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Use the Ferrum gem to control Chrome or Chromium from Ruby, navigate to a webpage, and save its screenshot as a PNG. Ferrum’s default screenshot format is PNG, so the basic workflow is short: install the gem, make a browser available, capture the page, and close the browser.
Capture a webpage as PNG with Ferrum
For a standalone Ruby script, Ferrum is the direct route. It controls Chrome or Chromium and runs headless by default. The following example saves the current viewport to page.png:
require "ferrum"
browser = Ferrum::Browser.new
browser.go_to("https://example.com")
browser.screenshot(path: "page.png")
browser.quitReplace https://example.com with the page you want to capture. The path: option writes the image to disk; because PNG is the documented default format, the .png filename matches the output format. The example follows Ferrum’s documented navigate, capture, and quit pattern.
This captures the browser’s current viewport, not automatically the entire document. If the page needs to load content or reach a particular state before capture, arrange for that state before calling screenshot. There is no single readiness wait that is right for every site or application, so the correct condition depends on what you need visible.
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Install the Ruby gem and browser runtime
Ferrum is a Ruby interface to a browser, not a browser bundled into the gem. You need Ruby, the ferrum gem, and a Chrome or Chromium binary available to Ferrum.
-
Add Ferrum to your project’s
Gemfile:gem "ferrum" -
Install project dependencies:
bundle install -
Install Chrome or Chromium using the official instructions for your operating system or deployment environment.
-
Make sure the browser binary is discoverable on
PATHor throughBROWSER_PATH. Ferrum also accepts a browser path option if you need to specify a location directly.
Once the runtime is in place, run the Ruby script from the project environment where the gem was installed. If browser startup fails, first check that the binary exists in the environment actually running Ruby; a browser installed on your workstation is not automatically available inside a container or remote server.
Choose viewport, full-page, or cropped capture
Decide what the image should contain before selecting screenshot options. Ferrum’s screenshot API supports the current viewport, full-page output, a selector-based element crop, or a coordinate rectangle.
Capture the full document
Pass full: true to request a full-page screenshot:
browser.screenshot(path: "full-page.png", full: true)Without full: true, capture remains the current viewport. Full-page mode is not a crop mode: Ferrum documents that it ignores both selector: and area:. If you need only one section of a long page, use an element or coordinate crop without full: true.
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Capture an element
Use selector: when the desired output is a page element identified by a CSS selector:
browser.screenshot(path: "article.png", selector: "main article")Selector capture takes precedence over an area: rectangle when both are supplied. Use a selector that identifies the specific element you intend to save.
Capture a coordinate rectangle
Use area: for a rectangle defined by its position and dimensions:
browser.screenshot(
path: "crop.png",
area: { x: 0, y: 0, width: 800, height: 600 }
)The values describe an 800-by-600 region starting at coordinate (0, 0). Do not combine this with full: true expecting a crop: full-page mode ignores the rectangle.
Other documented output controls
The screenshot API also documents scale: and background_color:. Use them when the image needs scaling or a chosen background. Ferrum can return encoded image data when no path: is supplied; its documented default return is encoded data. For a file on disk, provide a path as in the examples above.
Make captures consistent and clean up
-
Set a predictable viewport. The viewport affects the page layout and therefore the resulting image. Ferrum exposes viewport information, and Cuprite’s driver configuration accepts a window size. Choose dimensions that match the output you need.
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-
Capture at the right page state. A screenshot taken before the relevant content appears can be technically successful but visually incomplete. Wait for an application-specific condition when the page has asynchronous content; do not assume one universal wait rule works for every site.
-
Pick one capture mode deliberately. Use viewport mode for what is currently visible,
full: truefor the document,selector:for an element, orarea:for coordinates. Full-page capture and crop options do not combine as a user might expect. -
Quit the browser. Call
browser.quitafter capture so the browser process does not linger. For scripts that may raise errors between startup and completion, ensure your application’s cleanup path still closes the browser.
Use Cuprite for an existing Capybara suite
If the screenshot belongs inside an existing Capybara JavaScript test suite, Cuprite is a relevant alternative to a standalone Ferrum script. Cuprite is a pure Ruby Capybara driver built on Ferrum. A minimal registration with a fixed window size looks like this:
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require "capybara/cuprite"
Capybara.javascript_driver = :cuprite
Capybara.register_driver(:cuprite) do |app|
Capybara::Cuprite::Driver.new(app, window_size: [1200, 800])
endThat setup selects Cuprite as the JavaScript driver and sets the browser window to 1200 by 800. Cuprite also documents page.driver.render_base64(format, options) for Base64 screenshot output. For driver-specific rendering options, check Cuprite’s documentation rather than assuming every Ferrum browser method maps identically through Capybara.
Docker and browser sandboxing
Cuprite’s README includes a no-sandbox browser option in its Docker setup example. Treat that as deployment-specific guidance, not a setting to copy blindly into every environment. Check the browser and container requirements for the environment you deploy to, and verify any security trade-off before enabling it.
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Troubleshoot common Ruby screenshot problems
Ferrum cannot find or start Chrome
Likely cause: Chrome or Chromium is not installed in the running environment, or Ferrum cannot locate its binary.
What to check: Confirm the binary is available on PATH or set BROWSER_PATH. If using a custom installation location, use Ferrum’s browser path option. In containers, verify the browser exists inside the container rather than only on the host.
The PNG shows only part of the page
Likely cause: The default capture is the viewport.
Fix: Use full: true if you need the full document. If you want one region instead, use selector: or area: without full-page mode.
The output is not the crop you expected
Likely cause: Full-page mode ignores selector and area crops, or both crop options were supplied.
Fix: Choose one intended mode. Use an element selector for a DOM element; use a coordinate area for a fixed rectangle. Selector takes precedence over area.
The file does not appear where expected
Likely cause: The script is writing relative to a different working directory, or the screenshot call did not receive a path.
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Fix: Supply an explicit output path and check the working directory of the Ruby process. If you omit path:, the API returns encoded image data instead of writing a file.
The capture is blank or misses dynamic content
Likely cause: Capture occurred before the page reached the state you wanted to preserve.
Fix: Make the capture depend on a page-specific readiness condition, such as the element or content your own application expects. No universal readiness wait is established for all sites; a fixed delay may be unsuitable if load times vary.
Performance, reliability, and cost considerations
Ferrum requires a real Chrome or Chromium runtime in addition to Ruby and the gem, so deployment planning must include the browser binary as well as application dependencies. Reusing the browser in a larger automation flow may avoid repeated browser startup, while a small one-shot script can keep the lifecycle simple by starting, navigating, capturing, and quitting as shown.
Screenshot reliability depends on the requested page state, viewport, and the target site’s behavior. Set dimensions intentionally when comparing captures or generating repeatable assets; distinguish a screenshot failure from a successful capture of a page that simply had not finished rendering the content you expected.
The cited Ferrum and Cuprite documentation establishes capture APIs and setup patterns, but does not establish universal capture timings, resource consumption, or a guaranteed success rate. Avoid budgeting or promising performance based on a single unmeasured run. For cost, the relevant components are the Ruby application environment and the Chrome or Chromium runtime you choose; the project materials cited here do not state Ferrum usage fees.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need a screenshot endpoint rather than managing Chrome in Ruby, ScreenshotNeo accepts one GET request with a URL and returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. Its API supports viewport and full-page captures, selector captures, and other browser controls. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for parameters and response details.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpThis cURL example saves the response to shot.webp; use your API key in place of YOUR_API_KEY. ScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before the shot. Bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots, and the Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account.
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Can Ferrum save a screenshot without writing a file?
Yes. If you omit the path: option, Ferrum returns encoded image data by default.
Can I take a screenshot from a Capybara test?
Yes. Cuprite is a Capybara driver built on Ferrum; register it as the JavaScript driver and use its driver-specific screenshot API.
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