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Check Cypress’s automatic failure screenshots first
For test runs, Cypress’s default is to capture a failure screenshot. The documented defaults are screenshotOnRunFailure: true and screenshotsFolder: 'cypress/screenshots'. You can set them explicitly in the project configuration file if your team wants the behavior to be obvious:
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const { defineConfig } = require('cypress')
module.exports = defineConfig({
screenshotOnRunFailure: true,
screenshotsFolder: 'cypress/screenshots',
})This configures whether and where Cypress saves the automatic captures; it does not make an image show more useful app state. In cypress open, failure screenshots are not automatic, so use cy.screenshot() when you need a manual capture. See the current Cypress configuration reference for the options and defaults.
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Capture at a useful, verified point in the test
A manual screenshot is most helpful after an assertion proves the state you want to inspect. Give it a descriptive name so the artifact is recognizable:
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cy.contains('Saved').should('be.visible')
cy.screenshot('saved-state')This example captures after Cypress confirms that the success text is visible. Adapt the assertion to the actual state under investigation—for example, an error message, a completed form, or a modal. A screenshot alone does not prove that the application is correct; the preceding assertion is what establishes the intended checkpoint.
Cypress coordinates screenshots with the application on a best-effort basis. If the page is still rendering, waiting on a request, animating, or changing asynchronously, the captured frame can show an intermediate state. Synchronize on observable app state and control test data and timing where practical. Cypress’s visual testing guidance also cautions that captures during rendering, animation, or data loading can produce misleading visual results.
Choose the capture scope that answers the debugging question
cy.screenshot() supports three useful capture scopes. Pick the smallest scope that preserves the context you need:
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors| Capture | What it shows | Useful when |
|---|---|---|
viewport |
The application’s current browser viewport. | You need to inspect the visible state at the point of failure. |
fullPage |
The page from top to bottom, captured by scrolling and stitching. | The relevant content may be outside the viewport. Fixed or sticky elements can appear more than once in the stitched image. |
runner |
The browser viewport together with the Cypress Command Log. | You need app state and runner context together. Cypress uses runner capture for failure screenshots. |
See the Cypress.Screenshot API for capture options and behavior. A runner screenshot can help orient you, but do not assume the Command Log will display the error in the still: Cypress notes that the log may render asynchronously.
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Use retries to tell intermittent failures from repeatable ones
When retries are enabled, Cypress can save screenshots for failed attempts, with attempt-number suffixes such as (attempt 2). Compare the attempt artifacts: a failure that recurs with the same visible state suggests a repeatable problem, while differing images can point to timing, data, or state variation. Retries provide diagnostic evidence; they do not fix the underlying failure. Cypress allows retry behavior to be configured separately for runMode and openMode. Details are in the test retries guide.
Find artifacts without guessing their full paths
Cypress mirrors spec-file paths beneath its artifact directories, so a deep path can depend on the spec and configuration. The resolved screenshot path is available through the callback to cy.screenshot() or through the after:screenshot and after:spec Node events. Prefer those resolved paths over a hard-coded guess when a script needs to copy or process artifacts. Cypress explains artifact organization in Writing and organizing tests.
Also account for cleanup: trashAssetsBeforeRuns defaults to clearing the downloads, screenshots, and videos folders before a cypress run. If your workflow depends on keeping artifacts across runs, review that setting in the configuration reference.
When a screenshot is not enough
A screenshot is a still, not a record of the sequence that caused the failure. If the issue depends on an event order, transient state, or a race, use video or Test Replay to inspect more of the run. Cypress’s screenshots and videos guide describes those artifacts and Test Replay.
If your actual goal is to detect unintended UI changes against an approved baseline, that is visual regression testing, not simply taking a better failure screenshot. Cypress states: “Cypress does not perform image comparison itself. The built-in cy.screenshot() command captures images but does not compare them.” Its visual testing documentation lists integrations including Applitools, Chromatic, Percy, and Sauce Labs Visual. Evaluate the integration’s Cypress compatibility, browser coverage, baseline storage, masking, review process, and CI fit for your workflow.
Troubleshoot unhelpful or missing screenshots
- No automatic screenshot after failure: Confirm the test ran with
cypress run, not onlycypress open, and check thatscreenshotOnRunFailurehas not been disabled. - Artifact missing after a later run: Check whether
trashAssetsBeforeRunscleared the screenshots directory before that run. - The image shows loading or stale content: Add an assertion for the state that matters and wait for the relevant app condition before calling
cy.screenshot(); avoid relying on an arbitrary delay when an observable condition is available. - The failure details are absent from the capture: The Command Log may not have rendered in time for the still image. Use video or Test Replay to recover sequence and context.
- Full-page capture has repeated headers or controls: Cypress stitches the image while scrolling; fixed and sticky elements can recur. Use viewport capture if the repeated elements obscure the evidence.
- A script cannot find an artifact at its expected path: Avoid inferring a deep path from the spec name. Read the resolved path from the screenshot callback or the
after:screenshotorafter:specevent.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need a website capture outside the Cypress test runner, ScreenshotNeo is a screenshot API with a one-request capture. For example, this cURL call saves a WebP capture of Stripe:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. It accepts cookie or consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and the response identifies the page verdict and billing status in headers. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf for AI agents and other MCP clients. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000.
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