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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Set a website-capture timeout at the layer that can actually hang. In Playwright, pass milliseconds to page.goto() for one navigation, use page.setDefaultNavigationTimeout() or a browser-context default for repeated captures, and configure Playwright Test’s navigationTimeout for a project-wide policy. Direct HTTP calls use the timeout on their request API instead. A timeout controls how long an operation may run; a separate readiness condition controls when the page is usable for a screenshot.
Choose the timeout scope before changing the number
A capture pipeline can contain several independently timed operations. Identify the failing operation first, then set its limit:
| Operation | Where to configure it | What it limits |
|---|---|---|
| One browser navigation | page.goto(url, { timeout: ... }) |
That navigation call only |
| Every navigation on a page | page.setDefaultNavigationTimeout(...) |
Navigation methods on that page |
| Every navigation in a context | Browser-context default navigation timeout | Pages created in the context |
| Clicks and other actions | actionTimeout or an action’s own timeout |
Actions such as clicks, fills and checks |
| Playwright Test project | use.navigationTimeout |
Navigation operations in tests |
| Direct HTTP request | APIRequestContext request timeout |
HTTP requests made through the request API |
| Whole capture job | Your job runner or test timeout | The complete workflow, including setup and post-processing |
These limits do not automatically control one another. Increasing a browser navigation timeout will not extend a direct API request, and a generous per-call limit cannot outlive a shorter outer job timeout.
Set a timeout for one Playwright capture
Use a finite value in milliseconds on the navigation that is known to be slow. The following TypeScript example waits for the DOM to be parsed, then captures the full page:
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import { chromium } from 'playwright';
const browser = await chromium.launch();
const page = await browser.newPage();
const targetUrl = 'https://example.com';
await page.goto(targetUrl, {
timeout: 30_000,
waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded',
});
await page.screenshot({ path: 'example.png', fullPage: true });
await browser.close();30_000 means 30 seconds. It is the value shown in Playwright’s documentation examples, not a universal response-time recommendation or a service guarantee. Select a limit from your observed latency and the amount of time your application can spend on one capture.
Use the slowest known destination as a per-call exception
Keep a normal default for most pages and override only the outlier:
await page.goto(fastUrl, { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
await page.goto(slowUrl, {
timeout: 60_000,
waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded',
});Do not silently retry an indefinitely hanging site. Catch the timeout, record the URL and elapsed time, and decide whether to retry, skip, or report the capture as failed.
Set defaults for repeated captures
Page-level default
A page default prevents you from repeating the option on every navigation:
page.setDefaultNavigationTimeout(30_000);
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
await page.goto('https://example.org', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });This changes the navigation limit for that page. It does not set an action timeout for operations such as clicking a button.
Context-level policy
When a capture worker creates several pages in one browser context, set the default at context scope so new pages share the same navigation policy. Keep an individual page.goto override for exceptional destinations. The exact context API name depends on the Playwright version you use; verify it in the API reference for that version rather than assuming a page setting affects every context.
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Playwright Test configuration
For a Playwright Test project, navigation and action defaults are separate:
import { defineConfig } from '@playwright/test';
export default defineConfig({
use: {
actionTimeout: 10_000,
navigationTimeout: 30_000,
},
});The documented values are examples. A test-level timeout is another outer limit, so it must be longer than the navigation, actions, screenshot work and any cleanup you expect in that test. Otherwise the test can end while an individual operation still has time remaining.
Navigation timeout and readiness are different decisions
A navigation can finish its selected event while the page is still unsuitable for a screenshot. Conversely, waiting for every network request can delay a page indefinitely because analytics, advertisements or long-lived connections never settle.
Select an appropriate waitUntil event
commit: navigation has committed a response. Use only when an early document is sufficient.domcontentloaded: the initial HTML has been parsed. This is often a practical baseline for capture pipelines that perform their own readiness check.load: the load event has fired, including resources that participate in that event.networkidle: Playwright documents this condition as discouraged for tests and recommends web assertions to assess readiness instead. Sites with persistent connections may never become idle.
Add an explicit assertion or selector wait for the content that must appear in the image:
await page.goto(targetUrl, {
timeout: 30_000,
waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded',
});
await page.locator('[data-capture-ready="true"]').waitFor({
state: 'visible',
timeout: 10_000,
});
await page.screenshot({ path: 'ready.png', fullPage: true });Here, navigation may complete quickly, while the readiness selector gets its own action-style timeout. This makes a missing application state distinguishable from a slow server response.
Configure direct HTTP capture requests separately
If your workflow fetches a page with Playwright’s APIRequestContext instead of opening a browser page, set that request API’s timeout. A page.goto value has no authority over this client.
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import { request } from '@playwright/test';
const api = await request.newContext({
timeout: 30_000,
});
const response = await api.get('https://example.com');
console.log(response.status());
await api.dispose();Use this approach for HTTP status or HTML retrieval, not for a browser-rendered screenshot. JavaScript execution, cookies, fonts and layout require a browser page and its navigation settings.
Should you use 0 to disable a timeout?
Playwright’s documented timeout options treat 0 as disabling that timeout. An unbounded navigation can leave a worker occupied forever when a server, proxy or connection never completes. Prefer a finite limit tied to your job budget. Use zero only when you have another reliable cancellation mechanism, such as a process-level deadline or an external job lease, and have deliberately accepted the risk.
Design a timeout policy from measurements
- Measure stages separately. Record DNS/connect, navigation, readiness wait and screenshot durations where your infrastructure exposes them.
- Choose the completion condition. Decide whether parsed HTML, the load event or a specific selector means the capture is ready.
- Set a per-stage budget. Give navigation and readiness independent finite limits so one cannot consume the entire job.
- Reserve outer-job time. The worker deadline must include browser launch, retries, image encoding, upload and cleanup.
- Classify failures. Distinguish navigation timeout, readiness timeout, action timeout and outer-job cancellation in logs and metrics.
- Adjust from records. Increase a limit only when failures show the operation is legitimately slow; do not raise every timeout to mask broken links or stalled scripts.
No official Playwright documentation establishes one optimal number for all websites. The right value depends on the destinations, network path, rendering work and operational budget of your application.
Troubleshoot common capture timeout failures
“Timeout exceeded” from page.goto
Cause: navigation did not reach the selected waitUntil event in the per-call or default limit.
Fix: verify the URL independently, inspect server and proxy latency, choose a suitable readiness event, and increase only that navigation’s finite timeout if the destination is known to be slow.
The page loads in a browser but the screenshot is blank
Cause: navigation completed before the application rendered its content, or the capture ran before a client-side route finished.
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Fix: wait for a stable, visible selector or assertion after navigation. Do not rely on a larger navigation timeout alone; extra time does not define what “ready” means.
Increasing page.goto does nothing
Cause: the failing operation is likely a click, locator wait, direct HTTP request or outer test/job timeout.
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networkidle never arrives
Cause: analytics, WebSockets, polling or other persistent requests keep the network active.
Fix: use domcontentloaded or load, then wait for the exact selector or assertion that proves the content needed for the image is present.
The whole test stops before navigation’s limit
Cause: the Playwright Test test-level timeout or an external worker deadline is shorter than the navigation setting.
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Fix: make the outer budget longer than all intended operations, or shorten inner limits so cancellation is predictable. Keep cleanup and retry time in the calculation.
Retries multiply the delay
Cause: each retry receives the full navigation timeout, so a dead host can consume several times the nominal limit.
Fix: cap the total job budget, use a smaller retry timeout or retry only transient network errors. Record attempt number and cumulative elapsed time.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does a navigation timeout also limit screenshot encoding?
No. It bounds navigation. Screenshot encoding, file writing, uploads and the overall job need their own limits in your workflow.
What timeout should I use for a page with slow images?
There is no documented universal value. Use a finite navigation limit based on measured latency, then wait for the image or page-ready condition that your capture actually requires.
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No. Configure the timeout on the direct request API, such as Playwright’s APIRequestContext, when the operation is an HTTP request rather than page navigation.
Why did my request finish but miss content loaded after navigation?
The selected navigation event completed before the application finished rendering. Add a selector or assertion-based readiness wait after navigation.
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