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How to Upload Screenshots to Argos CI from a Self-Hosted Runner

Create screenshot files on your self-hosted runner, then upload their directory with the Argos CLI. Learn when to use the Node SDK or Playwright integration, how token and GitHub OIDC authentication differ, and how to fix common CI issues.
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Generate screenshot files on the runner, then upload the directory with the Argos CLI—for example, argos upload ./screenshots. Uploading is separate from capture: a preceding test or capture step must create the files. For a GitHub Actions runner, Argos also documents OIDC authentication; for other self-hosted CI systems, use the project token unless that provider has a separately supported authentication route.

What the workflow needs to do

Argos’s generic upload flow accepts screenshots produced by different frameworks. The runner must capture screenshots first, place them in a known directory, and then run the CLI against that directory. The CLI can read commit, branch, and pull request details from CI environment variables, so the job should also expose the metadata needed to associate the upload with the right change.

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  1. Capture: Run Playwright, Cypress, a mobile test framework, or another process that writes screenshot files.
  2. Check the output path: Confirm where the capture step wrote its files.
  3. Upload: Run argos upload ./screenshots, substituting the actual directory.
  4. Authenticate: Provide ARGOS_TOKEN for a token-based setup, or configure GitHub Actions OIDC if applicable.
  5. Verify metadata and rendering: Check that CI exposes the expected commit, branch, and pull request values, and keep the rendering environment stable.

Argos’s CLI upload guide documents the directory-upload pattern: https://argos-ci.com/docs/website/cli. Capture and upload are distinct steps; the upload command does not create screenshots for you.

Upload a directory with the CLI

Example CI job shape

This illustrative GitHub Actions-style job runs a test script that writes to ./screenshots, then uploads that directory:

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steps:
  - name: Install dependencies
    run: npm ci
  - name: Capture screenshots
    run: npm run test:visual
  - name: Upload screenshots to Argos
    run: npx @argos-ci/cli upload ./screenshots
    env:
      ARGOS_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.ARGOS_TOKEN }}

The directory, capture script, dependency installation command, and secret syntax are examples to adapt to your runner and CI provider. They are not a universal Argos-prescribed installation recipe. Follow the current CLI package documentation for the invocation supported by your setup: https://argos-ci.com/docs/website/cli.

Use a different output directory

Point the upload command at the directory your capture step actually creates. For example, if the test process writes to artifacts/visual, use argos upload artifacts/visual. Check the directory contents in the same job before changing authentication or the upload tool; a path mismatch is a common reason an upload contains no images.

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Choose CLI, SDK, or a framework integration

CLI: files already exist on disk

Use the CLI when a test framework or other capture process writes screenshot files and a separate command can upload them. It is the general route described for framework-independent uploads.

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Node.js SDK: upload inside a Node process

Use the SDK when upload belongs in a Node script or you need to define the root directory and file globs programmatically. The SDK reference says the token “Defaults to the ARGOS_TOKEN environment variable.” Its example imports upload from @argos-ci/core and supplies root and files:

import { upload } from "@argos-ci/core";

await upload({
  root: "./screenshots",
  files: ["**/*.png"],
});

Set ARGOS_TOKEN in the process environment for a generic token-based job. Consult the SDK reference for the current option details: https://argos-ci.com/docs/website/sdk.

Playwright integration: capture and upload during the test run

Argos documents a Playwright reporter integration and an argosScreenshot helper. A reporter can upload as part of a CI test run; the CLI is still useful when screenshots come from another framework or you want upload as a separate step. See the Argos Playwright guide for its supported setup: https://argos-ci.com/docs/website/playwright.

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Authenticate safely on a self-hosted runner

Generic token-based authentication

For a self-hosted runner that is not using a documented provider-specific route, configure the Argos project token as a protected CI secret and expose it to the upload process as ARGOS_TOKEN. Avoid printing the token in logs. The SDK documents this environment variable as its default token source; check the CLI documentation for the supported CLI authentication configuration.

GitHub Actions OIDC

Argos’s changelog entry dated May 11, 2026 describes GitHub Actions authentication through OIDC instead of a reusable Argos token. The documented setup is to enable OIDC in Argos Project Settings, grant id-token: write in workflow permissions, and remove ARGOS_TOKEN from the job. The announcement also describes a tokenless fallback for certain runs when GitHub does not issue OIDC tokens, including fork pull requests and public repositories, after Argos verifies the workflow run with GitHub. This route is specific to GitHub Actions and should not be assumed to work the same way on other self-hosted CI providers. Details: https://argos-ci.com/changelog.

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Keep build association and screenshot diffs useful

Expose the CI metadata Argos needs

Argos says its CLI reads commit, branch, and pull request information from CI environment variables. If an upload is not associated with the expected change, inspect what the runner exposes and whether those values are available to the CLI. Exact behavior can vary by CI platform; Argos’s CI environment-variable documentation is at https://argos-ci.com/docs/website/ci-environments.

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Stabilize rendering conditions

Screenshot output can vary with the operating system or browser environment. For more reproducible comparisons, keep the runner image, browser setup, fonts, and dependencies consistent between runs. Argos discusses platform-dependent rendering in its visual testing documentation: https://argos-ci.com/docs/website/visual-testing.

Troubleshoot common upload problems

  • No images uploaded: Confirm the capture step completed, then verify the files exist at the exact directory passed to the CLI. Correct the output path or capture configuration as needed.
  • Authentication fails: For a token-based job, confirm the protected secret is available to the process as ARGOS_TOKEN without exposing it in logs. For GitHub OIDC, confirm OIDC is enabled in Argos Project Settings and the workflow grants id-token: write.
  • Upload is linked to the wrong or no change: Inspect the commit, branch, and pull request metadata exposed in the runner environment; make sure the values expected by Argos reach the CLI.
  • Diffs are noisy or inconsistent: Run captures with a stable operating system and browser setup, and keep relevant fonts and dependencies consistent.
  • Unsure whether to use a reporter or CLI: Use the CLI for files produced outside an integrated Playwright run; consider Argos’s Playwright reporter/helper when capture and upload should happen within that test workflow.

Or skip the browser setup

If the task is to capture a website rather than compare your own application’s test screenshots, ScreenshotNeo can return a screenshot or PDF from one GET request. It is not an Argos uploader or a replacement for generating visual-regression artifacts in your test suite.

For example, save a screenshot of Stripe as WebP with cURL:

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

See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. ScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents use screenshots, 1,000 screenshots a month are free with no card, and paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for ScreenshotNeo free.

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