Use html2canvas(element, options) in a browser to render an HTML element into a canvas, then append the canvas or export it as an image. It reconstructs the element from the DOM and CSS; it does not take a native screenshot of the browser’s pixels. That distinction matters for CSS fidelity, cross-origin images, and server-side use.
Install html2canvas and capture an element
Install the package in a project that uses a JavaScript bundler:
npm install @html2canvas/html2canvas
# or: yarn add @html2canvas/html2canvas
# or: pnpm add @html2canvas/html2canvasImport it, select the element after it exists in the document, and await the returned Promise:
import html2canvas from '@html2canvas/html2canvas';
const element = document.querySelector('#capture');
if (!element) throw new Error('Could not find #capture');
const canvas = await html2canvas(element);
document.body.appendChild(canvas);The element can be a card, chart, section, or other DOM node. The result is a browser <canvas>, not a PNG file yet. The official getting-started documentation also describes a CDN build for pages that do not use a bundler: html2canvas getting started.
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Call it from a button
In a regular script, wrap the asynchronous capture in an event handler:
document.querySelector('#download').addEventListener('click', async () => {
const element = document.querySelector('#capture');
if (!element) return;
const canvas = await html2canvas(element);
document.body.appendChild(canvas);
});Ensure the selected element has been rendered and its content is ready before starting the capture. If the page is still loading images or updating a chart, wait for that application-specific work first; html2canvas does not make unfinished page content complete by itself.
Save the canvas as a PNG
Use the canvas toDataURL() method and an anchor with a download filename:
const canvas = await html2canvas(document.querySelector('#capture'));
const link = document.createElement('a');
link.download = 'screenshot.png';
link.href = canvas.toDataURL('image/png');
link.click();This creates a PNG download in the browser. If an image from another origin has tainted the canvas, exporting it can fail with a security exception; resolve the image’s CORS setup rather than treating export as a way around browser security. The project’s examples include the download approach.
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The optional second argument controls how html2canvas renders. The documented options include crop coordinates and dimensions, output scale, background, cloning hooks, exclusions, and viewport dimensions. Here is a crop scaled for the current display’s pixel ratio:
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const canvas = await html2canvas(document.querySelector('#capture'), {
x: 100,
y: 100,
width: 400,
height: 300,
scale: window.devicePixelRatio,
});Crop and output scale
xandyset the crop’s position;widthandheightset its size.scaleaffects the output resolution. The documented default is the browser’s device-pixel ratio. Setting it explicitly can help you control output dimensions, but a higher scale also creates a larger canvas and can reach browser limits sooner.
Transparent background and page-only changes
Set backgroundColor: null when you need transparency instead of a solid background. Use onclone to modify the cloned document that html2canvas renders, without changing the live page. For example, remove a control from the cloned version:
const canvas = await html2canvas(document.querySelector('#capture'), {
onclone(clonedDocument) {
clonedDocument.querySelector('.capture-controls')?.remove();
},
backgroundColor: null,
});To omit content, add data-html2canvas-ignore to an element, or pass an ignoreElements predicate in the options. These are useful for excluding buttons or controls that should remain visible on the page but not appear in the output. Check the configuration options for the complete option list and current signatures.
Capture a long element
For a tall region, set the rendering window dimensions to the element’s scroll dimensions:
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const canvas = await html2canvas(element, {
windowWidth: element.scrollWidth,
windowHeight: element.scrollHeight,
});This can help render content beyond the visible viewport, but it does not remove canvas size limits. For a long page, consider splitting the content into smaller captures if the output is blank, clipped, or incomplete.
Why images are missing: cross-origin rules
An image loaded from another origin may be omitted or may taint the canvas. The browser enforces this policy; html2canvas cannot bypass it. Setting useCORS: true asks the browser to load images with CORS, but it works only if the image server returns the required CORS response header.
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For example, you can request CORS-aware loading like this:
const canvas = await html2canvas(document.querySelector('#capture'), {
useCORS: true,
});If you control the image host, configure its response to allow the page’s origin as appropriate. If you do not control it, the documented alternative is a proxy that accepts a ?url= parameter and returns the resource in a same-origin-safe form. A proxy must be configured deliberately; do not expose an unrestricted URL-fetching endpoint, which could be abused to retrieve internal resources.
The allowTaint option controls whether tainted images are allowed into the canvas; it does not grant permission to read or export tainted pixels. See the project’s FAQ and configuration reference for CORS and proxy details.
What html2canvas can and cannot reproduce
html2canvas traverses the DOM and renders elements by implementing CSS properties. It does not capture the browser’s already-painted pixels. As the project puts it, “The screenshot is based on the DOM and as such may not be 100% accurate to the real representation as it does not make an actual screenshot.” Read its About page for the rendering model and compatibility information.
That makes it useful when client-side DOM rendering is what you need, but pixel differences are possible when a page uses CSS or browser features the renderer does not support or fully implement. Same-origin iframes can be rendered recursively; cross-origin iframes and sandboxed iframes without allow-same-origin cannot be read. Flash and Java applets are not rendered.
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For a fidelity-sensitive capture, compare the output against the intended view in the browser and test the specific styles and embedded content your page uses. The official documentation does not provide a universal accuracy percentage or performance benchmark, so neither should be assumed.
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Canvas size, blank output, and clipping
Canvas dimension and total-area limits vary by browser and device. The html2canvas FAQ gives rough guidance of about 32,767 pixels per dimension for Chrome/Chromium, Firefox, and desktop Safari, while noting that area limits and iOS Safari behavior vary. These are not guarantees for a particular device or page.
Very large canvases may become blank or partially rendered without throwing an exception. If a capture fails this way, try these steps:
- Reduce
scaleto lower the output dimensions. - Capture a smaller element or crop with
x,y,width, andheight. - For a long region, render smaller sections separately rather than building one enormous canvas.
- Set
windowWidthandwindowHeightto the element’s scroll dimensions when the visible viewport is truncating content.
Because both per-dimension and area limits depend on the browser and hardware, validate the largest capture on the actual devices you support rather than relying on a single nominal maximum.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can html2canvas run in Node.js?
No. html2canvas targets modern evergreen browsers, including Firefox, Chromium-based browsers, and Safari, and depends on browser APIs. It is not suitable for Node.js server-side rendering. For server-side screenshot jobs, use a real-browser automation tool such as Puppeteer or Playwright, which the project FAQ points to as alternatives.
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The distinction is practical: html2canvas reconstructs an element from a page’s DOM in the browser where it runs; Puppeteer or Playwright can launch or control a browser in a Node.js job and capture rendered browser output. Choose based on whether you need client-side DOM rendering or server-side browser automation.
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Troubleshooting common html2canvas problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Images are absent | The image host does not provide CORS headers, or the image cannot be loaded in a browser-safe way. | Try useCORS: true with a host that allows the required origin, or configure a controlled same-origin proxy. |
| PNG export throws a security error | A cross-origin image tainted the canvas. | Correct CORS or proxy handling; allowTaint does not make tainted pixels exportable. |
| Output differs from the page | The renderer reconstructs DOM and CSS rather than taking a native pixel screenshot; a property or embedded feature may be unsupported. | Check the project’s supported features, simplify the affected styling, or use a real-browser capture method when pixel output is required. |
| Iframe content is missing | The iframe is cross-origin or sandboxed without allow-same-origin. |
Use accessible same-origin content where appropriate; browser security prevents reading inaccessible frames. |
| Output is blank or cut off | The canvas is too large for the current browser/device, or the render window does not include the full content. | Reduce scale, capture smaller pieces, and set window dimensions to the element’s scroll dimensions for long content. |
| The selected element is not captured | The selector returned null, or the element was not yet rendered when capture began. |
Verify the selector and call html2canvas only after the element and its required content are present. |
Choosing the right capture approach
Use html2canvas when the capture should happen in the browser and reconstructing a DOM region is acceptable. Use a headless browser such as Puppeteer or Playwright when the job must run in Node.js or requires actual browser-rendered screenshot output. Before committing to either approach, evaluate the dimensions that must fit, how external images and frames are served, the CSS and browser features the page relies on, and whether output controls such as cropping or transparent backgrounds are required.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does html2canvas capture an element’s exact pixels?
No. It rebuilds the output from DOM and styles, so the result can differ from the browser’s actual rendering.
Can I use html2canvas to capture a cross-origin iframe?
No. Cross-origin frames, and sandboxed frames without allow-same-origin, are not readable to the library.
Does useCORS make every remote image work?
No. The image server must return the required CORS response header for the page’s origin.
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