Playwright MCP screenshot size has three independent controls: the browser viewport (the page’s layout dimensions), the image scale (CSS pixels or device pixels), and the capture extent (visible viewport or full page). Set the viewport when you need a different responsive layout, choose scale when you need a different pixel density, and use fullPage when you need content below the fold.
For a 1,280×720 browser viewport, start the MCP server with --viewport-size=1280x720 or set PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_VIEWPORT_SIZE=1280x720. Then call browser_take_screenshot with the appropriate scale and fullPage values.
The three meanings of “screenshot size”
These settings solve different problems and should not be substituted for one another.
| What you want to change | Setting | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Responsive layout and visible browser area | --viewport-size=WIDTHxHEIGHT or PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_VIEWPORT_SIZE=WIDTHxHEIGHT |
The browser’s CSS viewport, in pixels |
| Output pixel density | scale: "css" or scale: "device" |
Whether the image is sized in CSS pixels or device pixels |
| Vertical coverage | fullPage: true |
Captures the full scrollable page instead of only the current viewport |
Changing scale does not make a desktop layout appear at a different width, and fullPage does not set the viewport dimensions. Decide which outcome you need before changing a parameter.
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Set the Playwright MCP viewport
Command-line configuration
Pass the viewport at MCP startup. This example uses npx and the current package tag:
{
"mcpServers": {
"playwright": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["@playwright/mcp@latest", "--viewport-size=1280x720"]
}
}
}Replace 1280x720 with the width and height you want, such as 390x844 for a narrow mobile layout or 1440x900 for a larger desktop inspection. The value is written as width by height, with no spaces.
Environment-variable configuration
Set the same value in the environment that launches the MCP server:
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_VIEWPORT_SIZE=1280x720Make sure the variable is available to the MCP process, not only to an unrelated terminal session. In a desktop MCP client, add it to that server’s environment configuration.
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Playwright’s configuration guide defines three sources in increasing order of precedence: configuration file, environment variables, and command-line arguments. Therefore, a command-line viewport overrides an environment variable, and an environment variable overrides a configuration-file value. If the observed size is not what you expect, inspect all three places for a second value.
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After changing startup configuration, restart or reconnect the MCP server so the new startup option is applied. The exact restart control depends on the MCP client you use.
Choose the screenshot scale
scale: "css" for CSS-pixel artifacts
Use scale: "css" when the image should correspond to the configured CSS viewport. With a 1,280×720 viewport, this is the natural choice for layout comparisons, documentation images, and pixel measurements expressed in CSS pixels.
scale: "device" for high-density output
Use scale: "device" when you want device-pixel detail. On a high-DPI display or emulated device, the resulting file can contain more physical pixels than the CSS viewport. This increases image dimensions and often file size, but it does not change which responsive layout the page selects.
For reproducible visual comparisons, keep the viewport and scale fixed between runs. Otherwise, a difference in image dimensions may be caused by density rather than by a page change.
Capture the viewport or the whole page
Viewport-only capture
Call browser_take_screenshot without fullPage, or set it to false, to capture the currently visible viewport. This is appropriate for checking above-the-fold composition, a breakpoint, or a state visible after an interaction.
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Full-page capture
Set fullPage: true to capture the page’s full scrollable height. The final height depends on the page content and browser behavior; it is not a fixed multiple of the viewport height. Keep the viewport width and height explicit if you need repeatable responsive behavior.
The full-page option cannot be combined with an element target in the MCP screenshot tool. If you need one component, capture that element without fullPage; if you need the entire document, remove the element target and use fullPage: true.
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Use browser_take_screenshot correctly
The screenshot tool supports a target, image type, filename, fullPage, and scale. A target can be the current page or a specific element, depending on the MCP tool schema exposed by your installed version. Select an explicit output type and filename when another program will consume the file.
{
"type": "png",
"filename": "checkout-1280x720.png",
"scale": "css",
"fullPage": false
}PNG, JPEG, and WebP are supported. If you omit type, the format is inferred from the filename extension or defaults to PNG. If you omit filename, Playwright MCP saves a timestamped file in its output directory and can return the image inline unless image responses were disabled in the server configuration.
Practical combinations
| Goal | Viewport | Scale | Extent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compare desktop layout | Explicit desktop dimensions | css |
Viewport only |
| Retina-quality documentation image | Explicit layout dimensions | device |
Viewport or full page as needed |
| Archive an entire article | Explicit width; height can be your review viewport | css or device |
fullPage: true |
| Inspect one component | Explicit dimensions | Usually css |
Element target; do not combine with fullPage |
Repeatable sizing workflow
- Define the layout you are testing. Choose width and height in CSS pixels, for example
1280x720. The width controls responsive breakpoints; the height controls how much is initially visible. - Set one authoritative viewport. Put
--viewport-size=1280x720in the MCP server arguments, or setPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_VIEWPORT_SIZE=1280x720. Remove conflicting values from lower-precedence configuration when diagnosing a mismatch. - Reconnect the server. Startup options are read when the MCP process starts. Reopen the connection after changing them.
- Navigate and wait for the intended state. Capture only after the page, fonts, images, and any required interaction are ready. A correctly sized screenshot can still be visually wrong if it was taken during loading.
- Select density. Use
scale: "css"for CSS-pixel comparisons orscale: "device"for higher-density output. - Select coverage. Leave
fullPagefalse for the viewport; set it true for the complete scrollable document. Do not pass an element target with full-page mode. - Name and format the file. Use a filename such as
home-1280x720-css.webpso dimensions and density are obvious to later tooling.
Troubleshooting screenshot dimensions
The page still uses the old width
Check for a command-line value overriding the environment variable, then check the configuration file. Confirm the spelling and format, including the lowercase x. Restart or reconnect the MCP server after editing startup settings.
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The image is larger than the viewport
You may be using scale: "device". Switch to scale: "css" when you need CSS-pixel output. A larger device-pixel file is expected on high-DPI contexts and does not mean the viewport changed.
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The screenshot is too short
Viewport capture includes only what is visible at the configured height. Use fullPage: true for the scrollable document, and remember that its final height follows the page content rather than a preset number.
Full-page capture fails with an element target
These modes are mutually exclusive in the MCP screenshot tool. Remove the target for a document capture, or disable fullPage for an element screenshot.
The file format or location is unexpected
Set both type and filename explicitly. Without a filename, MCP uses a timestamped output name; without a type, it infers the format from the extension or uses PNG.
A comparison differs even though the CSS looks unchanged
Verify all three dimensions of the capture: viewport width and height, scale, and extent. Also keep page state, fonts, animations, lazy-loaded content, and timing consistent. A device-scale image and a CSS-scale image are not directly comparable pixel-for-pixel.
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Performance, reliability, and file-size considerations
A larger viewport can expose more content and require more layout and painting work. Device scale multiplies output pixels and may increase encoding time and file size. Full-page mode can be substantially taller than the viewport, especially on long pages. For routine regression checks, use a fixed CSS scale and viewport-only captures; reserve device scale or full-page output for cases that need them.
Long pages can change while they are being captured as lazy content loads or as scripts modify the document. Use a stable page state and an explicit wait strategy in your MCP workflow. The official tool description does not promise a fixed full-page height, so downstream systems should read the produced image dimensions rather than assume them from the viewport.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need a URL rendered to an image or PDF rather than an interactive Playwright session, ScreenshotNeo provides a single-request screenshot API and an MCP server. It can accept cookie or consent banners before capture and remove more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be disabled. Bot checks, CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and the response reports the page verdict and billing status in X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers.
Its 63 options include full-page capture with lazy images loaded, CSS-selector element capture, dark mode, 12 device presets or a custom viewport, retina scale, PDF paper and margin controls, custom CSS and JavaScript, clicks, waits, request blocking, headers, cookies, user agents, authorization, timezone, geolocation, transparent backgrounds, resizing, selectable-TTL caching, signed image links, asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call, a usage API, and an OpenAPI specification. The parameter names used by other screenshot APIs also work, which can simplify migration. An MCP server exposes take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf to Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.
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Use the API directly when you do not need a browser session:
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import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);See the parameter reference and MCP details in the ScreenshotNeo documentation. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots, and every feature is available on every plan. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set a different viewport for each screenshot without restarting MCP?
The documented viewport control is an MCP startup option supplied through the command line, environment, or configuration file. Change that startup value and reconnect the server when you need another default viewport.
Does scale: "device" emulate a different phone or monitor?
No. It changes output density. Responsive layout is controlled by the viewport dimensions; device presets or other emulation settings are separate concerns.
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There is no fixed height promised by the tool. It follows the page’s scrollable content and browser behavior, so inspect the resulting file dimensions.
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