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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Use a GitLab pipeline schedule to run a Playwright job on a cron cadence, save screenshots into a known directory, and publish that directory as a job artifact. The schedule targets a branch or tag and runs with its owner’s permissions, so configure both the job and its ownership before relying on recurring captures.
How the scheduled screenshot pipeline works
A GitLab schedule starts a pipeline independently of commits or merge requests. The pipeline runs the capture job from its configured branch or tag; Playwright opens the target pages and writes image files; GitLab artifacts retain those files for download and review.
- Add a Playwright capture script and a CI job that runs it.
- Configure the runner with a Playwright-compatible browser runtime.
- Save screenshots under a predictable directory and declare that directory under
artifacts:paths. - Create a pipeline schedule with a cron expression, target ref, and suitable timezone.
- Run the schedule once manually and confirm the pages, files, and artifacts before depending on recurrence.
Set up Playwright and the capture script
Playwright’s CI guidance recommends its public Docker image for GitLab CI, or installing browser dependencies with its CLI. Keep the image tag compatible with the Playwright package version in the project. The following example assumes a Node project whose lockfile and dependencies are committed.
Install the project dependency
Add @playwright/test as a project dependency and commit the resulting package-lock.json. The CI job below uses npm ci to install the locked dependency set. Select a pinned Playwright image tag compatible with that package version; the tag shown is a placeholder pattern, not a recommendation for a particular version.
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Create a script that captures your URLs
Create scripts/capture-screenshots.mjs. Ensure the destination directory exists, handle navigation failures as errors, and choose a readiness condition appropriate to the site rather than assuming every page is ready at the same point.
import { chromium } from '@playwright/test';
import { mkdir } from 'node:fs/promises';
const urls = [
{ name: 'home', url: 'https://www.example.com' },
{ name: 'pricing', url: 'https://www.example.com/pricing' },
];
await mkdir('screenshots', { recursive: true });
const browser = await chromium.launch();
try {
for (const { name, url } of urls) {
const page = await browser.newPage();
const response = await page.goto(url, {
waitUntil: 'networkidle',
timeout: 60_000,
});
if (!response || !response.ok()) {
throw new Error(`Navigation failed for ${url}: ${response?.status() ?? 'no response'}`);
}
await page.screenshot({ path: `screenshots/${name}.png`, fullPage: true });
await page.close();
}
} finally {
await browser.close();
}This example deliberately fails the job if navigation produces no response or a non-success HTTP status. Adjust that policy if the site intentionally uses a different status, and add authentication, consent handling, or explicit readiness checks when the target requires them. A long-lived request can prevent networkidle from becoming suitable; in that case use another wait condition or wait for a page-specific selector before capturing.
Configure the GitLab CI job and preserve the files
Add a job to .gitlab-ci.yml. GitLab’s job artifact documentation describes artifacts as archived files or directories produced by jobs; paths selects what gets included.
stages:
- capture
capture_screenshots:
stage: capture
image: mcr.microsoft.com/playwright:<pinned-version>-noble
script:
- npm ci
- node scripts/capture-screenshots.mjs
artifacts:
when: always
paths:
- screenshots/
expire_in: 7 daysReplace <pinned-version> with a real image tag compatible with the package version. The seven-day artifact lifetime is illustrative: choose retention based on how long reviewers need the files and project storage policy. GitLab documents a default maximum artifact file size of 100 MB, but this platform setting can vary by offering or configuration; check the target instance before relying on it.
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when: always asks GitLab to upload artifacts even if the script fails, which can help preserve any screenshots captured before an error. It does not make a failed job successful. If the script never creates files, there will be no screenshots to retrieve.
Create and manage the GitLab pipeline schedule
In GitLab, open the project and go to Build > Pipeline schedules, then create a schedule. Set the cron expression, timezone, target branch or tag, and any supported inputs. GitLab’s schedule setup and permission requirements are documented in its pipeline schedules guide.
Choose a cron cadence and timezone
Cron has five fields: minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week. For example, 0 * * * * runs at the start of every hour. A daily run at 06:30 is 30 6 * * *. The timezone determines how those clock times map to actual runs, including daylight-saving changes where applicable.
GitLab instances may enforce a maximum schedule frequency, so a cron expression that is valid syntactically may still be too frequent for a particular instance. GitLab also advises spreading similar schedules across different minute marks to avoid many pipelines starting together; for instance, avoid placing every hourly job at minute zero when staggered start times are acceptable.
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Select the ref and account for schedule ownership
A schedule is attached to a branch or tag, and the scheduled pipeline uses that ref’s configuration. Choose a ref that contains the intended .gitlab-ci.yml and capture script. Scheduled pipelines run with the schedule owner’s permissions, so that account must retain suitable project access. Protected refs may require merge permission to schedule. If the owner is blocked or removed, the schedule can become inactive; assign an appropriate active owner and periodically verify the schedule still runs.
Pass configuration safely
GitLab recommends pipeline inputs over variables for pipeline configuration, and schedule inputs persist for each scheduled run. If you use variables, remember that pipeline variables can have high precedence and may override values from other scopes. Do not place secrets in plain schedule inputs or print credentials in job logs. Use protected variables or the project’s secret-management mechanism according to its access model.
GitLab also supports schedule management through the pipeline schedules API and the GitLab CLI. The UI is a straightforward choice for an operator creating a schedule manually; API or CLI management is useful when schedule creation is part of an automated workflow.
Choose screenshot shape and retention deliberately
Viewport or full page
By default, a screenshot captures the visible viewport. Set fullPage: true to capture the full scrollable page, as in the script above. Viewport captures suit fixed-screen monitoring; full-page images cover long pages but can become large and may take longer to render or inspect. Playwright documents screenshot options in its screenshots guide.
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Artifact lifetime and capture cadence
Set the schedule cadence to match how often a change would matter to a reviewer, and set artifact expiration to cover the review window without retaining files unnecessarily. These are project-specific choices: more frequent captures and longer retention create more artifacts to store and inspect. Compare the actual artifact size against the instance’s applicable limit.
Make recurring captures reproducible
Playwright cautions that screenshot rendering can vary with host operating system, browser version, browser settings, hardware, power source, and headless mode; see its visual comparison guidance. To make scheduled images useful for visual comparisons:
- Keep the Playwright package and browser image version pinned and compatible.
- Use the same CI image and runner environment for baseline and recurring captures whenever possible.
- Keep viewport, device scale, locale, timezone, authentication state, and page readiness checks consistent.
- Start with one worker in CI for stability; increase parallelism only when runner resources and site behavior support it.
Playwright does not recommend caching browser binaries in CI as a general optimization: restoring them can take as long as downloading them, and Linux system dependencies cannot be cached. Prefer a compatible image and measure pipeline duration before adding caching complexity.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common failures
- Browser launch fails: Check that the Docker image tag matches the installed Playwright package and that browser dependencies are present. Use the Playwright image or install dependencies with the Playwright CLI as documented for CI.
- The job succeeds but the artifact is missing: Confirm the script writes to the exact path listed under
artifacts:paths, that the directory is created, and that the job reaches its artifact-upload stage. Check the job log for upload errors or artifact size limits. - The screenshot is blank or incomplete: Navigation completion is not necessarily application readiness. Wait for a meaningful selector or a site-specific condition, and account for consent dialogs, login requirements, or delayed content.
networkidlehangs or times out: Pages with long-lived network connections may not become idle. Use a more appropriate navigation wait condition and an explicit selector or readiness check.- A schedule stops running: Check whether its owner was blocked or removed, whether the owner still has project access, and whether the schedule remains active.
- A run is missed or delayed: Check the configured timezone, cron cadence and instance frequency limits, target branch or tag, and runner availability.
- Images differ unexpectedly: Compare the runner OS, browser/package versions, viewport, settings, and execution mode with those used for the baseline. Environment differences can alter rendering even when the page content has not changed.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo provides a website screenshot API and MCP server if you want a managed capture instead of maintaining a Playwright browser job. A single GET request can return an image or PDF; see the API documentation. For a scheduled pipeline, call it from a job and save the response 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://www.example.com
-o shot.webpStore the API key as a protected CI secret rather than committing it or placing it in a plain schedule input. ScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed. Its MCP server exposes screenshot tools for AI agents. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can a GitLab scheduled pipeline take screenshots every day?
Yes. Set a daily cron schedule, select the branch or tag containing the CI configuration, and retain the generated image directory as an artifact.
Where do I download screenshots from a GitLab pipeline?
Open the pipeline’s capture job and download its artifacts, provided the screenshot directory is included under artifacts:paths and has not expired.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsQuick Recap
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