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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →To screenshot one DOM element with Splash, select it in a Lua script and return its PNG: local element = splash:select(args.css); return element:png(). The full script below navigates to a URL, waits briefly, checks that the selector matched, and returns the image. If you need explicit control over the crop or padding, use a region screenshot instead.
Capture an element directly with Splash
Splash’s element PNG helper is the shortest route to a screenshot of a selected node. Pass the page URL and a CSS selector to a Lua script sent to the execute endpoint. The script can return the PNG image directly.
function main(splash, args)
assert(splash:go(args.url))
assert(splash:wait(0.5))
local element = splash:select(args.css)
assert(element, "No element matched the CSS selector")
return element:png()
endThe 0.5-second wait is an example, not a universal readiness setting. A page that builds its target later may need a different wait strategy. The important sequence is to navigate, allow the page to render, select the element, check the result, and return its PNG.
Choose a selector that identifies the intended node
The args.css value is an ordinary CSS selector. For example, pass #product-card to select an element with that ID, or .price-summary to select an element with that class. These examples describe CSS selector syntax; use a selector that is unique and stable on the site you are capturing.
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splash:select(args.css) selects the matching element. If there is no match, the assertion stops the script with a clear message rather than attempting to capture a missing target. When several elements match, make the selector more specific so the capture targets the intended one.
Send the script to Splash
For a direct HTTP integration, submit the Lua source using the lua_source request argument together with the target URL and selector at Splash’s execute endpoint. The exact endpoint address and any authentication or network settings depend on how your Splash instance is deployed; use that instance’s configured address rather than assuming a public service URL.
In a Scrapy project using scrapy-splash, the documented integration uses SplashRequest with endpoint='execute' and places the Lua source in args={'lua_source': script}. A request can pass the selector as another script argument:
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LUA_SCRIPT = """
function main(splash, args)
assert(splash:go(args.url))
assert(splash:wait(0.5))
local element = splash:select(args.css)
assert(element, "No element matched the CSS selector")
return element:png()
end
"""
def start_requests(self):
yield SplashRequest(
"https://example.com",
self.parse_screenshot,
endpoint="execute",
args={
"lua_source": LUA_SCRIPT,
"css": "#product-card",
},
)
def parse_screenshot(self, response):
# The response body contains the endpoint result. Handle it according
# to the response mode configured for your scrapy-splash integration.
with open("element.png", "wb") as image_file:
image_file.write(response.body)
"""Replace the example URL and selector with your target. Check the response mode used by your application before treating response.body as image bytes: scrapy-splash examples also cover JSON results whose base64-encoded image data must be decoded. A script returning a binary PNG directly is a different response shape, so do not base64-decode it automatically.
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Use a region crop when you need padding or crop control
element:png() is simplest when the element itself defines the desired image. A region screenshot is more flexible when you want to enlarge the bounding box, such as adding space around the target. The following script reads the element’s bounding rectangle in JavaScript, expands it by a configurable padding amount, and passes the result to Splash’s PNG renderer.
function pad(r, amount)
return {r[1] - amount, r[2] - amount,
r[3] + amount, r[4] + amount}
end
function main(splash, args)
local get_bbox = splash:jsfunc([[
function(css) {
var el = document.querySelector(css);
if (!el) return null;
var r = el.getBoundingClientRect();
return [r.left, r.top, r.right, r.bottom];
}
]])
assert(splash:go(args.url))
assert(splash:wait(0.5))
splash:set_viewport_full()
local bbox = get_bbox(args.css)
assert(bbox, "No element matched the CSS selector")
return splash:png{region=pad(bbox, args.pad or 0)}
endUnderstand the crop coordinates
The region is ordered {left, top, right, bottom}. Splash documents these coordinates relative to the current scroll position. The JavaScript helper uses getBoundingClientRect() to obtain that rectangle; pad subtracts the padding from the upper-left coordinates and adds it to the lower-right coordinates. With args.pad set to zero or omitted, the region follows the element’s rectangle; provide a positive padding value to expand it.
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The full-viewport call matters for this approach: Splash warns that content outside the viewport cannot currently be captured by a region, and recommends splash:set_viewport_full() before a region screenshot to avoid viewport cropping. This is a precaution for region rendering, not a requirement to use the element helper.
Choose between element and region capture
| Method | Best fit | Control |
|---|---|---|
element:png() |
A straightforward screenshot of a selected element | Uses the selected element as the capture target |
splash:png{region=...} |
A crop that needs explicit bounds or added padding | You provide the bounding box and can adjust it before rendering |
Make the capture match the page’s state
A successful selector lookup only tells you that the element was present when the script ran. It does not establish that every image, animation, or asynchronous update on the page has finished. The sample’s fixed wait is illustrative; choose a readiness approach appropriate to the page and validate the result in the Splash version you deploy.
For a region capture, the target’s rectangle is measured when the JavaScript helper runs. If the page layout changes after that measurement, the crop may no longer match the final layout. For the same reason, test pages where fonts, images, or client-side code can alter element dimensions after initial navigation.
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Do not turn on whole-page rendering just because you need one element. Splash’s render.png endpoint is intended for PNG rendering, while custom Lua scripts support the selected-element and region workflows. The render_all=1 option extends the viewport to the whole page and requires a non-zero wait parameter; it is distinct from selecting a single node and is unnecessary for the basic element script.
If you change scaling behavior, Splash documents scale_method values of raster and vector. Its documentation describes vector scaling as potentially faster and sharper, but warns that it can cause rendering issues. Treat that as a setting to validate against your target pages, not a guaranteed improvement.
Troubleshoot common failures
- “No element matched the CSS selector.” The selector did not match when the script ran. Check the selector against the rendered page, confirm the target is not inserted later, and adjust the page-readiness wait or strategy if needed.
- The image is blank or the target is incomplete. The capture may have happened before the relevant content appeared. The sample’s short fixed delay is not sufficient for every page; test the target’s actual rendering behavior and choose a suitable wait.
- The region cuts off the target. Check the region order and coordinate calculations, then call
splash:set_viewport_full()before the region screenshot. Splash’s documented region coordinates are relative to the current scroll position, and content outside the viewport cannot currently be captured this way. - The Python or Scrapy result is not a valid PNG. Confirm which response mode your endpoint and scrapy-splash setup use. A binary PNG response should be handled as bytes; a JSON result containing base64 image data needs JSON parsing and decoding instead.
- The capture differs from the browser view. Verify the selector, page state, viewport, and Splash rendering settings on the deployed Splash version. The documented material does not guarantee identical behavior for every page or establish support guarantees for cross-origin iframe targets.
- Vector scaling introduces rendering problems. Switch to or test the raster scale method for the target. Splash’s documentation cautions that vector scaling may cause rendering issues.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need an API call rather than a Splash instance and Lua script, ScreenshotNeo accepts one GET request for a URL and returns an image or PDF. Its clean-shot workflow accepts cookie or consent banners like a visitor and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each of those steps can be turned off. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and the response identifies the page verdict and billing status in headers.
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpReplace YOUR_API_KEY with your access key and change the URL to the page you want to capture. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options, including element selection and other capture controls. ScreenshotNeo also provides an MCP server with take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for AI agents and MCP clients. 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
Can Splash guarantee that a selected element inside a cross-origin iframe will be captured?
The reviewed Splash documentation does not establish a guarantee for cross-origin iframe targets. Test the specific page and Splash version you run rather than assuming the top-level page selector can reach that content.
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Does the example’s 0.5-second wait guarantee that a dynamic page is ready?
No. It is an illustrative fixed delay only. Page readiness depends on the target’s behavior, so validate the capture timing for the pages you automate.
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