Put one URL per line in a text file, then use Bash to read each line and a browser tool such as Playwright to render and save the page. For a quick batch, the Playwright CLI is convenient; for predictable filenames and per-URL error handling, run a Playwright script from Bash. The examples below skip blank lines and comments and save each capture under a unique name.
Prepare a URL list
Create urls.txt with one URL on each line:
https://example.com/
https://developer.chrome.com/
# Lines beginning with # are ignored
https://playwright.dev/Install the Playwright CLI and the browser it needs by following the current Playwright CLI documentation. Installation steps can depend on your environment, so use the instructions there for your installed version.
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Capture a batch with the Playwright CLI
This Bash loop reads the file literally, ignores blank lines and lines whose first non-space character is #, and assigns a distinct filename to each URL. It expects the Playwright CLI command playwright-cli to be installed and available on your PATH.
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set -u
input=${1:-urls.txt}
outdir=${2:-screenshots}
mkdir -p -- "$outdir"
line_no=0
while IFS= read -r url || [[ -n $url ]]; do
[[ -z ${url//[[:space:]]/} ]] && continue
[[ $url =~ ^[[:space:]]*# ]] && continue
name=$(printf 'page-%04d.png' "$((++line_no))")
printf 'Capturing %s -> %s/%sn' "$url" "$outdir" "$name"
playwright-cli open "$url"
playwright-cli screenshot --filename="$outdir/$name"
done < "$input"Save it as capture.sh, then run bash capture.sh. To choose a different input file and output directory, run bash capture.sh my-urls.txt captures. The Playwright CLI workflow uses open <url> followed by screenshot; it supports explicit filenames and options including full-page and high-resolution capture. See the CLI reference for the exact options supported by your installed version.
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The loop is a practical starting point, not a production job runner. Its CLI session behavior may need adjustment for the version and environment you use. In particular, a failed navigation can interrupt the workflow or leave you without a useful screenshot; for repeatable batches, use the API pattern below to control browser lifetime and recover from individual failures.
Use the Playwright API for controlled batches
A small Playwright program is easier to extend with per-URL timeouts, error reporting, and a consistent browser lifecycle. Bash can still supply the file and launch the script. The core browser calls are page.goto() and page.screenshot(), as shown in the Playwright Page API reference.
For example, the following Node.js script reads a URL file, skips blank and comment lines, assigns filenames based on the original line number, records failures, and closes the browser even if a capture fails. Install Playwright and its browser according to the current Playwright instructions, then save this as capture.mjs:
import { chromium } from 'playwright';
import { mkdir, readFile } from 'node:fs/promises';
import path from 'node:path';
const input = process.argv[2] ?? 'urls.txt';
const outdir = process.argv[3] ?? 'screenshots';
const lines = (await readFile(input, 'utf8')).split(/r?n/);
await mkdir(outdir, { recursive: true });
const browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: true });
try {
const page = await browser.newPage({ viewport: { width: 1280, height: 800 } });
for (let i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) {
const url = lines[i].trim();
if (!url || url.startsWith('#')) continue;
const filename = path.join(outdir, `page-${String(i + 1).padStart(4, '0')}.png`);
try {
await page.goto(url, { waitUntil: 'load', timeout: 30000 });
await page.screenshot({ path: filename });
console.log(`Saved ${url} -> ${filename}`);
} catch (error) {
console.error(`Failed at line ${i + 1} (${url}): ${error.message}`);
}
}
} finally {
await browser.close();
}Run it directly with node capture.mjs urls.txt screenshots, or have Bash launch it:
#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -u
node capture.mjs "${1:-urls.txt}" "${2:-screenshots}"This version uses one browser and one page for the batch. If you need pages isolated from one another, create a new page or browser context per URL. A navigation timeout is treated as a failure and logged; tune the timeout and navigation condition for sites that take longer or depend on client-side rendering. A successful load event does not guarantee every image or late-running widget has finished, so choose an appropriate wait condition for the site rather than assuming all pages behave alike.
Choose viewport, full-page, format, and resolution
- Viewport capture: saves the visible browser area. The API example sets a 1280 by 800 CSS-pixel viewport.
- Full-page capture: use the CLI’s
--full-pageoption or the Page API screenshot optionfullPage: truewhen you need the scrollable document rather than just the initial view. - Image format: the CLI offers PNG, JPEG, and WebP selection. In the Page API, the filename extension determines the image format; use a matching extension such as
.png,.jpg, or.webp. - Resolution: the CLI documents a
--hiresoption. In the API, screenshot scale choices and device scale settings affect output dimensions and file size. Consult the relevant CLI and Page API references for option syntax.
A full-page image can be very tall, while higher-resolution captures consume more disk space. Pick settings according to whether you need a readable archive, a viewport snapshot, or a visual comparison.
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Simple alternative: Chrome Headless
Chrome can capture a URL directly from the command line. For example:
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chrome --headless --screenshot --window-size=412,892 https://developer.chrome.com/Chrome’s documented --screenshot behavior saves the image as screenshot.png in the current working directory. That fixed name makes a naïve loop unsafe: each invocation can overwrite the prior image. To preserve all captures, run each Chrome command from a separate output directory or rename the generated file after each successful run. See the Chrome Headless command-line reference for current options.
Reliability, repeatability, and cost
- Check output per URL: ensure each expected filename exists and is non-empty; a command completing does not prove that the page rendered as intended.
- Keep runs comparable: use the same operating system, browser version, viewport, settings, and headless mode for visual comparisons. Playwright notes that screenshot output can vary with browser and operating-system details and hardware; pixel-identical output across different environments is not guaranteed. See its screenshot comparison guidance.
- Manage large lists: a single browser process avoids launching a browser for every URL. For very large jobs, consider controlled concurrency, but account for memory use and sites that limit request rates.
- Use a local output directory: check available disk space, particularly for full-page or high-resolution images, and avoid reusing filenames if earlier captures must be retained.
- Budget operational costs: Playwright and Chrome are browser automation options, but your batch still uses local compute, network access, and storage. The cited documentation does not establish a per-screenshot service price.
Troubleshooting
The CLI command is not found
Install the Playwright CLI using its current documentation and confirm that playwright-cli is on your PATH. The CLI and Playwright’s Node.js API may have different setup steps; use the matching installation guide.
The loop produces only one screenshot or overwrites files
Confirm that the loop creates a unique --filename for each input URL. If using Chrome Headless instead, its documented default is screenshot.png, so rename it after every capture or use a distinct working directory per URL.
A line is skipped or treated as an invalid URL
The examples intentionally ignore empty lines and comments beginning with # after optional whitespace. Check for accidental whitespace, missing URL schemes such as https://, or other malformed entries in the input file.
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The page may need more time, a different navigation wait condition, or a site-specific selector wait. In the API script, adjust the timeout and navigation strategy, and consider waiting for a known element before capturing. No single wait condition fits every site.
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Some URLs fail but the batch should continue
Use the API version’s per-URL try/catch and log the failing line and URL. Avoid letting one navigation error terminate all later captures. Check whether the URL is reachable from the machine running the browser and whether the site presents a bot check or other access restriction.
Images differ between runs
Standardize the operating system, browser version, headless mode, viewport, and device scale settings. Dynamic page content can also change between navigations, so a screenshot workflow is not automatically a stable visual test.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can the URL file contain Windows-style line endings?
Yes. The Playwright API example splits on either LF or CRLF, and Bash’s read loop handles ordinary newline-delimited files.
Can I use the same batch workflow to save PDFs?
The local screenshot examples produce images. PDF capture requires a browser PDF workflow rather than the screenshot calls shown here.
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