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To schedule website screenshots with GitHub Actions, add a schedule trigger to a workflow in .github/workflows, run browser automation such as Playwright, save the image, and upload it as a workflow artifact. GitHub starts the workflow; your job must open the site and capture the screenshot.

What you need before scheduling a screenshot

  • A GitHub repository with the workflow file on its default branch. Scheduled workflows run against the latest commit on that branch.
  • A script or project that can launch a browser, navigate to the site, and write an image file.
  • A place to retrieve the image after the job ends. Workflow artifacts are a straightforward option.

GitHub Actions provides the schedule, not the browser capture. Playwright is one documented browser-automation option; its CI guide covers installing dependencies, running a script, and uploading output. See Playwright’s Continuous Integration guide.

Create a scheduled workflow

Save a workflow such as .github/workflows/website-screenshot.yml on the repository’s default branch. This example runs daily at 06:17 UTC and allows a manual run from the Actions tab:

name: Website screenshot
on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '17 6 * * *'
  workflow_dispatch:
jobs:
  screenshot:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v6
        with:
          node-version: 22
      - run: npm ci
      - run: npx playwright install --with-deps chromium
      - run: node screenshot.mjs
      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v5
        with:
          name: website-screenshot
          path: screenshot.png
          retention-days: 30

The runtime and action versions in this example are illustrative configuration choices; match them to the versions supported by your repository and verify current action versions when you publish or deploy. Playwright’s CI guide is the reference for its setup pattern. The artifact path must match the file your script actually creates.

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Write the Playwright capture script

Install Playwright in the project and create screenshot.mjs. Set the target URL through a repository variable named TARGET_URL, or replace the environment-variable expression with a URL. The script fails the job if navigation does not complete successfully or capture throws an error.

import { chromium } from 'playwright';

const targetUrl = process.env.TARGET_URL;
if (!targetUrl) throw new Error('Set the TARGET_URL environment variable');

const browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: true });
try {
  const page = await browser.newPage({ viewport: { width: 1440, height: 900 } });
  const response = await page.goto(targetUrl, {
    waitUntil: 'networkidle',
    timeout: 60000,
  });
  if (!response || !response.ok()) {
    throw new Error(`Navigation failed: ${response?.status() ?? 'no response'}`);
  }
  await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png', fullPage: true });
} finally {
  await browser.close();
}

Set the variable for the workflow job, for example by adding env: beneath screenshot: with TARGET_URL: https://example.com. If your site keeps long-lived network connections open, networkidle may never occur; use a suitable readiness condition, such as waiting for a page-specific selector, instead. Choose a fixed viewport and keep browser/runtime versions stable if you intend to compare captures over time.

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Choose a cron time and timezone

GitHub schedule expressions use five POSIX cron fields, in this order: minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week. By default, the schedule uses UTC. GitHub also supports an optional IANA timezone. See GitHub’s workflow event documentation and workflow syntax reference.

Expression Meaning with the default UTC timezone
17 6 * * * Every day at 06:17
30 8 * * 1-5 Weekdays at 08:30
0 */6 * * * Every six hours, at minute zero

These are examples of cron interpretation, not guarantees of exact start time. GitHub documents a shortest supported interval of five minutes, but scheduled runs may be delayed during heavy load, especially around the start of an hour; sufficiently high load can cause queued jobs to be dropped. Choosing a minute other than zero can reduce the chance of a delay, but does not guarantee punctual execution.

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If you use an IANA timezone that observes daylight saving time, a scheduled time in a skipped spring-forward hour advances to the next valid time. GitHub’s example moves 2:30 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Choose UTC for a stable global clock, or a local timezone when the schedule should follow local time and daylight-saving transitions.

Keep and review screenshot output

The job’s filesystem is not a permanent archive. The example uploads screenshot.png as an artifact associated with the workflow run and sets its retention period to 30 days. Change the path if your script writes to a directory or uses another filename, and choose a retention period appropriate to your review window. Playwright’s CI guide demonstrates artifact upload for reports; adapt the artifact path to your screenshot.

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Artifacts provide run-linked downloads, not a permanent visual history or gallery. If you need longer-term comparisons, select a separate storage approach—such as repository commits or object storage—with retention, access, and cost rules that fit your use. There is no universally best destination established here.

Common failures and fixes

  • The scheduled workflow never starts: confirm the workflow file exists on the default branch and check that the repository has not been inactive. GitHub automatically disables scheduled workflows in public repositories after 60 days without repository activity. See GitHub’s schedule event documentation.
  • The run starts later than the cron time: scheduled workflows are not exact-time guarantees. Avoid scheduling at minute zero when practical, and treat the run time as approximate under heavy load.
  • The job runs but the artifact is missing: verify the screenshot script completed, that its output filename and working directory match the artifact path, and that the upload step follows the capture step.
  • Browser launch fails in CI: ensure the browser binary and required operating-system dependencies are installed in the job. For Playwright, the documented CI setup includes browser installation with dependencies.
  • Navigation or capture times out: check whether the target is reachable from GitHub-hosted runners, increase the timeout only if warranted, and replace a broad network-idle wait with a meaningful selector or readiness condition when the page continuously makes requests.
  • The image changes between runs: dynamic content, fonts, animations, viewport differences, and browser changes can affect pixels. Keep the viewport and runtime stable where possible, and disable or wait for page elements that should not vary in the capture.
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Or skip the browser setup

ScreenshotNeo can return a screenshot or PDF from one GET request. Cookie banners and consent prompts, newsletter popups, and chat widgets are removed before capture; these cleanup steps can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, with response headers indicating the page verdict and billing status. It also provides an MCP server for AI agents, with screenshot, page-info, and PDF tools.

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For a scheduled GitHub workflow, call the API from your job and save the returned image as an artifact:

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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webp

Set YOUR_API_KEY to your API key and replace the target URL. The endpoint and options are documented at ScreenshotNeo’s API documentation. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for the free plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a scheduled GitHub Actions workflow run every minute?

No. GitHub documents five minutes as the shortest supported schedule interval.

Does workflow_dispatch replace the scheduled trigger?

No. It adds a manual way to start the workflow; the cron schedule remains a separate trigger.

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