You can automate URL-to-screenshot capture with Playwright: open each supplied listing URL, wait for the content you need, and save a viewport, selected element, or full-page image. First check the portal’s current terms and get any permission required for your use. A working script does not grant permission to automate access or reuse listing content.
Check portal permission before automating
Portal rules are not interchangeable. Magicbricks’ General Terms & Conditions state: “Use of automated software to extract or download data from the Site is prohibited without prior written consent.” The terms also prohibit bots, scrapers, or similar tools without permission. A screenshot workflow may implicate those restrictions depending on what it captures, how it is automated, and how the resulting images are used; that is not a blanket legal conclusion that every screenshot is data extraction.
Check the current official terms for each portal and obtain written authorization where applicable before running captures. The available Housing.com Terms of Use identify Locon Solutions Private Limited as the website and app operator, but do not resolve screenshot permission. Current 99acres permission terms are not established here. Do not bypass login walls, access controls, bot controls, or other restrictions. A screenshot of visible content is not permission to extract, reuse, redistribute, or commercially exploit listings or images.
Choose what each screenshot should include
Playwright can capture the current viewport, a specific page element, or the full scrollable page. Choose the scope based on the comparison or record you need:
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- Viewport: Captures what is visible in the browser window. Use it for a consistent above-the-fold record.
- One element: Captures a chosen listing card or detail section, rather than surrounding page content. The element must exist when the capture runs.
- Full page: Captures the page’s scrollable content in one image. Long listings can produce very tall files, and lazy-loaded content may need to be brought into view before capture.
Also decide the output format (PNG, JPEG, or WebP), filename convention, and scale. CSS-pixel scale follows the page’s CSS dimensions; device-pixel scale produces output at the browser device scale. Use the same choice across a batch if you intend to compare images.
Automate a list of listing URLs with Playwright
The example below uses Node.js and Playwright. It reads one URL per line from urls.txt, navigates to each address, waits for the page’s load event, and saves a full-page PNG with a numbered filename. It does not attempt to sign in, defeat bot checks, or evade portal restrictions.
1. Install Playwright
In a new project directory, run:
npm init -y
npm install playwright
npx playwright install chromium
2. Create the URL list
Put one URL on each line in urls.txt. Use URLs you are authorized to access and capture.
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3. Save this script as capture.mjs
import { chromium } from 'playwright';
import { readFile, mkdir } from 'node:fs/promises';
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const urls = (await readFile('urls.txt', 'utf8'))
.split(/r?n/)
.map((line) => line.trim())
.filter(Boolean);
await mkdir('screenshots', { recursive: true });
const browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: true });
try {
const page = await browser.newPage({
viewport: { width: 1440, height: 1000 },
deviceScaleFactor: 1
});
for (const [index, url] of urls.entries()) {
const filename = `screenshots/listing-${String(index + 1).padStart(3, '0')}.png`;
try {
const response = await page.goto(url, {
waitUntil: 'load',
timeout: 45000
});
if (!response || !response.ok()) {
console.error(`Skipped ${url}: navigation did not return a successful response`);
continue;
}
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await page.screenshot({ path: filename, fullPage: true });
console.log(`Saved ${filename} from ${url}`);
} catch (error) {
console.error(`Failed ${url}: ${error.message}`);
}
}
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
4. Run the batch
node capture.mjs
Successful captures appear in the screenshots directory. The script continues after a URL fails, so one inaccessible or slow listing does not stop the rest of the batch. Its numbered filenames are predictable, but they do not identify the listing; maintain a URL-to-filename record if you need that association.
Adapt the capture to the page state you need
Capture only the viewport
Remove fullPage: true from page.screenshot. The default capture is the visible viewport.
Capture one listing element
Use a selector that matches the target element on the page:
const listing = page.locator('YOUR_LISTING_SELECTOR').first();
await listing.waitFor({ state: 'visible', timeout: 15000 });
await listing.screenshot({ path: filename, type: 'png' });
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Replace YOUR_LISTING_SELECTOR with a selector verified for that portal’s page. If the selector is absent or ambiguous, the capture can fail or target the wrong element. Site markup can change, so check selectors when the workflow stops matching the intended content.
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The example waits for the browser’s load event, but that does not guarantee every listing widget or image has finished rendering. Where appropriate, wait for a stable, visible selector that identifies the content you need. A fixed delay can be added with await page.waitForTimeout(2000), but it is a time-based compromise: too short may capture incomplete content, while too long slows every URL. No single wait duration is prescribed for all property portals.
Change format and pixel scale
Playwright’s screenshot API supports PNG, JPEG, and WebP. Set a matching extension and specify the type explicitly when using JPEG or WebP. For example, await page.screenshot({ path: 'listing.webp', type: 'webp', scale: 'css' }). Use scale: 'css' for CSS-pixel dimensions or scale: 'device' for device-pixel dimensions. Check the Playwright Screenshots documentation for the API’s capture options.
Make batch captures repeatable
Two screenshots of the same URL can differ even when the script has not changed. Playwright identifies host operating system, browser version, browser settings, hardware, power supply, and headless mode among factors that can affect screenshot output. Dynamic page content and overlays can also change what appears.
- Keep the operating system, Playwright and browser versions, viewport, device scale, and headless setting consistent when comparing images.
- Use the same capture scope, format, and wait condition across the batch.
- Choose a stable page-state check for the content you need; do not assume that navigation completion means every dynamic element is ready.
- Keep an error log and relate each saved image to its source URL, especially when processing many listings.
These controls improve consistency; they do not guarantee identical output across unrelated machines or changing listings. See Playwright’s visual comparison guidance for factors affecting screenshot comparisons.
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Troubleshoot common capture failures
- Navigation times out: The page may be slow, blocked, or waiting on resources. Check whether the URL is reachable in an ordinary browser and whether automation is allowed. Adjust the navigation timeout only when a longer wait is reasonable; do not use it to circumvent access controls.
- The screenshot is blank or incomplete: Navigation may have finished before the relevant dynamic content rendered. Wait for a visible selector tied to the intended content, then capture. A fixed delay is less reliable.
- A target-element capture fails: The selector may not match, may be hidden, or may have changed. Verify the page’s current markup and wait for the target to become visible before taking its screenshot.
- Images or lower-page sections are missing: Content may load only when scrolled into view. For a full-page capture, first verify that the page has populated the content you expect; full-page capture alone is not proof that every lazy-loaded asset has loaded.
- Images differ between runs: Check that browser version, operating environment, viewport, scale, headless mode, and wait condition are stable. Also account for listing changes, rotating content, and overlays.
- A portal presents a bot check, login, or access denial: Stop rather than trying to evade it. Review the portal’s terms and request authorization if your intended workflow requires it.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo accepts a URL in one API request and returns a screenshot or PDF. For a WebP capture, replace the example target URL with an authorized listing URL:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp
See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for setup and options. It accepts cookie or consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each cleanup step can be turned off. Bot checks/CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server provides screenshot tools for AI clients, including Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients. The free plan includes 1,000 shots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.
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What this workflow does—and does not—establish
Playwright supplies the mechanics for opening URLs and saving viewport, element, or full-page screenshots. It does not establish an official screenshot API or blanket authorization for automated captures across Indian property portals. Confirm permission for each portal and intended use, and treat the resulting images as captures—not a license to reuse the underlying listing material.
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