For a screenshot of an entire scrollable web page, replace wkhtmltopdf with browser automation that explicitly supports full-page capture. Playwright and Puppeteer both document that capability. Use Chrome Headless’s command line for simpler viewport screenshots or PDF output, but its documented screenshot example does not establish an equivalent full-page option. First decide whether you need one tall image, a viewport image, or a paginated PDF: they are different outputs.
Choose the replacement by output type
| Need | Suitable route | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| One image of the whole scrollable page | ScreenshotNeo, Playwright, or Puppeteer | Playwright and Puppeteer document explicit full-page screenshot options. ScreenshotNeo offers full-page capture with lazy images loaded. |
| Image of only the visible viewport | Chrome Headless CLI or browser automation | Chrome’s documented --screenshot example uses a configured browser window size; it is not evidence of full-scrollable-page capture. |
| Paginated document | Chrome Headless --print-to-pdf or Puppeteer Page.pdf() |
PDF generation uses print CSS by default in Puppeteer, so appearance and pagination can differ from a screen screenshot. |
For API details, see Playwright’s screenshot documentation, Puppeteer’s ScreenshotOptions, Chrome Headless documentation, and Puppeteer’s PDF documentation.
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Capture a full-page image with Playwright
The Playwright page screenshot API has an explicit fullPage option. This JavaScript example opens a URL and saves a tall PNG:
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const { chromium } = require('playwright');
(async () => {
const browser = await chromium.launch();
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle' });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png', fullPage: true });
await browser.close();
})();Install Playwright in your project and install its browser runtime according to the official installation guide. Replace the example URL and output path with your target and desired filename. Playwright also documents a CLI screenshot command with a --full-page option; consult its screenshot documentation for the current syntax.
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Wait for the page state you actually need
networkidle can be a useful starting point for client-rendered pages, but it is not a guarantee that every page is ready: some sites keep network connections open, while others load content in response to scrolling or interaction. If a particular element marks readiness, wait for that selector before capturing. For lazy images, verify that they loaded at the bottom of the page; a full-page capture option does not guarantee every site loads deferred content in time.
Use Puppeteer as an alternative
Puppeteer also exposes fullPage in its screenshot options. A minimal Node.js example is:
const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
(async () => {
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle0' });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png', fullPage: true });
await browser.close();
})();Use the Puppeteer version and browser runtime installed in your environment; the cited API documentation describes the option, not a universal result for every target site. As with Playwright, test pages that rely on authentication, dynamic rendering, lazy images, or fixed-position elements.
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Chrome Headless documents command-line screenshot and PDF workflows. A viewport capture can be run in a shell along these lines:
chrome --headless --window-size=1440,900 --screenshot=screenshot.png https://example.comThe window size sets the browser viewport for this style of capture. The documented CLI guide also includes a timeout flag to cap the wait before capture. Check the current Chrome documentation for the exact flag syntax and platform-specific executable name. The cited CLI documentation does not establish a direct full-scrollable-page screenshot option comparable to Playwright’s and Puppeteer’s APIs, so do not assume this command produces a complete tall-page image.
Keep screenshot images separate from PDFs
If the deliverable is a PDF, Chrome Headless provides --print-to-pdf, and Puppeteer provides Page.pdf(). Puppeteer documents PDF generation as using print media by default. Print styles can hide, reposition, or restyle page elements and can paginate long content, so a PDF is not an interchangeable substitute for a screen screenshot.
Choose a screenshot API when the artifact should show the rendered page as an image. Choose PDF output when readers need a paginated document, and inspect the result using the site’s print styles and required page layout.
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Validate the migration on real target pages
The API documentation establishes how to request a full-page capture; it does not promise identical results across websites or deployment environments. Before replacing a production job, test representative pages in the actual runtime. Include pages with:
- Authentication or session-dependent content.
- Client-rendered sections and content that appears after scrolling.
- Lazy-loaded images, custom fonts, or long page heights.
- Sticky or fixed headers, animations, and overlays.
- Different viewport sizes or page layouts that affect the capture.
Compare the generated artifact with the intended output: confirm the page reaches its true end, important content is present, and fixed elements behave acceptably. The cited documentation does not establish universal handling of these cases, so site-specific validation is part of the migration.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting common migration failures
The image stops at the viewport
Confirm that the call uses the screenshot API’s full-page setting (fullPage: true for the documented Playwright and Puppeteer patterns). A Chrome CLI --screenshot invocation is not documented here as an equivalent full-page capture method.
Content or images are missing
Check whether the page requires a login, additional wait, scroll-triggered loading, or a selector-based readiness condition. Test with the same cookies, headers, and runtime conditions the production job will use. A full-page option alone does not guarantee that deferred content has loaded.
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Inspect the captured page against the live page and test with the site’s actual animation and layout behavior. The cited API documentation specifies capture controls, not universal treatment of fixed elements or animation frames; adjust page state or capture timing for the target.
The PDF differs from the screenshot
This is expected when print CSS or pagination changes the layout. If you need an image of the rendered screen, use full-page screenshot capture rather than treating PDF output as a screenshot.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. One GET request can return a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF; full-page capture can load lazy images. Its clean-shot options accept cookie and consent banners and remove more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture, with each step configurable. Bot checks and CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing; response headers report the page verdict and billing status. An MCP server gives AI agents tools for screenshots, page information, and PDF capture.
Example cURL request (replace the URL with your target):
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