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For Browserless’s current REST Screenshot API, send a POST request to /screenshot with the page URL and a waitForSelector condition in the JSON body. The screenshot is taken after the matching CSS selector meets the configured condition. Set visible: true when finding a hidden element in the DOM is not enough, and handle timeout responses: Browserless documents a non-200 response if the selector does not appear in time.
Wait for a selector with Browserless REST
Use the current REST endpoint and put the wait condition alongside the URL and screenshot options. Replace the example URL and selector with the page and readiness marker you need.
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{
"url": "https://example.com/",
"waitForSelector": {
"selector": "h1",
"timeout": 5000
},
"options": {
"fullPage": true,
"type": "png"
}
}The selector is CSS, and the timeout is in milliseconds. For the endpoint and shared request configuration, see Browserless’s Request Configuration and Screenshot API documentation.
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Choose presence or visibility
A selector wait can be satisfied by the element being present in the DOM. If the page inserts the element before displaying it, require visibility explicitly:
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"waitForSelector": {
"selector": "main .report-ready",
"visible": true,
"timeout": 10000
}Use a marker that indicates the content you actually need is ready—for example, a report container or a loaded-results element—not a generic element that appears before asynchronous content is populated.
Handle the HTTP failure path
If the selector does not meet the condition before the timeout, Browserless documents a non-200 response with an error message. Do not treat every response body as an image. Check the HTTP status before saving or forwarding the body as a screenshot, and log the response text for diagnosing failures.
Wait for readiness versus capture one element
waitForSelector controls when screenshot work proceeds; it does not mean the output is cropped to that selector. If you want a full-page screenshot after a readiness marker appears, use the wait condition and full-page option. If the image should contain only one element, use the screenshot-specific top-level selector; Browserless documents that this waits for the element and captures its bounding box.
{
"url": "https://example.com/",
"selector": ".product-card",
"options": {
"type": "png"
}
}Use these as separate decisions: a readiness selector is a gate, while the screenshot selector identifies the captured element.
Use the right Browserless API generation
Do not mix the current REST request configuration with the legacy BaaS v1 screenshot payload. The current REST docs use waitForSelector; the legacy page documents a waitFor field that can take a selector string, a millisecond delay, or a page-context function. Confirm which endpoint generation your application is calling and follow that generation’s request format. The documentation available here does not establish which endpoint generations are enabled for any particular account. See the legacy BaaS v1 screenshot documentation.
When a selector wait is not the right wait
Use a fixed delay only for genuinely time-based behavior
Browserless also documents timeout waits. A delay can be appropriate when a page action needs a known settling interval, but it does not verify that the desired content arrived. When the page exposes a reliable readiness marker, a selector condition is more directly tied to page state.
Use scroll loading for lazy content
If images or other content are lazy-loaded as the page scrolls, Browserless’s screenshot documentation suggests scrollPage: true, optionally with options.fullPage: true. A selector wait alone does not necessarily cause offscreen lazy content to load.
Use connected browser control for custom logic
With local Puppeteer, wait on the page before taking the screenshot. Puppeteer documents that page.waitForSelector() returns immediately if the selector already exists and throws if it does not appear before the timeout. Its documented default timeout is 30 seconds; set an explicit timeout when that default is unsuitable.
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com/');
await page.waitForSelector('main .report-ready', {
visible: true,
timeout: 10000
});
await page.screenshot({ path: 'shot.png', fullPage: true });For a connected Playwright page, current documentation marks Page.waitForSelector as discouraged in many situations and recommends locator-based waits or web-first assertions. These client-library examples apply when your code controls a browser page; they are not substitutes for the JSON configuration of Browserless’s REST endpoint. See Puppeteer’s waitForSelector reference, Puppeteer’s screenshots guide, and Playwright’s Page reference.
Troubleshoot missing or failed screenshots
- Selector timeout: Confirm the selector is valid CSS and matches the rendered page. Increase the timeout only if the page legitimately needs more time; handle the non-200 response rather than saving its body as an image.
- The element exists but is hidden: Add
visible: trueif the screenshot should wait until it is displayed. Browserless describes visibility in terms of CSS visibility and display. - The screenshot is cropped unexpectedly—or not cropped: Keep the readiness wait separate from the screenshot-level
selector. The former gates capture; the latter targets an element’s bounding box. - Lazy images or lower-page content are missing: Try
scrollPage: trueand, when appropriate,options.fullPage: trueto trigger loading while scrolling. - The result is blank, blocked, or missing page elements: Browserless identifies bot detection as one possible cause and refers to
/unblockfor bypassing some bot checks. This is not a guaranteed fix; a selector wait cannot make a blocked page render its intended content.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need a screenshot without configuring a browser connection, ScreenshotNeo accepts a URL in one GET request. The example saves a WebP response; its API documentation covers request options.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo accepts cookie and consent banners before capture and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be turned off. Bot checks and CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, with the result identified in response headers. Its MCP server provides screenshot and page-information tools for AI agents. The free plan includes 1,000 shots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Browserless selector timeout return an image?
No. Browserless documents that a selector timeout produces a non-200 response with an error message, so check status and handle the error before treating a response body as an image.
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What is the difference between Browserless `waitForSelector` and `selector`?
`waitForSelector` gates when capture proceeds. The screenshot-level `selector` targets an element and captures its bounding box.
Does a selector wait load lazy images?
Not necessarily. Browserless suggests enabling `scrollPage: true`, optionally with `options.fullPage: true`, to trigger lazy loading while scrolling.
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