To capture several websites with PhantomJS, put their URLs in an array, open each URL in turn with page.open(), check its load status, and call page.render() with a unique filename. Run the JavaScript file with phantomjs multi-capture.js. Set page.viewportSize for a consistent browser viewport; use page.clipRect if you only need part of the page. PhantomJS is now a legacy option: its development is suspended, so test the exact binary against your target sites before depending on it.
Capture multiple URLs sequentially
PhantomJS does not provide a built-in batch screenshot command. The batch behavior comes from your script: keep a list of URLs, open one page at a time, render a distinct output file, then move to the next URL after the current page.open() callback completes. This makes it easier to associate a failed load with its URL and avoids concurrent callbacks writing to the same page object.
Save the following as multi-capture.js:
var page = require('webpage').create();
var targets = [
'https://example.com/',
'https://example.org/'
];
var index = 0;
page.viewportSize = { width: 1365, height: 768 };
function next() {
if (index >= targets.length) {
phantom.exit();
return;
}
var url = targets[index];
var output = 'capture-' + (index + 1) + '.png';
index += 1;
page.open(url, function (status) {
if (status === 'success') {
page.render(output);
console.log('Saved ' + output + ' from ' + url);
} else {
console.log('Failed to load ' + url + ' (' + status + ')');
}
next();
});
}
next();Replace the example addresses with the pages you want to capture. The index produces capture-1.png, capture-2.png, and so on. For durable runs, use filenames that identify the page or a stable identifier from your input data; avoid deriving filenames directly from arbitrary URLs without sanitizing characters that may be invalid in a filename.
Run the script
From the directory containing the script, run:
phantomjs multi-capture.jsThe command-line form is phantomjs [options] somescript.js. The PhantomJS command-line reference describes version 2.1.1 unless otherwise noted, so record which binary you use when reproducibility matters.
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Why the sequence matters
page.open() is asynchronous: its callback receives a status of success or fail. In this pattern, next() runs from inside that callback, so the next URL starts only after the prior open attempt has finished. phantom.exit() runs when the index reaches the end of the list. If you remove the callback check or exit too early, the script can save a failed page or terminate before the capture queue is complete.
Choose the viewport, capture region, and output format
Set a consistent browser viewport
page.viewportSize controls the browser viewport used to lay out the page. Set it before opening pages when all captures should use the same dimensions:
page.viewportSize = { width: 1365, height: 768 };Use the same viewport for each URL when you need screenshots that are comparable across runs. A viewport is not a promise that the entire document fits in the image; a long page may extend below the visible area. Test representative pages if responsive breakpoints or site-specific layouts affect the result.
Capture only a rectangle
Set page.clipRect when you need to render a region rather than the full viewport. For example:
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Select a file format
page.render() selects the output format from the filename extension. The screen-capture guide lists PNG, JPEG, GIF, and PDF. Give each output an extension matching the format you want, such as .png, .jpg, .gif, or .pdf. To set JPEG quality explicitly:
page.render('capture.jpg', { format: 'jpeg', quality: 90 });The optional render settings include format and quality. Use an image format for screenshots intended for image viewing; PDF is available where a document output is more useful. Confirm the produced file type and visual result in your own workflow, particularly when changing the extension or render options.
Handle delayed and dynamic page content
The page.open() callback tells you that PhantomJS has completed its page-open operation; it does not establish that every site-specific asynchronous widget, image, or late network response has finished rendering. If content appears after the initial load, delay the render or check a page-level readiness condition that is meaningful for that site.
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Add a bounded delay
The PhantomJS homepage demonstrates inserting a short setTimeout() before rendering. A delay can be useful for pages that settle shortly after load, but there is no universal wait duration that guarantees completeness across websites. Choose a bounded value based on the page behavior you need, and verify the screenshot rather than assuming that a longer wait always fixes the problem.
To add a delay in the successful-load branch, replace the immediate render with a timer:
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page.open(url, function (status) {
if (status === 'success') {
window.setTimeout(function () {
page.render(output);
console.log('Saved ' + output + ' from ' + url);
next();
}, 1500);
} else {
console.log('Failed to load ' + url + ' (' + status + ')');
next();
}
});This example waits 1.5 seconds as an implementation choice, not as a site-independent guarantee. Because the callback to next() is moved inside the timer on success, the next URL does not start until after the screenshot is rendered.
Use a readiness check where possible
If a page exposes a reliable signal that the content you care about is ready, wait for that condition and render afterward. Keep the wait bounded so a missing selector or broken page cannot stall the entire batch indefinitely. PhantomJS is old software, and modern sites may depend on browser features it does not support; a wait cannot make an unsupported feature work.
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- Keep the URL-to-file mapping clear. Log both the source URL and output name so a later review can identify which capture belongs to which target.
- Keep filenames unique. If two URLs map to the same filename, a later render may overwrite an earlier one. The sequential example avoids that by numbering outputs.
- Keep the viewport fixed. Changing viewport dimensions between runs can change responsive layout and make screenshots difficult to compare.
- Track failures separately. The example logs failed opens and continues; if missing a page should fail the whole job, collect failures and return an appropriate process status in your surrounding automation.
- Keep changing URL sets under version control or in a controlled input file. That makes it possible to reproduce which targets a batch attempted to capture.
For a small number of known URLs, a sequential queue is simple and predictable. If you later add retries, make the retry limit explicit and log each attempt; endless retries can prevent the script from reaching the end of the queue. These are script-level workflow choices, not built-in PhantomJS batch features.
Troubleshooting common problems
The command cannot find PhantomJS
If the shell reports that phantomjs is not recognized or not found, the executable is either not installed or is not available on the shell’s PATH. Confirm the binary can be invoked directly, then rerun the script using its full executable path if necessary. The exact installation steps depend on your operating system and binary source.
A URL is logged as failed
When page.open() reports fail, the script should not render that page as if it succeeded. Check that the URL is valid and reachable from the machine running PhantomJS, then try the page individually and record any network or site behavior that affects loading. Decide whether a failed target should be skipped, retried a limited number of times, or cause the batch to be marked unsuccessful.
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The screenshot is blank or incomplete
First distinguish a load failure from a successful but visually incomplete render by inspecting the logged status and opening the output file. If the page loads successfully but content arrives later, add a bounded delay or a page readiness check. If the target relies on newer browser behavior unavailable in PhantomJS, timing changes may not solve it; test the target directly and consider a maintained browser automation stack for new work.
Only part of the page appears
Check both the viewport and page.clipRect. The viewport determines the browser’s layout area, while the clip rectangle limits the rendered region. A restrictive clip can hide content even when it has loaded. Remove or adjust clipping and test again at the intended viewport size.
Captures overwrite one another
Make the output filename unique for every URL. A fixed name such as capture.png inside a loop will be reused each time. Include an incrementing index or a sanitized page identifier, and ensure repeated runs write to the expected directory.
Output format or quality is unexpected
Check that the output extension matches the desired format because PhantomJS chooses a format from the filename extension. For JPEG, use the documented render options if you need to specify quality. Open the resulting file with an appropriate viewer and validate the format and visual output before using the batch in production.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Understand PhantomJS’s maintenance status
PhantomJS is a command-line, scriptable headless browser, but it is a legacy choice rather than a maintained foundation for new browser automation. Its project homepage states, “Important: PhantomJS development is suspended until further notice.” The project wiki describes the 2.x branch as deprecated and no longer maintained, and the GitHub repository is archived. Those status statements matter because website browser requirements change: validate the exact PhantomJS binary against every important target instead of assuming current sites will behave as they did when the software was maintained.
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For an existing script that still meets its needs, document the binary version, operating environment, viewport, output settings, and target URLs. For a new system, weigh maintenance status and browser compatibility alongside screenshot format support, clipping controls, dynamic-content handling, batch orchestration, and whether execution must be local or hosted. The status information alone does not identify a particular replacement as suitable for every project.
Or skip the browser setup
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For example, this cURL request saves a WebP screenshot of a target URL (replace the URL and API key):
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can PhantomJS capture a list of URLs in parallel?
The example here processes URLs sequentially with one page object. Parallel capture requires a different orchestration design and should not be assumed to be a built-in batch mode.
Does a successful page.open status guarantee every image has loaded?
No. It reports the open status, not a universal readiness guarantee for all site-specific dynamic content.
What version does the PhantomJS command-line documentation cover?
The command-line reference says it applies to PhantomJS 2.1.1 unless otherwise noted.
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