Playwright screenshots contain the page viewport, not the browser window or its address bar. To make the URL visible in a PNG, JPEG, or WebP, read page.url(), inject a fixed label into the document, and call page.screenshot(). If you only need the URL for later identification, store it in a sidecar log or filename instead of changing the pixels.
The direct answer
Playwright does not document a screenshot option that adds the browser address bar or a URL header. The supported screenshot options capture rendered page content, selected elements, the full scrollable page, or an image buffer. The reliable way to show a URL in the image is to render that URL as part of the page immediately before capture.
The current address is available in the Node.js API as page.url(). The following pattern creates a high-z-index label, styles it so long URLs wrap, and captures the modified page. It follows the behavior described in the Playwright screenshots guide and Page API reference.
Inject a visible URL label before the screenshot
Complete JavaScript example
This script launches Chromium, navigates to a page, inserts an idempotent label, captures a full-page PNG, removes the label, and closes the browser. Replace the target URL and adjust the label styles to match your output.
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- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
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const { chromium } = require('playwright');
(async () => {
const browser = await chromium.launch();
const page = await browser.newPage({ viewport: { width: 1440, height: 900 } });
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle' });
const url = page.url();
await page.evaluate((url) => {
const oldLabel = document.querySelector('[data-playwright-url-label]');
oldLabel?.remove();
const label = document.createElement('div');
label.dataset.playwrightUrlLabel = 'true';
label.textContent = url;
Object.assign(label.style, {
position: 'fixed',
top: '0',
left: '0',
right: '0',
zIndex: '2147483647',
boxSizing: 'border-box',
padding: '8px 12px',
background: '#fff',
color: '#111',
font: '14px/1.4 sans-serif',
overflowWrap: 'anywhere',
boxShadow: '0 1px 4px #0004'
});
document.body.appendChild(label);
}, url);
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot-with-url.png', fullPage: true });
// Remove the label if this page will be captured again without it.
await page.evaluate(() => {
document.querySelector('[data-playwright-url-label]')?.remove();
});
await browser.close();
})();Install Playwright first with npm install playwright. If your project uses Playwright Test, place the same page.evaluate() and page.screenshot() calls in a test or fixture where page is already available.
Overlay versus pushing the page down
The label above is fixed and overlays the top of the page. That keeps the document layout unchanged, but it can cover a heading or navigation bar. To reserve space, use a normal-flow element instead: insert it as the first child of document.body with position: 'relative', or add matching top padding to the body. A flow element changes layout and therefore can alter responsive wrapping; an overlay does not.
Make repeated captures safe
The data-playwright-url-label marker makes the operation idempotent. Before each capture, remove any prior marker and create one new label. This prevents stacked labels when a loop captures several states of the same page. Remove the element after the shot when later images should represent the unmodified page.
Use the final URL after redirects
Read page.url() only after navigation and any redirect, login, or client-side route change that you want represented. If a single-page application changes routes after loading, wait for the route transition, then read page.url() and inject the label. For a URL containing sensitive query parameters, redact those values before assigning textContent; do not put credentials or session tokens into a public image.
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Playwright’s guide describes a full-page screenshot as the entire scrollable page rendered “as if the page was very tall.” A fixed URL label therefore appears at the top of the full-page image, not as a browser toolbar. With fullPage: false (the default), it appears only in the current viewport. If you capture an element with locator.screenshot(), an overlay attached to body may be outside the element’s bounds and will not be included. In that case, put the URL label inside the element being captured or take a page screenshot and crop it afterward.
Rank #2
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- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
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- 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
For a long page, consider whether the label should appear once at the document top or be repeated on every logical section. A fixed element is captured according to Playwright’s rendering behavior; it is not a print header repeated per page. If you need repeated headers, use the PDF method below.
Keep the URL out of the pixels when possible
If the screenshot is an asset for a build, test report, or archive, changing the page can be undesirable. Save the value returned by page.url() beside the image instead:
const url = page.url();
await page.screenshot({ path: 'checkout.png' });
require('node:fs').writeFileSync(
'checkout.png.json',
JSON.stringify({ url, capturedAt: new Date().toISOString() }, null, 2)
);This preserves the original pixels while keeping a machine-readable association. A filename such as checkout--example.com--2026-09-29.png can help humans, but a sidecar JSON record is safer for long URLs, fragments, and query strings.
Use a PDF when you need a documented URL header or footer
Playwright’s PDF API is a separate output path. Its displayHeaderFooter option enables printed headers and footers, and the template classes include url for the document location:
await page.pdf({
path: 'page.pdf',
format: 'A4',
displayHeaderFooter: true,
headerTemplate: '<div style="font-size:10px;width:100%;padding:0 12mm;"><span class="url"></span></div>',
footerTemplate: '<div style="font-size:10px;width:100%;text-align:center;"><span class="pageNumber"></span> / <span class="totalPages"></span></div>',
margin: { top: '18mm', bottom: '18mm' }
});This creates a PDF, not a raster screenshot. The Page API documents limitations: scripts in header and footer templates are not evaluated, and page styles are not visible inside those templates. Use the HTML overlay when the deliverable must remain a PNG, JPEG, or WebP; use PDF headers when a printed artifact with a URL on each page is acceptable.
Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
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- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Choose the right URL-identification method
| Method | Output | URL visibility | Page content changed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injected HTML label | PNG, JPEG, WebP, or buffer | Visible in the captured page | Yes, temporarily |
| Sidecar metadata | Original image plus JSON or log | Not visible in pixels | No |
| PDF header/footer | Documented url template value |
No page-body overlay, but output is a PDF | |
| Browser-window capture | Operating-system image | Address bar may be visible | Outside Playwright page screenshots |
Troubleshooting common failures
The URL label is missing
- Confirm that
page.evaluate()runs after navigation and beforepage.screenshot(). - If you are taking an element screenshot, place the label inside that element or capture the page instead.
- Check that your selector is not being removed by application code; the data attribute makes the label easy to inspect.
The label is behind the site UI
Raise its z-index and create a stacking context with position: fixed. A value such as 2147483647 is commonly above application layers, although a page can still use unusual compositing or browser-specific behavior. If the site applies a transform to an ancestor, test the label in that document context.
The URL is cut off
Long query strings can exceed the viewport. Keep overflowWrap: 'anywhere', allow multiple lines, and use a smaller font or a semi-transparent background. If readability matters more than the exact string, display a redacted URL and write the complete value to metadata.
The label changes the layout unexpectedly
A normal-flow label pushes content down and can trigger responsive breakpoints. Use the fixed overlay shown above, or reserve a deliberate amount of space and accept the layout change. Capture at a fixed viewport to make comparisons repeatable.
Content Security Policy blocks the approach
page.evaluate() executes in the page’s context and may work where loading an external script or stylesheet would be rejected by the site’s Content Security Policy. If the application actively removes injected nodes, capture a dedicated test route or use sidecar metadata instead. Do not weaken the production site’s security policy merely to label an image.
The URL shows an intermediate route
Wait for the condition that represents the final state, such as a selector becoming visible or a route-specific response completing. Then call page.url() again immediately before injecting the label. Reading it only before navigation can record the starting URL.
Rank #4
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PDF headers are blank
Set displayHeaderFooter: true, provide sufficient top and bottom margins, and use the documented template classes. Header and footer scripts are not evaluated, and page styles do not flow into the templates, so put required styling inline.
Reliability and performance considerations
- Wait for the state you intend to document. A URL label does not make asynchronous content complete. Use a targeted locator, a controlled delay, or an appropriate navigation condition before capture.
- Capture once per state. Injecting and removing a small DOM node is cheap compared with navigation and image rendering, but repeated full-page captures can be expensive for very tall pages.
- Keep the label deterministic. Use fixed font, colors, padding, and viewport dimensions in visual-regression jobs. Avoid timestamps in the visible label unless they are part of the requirement.
- Protect secrets. URLs can contain tokens, account IDs, or personal data. Redact before rendering, and restrict access to screenshots and metadata.
- Record both requested and final addresses when redirects matter. Save the input URL separately from
page.url()so an audit can distinguish what was requested from where the browser ended.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server for developers. One GET request returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF, so you do not have to install or manage a Playwright browser for a straightforward URL capture. Its clean-shot pipeline accepts cookie and consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each step can be disabled. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and the response identifies the result with X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. An MCP server exposes take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf to Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.
Use the API documentation at https://screenshotneo.com/docs/ for all options. The basic call is:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython:
import requests
r = requests.get(
"https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"},
timeout=90,
)
r.raise_for_status()
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Screenshot failed: ${res.status}`);
const fs = require('node:fs');
fs.writeFileSync('shot.webp', Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer()));ScreenshotNeo also supports full-page capture with lazy images loaded, CSS-selector element capture, dark mode, 12 device presets plus custom viewports, retina scale, PDF paper and margin controls, custom CSS and JavaScript, clicks before capture, selector waits, delay or network-idle waits, request and resource blocking, custom headers/cookies/user agents and Authorization, timezone and geolocation, transparent backgrounds, resizing, selectable cache TTLs, signed image links, asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call, a usage API, and an OpenAPI specification. Parameter names used by other screenshot APIs also work, which can simplify migration.
| Plan | Included shots | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 1,000 per month | $0, no card |
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Yearly billing gives two months free, and every feature is available on every plan. Start with 1,000 free screenshots a month—no card required.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFrequently Asked Questions
Can I show the browser’s actual address bar with Playwright?
Not with page.screenshot(); that API captures page content. Capturing the operating-system browser window is a separate desktop-automation task and is not the documented Playwright page-screenshot path.
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
Should I include the URL in a visual-regression baseline?
Only if the URL itself is part of what you are testing. Otherwise, keep the image unchanged and record page.url() in metadata so route changes do not create unnecessary pixel differences.
How can I label a screenshot after a client-side route change?
Wait for the route-specific UI or other completion condition, then read page.url() and inject a fresh label. Remove any previous marker first so only the final route is shown.
Can a PDF URL header replace an image overlay?
Yes when a PDF is acceptable. Enable displayHeaderFooter and use the documented url template class; it is a different output path from PNG, JPEG, or WebP screenshots.
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For an image file, render page.url() as a temporary overlay before page.screenshot(). Use sidecar metadata when pixels must remain untouched, or the PDF header/footer API when a paginated document is the better format.
Quick Recap
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