Use Playwright’s page.screenshot() method to capture the current viewport, the full scrollable document, or a clipped rectangle. Use locator.screenshot() for one element. The method can write an image to disk and also returns the image bytes, so the same capture can be uploaded, processed, or compared in memory.
This guide shows runnable JavaScript examples, deterministic-capture techniques, Playwright Test settings and visual assertions, output-format choices, failure fixes, and an API alternative when you do not want to maintain browser automation.
Install Playwright and create a page
Install the library in your project, then install at least one supported browser.
npm install -D playwright
npx playwright install chromiumA minimal script launches Chromium, opens a URL, saves a screenshot, and closes the browser:
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const { chromium } = require('playwright');
(async () => {
const browser = await chromium.launch();
const page = await browser.newPage({ viewport: { width: 1440, height: 900 } });
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle' });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'example.png' });
await browser.close();
})();path writes the file. Without path, page.screenshot() returns a Buffer containing the image.
Capture the visible viewport
The default is a screenshot of the viewport currently visible in the page. Set the viewport before navigation when exact dimensions matter.
await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1280, height: 720 });
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.screenshot({ path: 'viewport.png' });The resulting image represents the visible browser area, not content below the fold. A page’s responsive layout, device scale factor, and loaded fonts can change the pixels, so define those inputs deliberately for repeatable output.
Capture the full scrollable page
Pass fullPage: true to capture the entire scrollable document rather than only the viewport.
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.screenshot({ path: 'full-page.png', fullPage: true });This is useful for documentation, previews and archival images. It is not the same as scrolling a user-visible viewport and taking one frame: Playwright produces an image covering the page’s scrollable height. Lazy-loaded content may still need to be triggered first.
Make lazy content appear
Wait for a known section, scroll through the page, or use an application-specific readiness signal before capturing.
await page.goto('https://example.com/catalog');
await page.locator('.product-grid').waitFor();
await page.evaluate(async () => {
await new Promise(resolve => {
let last = 0;
const timer = setInterval(() => {
window.scrollBy(0, 600);
const now = document.documentElement.scrollTop;
if (now === last || now + innerHeight >= document.documentElement.scrollHeight) {
clearInterval(timer);
window.scrollTo(0, 0);
resolve();
}
last = now;
}, 100);
});
});
await page.screenshot({ path: 'catalog-full.png', fullPage: true });Prefer a deterministic application signal over a fixed delay when possible; network responses, font loading and client-side rendering can otherwise finish at different times.
Capture a rectangle with clip
Use clip when you need coordinates rather than a DOM element. The rectangle is expressed in page coordinates with x, y, width and height.
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await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.screenshot({
path: 'hero-region.png',
clip: { x: 0, y: 120, width: 900, height: 420 }
});Coordinates are sensitive to viewport size, responsive breakpoints and page layout. For a component that has a stable selector, an element screenshot is usually less fragile.
Capture one element with a locator
Use locator.screenshot() for current element-based code. Playwright waits for the locator’s actionability checks and scrolls the element into view before capturing it.
await page.goto('https://example.com');
const header = page.locator('header');
await header.screenshot({ path: 'header.png' });A covered element may not appear as you expect because an overlay can obscure it. For a scrollable container, the screenshot contains the content currently visible inside that container, not automatically every item hidden behind its internal scroll position.
Element screenshots versus discouraged handles
Locator screenshots remain tied to a selector and Playwright’s waiting behavior. The API reference marks ElementHandle.screenshot() as discouraged; use a locator instead:
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PNG is the default and preserves lossless detail. JPEG and WebP can reduce file size; the quality option applies to those formats, not PNG. The documented JPEG default quality is 80. WebP quality 100 is lossless, while lower values are lossy.
await page.screenshot({ path: 'card.webp', type: 'webp', quality: 85 });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'photo.jpg', type: 'jpeg', quality: 80 });Set omitBackground: true for transparency when using a format that supports it. It does not apply to JPEG.
await page.screenshot({ path: 'logo.png', omitBackground: true });scale: 'css' creates roughly one image pixel per CSS pixel, keeping high-DPI files smaller. scale: 'device' produces device-pixel output, which can be twice as large or more on a high-density display.
await page.screenshot({ path: 'css-scale.png', scale: 'css' });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'device-scale.png', scale: 'device' });Make screenshots repeatable
A screenshot is only as stable as the page state behind it. Set the browser engine, viewport, locale, timezone, authentication state and test data intentionally. Then use screenshot controls for known sources of variation.
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Disable animation and hide the caret
await page.screenshot({
path: 'stable.png',
animations: 'disabled',
caret: 'hide'
});With animations disabled, Playwright fast-forwards finite animations to completion and cancels infinite animations at their initial state for the capture, then resumes them. caret: 'hide' is the default, but specifying it documents the intent.
Mask changing or sensitive regions
Pass locators in mask to cover variable content. Masks cover each matched element’s bounding box, including invisible matched elements; maskColor changes the overlay color.
await page.screenshot({
path: 'masked.png',
mask: [page.locator('.timestamp'), page.locator('.avatar')],
maskColor: '#777'
});maskColor is documented from Playwright v1.35. Check the documentation for your installed release before relying on version-specific options.
Inject capture-only CSS
The style option applies a stylesheet only during the screenshot. It can hide rotating banners or normalize a component. The documented behavior pierces Shadow DOM and applies to inner frames.
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await page.screenshot({
path: 'no-cookie-banner.png',
style: `
.cookie-banner, .chat-widget { display: none !important; }
* { caret-color: transparent !important; }
`
});Style and animation controls do not make every page deterministic. Network-loaded data, fonts, browser engine, viewport and application state can still differ. Establish the state first, and mask or style only the regions that should not participate in the image.
Version-sensitive options
The official reference labels screenshot style as added in v1.41 and signal in v1.62. Playwright Test’s reducedMotion setting is documented from v1.50. Verify the version installed in your project before using these options.
Use screenshots in Playwright Test
Playwright Test can save screenshots automatically. In the configuration, use.screenshot defaults to 'off'. It also accepts 'on', 'only-on-failure' and 'on-first-failure', plus options such as fullPage and omitBackground.
import { defineConfig } from '@playwright/test';
export default defineConfig({
use: {
screenshot: 'only-on-failure',
viewport: { width: 1280, height: 720 }
}
});Use 'only-on-failure' when you want diagnostic artifacts without writing an image for every passing test. Use 'on' when every test needs an artifact.
Compare images with toHaveScreenshot()
A file capture and a visual assertion have different purposes. page.screenshot() creates an image. expect(page).toHaveScreenshot() compares the current rendering with a stored expectation and is available with the Playwright test runner.
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import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
test('home page matches its visual baseline', async ({ page }) => {
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await expect(page).toHaveScreenshot('home.png', {
fullPage: true,
animations: 'disabled',
maxDiffPixelRatio: 0.01
});
});The assertion waits until two consecutive screenshots are identical, then compares the last image with the expected snapshot. Set tolerances such as maxDiffPixels or maxDiffPixelRatio deliberately: an overly broad tolerance can hide a real regression. A locator can be asserted similarly:
await expect(page.locator('.checkout-summary')).toHaveScreenshot('summary.png');Capture bytes instead of writing a file
Omit path and keep the returned buffer for an upload, hash, or in-memory transform.
const image = await page.screenshot({ type: 'png' });
console.log(`captured ${image.length} bytes`);
// Example: await storage.put('runs/home.png', image);This avoids temporary files in serverless jobs and lets your application decide where the artifact belongs.
Common failures and fixes
The image stops at the viewport
Cause: fullPage was omitted or false. Fix: pass fullPage: true. If content is still missing, trigger lazy loading and wait for the relevant section before capture.
A locator screenshot times out
Cause: the selector matches nothing, the element is not actionable, or navigation has not reached the expected state. Fix: use a stable test ID, call locator.waitFor(), and verify the URL and application readiness signal.
The element is hidden behind a popup
Cause: a consent dialog, modal or chat widget covers the target. Fix: close it through the same UI path a user would, wait for it to disappear, or use capture-only CSS when hiding it is part of the intended artifact.
Full-page output contains blank or stale sections
Cause: lazy images, web fonts or client rendering finished after the capture. Fix: wait for a meaningful selector or network/application signal, scroll to activate lazy content, and ensure fonts and data are loaded before calling screenshot().
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Cause: animation, timestamps, ads, random data, fonts or a changed browser/viewport. Fix: freeze test data, disable animations, mask dynamic regions, define the viewport and browser consistently, and use a narrow diff tolerance only after identifying the source of variation.
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The file is unexpectedly large
Cause: device-pixel scale or lossless PNG output. Fix: try scale: 'css', WebP with an appropriate quality, or JPEG for photographic content. Keep PNG for sharp text, diagrams and transparency.
An option is rejected as unknown
Cause: the project uses an older Playwright release. Fix: check the installed version and consult that release’s API reference before depending on options such as style, maskColor or signal.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can Playwright take a screenshot without saving a file?
Yes. Omit the path option; page.screenshot() returns a Buffer that you can upload or process in memory.
Which method should I use for a component?
Use locator.screenshot() with a stable selector. It waits for the element and scrolls it into view, unlike a coordinate clip that depends on layout.
Does toHaveScreenshot() work in a plain Playwright script?
No. It is a Playwright Test visual assertion and compares the rendering with a stored expectation; use page.screenshot() for ordinary file or buffer capture.
Quick Recap
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