const timeoutMs = Number(process.env.PAGE_TIMEOUT_MS || 30000);
const fullPage = process.env.FULL_PAGE === 'true';
function safeName(value, index) {
let host = 'page';
try { host = new URL(value).hostname || host; } catch {}
return `${String(index + 1).padStart(3, '0')}-${host.replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9.-]/g, '_')}.png`;
}
function escapeHtml(value) {
return String(value).replace(/[<>&"']/g, (ch) => ({
'&': '&', '<': '<', '>': '>',
'"': '"', "'": '''
}[ch]));
}
const raw = await fs.readFile(inputFile, 'utf8');
const urls = raw.split(/r?n/).map(line => line.trim()).filter(line => line && !line.startsWith('#'));
if (urls.length === 0) throw new Error(`No URLs found in ${inputFile}`);
await fs.mkdir(outputDir, { recursive: true });
const results = [];
const browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: true });
try {
const context = await browser.newContext({ viewport: { width: 1440, height: 900 } });
for (const [index, originalUrl] of urls.entries()) {
const startedAt = new Date().toISOString();
let parsed;
try {
parsed = new URL(originalUrl);
if (!['http:', 'https:'].includes(parsed.protocol)) throw new Error('Only HTTP and HTTPS URLs are supported');
} catch (error) {
results.push({ url: originalUrl, startedAt, status: 'error', error: `Invalid URL: ${error.message}` });
continue;
}
const page = await context.newPage();
try {
const response = await page.goto(parsed.href, { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded', timeout: timeoutMs });
const file = path.join(outputDir, safeName(parsed.href, index));
await page.screenshot({ path: file, fullPage });
results.push({
url: originalUrl,
finalUrl: page.url(),
httpStatus: response?.status() ?? null,
startedAt,
capturedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
status: 'success',
file
});
} catch (error) {
results.push({ url: originalUrl, startedAt, status: 'error', error: error.message });
} finally {
await page.close();
}
}
await context.close();
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
const manifestPath = path.join(outputDir, 'manifest.json');
await fs.writeFile(manifestPath, JSON.stringify(results, null, 2));
const required = ['SMTP_HOST', 'SMTP_PORT', 'SMTP_USER', 'SMTP_PASS', 'MAIL_FROM', 'MAIL_TO'];
const missing = required.filter(name => !process.env[name]);
if (missing.length) throw new Error(`Missing mail configuration: ${missing.join(', ')}`);
const port = Number(process.env.SMTP_PORT);
const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({
host: process.env.SMTP_HOST,
port,
secure: process.env.SMTP_SECURE === 'true',
auth: { user: process.env.SMTP_USER, pass: process.env.SMTP_PASS }
});
const rows = results.map((item, index) => {
const detail = item.status === 'success'
? `Captured${item.httpStatus === null ? '' : ` (HTTP ${item.httpStatus})`}`
: `Failed: ${item.error}`;
return `<tr><td>${escapeHtml(item.url)}</td><td>${escapeHtml(detail)}</td><td>${escapeHtml(item.file || '—')}</td></tr>`;
}).join('');
const successful = results.filter(item => item.status === 'success');
const attachments = [
{ filename: 'manifest.json', path: manifestPath },
...successful.map(item => ({ filename: path.basename(item.file), path: item.file }))
];
await transporter.sendMail({
from: process.env.MAIL_FROM,
to: process.env.MAIL_TO,
subject: `Website screenshot report: ${successful.length}/${results.length} captured`,
text: results.map(item => `${item.status.toUpperCase()} ${item.url}${item.error ? ` — ${item.error}` : ''}`).join('n'),
html: `<h1>Website screenshot report</h1><p>${successful.length} of ${results.length} URLs captured. See the attached images and manifest.</p><table border="1" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"><thead><tr><th>URL</th><th>Result</th><th>Image</th></tr></thead><tbody>${rows}</tbody></table>`,
attachments
});
console.log(`Emailed report for ${results.length} URLs; ${successful.length} screenshots succeeded.`);
Run it with SMTP values supplied by your mail provider. For example, on a Unix-like shell, export SMTP_HOST, SMTP_PORT, SMTP_USER, SMTP_PASS, MAIL_FROM, and MAIL_TO, then run node bulk-report.mjs. Set SMTP_SECURE=true only when the provider’s SMTP configuration calls for implicit TLS on the selected port; otherwise leave it unset or set it to false. Authentication and transport requirements vary by provider.
Choose what counts as a useful screenshot
Viewport or full page
The default viewport capture shows the first visible screen at a 1440-by-900 viewport. Set FULL_PAGE=true to capture the page’s full scrollable area. Full-page images can become very tall and increase the email’s attachment size. For pages whose important content appears after scrolling, full-page capture may be more informative, but it does not make every site render all content correctly.
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Wait condition and dynamic content
The example uses waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' so it does not wait for every network request to finish. Pages that populate content later may need a targeted wait, such as waiting for a known selector before taking the screenshot. Playwright supports locator-based screenshots when only a particular element is needed; see its screenshot guide. Avoid waiting for network idle as a universal rule: pages with continuous background requests may never become idle. Choose a wait condition suited to the pages you capture.
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Saving each screenshot to a file makes it straightforward to attach, archive, or inspect later. Playwright can also return screenshot image bytes for processing without first writing a file. The example favors files because its report attaches the output and retains a manifest.
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Make the batch reliable and manageable
- Keep failures visible. A timeout, HTTP error page, login screen, CAPTCHA, or browser error may produce a screenshot or an error. The script records thrown navigation or capture errors and logs HTTP response status for requests that returned a response; an HTTP error status is not automatically treated as a navigation exception.
- Use careful concurrency. This example is sequential. If you later process multiple pages concurrently, tune the number of pages against available memory, CPU, the target sites’ behavior, and the mail size. The cited documentation does not establish a universal safe concurrency level or throughput figure.
- Plan for retries deliberately. For transient failures, add a limited retry policy and record each attempt. Do not retry indefinitely: it can waste resources or repeatedly load a site. Consider whether retrying a URL could produce duplicate work or duplicate email deliveries if the send step is retried too.
- Watch attachment volume. The message includes every successful image plus the manifest. Mail providers impose their own message-size rules; no universal limit applies. Nodemailer supports paths and streams for attachments, which avoids requiring the script to load every file’s contents into memory, but streaming does not bypass provider size limits. For oversized reports, upload files to storage you are authorized to use and email an access-controlled link instead.
- Protect access and credentials. Treat URLs, screenshots, SMTP passwords, and the report as potentially sensitive. Restrict access to the output directory, avoid logging secrets, and verify recipients before running a batch.
- Validate input and output. The script ignores blank lines and lines beginning with
#; it rejects non-HTTP(S) URLs. The manifest records original URL, final URL when available, capture time, HTTP status, output filename, or error.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Chromium executable is missing | The Playwright package is installed but its browser has not been downloaded, or the environment lacks required system dependencies. | Run npx playwright install chromium; on Linux, follow Playwright’s current browser dependency instructions. |
| Navigation times out | The site is slow, unreachable, blocking automation, or the selected wait condition takes too long. | Check the URL manually from the same environment, increase PAGE_TIMEOUT_MS for genuinely slow pages, or use a more appropriate readiness condition. A timeout does not prove the page is permanently unavailable. |
| Screenshot is blank or incomplete | The page may render content after navigation, require interaction or authentication, or block the automated browser. | Wait for a meaningful selector or perform the required interaction where authorized. Inspect the captured image and manifest; do not assume a successful navigation means the page is fully rendered. |
| Some URLs are absent from the images | The URL failed validation or navigation/capture threw an error. | Check the corresponding manifest row; failures are recorded rather than attached as successful screenshots. |
| SMTP authentication or connection fails | Host, port, TLS mode, credentials, or provider account policy is incorrect. | Compare the environment variables with the mail provider’s current SMTP instructions and verify account-specific authentication requirements. Nodemailer documents SMTP configuration at its SMTP transport page. |
| Email is rejected or does not arrive | Recipient address, sender policy, delivery policy, or message size may be at fault. | Check the SMTP response and provider logs, confirm the recipient, and consult the provider’s current size and sending rules. If the attachments exceed its limit, send a controlled download link instead. |
Or skip the browser setup
For a screenshot request without managing Playwright and Chromium, ScreenshotNeo accepts a URL in a single GET request and returns an image or PDF. For example, save one capture with cURL:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp
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See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for authentication and request options. For bulk email reports, your script still needs to iterate through the URL list, collect the returned files and send the email; the call above captures one URL.
- Cookie/consent banners are accepted before capture and more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets are removed; each step can be turned off.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does this script capture screenshots concurrently?
No. It processes URLs sequentially; adding concurrency requires an explicit limit appropriate to your machine and target sites.
Will every URL produce a usable image?
No. Site behavior, access requirements, rendering, and network conditions vary. The manifest makes errors and returned HTTP statuses visible.
Can I email a PDF instead of separate image files?
The example attaches PNG files and a JSON manifest. Creating a PDF report requires an additional document-generation step; alternatively, ScreenshotNeo’s API supports returning a PDF.
Quick Recap
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