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How to Set a Custom Viewport and Device Scale Factor for Selenium Screenshots

Control Chromium screenshot dimensions by setting emulated width, height, DPR, and mobile mode separately, then choose viewport or full-page capture.
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For Selenium screenshots in Chromium, set emulated device metrics when you need precise control over the page viewport and device pixel ratio (DPR). Set the width and height, choose the DPR, and decide whether to emulate a mobile device. Then choose whether you want a viewport screenshot or a full-page image: those are separate settings and produce different results.

Choose the right controls for your screenshot

A browser window size is not the same thing as an emulated page viewport. For Chromium, device-metrics emulation controls viewport-related dimensions and DPR. Keep these choices distinct:

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  • Width and height: The emulated screen dimensions, in CSS pixels.
  • Device scale factor: The ratio of physical pixels to logical CSS pixels. A higher DPR can make a screenshot’s pixel dimensions larger than its CSS viewport dimensions.
  • Mobile mode: An explicit emulation choice, not an automatic consequence of using a narrow width.
  • Screenshot scope: The visible viewport or the whole page, including content outside the viewport.

Chrome DevTools describes DPR and the viewport, DPR, and device-type controls in its device mode documentation.

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Set a custom viewport and DPR in Selenium

Selenium JavaScript: configure mobile emulation

Selenium’s JavaScript Chromium API documents setMobileEmulation with a custom screen configuration. This example uses the API’s documented values, 360 × 640 and pixel ratio 3.0; they are example settings, not universal recommendations. Check the API documentation for the Selenium version you use: Selenium JavaScript Chromium API.

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const { Builder } = require('selenium-webdriver');
const chrome = require('selenium-webdriver/chrome');

(async () => {
  const options = new chrome.Options();
  options.setMobileEmulation({
    deviceMetrics: { width: 360, height: 640, pixelRatio: 3.0 }
  });

  const driver = await new Builder()
    .forBrowser('chrome')
    .setChromeOptions(options)
    .build();

  try {
    await driver.get('https://example.com');
    await driver.takeScreenshot();
  } finally {
    await driver.quit();
  }
})();

This uses the documented custom screen values and mobile-emulation setup. It does not establish a universal signature for every Selenium language binding or version. Match the code to your binding and installed browser and driver.

Chromium through the Chrome DevTools Protocol

For protocol-level control, CDP’s Page.setDeviceMetricsOverride accepts width, height, deviceScaleFactor, and mobile. It also overrides window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight, and device-width/device-height media-query results. The CDP reference is the moving tot protocol documentation; confirm that your browser and Selenium setup support the command and parameters.

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await driver.sendDevToolsCommand('Page.setDeviceMetricsOverride', {
  width: 375,
  height: 812,
  deviceScaleFactor: 2,
  mobile: true
});

The command shape above reflects the CDP parameters, but how a Selenium binding sends a DevTools command varies. Use the matching binding’s documented CDP interface rather than assuming sendDevToolsCommand exists in every language or version. A deviceScaleFactor of zero disables the DPR override according to the protocol reference.

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Pick mobile mode deliberately

Set mobile or use the binding’s mobile-emulation configuration intentionally. A small viewport alone does not necessarily reproduce mobile emulation. Choose dimensions, DPR, and device mode based on what the test is meant to check.

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Capture the viewport or the full page

A screenshot API may capture only what is currently visible, while a full-size capture includes content beyond the viewport. Set the emulation metrics and screenshot scope separately, then inspect the resulting image dimensions. Chrome’s instructions distinguish a viewport capture from a full-size screenshot: Chrome DevTools device mode.

  • For a viewport screenshot, make sure the page is at the intended viewport and use the screenshot behavior for your Selenium binding.
  • For a full-page screenshot, use a full-page capture method supported by your Selenium/browser setup; do not assume changing viewport height is equivalent.
  • Compare the image’s pixel dimensions with the CSS viewport and DPR you set. A DPR of 2 can produce an image with roughly twice as many pixels per CSS dimension, subject to the screenshot method and browser behavior.

Why the image dimensions may differ from expectations

  • Window dimensions were set instead of emulated metrics: Window sizing and page viewport emulation are different. For Chromium viewport and DPR control, use device metrics.
  • DPR was omitted: Specify deviceScaleFactor or the binding’s pixelRatio field when pixel density matters.
  • Mobile mode was assumed: Explicitly enable mobile emulation if the test depends on it.
  • Screenshot scope was mistaken: A viewport capture and a full-page capture do not have the same dimensions.
  • Binding or protocol mismatch: CDP command support and Selenium APIs depend on the language binding and browser/driver versions. Check the corresponding versioned documentation.

Emulation limits and version compatibility

Chrome characterizes device mode as a “first-order approximation” of mobile appearance and behavior. It simulates a mobile experience from a desktop or laptop; it is not a physical phone. If the result depends on device hardware or behavior that emulation cannot reproduce, verify it on the target device. See Chrome’s device-mode guide, last updated 2024-02-20 UTC.

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The CDP reference cited here is its moving tot version, not a guarantee that every Selenium/browser combination exposes the same commands. Consult the documentation for your specific Selenium binding and installed browser/driver versions before relying on a protocol call.

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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webp

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FAQ

Does a custom viewport automatically make Selenium emulate a phone?

No. Configure mobile mode as well as dimensions when your test requires mobile emulation.

Do I need to use a physical phone?

Emulation is useful for layout checks, but it does not reproduce every hardware-dependent behavior. Use the target device when those differences matter.

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