Use Puppeteer for the capture and a scheduler to launch your Node.js script once a day. Puppeteer’s Page.screenshot() takes the image; it does not provide a persistent daily schedule. Choose a scheduler, make its timezone explicit, and save each capture under a date-based filename so it does not overwrite the previous day.
What you need to decide first
- Schedule and timezone: Choose a local time and an IANA timezone, such as
America/New_York, or deliberately schedule in UTC. Daylight-saving transitions can affect local-clock schedules. - Capture scope: A viewport screenshot shows the currently visible browser area; a full-page screenshot captures the page beyond it.
- Readiness: Pick a navigation wait condition or a site-specific readiness check that reflects when the page is actually ready to capture.
- Runtime: The machine or hosted workflow must be available when the scheduler launches the job and must support Puppeteer’s browser and system dependencies.
- Retention: Decide where captures should be stored and how long to keep them. A local file is not a backup if the machine or workspace is later removed.
Build a daily screenshot script
Install Node.js 22.12 or newer, which Puppeteer’s current system-requirements page specifies, and install Puppeteer in a project. The requirements page lists supported Chrome for Testing platforms and architectures; check it and your operating system’s required packages before deploying, particularly on Linux: Puppeteer system requirements.
- Create a project and install Puppeteer:
npm init -y, thennpm install puppeteer. - Set the project to use ES modules by adding
"type": "module"topackage.json. - Create a
screenshotsdirectory and save the following ascapture.js. - Set
TARGET_URLand run the script once manually before scheduling it.
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';
import { mkdir } from 'node:fs/promises';
const targetUrl = process.env.TARGET_URL;
if (!targetUrl) {
throw new Error('Set TARGET_URL to the page to capture.');
}
const outputDir = 'screenshots';
await mkdir(outputDir, { recursive: true });
// This filename uses the UTC calendar date. See below if you need local dates.
const date = new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10);
const outputPath = `${outputDir}/${date}.png`;
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.setViewport({ width: 1440, height: 900 });
await page.goto(targetUrl, { waitUntil: 'networkidle2' });
await page.screenshot({ path: outputPath, fullPage: true, type: 'png' });
console.log(`Saved ${outputPath}`);
} finally {
await browser.close();
}Run it once in a terminal with the target set, for example: TARGET_URL=https://example.com node capture.js. On Windows PowerShell, set it for that session with $env:TARGET_URL="https://example.com", then run node capture.js. The script creates the output directory, launches a browser, captures the page, and closes the browser even if capture fails. Puppeteer documents this capture flow in its Screenshots guide; its Page.screenshot() API reference describes screenshot options.
Choose a stable capture date and path
The example’s ISO date comes from UTC, so it labels a capture by the UTC date, which can differ from the date where the job runs. If filenames must follow a local calendar day, format the date in the same IANA timezone as the schedule. Also use a persistent output location: a hosted runner’s temporary filesystem may not preserve files between runs. Upload the result to durable storage or otherwise retain it if you need a continuing archive.
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Choose image dimensions and page scope
The example fixes the viewport at 1440 by 900 CSS pixels so the browser layout starts from a consistent size. Change those dimensions to match the use case; consistency matters when comparing captures. With fullPage: true, Puppeteer captures the whole page. Set it to false for a viewport-sized image. The documented default for fullPage is false, and PNG is the default image type; the example sets both explicitly. Puppeteer’s screenshot options also support clip for capturing a defined region and path for choosing the output filename.
Wait for the page you actually want
waitUntil: 'networkidle2' is one navigation wait condition shown in Puppeteer’s guide, not a guarantee that every page is visually settled. Pages that poll continuously, load images lazily, animate, or update content after navigation may need a different condition or an explicit wait for a known selector. For example, after page.goto(), use await page.waitForSelector('.report-ready') if the target site exposes a reliable element that appears when the relevant content is ready. Use a selector appropriate to the page; do not assume that navigation completion and visual readiness are identical.
Schedule it to run once a day
For a script that runs, captures, and exits, an operating-system scheduler or hosted scheduled workflow is usually a more natural fit than keeping a Node process alive just to wait. The right choice depends on persistence, timezone behavior, logs, retries, and whether the environment can run Puppeteer.
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| Option | Does a process need to stay running? | Persistence and timezone considerations | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| System cron | No Node scheduler process; the operating system starts the command. | Runs on the configured machine. Configure its timezone deliberately and ensure the machine is on. The Node Schedule project points to cron for persistence. | You control a server or other machine that stays available and want the job launched locally. |
| GitHub Actions scheduled workflow | No continuously running Node process on your own machine. | GitHub documents schedules as UTC by default and supports an optional IANA timezone. Its schedule documentation describes behavior when a scheduled time falls into a skipped spring-forward hour. | Your script and workflow fit a GitHub repository and you want a hosted scheduled run. |
| Node Schedule | Yes. The Node process must remain active for scheduled callbacks to run. | Scheduling depends on that process and environment staying available; verify timezone and daylight-saving behavior in the library’s current documentation. | Your application already runs continuously and you want the schedule inside that process. |
This comparison describes documented operating models, not a test of scheduler punctuality. A schedule specifies when a job should be launched; do not assume exact-second execution unless the platform documents that guarantee. For GitHub Actions’ current schedule details, including its minimum interval and timezone behavior, see GitHub Actions schedule events. Node Schedule explains its in-process model and points to cron when persistence is required: Node Schedule.
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Add a workflow such as .github/workflows/daily-screenshot.yml. This example runs daily at 09:00 in UTC; change the cron expression and timezone together if you mean a local time. GitHub’s workflow syntax accepts a timezone alongside the schedule.
name: Daily website screenshot
on:
schedule:
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timezone: 'Etc/UTC'
workflow_dispatch:
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capture:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
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- uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: '22.12'
- run: npm ci
- name: Capture page
run: node capture.js
env:
TARGET_URL: ${{ secrets.TARGET_URL }}
- name: Save screenshot as workflow artifact
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
with:
name: website-screenshot-${{ github.run_id }}
path: screenshots/*.pngCommit the lockfile so npm ci can install the dependencies deterministically. Store a private target URL in a repository secret rather than exposing it in workflow text. This workflow uploads each run’s file as an artifact; artifact retention and storage are separate from the capture schedule, so check GitHub’s current artifact policies or upload the image to storage you control if you need a long-term archive. Scheduled workflows also depend on the repository and runner being available, and should be monitored for failed runs. Consult GitHub’s current syntax and timezone documentation before relying on a particular transition behavior.
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Example: system cron
On a Unix-like host, a five-field cron entry such as 0 9 * * * means minute 0 of hour 9 each day in the cron environment’s configured timezone. Open the crontab with crontab -e and add a command using the actual project path and Node executable path on your machine:
0 9 * * * cd /srv/daily-shot && TARGET_URL='https://example.com' /usr/bin/node capture.js >> /var/log/daily-shot.log 2>&1Replace /srv/daily-shot and /usr/bin/node with real paths; scheduled jobs may not inherit the interactive shell’s PATH or environment. Confirm the host’s timezone and cron implementation, and keep the machine powered on at the scheduled time. If a run is missed during downtime, a basic cron schedule does not by itself guarantee a catch-up run.
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“The same time every day” needs a timezone definition. A UTC schedule stays at the same UTC hour, while its local clock time may shift when daylight saving begins or ends. A local-time schedule aims to keep the wall-clock hour but can encounter a skipped or repeated time at a transition. GitHub Actions documents what happens when its scheduled time falls in a skipped spring-forward hour; other schedulers can behave differently. Verify the selected scheduler’s current documentation and choose whether the priority is a fixed UTC instant or a local-clock time.
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Keep the schedule timezone and filename date convention aligned. If the schedule runs at 00:30 UTC but files use a western local date, the UTC filename can appear to be a day ahead. For a reliable archive, include the intended timezone in logs or filenames and avoid deriving a local date from a UTC timestamp by accident.
Troubleshoot missed or incorrect captures
- No capture at the expected time: Check that the host or workflow was available, that the schedule is enabled, and that the scheduler is configured for the intended timezone. Review the scheduler’s run history or the redirected cron log.
- “TARGET_URL” is missing: Set the environment variable in the scheduler configuration. Interactive shell variables do not automatically carry into cron or a hosted workflow.
- Browser launch fails: Confirm the Node version meets Puppeteer’s current requirements, that the deployment’s operating system and architecture are supported, and that required system packages are installed.
- Navigation times out or never reaches network idle: A site may keep network requests open or load indefinitely. Pick a navigation condition suited to the page, then wait for a site-specific readiness selector where possible. Avoid treating a longer timeout as proof that the content is ready.
- Screenshot is blank or missing late content: Check whether the page needs authentication, a selector wait, additional time for client-side updates, or scrolling to trigger lazy-loaded images. Make the readiness logic specific to the target site.
- Captures overwrite one another: Ensure the filename includes the intended date or timestamp and that the timezone convention is deliberate.
- Files disappear between runs: The workflow or container may use temporary storage. Upload the output to a persistent artifact or storage destination.
- Images differ unexpectedly: Keep viewport dimensions, capture scope, browser/runtime, and readiness checks consistent. Dynamic content, rotating promotions, timestamps, fonts, and animation can still make daily images vary.
Performance, reliability, and cost considerations
Launching a browser for every daily capture keeps each run independent, but it incurs browser startup and page-load work each time. Use one page and one browser per invocation for a single URL, and close the browser in a finally block as shown. If you expand to multiple URLs, reuse a browser within that run rather than launching one for every image, while still closing it when the job finishes.
Scheduler reliability is not the same as capture reliability. Track the scheduled run’s start, completion, output path, and errors; configure retries or alerts if missing a day matters. Keep dependencies pinned through a lockfile, validate the script after updates to Puppeteer or the runtime, and confirm that browser binaries and OS libraries are available in the deployment environment. The capture itself uses compute and storage in your chosen environment; costs depend on that environment and retention policy rather than on Puppeteer providing a scheduling service.
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Or skip the browser setup
If you want a scheduled workflow without installing and maintaining Puppeteer and its browser runtime, ScreenshotNeo provides a website screenshot API and MCP server. A scheduled job can call its API once per run; use your scheduler for timing and store the returned image as you would any other output. See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for request options. This example writes the response body to a WebP file:
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FAQ
Will Puppeteer itself run a screenshot every day?
No. Puppeteer captures when your script calls it. Use a persistent scheduler to start that script on the daily schedule.
Does networkidle2 guarantee the page is ready?
No. It is a navigation wait condition, and some pages continue loading or update visually afterward. Use a readiness condition appropriate to the target site.
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Can the schedule run at exactly the same second each day?
Only rely on that precision if the scheduler explicitly guarantees it. A daily cron expression or hosted schedule identifies a launch time, but the actual start may not be exact to the second.
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