To schedule website screenshots with Playwright, create a Node.js script that opens a page and saves an image, then run it from a recurring scheduler such as GitHub Actions. The script below captures a full page; the workflow installs Playwright and Chromium, runs the script on weekdays, and saves the images as a downloadable artifact. GitHub Actions schedules are not exact-time guarantees, so use this approach for recurring captures that can tolerate delays—not a deadline that must never slip.
1. Create a Playwright screenshot script
Use page.screenshot() after navigating to the target URL. This production-oriented example makes the browser and viewport explicit, creates the output directory, checks navigation, and closes Chromium even if capture fails.
const { chromium } = require('playwright');
const fs = require('node:fs/promises');
(async () => {
const url = process.env.TARGET_URL || 'https://example.com';
const output = 'screenshots/example.png';
const browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: true });
try {
const context = await browser.newContext({
viewport: { width: 1440, height: 1000 },
});
const page = await context.newPage();
await fs.mkdir('screenshots', { recursive: true });
const response = await page.goto(url, {
waitUntil: 'load',
timeout: 60_000,
});
if (!response || !response.ok()) {
throw new Error(`Navigation failed: ${response ? response.status() : 'no response'}`);
}
// Replace this with a site-specific readiness check if needed.
await page.screenshot({ path: output, fullPage: true });
console.log(`Saved ${output}`);
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
})();Save it as capture.js. Install the Playwright package in the project and commit the resulting lockfile so the scheduled run can use npm ci:
npm init -y
npm install --save-dev playwright
npx playwright install chromiumThe example checks for a successful HTTP response, but a successful navigation does not prove that a client-rendered page, fonts, or delayed images have finished. Add a site-appropriate check—such as await page.locator('#main-content').waitFor()—when content appears after initial load. There is no universal readiness rule that works for every site. Use fullPage: true to capture beyond the viewport; omit it for a viewport-only image.
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2. Run the capture on a GitHub Actions schedule
Create .github/workflows/screenshots.yml in the repository. This example runs at 07:30 UTC on weekdays, supports a manual run, installs Chromium and its operating-system dependencies, and uploads the resulting directory.
name: Website screenshots
on:
schedule:
- cron: '30 7 * * 1-5'
workflow_dispatch:
jobs:
capture:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v6
- uses: actions/setup-node@v6
with:
node-version: lts/*
- run: npm ci
- run: npx playwright install --with-deps chromium
- run: node capture.js
- uses: actions/upload-artifact@v5
with:
name: website-screenshots
path: screenshots/
retention-days: 30The action versions shown mirror the Playwright CI guide’s GitHub Actions sample; check current action and Node.js versions when adopting the workflow. Keep the browser installed by the workflow aligned with the browser launched by your script. GitHub schedule expressions use POSIX cron; the documented shortest interval is once every five minutes. You can supply an IANA timezone in workflow syntax, but consider daylight-saving changes when choosing a local-time schedule. Scheduled runs use the latest commit on the default branch, and the workflow file must be present on that branch.
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Adjust the schedule
30 7 * * 1-5means 07:30 Monday through Friday in the configured schedule timezone (UTC when none is specified).- To change the time or days, edit the cron expression and confirm it matches the timezone you intend.
- A timezone that observes daylight saving may shift relative to UTC; GitHub documents that a spring-forward time that does not occur advances to the next valid time.
Retrieve the screenshots
After the job completes, open the workflow run in GitHub Actions and download the website-screenshots artifact. Artifacts preserve job output after the runner stops and can be retrieved for the configured retention period; they are not a permanent archive or a public website. For long-term history, copy captures to storage designed for durable retention.
3. Keep recurring captures comparable
A scheduled image can change because the website changed, but also because the rendering environment changed. Playwright notes that operating system, browser version, browser settings, hardware, power source, and headless mode can affect rendering. Use the same environment for captures and any visual baseline, and avoid casually changing the runner or browser version during a comparison series.
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Saving images is not the same as detecting a visual change. For automated visual assertions, Playwright Test provides toHaveScreenshot(); a standalone call to page.screenshot() only creates the image. Decide where timestamped captures or deliberate baselines live, and add comparison and notification logic separately if monitoring is the goal.
4. Understand schedule reliability and limits
GitHub warns that scheduled workflow events can be delayed when Actions is under high load, especially near the start of an hour, and some queued jobs may be dropped. Choosing an off-hour minute can reduce exposure to the busy top of the hour, but does not guarantee precise execution. If a capture must run at an exact business deadline or cannot be skipped, verify that this behavior is acceptable before relying on the schedule.
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Public repositories with no repository activity for 60 days have scheduled workflows automatically disabled. Check the repository and workflow when expected captures stop arriving.
5. Troubleshooting scheduled screenshots
- No scheduled run appears: Confirm the workflow is on the default branch, its YAML parses, and the cron expression is valid. For a public repository, check whether 60 days without repository activity disabled the schedule. Scheduled events can also be delayed or dropped under load.
- The run fails at
npm ci: Commit a package lockfile produced by the project’s dependency installation.npm cirequires a lockfile consistent withpackage.json. - Chromium is missing or cannot launch: Ensure the workflow installs Chromium and operating-system dependencies with
npx playwright install --with-deps chromium, and that the script launches the same browser. - The screenshot directory is empty: Check the job log for navigation, readiness-check, or screenshot errors. Ensure the script creates the output directory and that the artifact path matches it.
- The image is blank or incomplete: Navigation may have completed before site-specific content or delayed assets were ready. Wait for a meaningful selector or another condition specific to the page before capturing.
- Images differ between runs: Compare browser, operating system, settings, and runner environment before attributing the change to the site. Keep capture conditions consistent with the baseline.
- The capture ran but cannot be downloaded: Confirm the upload step ran and the artifact name and path match the workflow. Artifacts expire after the configured retention period.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I schedule a Playwright screenshot without GitHub Actions?
Yes. The capture script is independent of GitHub Actions; run it from a scheduler that can execute Node.js, while accounting for that scheduler’s timing and environment behavior.
Does a scheduled screenshot automatically alert me when a page changes?
No. A capture saves an image. Visual comparison and alerting require additional logic, or Playwright Test screenshot assertions such as `toHaveScreenshot()`.
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