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Use an Azure Pipelines YAML cron schedule to start a recurring job, run Playwright to capture the website, and publish the image directory as a pipeline artifact. The schedule controls when the pipeline starts; Playwright performs the capture, and artifact publishing keeps the files available after the agent job ends.
1. Add a UTC schedule to your pipeline YAML
Put a top-level schedules: block in the pipeline’s main YAML file—not in a template. Azure Pipelines cron expressions have five fields in this order: minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week. Times are evaluated in UTC, so account for your local time zone and daylight-saving changes when choosing the hour. See Microsoft’s scheduled-trigger documentation.
trigger: none
pr: none
schedules:
- cron: '0 6 * * *' # 06:00 UTC daily
displayName: Daily website screenshots
branches:
include:
- main
always: trueChoose the branch explicitly
The schedule is associated with the YAML in each branch. The branches.include filter above schedules runs for main; add or adjust branch filters if other branches should run. You can also use branches.exclude to omit branches. Ensure the relevant branch’s YAML contains the schedule and matching filters.
Use always: true for captures regardless of changes
By default, a scheduled run occurs only when source code or pipeline settings have changed since the last successful scheduled run. For recurring captures that must run even when nothing changed, set always: true, as in the example.
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Account for overlapping runs and frequency limits
The batch property controls behavior when a previous scheduled run is still in progress; Microsoft documents it as available in Azure DevOps Server 2022.1 and later. Microsoft’s current guide lists Azure Pipelines limits of around 1,000 scheduled runs per pipeline per week and 10 per pipeline per 15 minutes. These are Azure Pipelines limits, not general CI benchmarks, so avoid using a schedule as extremely frequent polling.
2. Install Playwright and capture the page
Playwright’s documented Azure Pipelines sequence installs Node.js, installs project dependencies, installs browsers and Linux system dependencies, and runs the tests. The following pipeline job adapts that sequence for a screenshot script that writes files to screenshots/.
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For a simple project, add a script such as scripts/capture.mjs:
import { chromium } from 'playwright';
const browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: true });
const page = await browser.newPage({ viewport: { width: 1440, height: 900 } });
try {
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle', timeout: 60000 });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshots/example.png', fullPage: true });
} finally {
await browser.close();
}Install Playwright in the project and commit the resulting lockfile so npm ci can reproduce the dependency installation. Create the output directory before capture, for example with mkdir -p screenshots on Linux. Add the following steps under the scheduled pipeline’s job:
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pool:
vmImage: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- task: NodeTool@0
inputs:
versionSpec: '20.x'
displayName: Use Node.js
- script: npm ci
displayName: Install dependencies
- script: npx playwright install --with-deps
displayName: Install Playwright browsers and dependencies
- script: |
mkdir -p screenshots
node scripts/capture.mjs
displayName: Capture website screenshot
- task: PublishPipelineArtifact@1
condition: succeededOrFailed()
inputs:
targetPath: 'screenshots'
artifact: 'website-screenshots'
publishLocation: 'pipeline'
displayName: Publish screenshotsThe sample chooses the Ubuntu hosted image and Node.js 20; adjust them to your project’s supported runtime. Playwright’s official CI guidance says Windows and macOS agents need no additional configuration beyond installing Playwright and running it. Linux agents need browser/system dependencies installed through the CLI or can use Playwright’s supported container. For a test-suite workflow, use npx playwright test as in the documented CI sequence and ensure the test writes screenshots into the directory you publish.
Full-page versus viewport capture
page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png' }) captures the current viewport. Set fullPage: true to capture the entire scrollable page. Playwright documents this option in its Page API. Use a viewport size that matches the kind of view you need to archive.
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Keep the capture stable
Website rendering can vary with operating system, browser version, hardware, power source, headless mode, and other environment factors. For repeatable captures or image comparisons, keep the environment consistent. Playwright recommends setting workers to 1 in CI unless the system is powerful and self-hosted. For visual regression tests, toHaveScreenshot() creates a baseline on first use and compares later captures; that is different from simply collecting and archiving recurring screenshots, which does not require baselines or a comparison policy.
3. Publish and retrieve the screenshot artifact
Files on a pipeline agent are not automatically retained for later use. PublishPipelineArtifact@1 publishes the directory where the script wrote its images. In the sample, that is screenshots and the artifact is named website-screenshots. After the run, retrieve the artifact from that pipeline run’s artifacts. Microsoft’s Playwright example publishes its report directory with condition: succeededOrFailed(); using that condition for screenshots lets the artifact publishing step run even when an earlier step fails, provided the directory exists.
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4. Troubleshoot missing runs and missing files
The scheduled run did not start
- Check UTC conversion. Cron times use UTC, not the pipeline owner’s local time. Recalculate the hour and weekday, including any daylight-saving change.
- Check the main YAML and branch filters. Schedules belong in the main YAML file, not a template. Confirm the YAML in the intended branch defines the schedule and its
branches.includeorbranches.excludefilters allow that branch. - Look for a UI-defined schedule. A schedule configured in pipeline settings takes precedence over YAML schedules. If you remove UI schedules so YAML schedules can take over, Microsoft says a push is needed before YAML schedules are reevaluated. See Microsoft’s schedule guidance and trigger troubleshooting.
- Check the changed-source rule. If nothing changed since the last successful scheduled run, the default behavior can skip the run. Set
always: truewhen each scheduled capture must occur. - Review upcoming runs. The pipeline’s Scheduled runs view previews only the next seven days. If the schedule is absent, recheck cron syntax, UTC conversion, branch YAML and filters, UI settings, and
always.
The run started, but Playwright failed
- Browser or system dependency error: on Linux, run
npx playwright install --with-depsin the job before capture, or use a Playwright-supported container. - Navigation timeout: confirm the agent can reach the target site and increase the navigation timeout if the site legitimately takes longer. Site access, authentication, and network allowlists are project-specific.
- No screenshot appears: check that the script’s output path matches the artifact task’s
targetPath, that the directory is created, and that the script reaches its screenshot call. - Artifact publishing fails after a capture error: retain
condition: succeededOrFailed()and ensure the target directory exists even if capture fails.
5. Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo offers a screenshot API and MCP server for developer workflows. A single GET request returns a screenshot or PDF; its cleanup accepts cookie/consent banners like a visitor and removes 60+ known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture. Each cleanup step can be turned off. Bot checks/CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, and the response identifies the page verdict and billing status in X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. Its MCP server gives AI agents tools including take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf.
For a runnable cURL example and the API options, see the ScreenshotNeo documentation. Replace the URL with the site you are authorized to capture:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo has a free plan with 1,000 shots per month and no card required; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Learn about ScreenshotNeo or sign up free for 1,000 screenshots a month, with no card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Azure Pipelines scheduled screenshots for visual regression testing?
Yes, but a recurring capture and archive alone does not compare images. Playwright Test’s toHaveScreenshot() supports baselines and later comparisons; you also need a reviewed baseline and a comparison policy.
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That depends on the site and your pipeline’s authorized access. The example does not configure credentials; use project-approved secrets and site access controls rather than placing credentials in the YAML or script.
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