Capture the image in your Playwright test with await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshots/home.png' }), then upload the screenshots/ directory as a GitHub Actions artifact after the test command. Put the upload step behind if: ${{ !cancelled() }} (or an equivalent condition) so failed tests still leave evidence. The workflow must install Playwright’s browsers and Linux dependencies with npx playwright install --with-deps.
1. Choose the screenshot you actually need
Playwright creates screenshots in the test process; GitHub Actions only preserves the resulting files. Choose the capture scope before designing the artifact layout.
Viewport screenshot
Use a normal page screenshot for what is visible in the current viewport:
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshots/home-viewport.png' });This is usually the best evidence for a responsive breakpoint or a failure visible above the fold.
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Full-page screenshot
Set fullPage: true to capture the complete scrollable document:
await page.screenshot({
path: 'screenshots/home-full.png',
fullPage: true
});Very long pages can produce large files and take longer to encode and upload, so reserve this option for visual review or page-length regressions.
Element screenshot
Capture only a component when the rest of the page is irrelevant:
await page.locator('[data-testid="checkout-summary"]').screenshot({
path: 'screenshots/checkout-summary.png'
});Locator screenshots reduce file size and make a failure easier to inspect. Playwright also supports returning screenshot bytes instead of writing a file, which is useful when you want to transform or attach the image directly.
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See the Playwright screenshot guide, Page API and Locator API for the complete option set.
2. Write screenshots to a predictable test output path
A fixed directory works for a small suite, but parallel tests can overwrite one another if they use the same filename. Use Playwright Test’s managed output path for test-specific evidence:
import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
test('home page renders', async ({ page }, testInfo) => {
await page.goto('https://example.com');
const image = await page.screenshot({
path: testInfo.outputPath('home.png'),
fullPage: true
});
await testInfo.attach('home screenshot', {
body: image,
contentType: 'image/png'
});
await expect(page).toHaveTitle(/Example/);
});testInfo.outputPath() keeps files inside the test’s own output directory. testInfo.attach() associates an image with that test in reporters that support attachments. The TestInfo API documents both approaches.
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Keep a screenshot when a test fails
For broad failure evidence, add a conditional screenshot in a fixture or test hook. The exact hook depends on your suite, but the important rules are to use a unique output path and avoid masking the original failure:
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export const test = base.extend({
page: async ({ page }, use, testInfo) => {
await use(page);
if (testInfo.status !== testInfo.expectedStatus) {
await page.screenshot({
path: testInfo.outputPath('failure.png'),
fullPage: true
});
}
}
});If the browser has already crashed, no screenshot can be produced; preserve the test output and trace as well so the artifact still explains the failure.
3. Install Playwright correctly on the runner
Hosted Linux runners do not automatically contain the browser binaries and all system libraries your project needs. A dependable job checks out the repository, installs Node dependencies, installs browsers with dependencies, and then runs tests.
name: Playwright
on:
push:
pull_request:
jobs:
test:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Check out repository
uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Set up Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: 20
cache: npm
- name: Install dependencies
run: npm ci
- name: Install Playwright browsers and Linux dependencies
run: npx playwright install --with-deps
- name: Run Playwright tests
run: npx playwright test
- name: Upload screenshots
if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v5
with:
name: playwright-screenshots
path: screenshots/
retention-days: 14The action tag and 14-day retention above are examples. Confirm the current actions/upload-artifact version and your repository’s retention policy before committing the workflow. The official CI pattern is documented in the Playwright CI guide.
4. Upload screenshots as artifacts
After a job finishes, an artifact is the downloadable bundle of files created on the runner. The upload step’s path must match the directory your tests actually write.
Upload on both success and failure
GitHub Actions normally stops later steps after a failed run. if: ${{ !cancelled() }} permits the upload after a test failure while still skipping it when the entire job is cancelled. Put the upload after npx playwright test; placing it before the test command produces an empty or stale artifact.
Upload test-managed output
If screenshots live under Playwright’s output directory rather than a top-level screenshots/ folder, point the action at that directory, for example:
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- name: Upload Playwright test output
if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v5
with:
name: playwright-test-output
path: test-results/
retention-days: 14Upload a separate, clearly named artifact when you want raw image files and a browsable HTML report to be downloaded independently.
Keep the HTML report too
Playwright’s CI example uploads its report as an artifact. Add a report step using the same failure-safe condition, adjusting the path to your configuration:
- name: Upload Playwright report
if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v5
with:
name: playwright-report
path: playwright-report/
retention-days: 30Use report artifacts for navigation and image artifacts when someone needs the original files directly. Do not assume the example retention period is appropriate for your organization.
5. Make filenames safe for parallel and repeated runs
- Use
testInfo.outputPath(), or include the test title and project name in a filename. - Do not let every browser project write
screenshots/home.pngto the same path. - Keep one artifact name per matrix entry or include the matrix value in the artifact name.
- Use PNG for lossless pixel comparison; use JPEG or WebP only when smaller files are more important than exact pixels.
For full-page captures, consider whether the page contains animations, timestamps, ads or lazy-loaded content. Disable or wait for those sources of nondeterminism before capturing, otherwise a visual diff may report changes unrelated to your code.
6. Sharded workflows need an artifact hand-off
Each GitHub Actions job has its own filesystem. A screenshot created in shard 1 is not visible to shard 2 or to a later merge job until it is uploaded and downloaded.
Give each shard a unique artifact name:
- name: Upload shard screenshots
if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v5
with:
name: playwright-screenshots-shard-${{ matrix.shard }}
path: screenshots/
retention-days: 14A dependent job can then download all shard artifacts before producing a combined report. Playwright’s sharding guide describes the analogous blob-report upload and merge flow. Avoid two jobs uploading to the same artifact name unless your chosen action behavior and naming strategy explicitly support it.
7. Diagnose common failures
“Executable doesn’t exist” or browser launch failure
The runner has the Node package but not its browser binaries, or Linux libraries are missing. Run npx playwright install --with-deps in the job after npm ci. For launch diagnostics, set DEBUG=pw:browser on the test step and inspect the log.
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- name: Run tests with browser diagnostics
env:
DEBUG: pw:browser
run: npx playwright testThe CI guidance for installation and diagnostics is in the Playwright CI guide.
The artifact is missing
Check three things: the test actually reached the screenshot call, the runner created the expected directory, and the upload action’s path exactly matches it. Add a temporary diagnostic such as find . -maxdepth 3 -type f if the location is unclear. A cancelled job cannot upload; a failed test can when the condition is !cancelled().
The screenshot is overwritten
Two tests or projects are using the same fixed filename. Move the file under testInfo.outputPath() or generate unique names from test metadata.
The screenshot is blank or incomplete
Wait for the page state that matters rather than assuming navigation completion means rendering is complete. Wait for a selector, fonts, API data and lazy images before calling screenshot(). If the page is intentionally dynamic, freeze animations and mock volatile responses where practical.
The upload succeeds but files are not useful
Upload the directory containing the actual images, not only a report’s metadata. If you need per-test context, attach the buffer or path with testInfo.attach() and also retain the test output directory.
8. Security, retention and cost considerations
CI screenshots, traces, reports and console logs can expose test credentials, access tokens, source code or application data. Treat artifacts as sensitive: restrict repository and artifact permissions, use trusted storage, encrypt files when appropriate, and retain them only as long as the debugging or review process requires. The Playwright CI setup guide calls out these risks.
Full-page and multi-browser captures increase storage and upload time. Capture the smallest useful scope, avoid duplicate screenshots on every passing test, and reserve long retention for release evidence. A failure-only policy often gives developers the evidence they need without retaining every routine run.
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Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo provides a website screenshot API and MCP server when you need a clean capture without managing Playwright browsers in your workflow. One GET request returns PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF; its pre-capture cleanup accepts cookie or consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status.
For a simple capture, see the ScreenshotNeo API documentation:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpimport requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
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9. A practical workflow checklist
- Choose viewport, full-page or locator scope.
- Write to a unique path, preferably
testInfo.outputPath()for test-linked evidence. - Install dependencies with
npm ciandnpx playwright install --with-deps. - Run tests before the upload step.
- Use
if: ${{ !cancelled() }}so failures retain evidence. - Match the artifact path to the directory created on the runner.
- Use unique artifact names for matrix and sharded jobs.
- Restrict access and set retention according to the sensitivity of the images.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I download the screenshots in GitHub?
Open the completed workflow run, select the job, and use its Artifacts section to download the named ZIP bundle.
Can GitHub Actions upload screenshots from a failed test?
Yes. Place the upload step after the test command and guard it with if: ${{ !cancelled() }}; this allows it to run after a test failure but not after cancellation.
Should I use an artifact or a Playwright attachment?
Use an artifact for a downloadable directory or report, and testInfo.attach() when the image should appear in the context of a particular test result. You can use both.
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