Call driver.get_screenshot_as_file() after the page reaches the state you want to capture, pass a writable path ending in .png, and check the Boolean result. Create the parent directory yourself—Selenium does not create it.
Save a Selenium screenshot in one checked call
This complete Python example creates the destination directory, opens a page, saves the current WebDriver window as a PNG, and treats a failed write as an error:
from pathlib import Path
from selenium import webdriver
out = Path('screenshots')
out.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
with webdriver.Chrome() as driver:
driver.get('https://example.com')
ok = driver.get_screenshot_as_file(str(out / 'example.png'))
if not ok:
raise OSError('Selenium could not write the screenshot')The resulting file is screenshots/example.png, relative to the process working directory. Use an absolute path when a test runner, container, or CI job may start in an unexpected directory.
What get_screenshot_as_file does
Selenium’s API defines get_screenshot_as_file(filename) as saving a screenshot of the current WebDriver window to a PNG image file. The filename should end in .png; Selenium warns for another suffix because PNG is the documented output format.
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The filename is a filesystem path
Both relative and absolute paths work:
driver.get_screenshot_as_file('screenshots/home.png')
driver.get_screenshot_as_file('/var/tmp/selenium/home.png')When using pathlib.Path, convert it with str(path). This makes the value explicitly compatible with WebDriver implementations that expect a string.
The return value is part of the contract
The method returns True after the PNG bytes have been written and False when an I/O error prevents the write. A failed write is reported through that Boolean, so do not assume that the absence of a Python exception means a file exists.
if not driver.get_screenshot_as_file('artifacts/failure.png'):
print('Screenshot write failed')Selenium’s implementation obtains the PNG bytes, opens the supplied filename in binary-write mode, writes the bytes, catches OSError, and returns the corresponding Boolean.
Prepare the path before calling Selenium
Create every parent directory
Selenium will not create screenshots, artifacts, or any other missing parent directory. Create it before the call:
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from pathlib import Path
file_path = Path('artifacts') / 'run-42' / 'home.png'
file_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
if not driver.get_screenshot_as_file(str(file_path)):
raise OSError(f'Could not write {file_path}') Use a writable location
A read-only directory, a protected absolute path, or a process running as a user without write permission causes the operating system open/write operation to fail and produces False. In containers and CI, verify the mounted artifact directory and its permissions rather than relying on a developer’s local path.
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Prefer deterministic, unique names
Include a test name, URL slug, or run identifier in the filename when several captures are produced. This prevents unrelated steps from targeting the same path and makes failed artifacts easier to locate:
name = f'checkout-{run_id}-after-submit.png'
target = Path('screenshots') / name
target.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
if not driver.get_screenshot_as_file(str(target)):
raise OSError('Screenshot file was not written')Capture the right browser state
Navigate first, then wait for the state you need
The screenshot reflects the window at the instant the method runs. driver.get() returning does not necessarily mean that client-side rendering, an image, or a test-specific element is ready. Wait for the condition that matters to your capture before saving.
from selenium.webdriver.support.ui import WebDriverWait
with webdriver.Chrome() as driver:
driver.get('https://example.com/dashboard')
WebDriverWait(driver, 20).until(
lambda d: d.execute_script('return document.readyState') == 'complete'
)
WebDriverWait(driver, 20).until(
lambda d: d.find_element('css selector', '[data-page-ready]')
)
if not driver.get_screenshot_as_file('/var/tmp/dashboard.png'):
raise OSError('Screenshot write failed')For a particular visual state, wait for that state—not merely for navigation. For example, wait until a loading element disappears or a result element is present before taking the screenshot.
Understand the capture scope
This method captures the current WebDriver window. It is not a promise to capture every pixel of a long, scrollable document. If you require a full-document image, use a separate full-page screenshot API supported by the browser implementation you are running and verify its behavior for that browser.
Control the active window and viewport
The current window and its current viewport determine what is captured. If your test opens a second tab or window, switch to the intended handle before saving. Set the window size or device emulation before navigation when a reproducible layout matters.
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Related Selenium screenshot methods
| Method | Output | Scope or handling |
|---|---|---|
get_screenshot_as_file(path) |
PNG file | Writes the current window; returns True or False. |
save_screenshot(path) |
PNG file | Convenience method that delegates to get_screenshot_as_file, so the same path, PNG, and return-value rules apply. |
get_screenshot_as_png() |
PNG bytes |
Use when your application will upload, hash, transform, or store the bytes itself. |
get_screenshot_as_base64() |
Base64 str |
Use for HTML embedding or another text-only transport. |
Write bytes yourself when storage is custom
The in-memory method gives your code control over storage and naming:
png_bytes = driver.get_screenshot_as_png()
with open('screenshots/home.png', 'wb') as f:
f.write(png_bytes)
encoded = driver.get_screenshot_as_base64()With this approach, your application owns file handling and must report or handle its own write errors. The bytes are still a PNG representation of the current window.
Troubleshoot failed or unexpected files
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
The method returns False. |
Missing directory, insufficient permission, invalid path, or another operating-system I/O error. | Create the parent directory, use a writable location, use a valid filename, and log the absolute path. Check the Boolean and raise an error. |
No file appears for screenshots/home.png. |
The relative path is resolved from the process working directory, or the parent directory does not exist. | Print Path.cwd(), create the directory with mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True), or pass an absolute path. |
| A warning mentions the filename extension. | The name does not end in .png. |
Use the documented .png suffix; do not rely on an operating system accepting another suffix. |
| The file exists but shows an earlier or incomplete page. | The call ran before navigation, rendering, or the required test state finished. | Wait for the specific element or state you need, then capture. |
| The image contains only the visible portion of a long page. | get_screenshot_as_file captures the current window rather than guaranteeing a full scrollable document. |
Use a browser-specific full-page screenshot API when full-document output is required. |
| The screenshot is from the wrong tab. | WebDriver is focused on another window handle. | Switch to the intended window before calling the method. |
| A test intermittently fails on the write. | Several workers use the same path, or the destination is a transient or unwritable mount. | Generate unique names per worker/run and write to a known writable artifact directory. |
Reliability and performance considerations
Keep waits separate from file handling
Waiting determines what is photographed; the screenshot method only writes the current result. Keeping those concerns separate makes failures diagnosable: a timeout is a page-state problem, while False is a file-write problem.
Use PNG deliberately
The API contract is PNG. PNG preserves text and interface edges well, but large viewport sizes and image-heavy pages produce larger files and consume more memory during capture. Choose a practical viewport and avoid taking repeated captures when one artifact answers the debugging question.
Make artifact handling observable
Log the resolved destination, the active test or run identifier, and the returned Boolean. In CI, publish the directory as an artifact only after verifying the file was written. For in-memory workflows, check that your own storage or upload operation completed because Selenium cannot report errors in a downstream system.
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FAQ
Can I pass a pathlib.Path directly?
Convert it to a string with str(path) when calling the method. This makes the filename argument explicit and portable across WebDriver implementations.
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Does a True result prove that the page was correct?
No. It confirms that Selenium wrote the PNG file successfully. Your waits and assertions still determine whether the captured browser state was the one your test intended.
When should I use a full-page API instead?
Use one when the requirement is the entire scrollable document rather than the current WebDriver window. Full-page support is browser-specific and separate from this file-saving method.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pass a pathlib.Path directly?
Convert it with str(path) when calling get_screenshot_as_file so the filename argument is an explicit string.
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No. True confirms that Selenium wrote the PNG file; your waits and assertions must establish that the captured browser state was the intended one.
When should I use a full-page API instead?
Use a browser-specific full-page screenshot API when you need the entire scrollable document rather than the current WebDriver window.
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