Use Playwright for Python: add the current session cookie to a browser context before navigating to the site, confirm the page is authenticated, then save the screenshot. The cookie must belong to the target site and cover the requested URL. If the application also relies on other browser state, a cookie alone may not be enough.
Capture a page with a session cookie
Install Playwright, provide the cookie through an environment variable or secret manager, and create a browser context for the capture. This example uses the synchronous API and saves a full-page PNG.
from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright
import os
url = "https://example.com/account"
# Obtain this through an authorized login flow or secret manager.
session_cookie = os.environ["SESSION_COOKIE"]
with sync_playwright() as p:
browser = p.chromium.launch(headless=True)
context = browser.new_context(viewport={"width": 1440, "height": 1000})
context.add_cookies([{
"name": "sessionid",
"value": session_cookie,
"url": "https://example.com",
"httpOnly": True,
"secure": True,
}])
page = context.new_page()
page.goto(url, wait_until="networkidle")
page.screenshot(path="authenticated-page.png", full_page=True)
context.close()
browser.close()Install Playwright and its browser before running the script. The example is illustrative; it has not been tested against a particular site. Replace the URL, cookie name, value source, and cookie scope with the values for an account and site you are authorized to use. See the BrowserContext API reference for current cookie options.
Set the cookie’s scope correctly
Playwright accepts a cookie url, or a domain and path pair. The URL or domain and path must cover the destination page. A leading dot on a domain applies the cookie to subdomains. For example, a cookie scoped to https://example.com may not be sent to a different hostname. Use the actual scope required by the site.
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httpOnly and secure are cookie attributes, not authentication fixes. Setting them does not make an expired, invalid, or incorrectly scoped credential work.
Wait for the right page state
networkidle is one possible navigation wait condition, but dynamic sites can continue loading or become interactive only after application-specific work. For a reliable capture, wait for a locator or other explicit signal that identifies the authenticated page—for example, an account heading that appears only after login. A screenshot can successfully save a login redirect or access-denied page, so the image itself does not prove authentication worked.
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Use full_page=True to capture beyond the current viewport. Omit it for a viewport-sized image. The Playwright screenshot guide documents screenshot options.
Choose between a cookie and saved browser state
| Approach | Best suited to | What it preserves | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inject one cookie | A site with a known, current cookie-based session | The cookie you provide, in the scope you specify | You must supply the correct cookie name, value, and scope; it will not restore other authentication state. |
| Reuse Playwright storage state | Repeated captures after an authorized Playwright login, especially when multiple supported state types are involved | Supported browser state saved from the login context | The state file is sensitive. Session storage needs separate handling. |
Both approaches use a browser context as the session boundary for its pages. Add cookies before navigating; pages opened in that context use its browser session.
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When a cookie is not enough
Some applications use local storage, IndexedDB, passkeys, or a combination of state rather than relying on one session cookie. Playwright’s authentication guide explains how to save supported state after login and load it into a later context.
# After completing an authorized login in a Playwright context:
context.storage_state(path="state.json")
# For a later capture:
context = browser.new_context(storage_state="state.json")The regular storage-state API does not include session storage. If the application depends on it, use the initialization-script pattern described in Playwright’s authentication guide and restrict the state to the intended hostname.
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Protect the session credential
A raw session cookie can grant access as the account holder. Playwright warns that saved browser state may contain cookies and headers that could be used to impersonate an account. Keep cookie values and state files out of source code, version control, screenshots, and logs; use an environment-backed secret or secret manager, and restrict access to saved state. Add any authentication-state directory to .gitignore.
Use only sessions and accounts you are authorized to access, and follow the site’s access rules.
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Common problems and fixes
- The screenshot shows the login page. The cookie may be expired, invalid, or scoped to another host or path. Confirm the cookie’s name and value from an authorized session, check its scope, and verify the final page or an authenticated-only locator before capturing.
- The cookie is present in code but not sent. Check that the supplied URL or domain-and-path pair covers the destination. Also check whether the site redirects to another hostname that needs its own valid session.
- The page is incomplete or blank. The chosen wait condition may not match the application’s readiness. Wait for a meaningful page element or app-ready signal instead of relying on a fixed delay.
- Login still fails with the cookie. The app may depend on local storage, IndexedDB, passkeys, or other state. Reuse supported Playwright storage state created by an authorized login; handle session storage separately if the app requires it.
- The script cannot find
SESSION_COOKIE. Set the environment variable in the process environment or configure your secret manager before running the script. Do not print the value to debug this problem.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. For a public page, one GET request can return an image or PDF. For a private page, use the API only if its supported authentication options match the site and your access requirements; this one-call example does not pass the session cookie shown above.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com/account -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo documentation for API parameters. ScreenshotNeo removes known cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers say which verdict and billing result applied. Its MCP server lets AI agents use screenshot tools. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can Playwright reuse saved login cookies?
Yes. Save supported state from an authorized Playwright login with `context.storage_state(path=”state.json”)`, then create a later context with `browser.new_context(storage_state=”state.json”)`. Keep the state file private; session storage is not included by the regular storage-state API.
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