The Tool Desk
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Set up a TypeScript screenshot
Install Playwright in your project, then create a TypeScript file such as screenshot.ts. This example launches Chromium, opens a page, saves a PNG, and closes the browser:
import { chromium } from 'playwright';
async function main() {
const browser = await chromium.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png' });
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
}
main();Run the file using the TypeScript runner or build setup already used by your project. The try/finally ensures the browser is closed even if navigation or capture throws an error. Playwright’s screenshot call is asynchronous, so await it before closing the browser.
The path option writes the image to disk. A relative path is resolved from the current working directory, and Playwright infers the image format from the filename extension. Without path, page.screenshot() returns image bytes, which you can pass to another function or write yourself.
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Choose what to capture
Current viewport
The basic page.screenshot() call captures the page’s visible viewport. Set the viewport size before navigating or capturing when you need consistent dimensions:
const page = await browser.newPage({
viewport: { width: 1440, height: 900 },
});
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.screenshot({ path: 'viewport.png' });Full scrollable page
Use fullPage: true to capture beyond the currently visible viewport, extending to the page’s full scrollable height. The option defaults to false.
await page.screenshot({
path: 'full-page.png',
fullPage: true,
});A full-page capture can be much taller and larger than a viewport image. If the page has content that appears only after scrolling, verify that the site has loaded it before capturing; a full-page option is not a substitute for waiting for lazy-loaded content to become available.
One element
Call screenshot() on a Locator to capture the element’s bounding box rather than the entire viewport. Locators also wait for the target to become actionable under Playwright’s locator behavior.
await page.locator('.header').screenshot({ path: 'header.png' });Use a selector that identifies the intended element uniquely. If it is not present, is hidden, or resolves ambiguously for your intended capture, adjust the selector or wait for the page state that makes the element visible.
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One rectangular region
Use clip when you need a coordinate-based rectangle rather than a DOM element. Its object takes x, y, width, and height:
await page.screenshot({
path: 'region.png',
clip: { x: 40, y: 80, width: 500, height: 300 },
});Coordinates describe a region in the page screenshot context. Prefer a Locator capture for a component whose position may move as the layout changes; a fixed clip can cut off the target if page geometry shifts.
Set output and image options
Playwright supports PNG, JPEG, and WebP screenshot types. You can set type explicitly; otherwise the path extension determines the type. The quality option applies to JPEG and WebP, not PNG.
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await page.screenshot({
path: 'compressed.webp',
type: 'webp',
quality: 80,
});Choose PNG when you need lossless output, such as pixel-sensitive comparisons. JPEG or WebP can reduce image size at the cost of lossy compression, so avoid comparing their output to a baseline generated with different encoding settings.
By default, screenshots use device pixels. Set scale: 'css' for one output pixel per CSS pixel; use scale: 'device' when you want device-pixel dimensions and higher-density output. Keep the scale consistent across captures intended for direct comparison.
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For a transparent background, set omitBackground: true. This is not applicable to JPEG, which does not support transparency.
Make captures more predictable
Disable motion
Animations and transitions can make captures vary from run to run. Set animations: 'disabled' to disable CSS animations, CSS transitions, and Web Animations during capture. Finite animations are fast-forwarded; infinite animations are canceled for the capture.
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path: 'still.png',
animations: 'disabled',
});This controls animation-related variation, not every source of change. Data, timestamps, rotating content, or third-party widgets may still differ between runs.
Mask changing regions
Use mask to cover selected Locator bounding boxes, such as a live timestamp or avatar that changes between runs. The default mask color is pink, #FF00FF; set maskColor to choose another color.
await page.screenshot({
path: 'masked.png',
mask: [page.locator('[data-testid="live-time"]')],
maskColor: '#222222',
});Masking hides the selected area in the output; it does not make the underlying page data deterministic. Choose masks narrowly so real layout or rendering regressions remain visible.
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Wait for the state you intend to capture
Navigate to the page and wait for the relevant content or application state before taking the screenshot. For a specific element, a Locator wait is often more reliable than an arbitrary sleep:
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await page.locator('main h1').waitFor({ state: 'visible' });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'ready.png' });Waiting for an element confirms that it is visible, not that every image, font, or remote service has completed loading. If the subject of the capture depends on a particular resource or UI state, wait for that condition directly.
Use Playwright Test for visual regression
For a maintained baseline comparison, use Playwright Test’s screenshot assertion rather than manually comparing files:
import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
test('homepage matches the baseline', async ({ page }) => {
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await expect(page).toHaveScreenshot('homepage.png');
});Screenshot assertions are supported by the Playwright Test runner; they are not a general-purpose assertion feature for arbitrary scripts. On the first run, the runner creates a baseline when configured to do so; subsequent runs compare against it. Review and commit intended baseline updates rather than automatically accepting every visual difference.
The assertion waits for two consecutive screenshots to match before comparing with the expectation, which helps avoid comparing while a page is still changing. Its options include full-page capture, masking, animation control, thresholds, and maximum differing pixels. Use those options to reflect the actual purpose of the test: masking known volatile content can reduce noise, while permissive thresholds can also hide small genuine changes.
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Capture without writing a file
When you omit path, the screenshot call returns a buffer. This is useful when the next step uploads an image, stores it in object storage, or processes it in memory:
const image = await page.screenshot({ type: 'png' });
await processImage(image);The example assumes your project defines processImage. If you need a local file instead, pass a path to Playwright or write the returned bytes using your runtime’s filesystem APIs.
Common screenshot problems
- The file is not where expected: A relative
pathis relative to the process’s current working directory, which may differ from the directory containing the TypeScript file. Use an absolute path or inspect the working directory. - The image is only the visible portion: The default is viewport capture. Add
fullPage: trueto capture the scrollable page, or use a Locator screenshot for a single element. - The element capture fails or shows no target: Check that the selector matches the live page, the element is visible, and the application has reached the state where it appears. Wait for the specific Locator before capturing.
- Visual tests fail intermittently: Disable animations, mask genuinely variable regions, use a stable viewport and scale, and wait for the content under test. Do not mask areas whose appearance is what the test is meant to verify.
- The screenshot is unexpectedly large: Full-page height and device-pixel scale can increase output dimensions. Capture only the needed scope or use CSS-pixel scale when that resolution meets your use case.
- Transparent output is missing: Use a format with alpha support, such as PNG, together with
omitBackground: true; JPEG cannot preserve transparency. - The saved image is lossy: Check the selected type and quality. Use PNG for lossless output, and keep encoding settings the same when generating visual baselines.
Or skip the browser setup
For a one-request screenshot rather than a Playwright browser flow, ScreenshotNeo returns an image or PDF from a URL. Here is the cURL version; the API documentation is at ScreenshotNeo’s API docs.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo accepts cookie or consent banners like a visitor and removes 60+ known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each of those steps can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, with response headers indicating the page verdict and whether the shot was billed. Its MCP server offers take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf for AI agents and MCP clients. The Free plan includes 1,000 shots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots, and every feature is on every plan.
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Choose the right capture method
- Use
page.screenshot()for a viewport image or returned image bytes. - Use
fullPage: truewhen the entire scrollable document belongs in the image. - Use
locator.screenshot()when the subject is one page element. - Use
expect(page).toHaveScreenshot()inside Playwright Test when you need a baseline-based visual regression assertion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a screenshot in Playwright without saving it to disk?
Yes. Call page.screenshot() without a path; it returns image bytes.
Can Playwright screenshot assertions run in a standalone script?
No. The toHaveScreenshot() screenshot assertion is for the Playwright Test runner.
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