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For current Selenium IDE projects, use selenium-side-runner and give it a repository-relative output directory, such as artifacts. Do not assume that a filename like ./screenshot-1.png written in the browser-extension IDE means “save beside my project”: the extension does not have unrestricted filesystem access. If you are maintaining a legacy Selenium IDE 2.x test, a historical workaround derives the test-case directory with testCaseDirectory; that behavior is version-specific.
Choose the right path method for your Selenium IDE workflow
The reliable approach depends on where the test runs and which Selenium IDE generation you use. For a current .side project intended for repeatable local or CI runs, execute it with selenium-side-runner and set an output directory relative to the runner’s working directory. For screenshots written by exported WebDriver code, resolve the location using that language’s path library. A direct relative screenshot target in the browser extension should not be treated as a portable filesystem path.
| Workflow | Path approach | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy Selenium IDE 2.x / HTML IDE | Historically, read testCaseDirectory using storeEval and build the screenshot path from that value. |
Community-era workaround; verify it against the exact legacy build. |
| Current browser-extension IDE playback | Use browser-supported download behavior, or move filesystem-writing work to the runner or exported code. | The extension does not have unrestricted filesystem access. |
Current .side project run from a workspace |
Use selenium-side-runner with a relative --output-directory. |
The relative path is interpreted by the runner environment; control its working directory. |
| Exported WebDriver code | Resolve the intended path with the host language, then pass it to the WebDriver screenshot method. | Screenshot scope and file-writing behavior depend on the binding and method used. |
Why ./screenshot-1.png can fail
A relative path is meaningful only when the process that handles it has a defined base directory and permission to write there. In a command-line runner, that base is the runner’s working directory or a configured output location. In a browser extension, the browser’s security boundary prevents arbitrary extension code from behaving like a normal process with unrestricted access to the user’s project folders. Selenium IDE’s FAQ explains that “as a browser extension Selenium IDE does not have access to the file system” (Selenium IDE FAQ).
Consequently, a bare filename or ./ path may be rejected, may point somewhere other than the project, or may trigger download handling rather than writing next to the .side file. A historical report includes NS_ERROR_FILE_UNRECOGNIZED_PATH when using a simple relative input. A relative path is not inherently cross-platform unless its base, separators, permissions, and output handling are also controlled.
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Run a current .side project with a portable output directory
Set up a workspace-relative destination
Keep the Selenium IDE project and artifact destination inside the checked-out repository or CI workspace. For example:
tests/example.side— the project file.artifacts/— the output directory to retain as a CI artifact.
From the workspace root, use the runner’s documented output-directory option:
selenium-side-runner --output-directory=artifacts tests/example.sideThe Selenium IDE Command-line Runner documentation states that project paths and --output-directory accept either absolute or relative paths. A relative output location is portable when the runner is started from a known workspace root. Consult the official runner documentation for the configuration options and current invocation details.
Make the working directory explicit in CI
Set the CI job’s working directory to the checkout or workspace root before invoking the runner. This makes artifacts resolve consistently regardless of whether the agent’s physical checkout is under a Linux workspace, a macOS temporary directory, or a Windows build folder. Keep machine-specific roots out of the test itself; CI already knows the checkout location.
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If your chosen command or exporter does not create the destination directory, create it before running the test. Then configure the CI system to upload that same directory as a job artifact. A screenshot can be successfully generated and still disappear when the runner exits if the workspace is ephemeral and artifact publication is not configured.
Configure browser and Grid execution separately from the path
The runner also supports browser capabilities and Selenium Grid execution. Treat the output directory as the location on the machine or container running the runner, not as a location on the remote browser node. When a Grid session is involved, validate which component receives the screenshot result and writes the artifact; use the runner’s documented output behavior rather than assuming a remote node’s filesystem is visible to your CI workspace.
Use a legacy testCaseDirectory workaround only for legacy IDE builds
A historical Selenium IDE answer builds a destination from the test case’s directory by storing the preference and then interpolating the variable into the full-page screenshot command:
<tr>
<td>storeEval</td>
<td>Preferences.getString("testCaseDirectory")</td>
<td>testSuiteFolder</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>captureEntirePageScreenshot</td>
<td>${testSuiteFolder}/screenshots/screenshot-reportpage-1.png</td>
<td></td>
</tr>This is legacy HTML-style command notation, not a general recipe for the current extension. The workaround assumes that the old IDE exposes the preference and accepts the command in that form. Check the documentation and behavior for the exact legacy version you must support; do not migrate this assumption into a current .side project without testing. The original historical discussion is at Stack Overflow.
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Write screenshots from exported WebDriver code
If you export the test and need exact, language-native control over a destination, use the host language’s path utilities instead of embedding Windows drive letters or assuming a process directory. Selenium’s WebDriver screenshot documentation shows examples that save to paths such as ./image.png across bindings; the API can also return screenshot data for the caller to write. See Selenium WebDriver screenshot documentation.
The language-level pattern is: determine the project or artifact root at runtime, join it with the desired relative subdirectory and filename, ensure the directory exists, then call the binding’s screenshot method with the resulting path. This keeps separators and path normalization in the runtime’s hands. Confirm whether the selected screenshot method captures the viewport or a full page: the legacy captureEntirePageScreenshot command is explicitly full-page, while WebDriver screenshot APIs and browser drivers can have different scope and implementation details. For information about IDE commands and variables, consult the Selenium IDE Commands reference.
Keep one project working across Windows, macOS, and Linux
- Choose a stable root. Use the repository checkout or CI workspace root, not a developer-specific home directory.
- Keep paths relative to that root. For example, use
artifactsas the runner output directory rather than a drive-specific path. - Use forward slashes in IDE variables and project configuration where accepted. Avoid hard-coded roots such as
C:Usersname.... If code constructs paths, use its standard path library. - Ensure the output directory exists when needed. Create it in the CI setup or test wrapper if your selected runner/exporter does not create it automatically.
- Publish the directory. Configure CI artifact retention for the exact output location so screenshots survive beyond the job.
- Test the same invocation locally and in CI. Run from the intended workspace root and verify both the actual file location and whether it is retained.
Troubleshoot missing or misplaced screenshots
The command reports an unrecognized path
A legacy extension or command may reject a relative target, or the path syntax may not match what that version accepts. Do not keep changing between filename.png and ./filename.png as if either guarantees a project-relative destination. For a current project, use the runner’s output-directory option. For an older project, verify the testCaseDirectory workaround against its exact IDE version.
The screenshot appears locally but not in Linux CI
A local path may contain a Windows drive letter, a user-profile directory, or assumptions about the current directory. Remove the machine-specific root, keep the destination inside the workspace, and launch the runner from a known root. If exported code builds the path, let the language path library handle separators and normalization.
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The runner succeeds but no artifact is available later
Check two separate things: whether the screenshot file was created in the expected output directory, and whether the CI job uploads that directory. Relative paths are resolved during execution; artifact publication is a separate CI configuration step.
A full-page capture is unexpectedly only a viewport
Confirm which command or WebDriver method is being used and what that method captures in the browser and binding you run. Do not assume that every screenshot API has the same full-page behavior as the legacy Selenium IDE captureEntirePageScreenshot command.
A Grid run writes files somewhere unexpected
Distinguish the Grid browser node from the machine executing selenium-side-runner. Establish where the runner receives and writes screenshot output, then publish artifacts from that host’s workspace. The runner documentation covers Grid and browser capabilities, but a remote node’s local filesystem should not be assumed to be your CI artifact directory.
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Sources and version context
The path recommendations above distinguish the current browser-extension security model, the current command-line runner, exported WebDriver code, and a historical legacy workaround. Official Selenium documentation describes the extension’s filesystem limitation and the runner’s relative or absolute output paths; Selenium’s screenshot documentation covers WebDriver screenshot saving. The testCaseDirectory technique comes from a historical community answer and should be treated as specific to old IDE behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the same .side file on Windows and Linux?
Yes, provided its project and output paths are workspace-relative and the runner is launched from a consistent root; avoid machine-specific absolute roots.
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Does the runner output directory need to be absolute?
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Is testCaseDirectory supported in the current Selenium IDE extension?
The cited workaround is historical and version-specific; it is not established as a supported current-extension method.
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