First find out whether Selenium captured image bytes at all. Check the result of save_screenshot(), inspect the bytes from get_screenshot_as_png(), and check the file’s size. If the bytes are empty, investigate the browser session, page state, and window dimensions; if the bytes exist but the file is empty, investigate the path, permissions, or code that later overwrites it. Headless Chrome can take screenshots, so headless mode alone does not identify the cause.
Diagnose capture separately from file saving
Selenium’s Python screenshot methods return a boolean when saving to a file: False indicates an I/O error. A True result means the save call completed, but does not by itself establish that the image data was nonempty. Inspect the in-memory PNG bytes as well as the save result.
from pathlib import Path
path = Path("/absolute/path/screenshot.png")
png = driver.get_screenshot_as_png()
print("PNG bytes:", len(png))
saved = driver.save_screenshot(str(path))
print("save_screenshot returned:", saved)
print("File bytes after save:", path.stat().st_size if path.exists() else "file not found")Run this after creating a live WebDriver session and navigating to the page you want to capture. The absolute path’s parent directory must already exist. The byte count and boolean distinguish several failure stages:
- PNG byte count is zero: the problem is upstream of writing. Check the active browser session, whether navigation reached the intended page, and the current window dimensions.
- PNG bytes exist, but saving returns
False: investigate the destination path and whether the process can write there. - Bytes exist and saving returns
True, but the file is missing or empty afterward: check whether later test cleanup, teardown, or another process deletes, replaces, or truncates it.
This separation follows Selenium’s Python save implementation: it obtains the screenshot data and then writes it to the named file in binary mode. It is a diagnostic inference, not a universal explanation for every empty file.
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Check the output path and filename
Use a full path to an existing, writable directory, and give the file a .png suffix. Selenium documents PNG output and recommends a full path; its current Python implementation warns if the filename does not end in .png.
To test the write independently of Selenium’s file-saving method, write the captured bytes directly:
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png = driver.get_screenshot_as_png()
print("PNG bytes:", len(png))
path = "/absolute/path/screenshot.png"
with open(path, "wb") as image_file:
image_file.write(png)If png contains data and this direct write produces a nonempty file, compare the original destination and the code that runs after the save. If the byte count is zero, changing the output path will not fix the capture itself.
Verify the browser session, page, and viewport
Before taking the screenshot, confirm that the WebDriver session is still active and that it has navigated to the intended page. Ensure the current browser window has positive dimensions. Chrome’s headless screenshot example uses an explicit --window-size; it demonstrates a useful way to make the viewport deliberate, but does not establish that zero dimensions cause every empty Selenium screenshot.
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Selenium’s official browser examples include screenshot capture with headless Chrome. Therefore, do not treat headless mode by itself as proof that screenshots are unsupported. The official material does not establish a single required delay, universal root cause, or version-specific fix for all empty files.
Common symptoms and what to check
| Symptom | What it indicates | Next check |
|---|---|---|
save_screenshot() returns False |
The file operation reported an I/O error. | Use an absolute path to an existing directory and verify that the process can write there. |
get_screenshot_as_png() returns no bytes |
The issue is before file writing. | Check that the session is live, navigation reached the target, and the window dimensions are positive. |
| PNG bytes exist, but the saved file is empty | Capture produced data, so focus on saving or what happens afterward. | Try writing the bytes directly, then inspect teardown and other processes for overwrite or truncation. |
| The file exists but has an unexpected extension | The filename may not match the documented PNG output convention. | Use a .png filename and a full path. |
Or skip the browser setup
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