A Cypress screenshot can be a different size from the application’s browser viewport because viewport size, screenshot capture area, and saved image dimensions are separate things. First check whether Cypress captured the viewport, full page, runner, or an element; then inspect clipping, element padding, screenshot metadata, and—especially in headless runs—the browser’s screen size and device scale.
Which dimensions are you comparing?
“Viewport” can refer to several measurements in a Cypress run. Identify which two you mean before changing configuration:
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- AUT viewport: the application-under-test viewport in CSS pixels. Cypress sets it with
cy.viewport()or theviewportWidthandviewportHeightconfiguration values. The documented defaults are 1000 by 660 pixels; the viewport resets to configured defaults between tests. Cypress viewport documentation and configuration reference. - Runner preview: Cypress may scale and center the application preview to fit the runner pane. Its apparent size on screen does not mean the AUT viewport changed. Cypress visual-testing guide.
- Capture area: the region Cypress is asked to save: the current viewport, the full page, the runner, or a particular element.
- Image dimensions: the pixel width and height of the file that was actually saved. Cropping, element padding, headless browser screen dimensions, and device scale can affect this independently of the AUT viewport.
In particular, cy.viewport(1280, 800) controls the AUT viewport in CSS pixels; it does not promise that every screenshot mode will save a 1280-by-800 image.
Check the screenshot mode, crop, and element options
The capture option determines what Cypress includes. In the cy.screenshot() documentation, the documented choices are:
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| Capture mode | Area included | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
viewport |
The AUT in its current viewport. | Check the effective cy.viewport() call or configured viewport dimensions. |
fullPage |
The AUT from top to bottom. | The saved image is expected to extend beyond the viewport when the page is taller than the visible area. |
runner |
The browser viewport, including the Command Log. Test Replay has documented exceptions when it hides the Runner UI. | Do not compare this image’s dimensions with the AUT viewport as if they were the same capture. |
Also inspect clip, which specifies a screenshot crop rectangle. If you are taking an element screenshot, the image is scoped to that element; padding can enlarge the element screenshot. These options can produce dimensions that intentionally differ from the viewport. See the screenshot command reference.
Log the dimensions Cypress reports
Use the screenshot callback or the after:screenshot event to inspect the saved image’s reported dimensions, whether the AUT was scaled, and the output path. This helps distinguish a capture-mode or scaling issue from a mismatch in the values you expected.
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cy.screenshot('dimension-check', { capture: 'viewport' }).then((details) => {
cy.log(`Screenshot: ${details.path}`)
cy.log(`Dimensions: ${details.dimensions.width}x${details.dimensions.height}`)
cy.log(`AUT scaled: ${details.scaled}`)
})The properties are useful diagnostic metadata, not a substitute for checking which area was captured. If an after:screenshot handler modifies the image file, return details that describe the changed file, including its dimensions. Cypress documents screenshot callbacks and the event in its screenshot API reference.
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Set and verify the AUT viewport
For a screenshot of the current AUT viewport, set the dimensions explicitly and use viewport capture. For example:
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cy.viewport(1280, 800)
cy.screenshot('viewport-check', { capture: 'viewport' })You can also set defaults in Cypress configuration:
import { defineConfig } from 'cypress'
export default defineConfig({
viewportWidth: 1280,
viewportHeight: 800,
})Check all cy.viewport() calls, including suite-level setup, because a later call can change the dimensions for a test. Cypress’s documented defaults are 1000 by 660 pixels, and the viewport resets to the configured defaults between tests. See the viewport command documentation and configuration reference.
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Account for headless browser screen size and device scale
In headless runs, browser screen dimensions can affect screenshot and video size separately from the AUT’s configured viewport. Cypress’s before:browser:launch documentation gives a Chrome example using --window-size=1400,1200: in its documented non-retina example, a device scale factor of 1 produces a 1400-by-1200 full-page screenshot, while factor 2 produces 2800 by 2400. These are examples, not universal results across browsers and environments.
The distinction matters: Cypress says the headless screen-size setting changes the display size of the screen and does not affect the viewportWidth and viewportHeight set in Cypress configuration. Inspect the browser launch options as well as Cypress viewport settings when the discrepancy appears only in headless runs.
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Also, cy.viewport() does not simulate devicePixelRatio. A requested CSS-pixel viewport and the screenshot file’s pixel dimensions therefore need not match one-to-one. Cypress viewport documentation.
Use this debugging sequence
- Confirm the effective AUT viewport. Check
viewportWidth,viewportHeight, everycy.viewport()call, and suite-level configuration. The documented baseline is 1000 by 660 pixels. - Confirm the capture area. Identify whether the command captures
viewport,fullPage,runner, or an element. Reviewclipand elementpadding. - Inspect screenshot metadata. Log the callback’s
dimensions,scaled, and path; if an event handler edits the file, report the resulting dimensions. - For headless runs, inspect browser launch options. Check screen dimensions and device scale factor separately from the AUT viewport.
- For visual regression, stabilize the rendering environment. Keep viewport, browser, operating system, display scaling, and installed fonts consistent. Cypress notes these can change rendered pixels enough to affect a pixel comparison. Cypress visual-testing guide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Cypress runner preview look smaller than my configured viewport?
Cypress scales and centers the preview to fit the available runner pane. That display scaling does not itself change the AUT viewport.
Does cy.viewport() set devicePixelRatio?
No. Cypress documents that cy.viewport() does not simulate devicePixelRatio.
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