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Pause SVG and Playwright-managed animations before capture
In JavaScript, pause SVG roots in the page context, then take the screenshot with Playwright’s animation handling enabled:
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await page.evaluate(() => {
document.querySelectorAll('svg').forEach(svg => svg.pauseAnimations());
});
await page.screenshot({ path: 'page.png', animations: 'disabled' });This targets SVG elements in the page DOM. The pauseAnimations() method stops each SVG document fragment’s animation clock at its current position; it does not select a particular frame. If a test needs a specific visual state, set up that state deliberately before pausing.
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Use the same setup for Python and locator screenshots
Python async page screenshot
Run the pause in the page context, then pass the Python API’s string value "disabled":
await page.evaluate("""() => {
document.querySelectorAll('svg').forEach(svg => svg.pauseAnimations());
}""")
await page.screenshot(path="page.png", animations="disabled")Capture a locator
Pause the SVG roots on the page before taking a locator screenshot. Then use the corresponding locator option:
await page.evaluate(() => {
document.querySelectorAll('svg').forEach(svg => svg.pauseAnimations());
});
await page.getByTestId('target').screenshot({ path: 'element.png', animations: 'disabled' });For Python, the locator screenshot option is documented with animations="disabled" as well; see the Python locator screenshot documentation. Its allow value is the default.
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Understand which animations each control affects
| Control | What it covers | Frame behavior | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
Playwright screenshot animations: 'disabled' |
CSS animations, CSS transitions, and Web Animations, as documented by Playwright | Finite animations fast-forward to completion; infinite animations are canceled to their initial state for the screenshot | The screenshot operation |
SVG pauseAnimations() |
The SVG document fragment’s animation clock | Freezes the clock at its current position; does not choose a canonical time | SVG roots in the page DOM |
reducedMotion: 'reduce' |
Emulates the prefers-reduced-motion media feature |
Not documented as pausing the SVG animation clock | Browser context media-feature emulation |
SVG declarative animation includes SMIL elements such as <animate>, <animateMotion>, and <animateTransform>; the W3C SVG Integration document distinguishes declarative animation from other mechanisms. A page can also move SVG through JavaScript. Such script-driven behavior may need an application-specific way to set or hold its state.
Do not use reduced-motion emulation as a general substitute for either screenshot animation disabling or pauseAnimations(). Playwright describes reduced motion as media-feature emulation, not as a universal animation pause switch; see its context option documentation.
Make the captured frame reproducible
- Decide whether the test needs the animation’s current state or a specific named frame. The pause call freezes the current SVG time, which may differ between runs if capture timing varies.
- Set application state and timing before pausing. Then pause the SVG roots and take the screenshot.
- Use
animations: 'disabled'for the CSS and Web Animations behavior it documents, but account for its fast-forward/cancel semantics when those animations affect the desired output. - Keep the capture environment and app state controlled. A stable screenshot depends on more than pausing one animation mechanism.
Scope and known limitation
A Playwright GitHub issue opened June 21, 2024 reports inline SVG SMIL continuing during a locator screenshot with animations: 'disabled' in Playwright 1.41.1. That is a concrete reproduction for adding an explicit SVG pause when SMIL matters; it does not establish behavior for every later Playwright release or browser engine.
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The loop shown above operates on SVG roots present in the page DOM. It does not demonstrate control over SVG loaded as an external image resource, and it is not a universal solution for script-driven animation. The available documentation and issue report do not settle SMIL support release by release, so verify the behavior with the Playwright version and browser engine used by your tests.
Troubleshoot screenshots that still move or differ
- Inline SVG SMIL still appears animated: call
pauseAnimations()on the SVG roots from the page context before capture, then verify the target Playwright version and browser engine. - The SVG freezes on a different frame across runs: pausing holds the current clock position, not a prescribed time. Set the desired application or animation state before calling it.
- CSS motion differs from the SVG: use
animations: 'disabled'for the CSS animations, transitions, and Web Animations it covers, and remember that Playwright may fast-forward or cancel those animations rather than freeze them at the current frame. - Reduced motion did not stop the animation:
reducedMotion: 'reduce'emulates a preference; it is not documented as a universal pause mechanism. - The SVG is an external image or is driven by page JavaScript: the DOM-root loop does not establish control over those cases. Use the application’s own state controls or investigate the specific embedding and animation mechanism.
Or skip the browser setup
For a screenshot API instead of configuring Playwright, ScreenshotNeo takes a URL in one GET request. This produces an ordinary webpage screenshot; it is not a control for selecting or freezing a particular SVG animation frame.
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. ScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before the shot; bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed. It also provides an MCP server with screenshot tools for AI agents. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000.
Learn about ScreenshotNeo or sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month, no card required.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does `animations: ‘disabled’` pause inline SVG SMIL?
Do not rely on it for SMIL: a Playwright 1.41.1 issue reported inline SVG SMIL continuing during a locator screenshot. Explicitly call `pauseAnimations()` and verify your version and browser.
Can I use this method with a locator screenshot?
Yes. Pause the SVG roots in the page context first, then take the locator screenshot with its `animations: ‘disabled’` option.
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