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Use Ruby to drive a headless Chromium browser with the playwright-ruby-client gem. Install a Playwright driver, a matching browser binary, and Linux dependencies; then navigate to the page and call page.screenshot. The browser can run on the same Unix host or on a separate Playwright server when local process execution is restricted.
What you need before writing Ruby code
- A supported Ruby application with Bundler.
- The
playwright-ruby-clientgem. - A Playwright CLI/driver version compatible with that Ruby client.
- A Chromium (or another supported browser) binary installed by Playwright.
- Linux shared libraries required by the browser.
- A writable directory for the resulting image.
The Ruby client does not bundle Playwright or its browser. Its official repository documents configuring the Playwright executable path, while Playwright’s browser guide covers browser downloads, release matching, and Linux dependency installation. Treat the Playwright release and browser build as a pair: after upgrading the client or CLI, verify that the browser is still the corresponding build and reinstall it when necessary.
Install the Ruby client and Playwright
Add the gem
Add the client to your application’s Gemfile and install it:
gem "playwright-ruby-client"bundle installInstall Playwright using the method supported by the client version you selected. Keep the executable in a known location; the example below expects ./node_modules/.bin/playwright. If your deployment places it elsewhere, change that path rather than relying on a shell-specific PATH.
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Install a browser and Linux dependencies
Use Playwright’s installation tooling to download Chromium and, on Linux, the required system packages. The exact command can vary with the Playwright release; consult the browser installation documentation for that release. Run the dependency installation in the same image or host that will launch the browser. A browser copied without its shared libraries commonly fails before Ruby reaches page.screenshot.
Minimal Ruby screenshot script
This is the smallest complete flow: create the client, launch Chromium, open a page, navigate, save a PNG, and close resources. The repository’s illustrative example uses headless: false; a Unix server normally has no display, so the server version below explicitly uses headless mode.
require "playwright"
Playwright.create(
playwright_cli_executable_path: "./node_modules/.bin/playwright"
) do |playwright|
playwright.chromium.launch(headless: true) do |browser|
page = browser.new_page
page.goto("https://example.com")
page.screenshot(path: "capture.png")
end
endRun it with Bundler so the deployed gem versions are used:
bundle exec ruby screenshot.rbThe file capture.png is a viewport screenshot of the page state reached by goto. Use an absolute output path in a worker or container when the process’s working directory is not predictable.
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Make the capture reliable
Wait for the page’s real ready state
Navigation completing does not guarantee that an application has finished rendering data, fonts, or images. Wait for a meaningful application-specific selector or state before capturing. For example, wait for the report panel that your page renders, not an arbitrary sleep:
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page.goto("https://example.com/dashboard")
page.locator("[data-testid='report-ready']").wait_for
page.screenshot(path: "dashboard.png")The available wait and locator methods depend on the client version; verify their exact names in the installed API. A fixed delay can be useful for a known animation, but it is not a universal readiness strategy.
Choose viewport or full-page output
Playwright’s Page API documents screenshot controls. The default captures the current viewport. Set a viewport deliberately when layout matters, or request a full-page image when the entire scrollable document is required:
page = browser.new_page(viewport: { "width" => 1440, "height" => 900 })
page.goto("https://example.com/article")
page.screenshot(path: "article-full.png", full_page: true)Full-page captures can become extremely tall. They may consume more memory and create files that are inconvenient for downstream systems.
Control format, quality, and scale
- PNG: lossless and the default choice for pixel-accurate work.
- JPEG: smaller for photographic content; use the documented quality option because it is lossy.
- WebP: a compact alternative when your consumers support it.
- Scale: choose CSS-pixel or device-pixel output as documented. Device scaling produces sharper, potentially larger files.
page.screenshot(
path: "hero.jpg",
type: "jpeg",
quality: 85
)For one component instead of the whole page, use the locator screenshot API:
page.locator("header.site-header").screenshot(path: "header.png")Confirm option spelling and availability against the API version installed in your bundle; Playwright’s API reference is version-sensitive.
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Headless operation on Unix
A headed launch such as headless: false requires a graphical display (or a configured virtual display). On a normal SSH-only Linux server, use headless: true. If a policy requires headed mode, provide the display infrastructure separately and ensure the browser can access it; do not assume a desktop session exists.
Run the browser under the same user and filesystem permissions as the Ruby worker. Give that user permission to write the destination directory, and clean up abandoned browser processes if a job is terminated. Set navigation and operation timeouts appropriate to your workload rather than allowing a stuck page to occupy a worker indefinitely.
When the browser cannot run on the Ruby host
The Ruby client project documents connecting to a separately running Playwright server. This arrangement is useful when the application host cannot install Linux libraries, is not allowed to create browser processes, or must isolate browser traffic on a dedicated machine or container.
| Deployment choice | Advantages | Costs and checks |
|---|---|---|
| Local browser | One process boundary and a simpler request path when the host supports Playwright. | You own browser binaries, OS libraries, sandbox policy, upgrades, and concurrency. |
| Separate Playwright server | Centralizes browser installation and can isolate execution from the Ruby application. | Requires network connectivity, authentication and an explicit security boundary between the worker and browser host. |
Whichever model you choose, pin compatible versions, monitor browser-process counts, and treat captured images as potentially sensitive data. Do not store screenshots longer than your use case requires.
Common failures and fixes
“Executable doesn’t exist” or browser launch failure
Cause: the CLI path is wrong, or the browser was never installed for the current Playwright release. Fix: check playwright_cli_executable_path, run the release’s browser-install command, and verify that the Ruby client and browser belong to compatible Playwright versions.
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Missing shared library or sandbox error
Cause: a minimal Linux image lacks browser dependencies or applies restrictive process policies. Fix: install the documented Linux dependencies with Playwright’s tooling, then test as the same service user. Change container security settings only under your platform’s security policy.
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Cause: a headed launch is being used on a headless server. Fix: launch with headless: true, or deliberately configure a display environment before using headed mode.
Blank, partial, or stale content
Cause: the screenshot was taken before application data or lazy content became ready. Fix: wait for a selector or state that proves the required content is present, and use full-page capture when the target extends beyond the viewport. Avoid assuming that a single delay works for every page.
Timeouts and hung workers
Cause: a slow origin, blocked third-party resource, or page script that never settles. Fix: set explicit navigation and action timeouts, handle failures per URL, close the page/browser in the documented block structure, and retry only when the failure is transient.
Image cannot be written
Cause: a relative path resolves somewhere unexpected or the service user lacks permission. Fix: create the destination directory during deployment, use an absolute path, and check free disk space.
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ScreenshotNeo provides a website screenshot API and MCP server. One GET request returns PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. It accepts cookie/consent banners before capture and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be disabled. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing result.
Ruby is not required for the request, but you can call the endpoint from any Unix job. The complete API reference is at https://screenshotneo.com/docs/.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webprequire "net/http"
require "uri"
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response = Net::HTTP.get_response(uri)
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- Pin a compatible Ruby client, Playwright CLI, and browser build.
- Install Linux browser dependencies in the runtime image.
- Use headless mode on servers without a display.
- Wait for the page state your screenshot actually needs.
- Select viewport, full-page, element, format, quality, and scale intentionally.
- Use writable absolute paths and close resources with block syntax.
- Decide whether local execution or a separate Playwright server better fits your security and scaling constraints.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can this run from a cron job?
Yes. Use a non-interactive Ruby script, an absolute output path, headless mode, and explicit timeouts; ensure the cron environment can locate the configured Playwright executable.
Why does the output differ from what I see in my desktop browser?
Viewport dimensions, device scale, fonts, cookies, authentication state, responsive breakpoints, and asynchronous application state can all change pixels. Make those inputs explicit and wait for the required selector before capture.
Is a browser server mandatory?
No. Local Chromium is simplest when the Unix host can install and launch Playwright. A separate Playwright server is an alternative documented by the Ruby client for restricted hosts or centralized browser operations.
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