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Quick answer: render without clipRect
In PhantomJS, page.render('full-page.png') processes the whole page when no clipping rectangle is configured. Do not confuse this with the viewport. page.viewportSize determines the browser’s layout width and height—important for responsive breakpoints—but it does not limit the rendered page to those dimensions.
Save the following as full-page.js:
var page = require('webpage').create();
// Choose the responsive layout you want to capture.
page.viewportSize = {
width: 1024,
height: 768
};
page.open('https://example.com/', function (status) {
if (status !== 'success') {
console.log('Unable to load the address!');
phantom.exit(1);
return;
}
// No clipRect: render the entire document.
page.render('full-page.png');
phantom.exit();
});Run it with:
phantomjs full-page.jsOn a successful load, the output file is written in the current directory. The filename extension selects the output format; the example creates a PNG.
What each setting does
page.open() loads the target
page.open(url, callback) invokes the callback with a status such as success. Render only after a successful status. A failed status can mean a DNS problem, refused connection, TLS issue, redirect failure, or another load error. Rendering after failure can produce an empty or misleading file.
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viewportSize controls layout
Set the viewport before calling page.open(). A width of 1024 pixels, for example, causes media queries and responsive components to lay out as they would in a 1024-pixel-wide browser window. Include both width and height; PhantomJS documents viewport height as required.
Changing the viewport changes the page’s layout, not the fact that the render is full-page. If you need a mobile layout, use a mobile-sized viewport and leave clipRect unset.
page.render() writes the file
The render method saves the page to the supplied filename. PNG, JPEG, BMP, PPM and PDF are documented formats, with GIF available where the Qt build supports it. The extension normally determines the format.
clipRect limits the capture
A clipping rectangle has top, left, width and height values. Once set, only that rectangle is rasterized. That is useful for a hero area, chart or viewport-sized image, but it is the wrong setting for a full-page screenshot. Remove the property entirely for the documented full-page behavior.
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A bounded screenshot versus a full-page screenshot
| Goal | Viewport | clipRect |
Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entire document | Set the desired responsive width and height | Leave unset | PhantomJS processes the full page |
| Viewport-sized image | Set the browser dimensions | Set a rectangle matching the desired region | Only the rectangle is rendered |
| Specific component | Choose a layout that displays the component | Set coordinates around that component | A cropped region of the page |
The rectangle’s coordinates are page coordinates, not CSS selectors. PhantomJS’s documented API does not make an unset viewport height equivalent to “capture everything”; specify both viewport dimensions and omit only the clipping rectangle.
Make dynamic pages ready before rendering
A successful page.open() callback means the navigation completed according to PhantomJS, not that every image, animation, lazy-loaded section or later JavaScript request has finished. The official examples include a 200 ms delay in one situation, but that sample delay is not a universal guarantee.
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Use a site-specific readiness condition
If you control the page, expose a marker after the content needed for the screenshot is ready. You can poll for that marker, then render:
var page = require('webpage').create();
page.viewportSize = { width: 1024, height: 768 };
var url = 'https://example.com/report';
var deadline = Date.now() + 15000;
function captureWhenReady() {
var ready = page.evaluate(function () {
return document.documentElement.getAttribute('data-screenshot-ready') === 'true';
});
if (ready) {
page.render('report-full.png');
phantom.exit(0);
return;
}
if (Date.now() >= deadline) {
console.log('Timed out waiting for the page readiness marker.');
phantom.exit(2);
return;
}
window.setTimeout(captureWhenReady, 100);
}
page.open(url, function (status) {
if (status !== 'success') {
console.log('Unable to load the address!');
phantom.exit(1);
return;
}
captureWhenReady();
});The page would need to set data-screenshot-ready="true" when its own data and images are ready. For a site you do not control, choose a condition that is specific to that site—for example, the presence of a result container—and set a maximum wait so a broken page cannot leave the process running forever. A fixed sleep can still be useful as a small site-specific buffer, but it should not be treated as proof that asynchronous work has completed.
Wait for a known element
You can test for an element from the page context and render when it appears:
function waitForSelector(selector, done) {
var end = Date.now() + 10000;
(function poll() {
var present = page.evaluate(function (s) {
return !!document.querySelector(s);
}, selector);
if (present) {
done(true);
return;
}
if (Date.now() >= end) {
done(false);
return;
}
window.setTimeout(poll, 100);
}());
}
waitForSelector('#main-content', function (found) {
if (!found) {
console.log('The expected content did not appear.');
phantom.exit(2);
return;
}
page.render('full-page.png');
phantom.exit(0);
});Place this call inside the successful page.open() callback. Selectors and time limits must match the application; PhantomJS documentation does not define one all-purpose “network idle” condition.
Choosing PNG, JPEG or PDF
PNG
Use a .png filename for a lossless raster screenshot. It is a practical default for text, interfaces and diagrams. The documented quality parameter affects encoding; PNG compression can change file size without changing the image’s visual content.
JPEG
Use .jpg or .jpeg when a smaller, lossy image is acceptable. JPEG quality is an integer from 0 to 100. Lower values generally produce smaller files with more compression artifacts. Confirm the exact behavior in the PhantomJS build you operate because this is legacy software.
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PDF is documented as an output format, but it is a document-style result rather than a conventional pixel screenshot. Use it when pagination and printable output matter more than one continuous raster image.
// Examples; keep the same successful page.open callback.
page.render('page.png');
page.render('page.jpg');
page.render('page.pdf');Common failures and fixes
The file is only viewport-sized
Look for a clipRect assignment. Remove it for a full-page render. Keep viewportSize if you need a particular responsive layout; it does not need to match the document’s total height.
The output is blank or incomplete
Check the status passed to page.open() and render only on success. Then identify whether the page fills content asynchronously. Add a page-specific readiness check, verify that the expected selector appears, and impose a timeout. A short delay alone may miss lazy images or later requests.
The script never exits
Call phantom.exit() on every success and failure path. The PhantomJS Quick Start warns that the process will not terminate if that call is omitted. Use a nonzero exit code for operational failures so a scheduler can detect them.
The page uses a modern JavaScript feature
PhantomJS uses QtWebKit and is no longer being developed. Its homepage explicitly says development is suspended until further notice. Current frameworks, TLS configurations, browser APIs and operating systems may therefore fail or render differently. Do not infer present-day compatibility from a script that worked for an older site; test the exact URL and PhantomJS build you deploy.
Images or fonts are missing
Determine whether they are lazy-loaded, blocked by the page, dependent on later JavaScript, or unavailable to the PhantomJS runtime. Wait for a page-owned readiness marker where possible. If the resource requires authentication, configure the page for that test environment rather than assuming a delay will fix an authorization failure.
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The result has the wrong responsive layout
Set page.viewportSize before navigation and include both dimensions. A desktop-width viewport can intentionally produce a desktop layout even when the script runs on a small server. Conversely, a narrow width can trigger mobile breakpoints and change the page’s total height.
A format is rejected
Use a documented extension such as .png, .jpg or .pdf. GIF support depends on the Qt build. Verify the capabilities of the particular PhantomJS binary instead of assuming every format is available everywhere.
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Keep the capture deterministic
- Set the viewport explicitly rather than relying on a machine default.
- Use a stable test URL and a page-specific readiness signal.
- Disable or account for animations when you control the page.
- Give every wait loop a deadline and return a meaningful exit code.
- Record the URL, viewport, output format and PhantomJS version alongside the artifact.
Plan for resource use
A full-page image can be much taller and larger than a viewport capture. Choose PNG when fidelity matters and JPEG when lossy compression is acceptable. For very long documents, consider whether PDF or a sequence of bounded captures better fits downstream storage and review; PhantomJS’s full-page behavior does not eliminate the memory required to rasterize a large page.
Treat PhantomJS as legacy infrastructure
The project’s suspended-development notice is a reliability constraint. Pin the binary and operating environment that your existing workflow has validated, keep a representative URL test set, and expect that a site redesign or certificate change may require migration to a maintained browser automation stack. The procedure above describes PhantomJS’s documented behavior; it is not a promise of compatibility with today’s web.
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See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for parameter details. A direct cURL request is:
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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,
)
r.raise_for_status()
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)And in 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}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Screenshot failed: ${res.status}`);
const fs = await import('node:fs/promises');
await fs.writeFile('shot.webp', Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer()));ScreenshotNeo includes an MCP server with take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month without a card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots. Other listed plans are Growth ($15 for 15,000), Pro ($39 for 60,000), Scale ($99 for 250,000) and Business ($249 for 1,000,000); yearly billing provides two months free, and every feature is included on every plan.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does PhantomJS automatically discover the page’s total height?
The documented behavior is that page.render() processes the entire page when no clipRect is set. The viewport still controls layout, and very dynamic pages may need a readiness check before rendering.
Can I use a CSS selector instead of coordinates for PhantomJS cropping?
The documented clipRect API uses numeric top, left, width and height values. To crop an element, calculate its page coordinates in script and assign those values.
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Why does a 200-millisecond wait sometimes fail?
The documentation presents 200 milliseconds as an example delay, not a guarantee. Lazy images, animations and later network requests can take longer, so wait for a condition specific to the page and enforce a maximum timeout.
What should replace PhantomJS for a new project?
This workflow is legacy because PhantomJS development is suspended. If you need a maintained browser stack, evaluate a current automation tool separately; if you want an API without managing a browser, ScreenshotNeo is an available alternative.
Quick Recap
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