The Tool Desk
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import pyautogui
image = pyautogui.screenshot('screen.png')
print(image.size)Install PyAutoGUI and its screenshot backends
Install the package into the same Python environment that will run your script:
python3 -m pip install pyautoguiPyAutoGUI documents support for Windows, macOS and Linux. Screenshot capture requires Pillow, which PyAutoGUI uses for the returned image. On Linux, install the scrot command as well:
sudo apt-get install scrotIf you use a virtual environment, activate it before both installation and execution. A quick verification script is:
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import pyautogui
image = pyautogui.screenshot()
print(type(image).__name__, image.size)The call should print a Pillow image type and its pixel dimensions. Keep the Linux scrot dependency next to your deployment instructions; a missing capture backend can make otherwise correct Python fail.
Capture the entire display
Save directly while taking the screenshot
Passing a filename causes PyAutoGUI to write the image and still return the image object:
import pyautogui
image = pyautogui.screenshot('screen.png')
print(f'Saved {image.size[0]}x{image.size[1]} pixels')The filename extension in this example is PNG. Because the image is returned, you can inspect or process it in the same operation without taking a second screenshot.
Capture first, save later
Omit the filename when you need to decide where or how to save after capture:
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import pyautogui
image = pyautogui.screenshot()
image.save('screen.png')Use this form when a program chooses the destination dynamically, adds a timestamp, or needs to perform other work before writing the file. Both forms represent the same screenshot operation; the choice is about when you commit the file.
Capture only part of the screen
Use the region argument with a four-item tuple: (left, top, width, height). The first two values select the rectangle’s position; the last two define its dimensions.
import pyautogui
crop = pyautogui.screenshot(region=(0, 0, 300, 400))
crop.save('crop.png')For example, (0, 0, 300, 400) captures a 300-by-400-pixel rectangle beginning at the supplied screen coordinates. You can also save the region in one call:
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import pyautogui
crop = pyautogui.screenshot('panel.png', region=(120, 80, 640, 480))| Method | Coverage | Typical result | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
screenshot() |
Entire display | Larger image and file | Audits, complete desktop evidence, or context around an interaction |
screenshot(region=(left, top, width, height)) |
One rectangle | Smaller image and file | Repeated inspection of a known panel or control |
Region capture is also useful when a later image search only needs one area. The smaller search area can reduce unnecessary work.
A reusable Python screenshot script
This complete script supports a full display capture or an optional rectangle, and lets the caller choose the output path:
#!/usr/bin/env python3
import argparse
import pyautogui
def main():
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Capture a display screenshot')
parser.add_argument('output', help='PNG path to write')
parser.add_argument('--region', nargs=4, type=int, metavar=('LEFT', 'TOP', 'WIDTH', 'HEIGHT'))
args = parser.parse_args()
region = tuple(args.region) if args.region else None
image = pyautogui.screenshot(args.output, region=region)
print(f'Wrote {args.output}: {image.size[0]}x{image.size[1]}')
if __name__ == '__main__':
main()Run a full-screen capture with:
python3 capture.py desktop.pngRun a 640-by-480 capture positioned at (120, 80) with:
python3 capture.py panel.png --region 120 80 640 480Keeping the region as integers makes the command-line contract explicit and avoids accidentally passing a string tuple.
Use the returned Pillow image in a workflow
screenshot() returns an Image object even when a filename is supplied. That means one capture can feed validation, cropping, or another Pillow operation before the final save. If the required artifact is only a rectangle, capture it with region rather than capturing the full display and cropping afterward.
For repeated jobs, keep the capture loop small and write only the images you need. A practical pattern is:
import time
import pyautogui
for index in range(5):
image = pyautogui.screenshot(region=(0, 0, 800, 600))
image.save(f'frame-{index:02d}.png')
time.sleep(1)The region in this example is illustrative; choose coordinates that match the display being captured.
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Timing and image-location performance
PyAutoGUI’s documentation reports that on a 1920 × 1080 screen, screenshot() takes roughly 100 milliseconds. That is guidance for that resolution, not a guarantee for every computer, display size, desktop compositor, or workload.
If your program repeatedly inspects a screen, capture only the needed region when possible. PyAutoGUI’s image-location functions can search a screenshot or the live screen, and the documentation says locate calls can take about one or two seconds. Supplying a region to a locate call can improve speed by limiting the search area.
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reference = 'button.png'
try:
box = pyautogui.locateOnScreen(reference, region=(0, 0, 800, 600))
print(box)
except pyautogui.ImageNotFoundException:
print('Reference image was not found in the region')Current documented behavior raises ImageNotFoundException when no match is found. If your installed release documents older behavior, follow that release’s reference when choosing exception handling.
Common problems and fixes
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pyautogui'
Install with the interpreter that runs the script, not a different system Python:
python3 -m pip install pyautogui
python3 capture.py screen.pngWhen using a virtual environment, activate it first and repeat both commands there.
Linux reports that a screenshot backend is unavailable
Install scrot and retry:
sudo apt-get install scrotPillow is required on every supported platform; reinstalling PyAutoGUI in the correct environment will normally restore that dependency.
The output is the wrong size or area
Check the tuple order. It must be (left, top, width, height), not (x1, y1, x2, y2). Print the returned image’s size and test with a small, known rectangle before wiring coordinates into automation.
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locateOnScreen() raises an exception
In current documented behavior, no match raises ImageNotFoundException. Catch it when a missing match is an expected branch, and restrict the search with region when the target can occur only in one panel.
A repeated job feels slow
The documented 100-millisecond figure applies to a 1920-by-1080 example, and locate calls can take one or two seconds. Avoid taking an unnecessary full-display image, capture a smaller region, and avoid running image-location searches across the whole screen when a bounded area is sufficient.
The script works on one operating system but not another
PyAutoGUI documents Windows, macOS and Linux support, but Linux additionally needs the scrot command for screenshot functionality. Treat that package as a platform prerequisite in installation scripts and container or workstation setup.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →What this method does—and does not—capture
PyAutoGUI captures the display that the desktop environment exposes to it. The documented API here is full-display capture or rectangular region capture. The cited reference does not establish special handling for protected video, minimized windows, or an active window independently of the desktop compositor, so do not design a workflow that assumes those capabilities.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Or skip the browser setup with ScreenshotNeo
If your real input is a public web URL rather than a local desktop, ScreenshotNeo provides a website screenshot API and MCP server. One GET request returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. Its capture flow accepts cookie or consent banners like a visitor, then removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be turned off.
Only clean shots are billed. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits cost nothing, and each response reports the result in X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. An MCP server exposes take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf to Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients.
See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for authentication and the full parameter reference. This one-call cURL example captures Stripe:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpThe same request in Python is:
import requests
r = requests.get(
'https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot',
params={'access_key': 'YOUR_API_KEY', 'url': 'https://stripe.com'},
timeout=90,
)
r.raise_for_status()
open('shot.webp', 'wb').write(r.content)And in Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${res.status}`);
const fs = await import('node:fs/promises');
await fs.writeFile('shot.webp', Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer()));Options for production captures
ScreenshotNeo lists 63 options, including:
- Full-page capture with lazy images loaded.
- Capture one element by CSS selector.
- Dark mode, 12 device presets, arbitrary viewports and retina scale.
- PDF paper size, margins, landscape mode and page ranges.
- HTML/CSS to image.
- Custom CSS and JavaScript.
- Click an element before capture.
- Hide selectors.
- Wait for a selector, a delay or network idle.
- Block ads, trackers, requests or resource types.
- Custom headers, cookies, user agent and
Authorization. - Timezone and geolocation.
- Transparent background and image resizing.
- Caching with a TTL you choose.
- Signed links for public
<img>tags. - Asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks.
- Bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call.
- A usage API and an OpenAPI specification.
- Parameter names used by other screenshot APIs also work, easing migration.
Every feature is available on every plan. Current plans are:
Best Value
| Plan | Price | Included shots |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000 per month, no card |
| Starter | $5 | 3,000 |
| Growth | $15 | 15,000 |
| Pro | $39 | 60,000 |
| Scale | $99 | 250,000 |
| Business | $249 | 1,000,000 |
Yearly billing gives two months free. If you want URL captures without installing a desktop browser stack, start with 1,000 free screenshots a month and no card.
FAQ
Can I use PyAutoGUI for a web page without opening a local browser?
PyAutoGUI’s documented workflow captures the display or a display region. For a URL-only workflow, use an HTTP screenshot service such as ScreenshotNeo instead.
What should I record when diagnosing a failed capture?
Record the operating system, Python interpreter used for installation, whether Pillow is available, and on Linux whether scrot is installed. Also print the requested region and the returned image dimensions.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsShould I treat the documented timing as a service-level guarantee?
No. The roughly 100-millisecond figure is documentation guidance for a 1920-by-1080 screen; measure your own workload when latency matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use PyAutoGUI for a web page without opening a local browser?
PyAutoGUI’s documented workflow captures the display or a display region. For a URL-only workflow, use an HTTP screenshot service such as ScreenshotNeo instead.
What should I record when diagnosing a failed capture?
Record the operating system, Python interpreter used for installation, whether Pillow is available, and on Linux whether scrot is installed. Also print the requested region and the returned image dimensions.
Should I treat the documented timing as a service-level guarantee?
No. The roughly 100-millisecond figure is documentation guidance for a 1920-by-1080 screen; measure your own workload when latency matters.
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