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Use Playwright in a Node.js script to capture the page, then use Windows Task Scheduler to run the script on a daily, weekly, or other time-based schedule. The task runs according to the Windows machine’s configured local time, so set its time zone to India Standard Time (IST) and check the task’s next-run time on that PC before relying on it.
How the scheduled screenshot workflow works
Task Scheduler handles recurrence; Node.js handles the capture. The scheduler starts the Node executable and your script at the times you configure. Playwright opens the website in a browser and saves a screenshot to a file. Microsoft describes Task Scheduler as a service that runs selected programs when chosen criteria occur, and documents both time-based and event-based triggers (About the Task Scheduler; Task Triggers).
This is suitable for a Windows PC that is available when the task is due. If it is asleep or powered off, or if the task’s run identity cannot access the project or output folder, a capture may not be produced. Check the task’s history and the actual output files after setup.
Install and test a Node.js screenshot script
1. Create a project and install Playwright
Install Node.js for Windows, create a project folder, then install Playwright from a terminal in that folder. For example:
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mkdir C:website-screenshots
cd C:website-screenshots
npm init -y
npm install playwright
npx playwright install chromiumUse the browser-install instructions appropriate to the Playwright version installed in your project. Run the script manually before configuring recurrence; this separates browser or website problems from scheduler problems.
2. Save a capture script
Create C:website-screenshotscapture.js with the following code. It creates the output folder if needed, uses a timestamped filename to preserve each run, and closes the browser even if navigation or capture fails.
const { chromium } = require('playwright');
const fs = require('node:fs/promises');
const path = require('node:path');
(async () => {
const outputDir = 'C:\website-screenshots\screenshots';
await fs.mkdir(outputDir, { recursive: true });
const stamp = new Date().toISOString().replace(/[:.]/g, '-');
const outputPath = path.join(outputDir, `example-${stamp}.png`);
const browser = await chromium.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage({ viewport: { width: 1365, height: 900 } });
await page.goto('https://example.com', {
waitUntil: 'networkidle',
timeout: 60000
});
await page.screenshot({ path: outputPath, fullPage: true });
console.log(`Saved ${outputPath}`);
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
})().catch(error => {
console.error(error);
process.exitCode = 1;
});Replace https://example.com with the page to capture. Playwright documents page.screenshot({ path: ... }) and the fullPage option in its screenshot guide. Its Page API documents screenshot configuration including output format, file path, and scale.
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3. Choose capture scope and file policy
- Viewport: omit
fullPage: trueto capture the visible viewport, useful when the above-the-fold layout is what you need to monitor. - Full page: keep
fullPage: trueto capture the full scrollable page. Long or dynamic pages can take longer and produce larger images. - Archive or overwrite: the example’s timestamped names retain successive captures. To keep only the newest image, use a fixed path such as
path.join(outputDir, 'latest.png'); each run then replaces that file. - Repeatable framing: keep a fixed viewport and use consistent browser settings. Page content can still vary because of time-sensitive data, animation, consent dialogs, personalization, or changes made by the site.
Playwright’s screenshot API can also return image data as a buffer rather than write directly to a file, and it supports format and scale options; see the Page API for the installed version’s options.
Schedule the script with Windows Task Scheduler
Use the Task Scheduler interface
- Open Task Scheduler from the Windows Start menu and choose Create Basic Task (or create a task with the additional settings you need).
- Give the task a descriptive name, such as
Website screenshot, and choose a trigger such as daily or weekly. Set the start time you want in India local time. - Choose the action to start a program. Set Program/script to the full path of the Node executable, commonly
C:Program Filesnodejsnode.exe. Confirm the actual location on your PC. - Set Add arguments to the full script path in quotes:
"C:website-screenshotscapture.js". Set Start in toC:website-screenshotsso relative project resources, if any, resolve from the project folder. - Save the task, then inspect its properties, next-run time, and history. Run it manually from Task Scheduler once and confirm that a new image appears in the screenshots folder.
Use schtasks for a daily schedule
For a daily task at 9:00 AM local machine time, an elevated or appropriately authorized Command Prompt can create a task like this; adjust the Node path, script path, time, and task name for your PC:
schtasks /create /tn "Website screenshot" /sc daily /st 09:00 /tr ""C:Program Filesnodejsnode.exe" "C:website-screenshotscapture.js""The exact quoting accepted by /tr can be awkward in Windows shells. If task creation fails, use the Task Scheduler interface or check Microsoft’s schtasks create reference. That reference documents schedule types through /sc, start time through /st, repeat interval through /ri, and run-identity options. Choose the schedule type and interval that match the actual recurrence you need; a daily trigger is not the same as a task repeating several times within a day.
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Make India local time explicit
Set the Windows PC’s time zone to (UTC+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi (India Standard Time), then verify the clock and the task’s displayed next-run time on that machine. Scheduler documentation does not provide an India-specific walkthrough, so the configured Windows time zone and the displayed next run on the target PC are the operational checks. If a machine is set to another time zone, a trigger set to 9:00 AM follows that machine’s configured local time, not necessarily IST.
Reliability, privacy, and cost considerations
- Keep the PC available: sleep, shutdown, or missed network access can prevent a timely capture. Review the task’s conditions and power settings for the behavior you want.
- Check run permissions: the account used by the task needs permission to run Node, read the project, write to the output folder, and access the network. Test under the same task identity where possible.
- Expect page variation: network-idle waiting may not suit every site, and live content or animations can make captures differ. If it times out, choose a page-state wait that matches the site rather than assuming every page becomes network-idle.
- Protect sensitive captures: avoid putting credentials in source code. Do not capture authenticated or private pages unless you have appropriate controls for stored images and any browser session data.
- Plan retention: timestamped files accumulate. Decide how long to keep them and periodically remove old captures or use a fixed filename if history is not needed.
Troubleshooting missed or failed captures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or change |
|---|---|---|
| Task reports success but no screenshot appears | Wrong script or output path, or task identity lacks write permission. | Use absolute paths, confirm the configured Node and script paths, and test writing to the output folder under the task’s run identity. |
| Task works manually but not on schedule | Different run identity, working directory, permissions, or machine availability. | Set the task’s Start in folder, inspect task history and conditions, and ensure the PC is awake and connected at run time. |
| Browser fails to launch | Playwright browser runtime is missing or not installed for the project’s version. | Run the browser installation command recommended by the installed Playwright version, then run the script interactively. |
| Navigation times out | The site is slow, unreachable, or does not reach the selected load state. | Check the URL and connectivity; adjust the timeout or choose an appropriate wait condition for that site. Do not assume every page reaches network idle. |
| Capture time is wrong | Windows is using a different time zone than intended. | Set the PC to India Standard Time and confirm the scheduler’s next-run display on that PC. |
| Files are overwritten or disk use grows | The chosen filename policy does not match the retention goal. | Use a fixed filename to retain only the latest image, or timestamped names with a cleanup policy to keep an archive. |
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo provides a screenshot API and MCP server. One GET request can return a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF; see the API documentation. For a website capture:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemscurl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo accepts cookie or consent banners as a visitor and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each of those steps can be turned off. Bot checks/CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and responses identify the page verdict and billing status in headers. Its MCP server offers take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.
Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan to try 1,000 screenshots a month with no card.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will the task run if my Windows PC is asleep?
Not necessarily. The machine’s power state and the task’s configured conditions affect whether it runs; check those settings and Task Scheduler history.
Can I capture a page several times each day?
Yes. Configure an appropriate repeated schedule in Task Scheduler or use the documented recurring interval options in schtasks; verify the resulting next-run times on the target PC.
Does a full-page screenshot guarantee identical images every run?
No. Page content can change with time, personalization, animation, consent state, or site updates, even when the viewport and script stay the same.
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