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Use Playwright to render and capture the page, then run that script on a recurring schedule with GitHub Actions. In Playwright, fullPage: true captures the full scrollable page rather than just the visible viewport. The browser does the capture; the scheduler starts the job. This guide shows how to wire them together and what to check when pages are dynamic or scheduled runs are delayed.
How the scheduled capture works
A scheduled screenshot workflow has three parts: a browser script that visits the page and saves an image, a scheduler that launches the script, and a place to retain or retrieve the resulting file. The script below uses Playwright; GitHub Actions provides the recurring trigger. This is an implementation pattern assembled from their documented capabilities, not a tested script.
1. Create a Playwright capture script
Install Playwright in your project and make sure the browser runtime it uses is available in the environment that will run the job. Save this as capture.mjs:
import { chromium } from 'playwright';
const browser = await chromium.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.screenshot({ path: 'capture.png', fullPage: true });
} finally {
await browser.close();
}Replace https://example.com with the page you need to capture. Playwright documents fullPage: true as a way to capture the full scrollable page. See the Playwright screenshots guide and the Playwright Page API for the screenshot options and their current details.
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2. Choose when the page is ready
The example navigates and captures without an explicit readiness condition. That may be sufficient for a simple static page, but a screenshot only records what the browser has rendered by capture time. For a target with late-loading images, fonts, or widgets, decide what “ready” means for that page and wait for an appropriate selector, delay, or page state before taking the shot. Do not assume that full-page capture causes every site’s scroll-triggered lazy loading to run.
If the site fills sections only as they enter the viewport, test a page-specific scroll-and-wait routine before relying on scheduled output. Confirm that the resulting image includes the content you need; behavior varies by site.
3. Add a scheduled GitHub Actions workflow
Put a workflow file in your repository’s .github/workflows directory. For example, this configuration requests a daily run at 09:17 UTC:
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name: Scheduled page screenshot
on:
schedule:
- cron: '17 9 * * *'
workflow_dispatch:
jobs:
capture:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: 22
- run: npm ci
- run: npx playwright install --with-deps chromium
- run: node capture.mjs
- uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
with:
name: page-screenshot
path: capture.pngThis example assumes your repository includes a package manifest and lockfile that install Playwright with npm ci. Adjust the Node version and dependency installation to match your project. The artifact upload step makes the generated file available through the workflow run rather than treating the runner’s local filesystem as permanent storage; configure retention or a separate storage destination if you need longer-term access.
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GitHub documents cron scheduling, default UTC behavior, optional IANA timezones, and a minimum schedule interval of once every five minutes in its workflow syntax reference. Check that reference for current syntax. Scheduled workflows run from the latest commit on the default branch, so commit and enable the workflow there.
Choose screenshot settings for the job
Use the smallest set of options that produces an artifact fit for its purpose. The Playwright Page API documents additional screenshot controls, but options should be tested against the target page rather than assumed to behave identically everywhere.
- Image format: PNG is the default in the example. The API also supports JPEG and WebP; lossy formats have quality settings.
- Scale:
scale: 'css'produces output at CSS-pixel scale;scale: 'device'uses device scale and can create larger images. - Animation and masking: Screenshot options include animation handling and masking locators, which can help when transient elements or changing regions make an image difficult to compare.
- Timeouts: Screenshot options include timeout behavior. Set and handle limits appropriate to the job so a slow page does not leave the workflow waiting indefinitely.
For a visual record, preserve enough resolution to read the page. For repeated visual comparisons, keep viewport and scale consistent and decide how to treat timestamps, animations, and other changing elements.
Make the result available after the run
A scheduled runner’s local file is not, by itself, a durable archive. The workflow example uploads the image as a run artifact. If you need a longer history, a public URL, or access controls tailored to your team, configure storage that suits those requirements and decide how long captures should be retained. The right destination depends on your environment; the workflow example does not establish a retention policy.
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Understand schedule timing and reliability
A cron expression describes a requested schedule, not a guarantee that the capture begins at that exact minute. GitHub notes that scheduled runs can be delayed during periods of high load and that queued jobs can be dropped if load is sufficiently high. Its guidance suggests avoiding the start of an hour to reduce delay risk; the example uses minute 17 for that reason, not as a promise of punctual execution. See GitHub’s schedule-delay guidance.
Use workflow_dispatch to run the same workflow manually while setting it up. For ongoing monitoring, inspect workflow run history and configure failure notifications appropriate to your repository. If missing a capture has operational consequences, do not rely on a scheduled workflow as the sole timing guarantee.
Troubleshoot missing or incorrect captures
- The image shows only the top of the page: Confirm the screenshot call includes
fullPage: trueand that the target URL is the page you expect. - Lower-page images or sections are blank: Check whether the site loads content only after scrolling. Test scrolling and waiting for that page’s content before capture; full-page capture is not a universal trigger for lazy loading.
- The capture is stale or incomplete: The page may still be rendering when the screenshot is taken. Add a target-specific wait condition and verify fonts, images, and dynamic widgets in the output.
- The workflow never runs on schedule: Verify the workflow is committed to the default branch, that the schedule syntax is valid, and that the workflow is enabled. Check run history for delays or failures.
- The file is missing after the job ends: Confirm the screenshot path matches the artifact upload path and inspect the upload step. A file on the runner is not durable unless the workflow uploads it or sends it to persistent storage.
- The page requires authentication or special request details: The basic example does not implement login, custom headers, or consent handling. Those requirements must be handled for the specific site, with credentials stored securely in the execution environment.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. One GET request can return a screenshot or PDF; the scheduled trigger and artifact retention still need to be arranged in your own workflow. Its capture options include full-page screenshots with lazy images loaded.
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For a one-call capture, first create an account and use your API key in this cURL example. See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for request options and response details.
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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- Cookie or consent banners are accepted like a visitor and more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets are removed before capture; each of these steps can be turned off.
- Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing; response headers identify the page verdict and whether the request was billed.
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take_screenshot,get_page_info, andcapture_pdftools for AI agents and other MCP clients. - The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month without a card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots. Yearly billing gives two months free, and every feature is available on every plan.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I schedule a screenshot to run more often than once a day?
Yes. GitHub’s workflow syntax reference documents a minimum schedule interval of once every five minutes, though high load can delay or drop scheduled runs.
Will a scheduled screenshot capture exactly at its cron time?
No. GitHub documents possible schedule delays and dropped queued runs under high load, so cron should be treated as a requested rather than guaranteed start time.
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