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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteUse Playwright to open a webpage in a real browser and save its rendered view as an image. Install the Python package and its browser binaries, then call page.screenshot(). By default, that captures the current viewport; use full_page=True for the full scrollable page or take a screenshot of a locator to capture one element.
Capture a webpage screenshot with Python
Playwright lets Python control a browser that renders the page, then capture the result. Its Python library offers synchronous and asynchronous APIs, and the browser runs headlessly by default. This example uses the synchronous API and Chromium:
from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright
with sync_playwright() as p:
browser = p.chromium.launch()
page = browser.new_page()
page.goto("https://example.com")
page.screenshot(path="screenshot.png")
browser.close()Save the code in a file such as screenshot.py. When it runs successfully, the image is written to screenshot.png in the process’s current working directory. Change the URL to the page you want to capture and change the output path if you want the image saved somewhere else.
Install Playwright and its browser
The package and the browser binaries are separate installation steps. Install both before launching a browser:
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pip install playwright
playwright installRun these commands in the Python environment you will use to run the script. Playwright supports Chromium, Firefox and WebKit; the example selects Chromium with p.chromium. To use another supported browser, change that selection to p.firefox or p.webkit.
Browser binaries are tied to Playwright releases. If you update the package, you may need to run playwright install again so the installed browsers match the library version. Browser requirements and operating-system support can change, so consult the current Playwright installation and browser-management documentation when setting up a new system or updating an existing project.
Choose what part of the page to capture
The default screenshot is the current viewport: the visible browser area, not necessarily the entire document. Choose a capture scope based on what the image needs to show.
Current viewport
Use the default call when you want the view that fits in the page’s current viewport:
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page = browser.new_page(viewport={"width": 1280, "height": 800})Full scrollable page
Set full_page=True to capture the full scrollable document rather than just the portion currently visible:
page.screenshot(path="full-page.png", full_page=True)A full-page image can be much taller and larger than a viewport image. Use it for a long article or landing page when the complete document matters; use a viewport image when you need a compact image of one screen. Full-page capture does not guarantee that every site’s lazy-loaded content has already appeared. For a page that loads content as you scroll, use a readiness condition appropriate to that site before taking the screenshot.
One element
When you only need a specific component, take a screenshot of a locator instead of the whole page:
page.locator(".header").screenshot(path="header.png")Replace .header with a CSS selector that identifies the element you want. The selector must match an element on the loaded page. A locator capture is a good fit for a card, chart, banner or other region that would be difficult to crop consistently from a full-page image.
Save to a file or keep image bytes in Python
Giving path to screenshot() writes an image file. If you omit path, the call returns the screenshot as bytes instead. That is useful when you want to process the image in memory or pass it to another part of your program without first writing a file:
image_bytes = page.screenshot()
# For example, write the returned bytes later:
with open("screenshot.png", "wb") as image_file:
image_file.write(image_bytes)The screenshot API supports PNG, JPEG and WebP. Playwright can infer the image type from the path extension; use an extension that matches the format you want, such as .png, .jpg or .webp. When working with bytes rather than a path, select the image type with the API’s type option.
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Control screenshot format, scale and clipping
Beyond capture scope and destination, the screenshot API documents options for image type, clipping, quality and scale. These are useful when the output has constraints such as a fixed crop or a smaller file.
- Type: choose PNG, JPEG or WebP. If writing to a path, the extension can determine the format.
- Quality: set the quality option for formats that support it. Quality is relevant when balancing image size and visual fidelity; it does not replace choosing an appropriate format.
- Scale: CSS scale produces one image pixel per CSS pixel. Device scale uses device pixels and can produce a larger image on a high-density display.
- Clip: use the clipping option when you need a defined rectangle rather than a complete viewport, page or matched element.
For example, a path extension selects a common output format directly:
page.screenshot(path="page.webp")Choose scale deliberately: the device-scale output can have more pixels and take more storage, while CSS scale keeps the output dimensions aligned to CSS pixels. A clip is a coordinate-based crop, so it is most dependable when the viewport and page layout are controlled.
Use the asynchronous Python API
If the surrounding program already uses asyncio, Playwright provides an asynchronous API. The browser and page operations are awaited, and the browser is closed in a finally block so cleanup still runs if navigation or capture raises an error:
import asyncio
from playwright.async_api import async_playwright
async def main():
async with async_playwright() as p:
browser = await p.chromium.launch()
try:
page = await browser.new_page()
await page.goto("https://example.com")
await page.screenshot(path="screenshot.png", full_page=True)
finally:
await browser.close()
asyncio.run(main())Use the synchronous example for a standalone script that does not need an event loop. Use the asynchronous form when it fits an existing async application; do not mix synchronous Playwright calls into an event-loop workflow simply to make one screenshot.
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Handle pages that load content dynamically
A successful navigation does not establish that every site-specific element, animation or lazy-loaded image is ready for capture. The right wait depends on how the page works. If the content you need appears only after a particular element loads, wait for that element using a locator readiness condition before calling screenshot(). If images load on scroll, scroll in the way the site expects before taking a full-page image.
A fixed delay can be useful for a known, brief transition, but it is a blunt tool: a short delay may capture too early, while a long delay wastes time on pages that were already ready. Prefer a condition tied to the content you need when the page provides one. There is no single wait strategy that guarantees readiness for every website.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need screenshots from code without managing Playwright and browser binaries, ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. A GET request with a URL returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF. Here is the Python one-call form; see the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options:
import requests
r = requests.get(
"https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"},
timeout=90,
)
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common screenshot problems
The browser will not launch
If Playwright is installed but the selected browser is missing, install the browser binaries with playwright install. If you have updated Playwright, rerun the command: the browser binaries required by a release may differ from those installed for an earlier version. For operating-system-specific setup issues, check the current official installation and browser requirements rather than assuming every system uses the same prerequisites.
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The screenshot is blank or shows an incomplete page
Check that the navigation reached the intended URL and that the content you need had loaded before capture. Pages that render content after navigation, load images on scroll or show content only after interaction may need a site-specific wait or action. Capture a locator for a visible target element when that is a better readiness signal than taking the whole page immediately.
The output only contains the visible screen
That is the default behavior. Use full_page=True for the full scrollable document, or capture a specific element with page.locator("selector").screenshot(...). Confirm that you changed the actual screenshot call being executed, especially if a helper function wraps it.
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The image is unexpectedly large or the wrong format
Check the filename extension and the scale option. A device-scale image may contain more pixels than a CSS-scale image, particularly on high-density displays. Use the extension for the desired format when saving to a path, and select CSS scale if one image pixel per CSS pixel is sufficient.
The script stops responding during navigation or capture
The screenshot API’s documented default timeout is 30,000 milliseconds. A slow page or a page that never reaches the condition your script expects can run into a timeout. Identify whether navigation or the screenshot operation is waiting, then choose an appropriate site-specific readiness condition and review the relevant API timeout option. Do not solve every slow page by adding an arbitrary, very long delay.
Practical choices for repeatable captures
- Make the viewport explicit when comparing screenshots over time; layout can change with viewport dimensions.
- Choose a scope intentionally. Viewport captures are compact, full-page captures include the scrollable document, and locator captures isolate one component.
- Use a file path for a saved artifact and bytes when the next step is in-memory processing or transfer.
- Keep package and browser versions aligned. After updating Playwright, install the matching browser binaries if required.
- Wait for the content that matters. A site-specific condition is more reliable than assuming a navigation call means all visual content is ready.
- Control output size. Format and scale affect the resulting image; device-pixel captures may be larger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I capture a screenshot without saving it to disk?
Yes. Omit the path argument; Playwright returns the image as bytes that your program can pass to another function or store later.
Which browser does the example use?
The examples select Chromium. Playwright’s Python API also supports Firefox and WebKit, subject to installing the corresponding browser binaries.
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