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Install Puppeteer on an always-on host, write a Node.js script that opens the target page and saves a screenshot, then run that script from a five-field cron schedule. The key details are using absolute paths in cron, setting the URL in the job’s environment, choosing the right capture and page-readiness options, and accounting for the host’s timezone.
What you need before scheduling screenshots
- A host that is running at the scheduled time, with Node.js installed.
- A project directory where Puppeteer and its compatible browser can be installed.
- A writable destination for image files, with enough space or a separate upload process if you need to keep them long term.
- A URL the job can access. If the page requires authentication, plan how to provide credentials securely rather than putting them in a publicly readable script or log.
Cron runs commands as the owner of the relevant crontab. It does not necessarily load the same shell profile or environment variables you have in an interactive terminal, so make paths and required settings explicit.
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Install Puppeteer and its browser
From the project directory on the machine that will run the job, install the standard puppeteer package:
npm install puppeteerThe standard package ordinarily downloads a compatible Chrome for Testing during installation. Some package managers or deployment policies block dependency install scripts, which can leave the browser download incomplete. If that happens, allow the install script or use Puppeteer’s browser-install command to install the required browser. Use puppeteer-core instead when your project intentionally supplies and manages its own browser binary; it does not provide the same bundled browser-install behavior.
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Create a daily screenshot script
Save this as screenshot.mjs in the project directory. It requires the URL through the SCREENSHOT_URL environment variable and writes one dated PNG per run to a screenshots directory.
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';
import { mkdir } from 'node:fs/promises';
const url = process.env.SCREENSHOT_URL;
if (!url) throw new Error('Set SCREENSHOT_URL');
const outputDir = new URL('./screenshots/', import.meta.url);
await mkdir(outputDir, { recursive: true });
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.setViewport({ width: 1440, height: 1000 });
await page.goto(url, { waitUntil: 'networkidle2', timeout: 60_000 });
await page.screenshot({
path: new URL(`./screenshots/site-${new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10)}.png`, import.meta.url).pathname,
fullPage: true,
});
} finally {
await browser.close();
}The output directory is created if it does not exist. The filename uses the current UTC date because toISOString() produces a UTC timestamp; the cron schedule itself follows the cron daemon’s configured timezone. If you need filenames based on a particular local timezone, format the date explicitly for that timezone.
Choose what part of the page to capture
By default, a screenshot captures the current viewport. Set fullPage: true for a page-length image, as in the example. Use the clip screenshot option when you need a specific rectangular region instead. These choices affect the output dimensions and content; they are not interchangeable.
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Choose when the page is ready
The example waits for Puppeteer’s networkidle2 condition, but a site with long-lived network connections or continual background requests may never settle in the way you expect. If the capture is blank or incomplete, wait for a meaningful page element or a suitable delay for that site rather than assuming one network-idle condition works everywhere. The site may also need authentication or client-side content to finish rendering.
Add the job to cron
Open the crontab for the user that should own and run the job:
crontab -eFor a daily run at 03:15 in the cron daemon’s configured timezone, add a line like this, replacing the example paths with the absolute paths on your host:
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15 3 * * * cd /absolute/path/to/project && SCREENSHOT_URL='https://example.com' /absolute/path/to/project/node_modules/.bin/node /absolute/path/to/project/screenshot.mjs >> /absolute/path/to/project/screenshot.log 2>&1The five schedule fields are minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week. This expression means minute 15 of hour 3 on every day of the month, every month, and every day of the week. The explicit cd sets the working directory; the absolute Node executable and script paths avoid relying on cron’s limited default PATH. Standard output and errors are appended to screenshot.log so you can inspect failures.
Check timezone and daylight-saving behavior
The schedule follows the cron daemon’s timezone, not necessarily your workstation’s timezone. Confirm the host’s timezone and check the manual for the cron implementation installed there. A nominal wall-clock time can fall into a daylight-saving gap and be skipped, or into a repeated hour and run twice. If you require exactly one run per UTC day, or need missed runs recovered after downtime, a basic cron entry may not provide the persistence and timezone semantics you need. Use a scheduler that does, or make the capture operation idempotent and monitor whether each day’s run completed.
Keep Chrome’s sandbox enabled where possible
Do not make --no-sandbox the default response to a launch failure. Puppeteer strongly discourages disabling Chrome’s sandbox. First investigate the host’s sandbox configuration and required platform dependencies; cloud environments can have specific setup requirements. For example, Puppeteer’s troubleshooting guidance notes that the default Google Cloud Run Node.js runtime lacks system packages required by Headless Chrome and describes using a suitable image setup.
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Troubleshoot common failures
- Browser executable missing: Check whether installation scripts were blocked and whether the compatible Chrome for Testing download completed. Allow the install script or install the required browser explicitly. If you deliberately use
puppeteer-core, verify that the browser you supply is installed and configured. - The script works in a terminal but not from cron: Check the absolute project, Node, and script paths; confirm that
SCREENSHOT_URLis set in the cron line; check file permissions and the redirected log. Do not assume cron loads your interactive shell configuration. - The image is blank or incomplete: Confirm that navigation reaches the state you need, adjust the readiness condition, and check whether the page requires authentication or waits for a particular element. Decide whether you need the viewport,
fullPage, or aclipregion. - Chrome exits with a sandbox error: Investigate the host’s sandbox configuration and platform dependencies. Avoid disabling the sandbox as a routine workaround.
- A cloud deployment cannot launch Chrome: Follow the guidance for that hosting environment. The default Google Cloud Run Node.js runtime, for example, lacks system packages required by Headless Chrome and calls for a suitable image setup.
- Two images have the same date-based filename: The script’s ISO date is UTC. If a job can run twice in the same UTC day, the later run will overwrite the earlier image. Add a time or unique run identifier to the filename if you need to retain both.
Cron or a hosted browser scheduler?
Cron is a practical choice when you manage an always-on host and want control over the browser installation and destination storage. A hosted scheduler or browser environment may suit you better if you do not have a reliable machine to leave running. Before choosing one, check its timezone behavior, handling of missed runs, browser and dependency setup, access to a filesystem or object storage, monitoring, and ongoing cost. A screenshot API can be another option when you would rather make a request than maintain a browser process.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server for developers. Its one-request API can return a screenshot or PDF; cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets are removed before capture, and each of those cleanup steps can be turned off. Bot checks and CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, with response headers indicating the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpThe Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for free and get 1,000 screenshots a month with no card.
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Official references
- Puppeteer: Screenshots
- Puppeteer:
Page.screenshot()API - Puppeteer: Installation
- Puppeteer: Troubleshooting
- crontab(5) manual
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this script take one screenshot every day automatically?
Yes, after the cron entry is installed on a host that is running at the scheduled time. Cron invokes the script; it does not keep a browser open between runs.
Can I save the screenshot as JPEG or WebP instead of PNG?
Puppeteer’s screenshot API supports the type option. Match the filename extension to the format you request.
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