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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsUse Puppeteer’s headless browser, navigate to a page, and call page.screenshot(). Puppeteer launches in regular headless mode by default, so this minimal script saves a PNG without opening a visible Chrome window:
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png' });
} finally {
await browser.close();
}The rest of this guide shows viewport, full-page, element, clipped, transparent and in-memory captures; explains headless modes, sizing and reliability; and provides fixes for common failures. The examples follow Puppeteer documentation reviewed at version 25.12.0, which is the version label shown in those pages at that time.
Set up Puppeteer
Install Puppeteer in a Node.js project. The package downloads a compatible bundled browser during installation.
npm init -y
npm install puppeteerUse an ES-module file such as screenshot.mjs, or set "type": "module" in package.json. Puppeteer is guaranteed to work with its bundled browser; using another executable is at your own risk (LaunchOptions).
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Take a basic headless screenshot
- Import Puppeteer.
- Launch with
puppeteer.launch(). The default is headless mode (headless: true). - Create a page and navigate with
page.goto(). - Call
page.screenshot(), supplying a file path. - Close the browser in a
finallyblock so failed navigations do not leave Chrome processes running.
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';
const url = 'https://example.com';
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto(url, { waitUntil: 'networkidle2' });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png' });
console.log('Saved screenshot.png');
} finally {
await browser.close();
}path is resolved relative to the process’s current working directory. Without path, Puppeteer returns image bytes instead of writing a file (Page.screenshot(); ScreenshotOptions).
Choose the capture area
Viewport only
fullPage defaults to false, so this captures the currently visible viewport:
await page.screenshot({ path: 'viewport.png' });Entire document
Set fullPage: true to capture the page’s full scrollable content:
await page.screenshot({
path: 'full-page.png',
fullPage: true
});Full-page mode changes the capture extent; it is not automatically preferable to a viewport or a specific region. Long, dynamically rendered pages may need an explicit wait for content before capture.
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A rectangular region
Use clip with CSS-pixel coordinates to capture a rectangle. The rectangle needs x, y, width and height:
await page.screenshot({
path: 'region.png',
clip: { x: 40, y: 120, width: 640, height: 360 }
});One element
Find the element, then call its handle’s screenshot() method. Puppeteer scrolls the element into view when necessary. The call throws if the element has been detached from the DOM (ElementHandle.screenshot()).
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const element = await page.waitForSelector('main');
if (!element) throw new Error('main was not found');
await element.screenshot({ path: 'main.png' });For modern pages that replace nodes during rendering, locate the selector immediately before capture and avoid retaining a handle across a re-render.
Transparent output
omitBackground: true hides the default white background and allows transparency, useful for isolated UI components:
await page.screenshot({
path: 'transparent.png',
omitBackground: true
});Control format, quality and returned data
| Option | Use |
|---|---|
path |
Writes the image to a file. Relative paths use the current working directory. |
type |
Choose the image format supported by Puppeteer, such as PNG, JPEG or WebP where available. |
quality |
Set a 0–100 quality value for lossy formats. It does not apply to PNG. |
fullPage |
Capture the complete page rather than only the viewport. |
clip |
Capture a specified rectangle. |
omitBackground |
Permit transparent pixels instead of a white page background. |
When no path is supplied, the method returns a buffer. That is useful for HTTP responses, object storage or image processing:
const image = await page.screenshot({ type: 'png' });
// image is a Buffer; send it to your API or storage layerWait for the page you actually want to capture
page.goto() resolves according to its wait condition, but a successful navigation does not guarantee that framework-rendered content, fonts or lazy images are ready. Pick a condition that matches the page:
waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded'waits for the initial HTML to be parsed.waitUntil: 'load'waits for the load event.waitUntil: 'networkidle2'waits until network activity is low; analytics or streaming connections can prevent a useful idle point.
await page.goto('https://example.com/dashboard', {
waitUntil: 'networkidle2',
timeout: 60000
});
await page.waitForSelector('[data-ready="true"]', { timeout: 30000 });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'dashboard.png', fullPage: true });For a known animation or delayed widget, a short explicit delay can be clearer than assuming network idle:
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));Use delays sparingly; a readiness selector is generally more deterministic.
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Set viewport and screen size deliberately
Set the page viewport before navigation when screenshot dimensions matter:
await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1440, height: 900 });If neither --screen-info nor --window-size is supplied, Puppeteer documents an 800×600 headless screen configuration. That is a screen default, not a promise that every screenshot is 800×600: page screenshot options, device scale and full-page capture determine the output (Screen configuration).
For repeatable visual comparisons, record the Puppeteer version, browser binary or channel, headless setting, viewport, device scale factor and screenshot options. Differences in any of these can change layout, fonts or anti-aliasing.
Regular headless Chrome versus headless shell
The current guide distinguishes regular/new headless Chrome from chrome-headless-shell, an older headless mode shipped as a separate binary (Headless mode).
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| Launch value | Behavior | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
true (default) |
Regular headless Chrome with the broadest Chrome feature compatibility. | Your screenshots should match normal Chrome behavior. |
'shell' |
Uses chrome-headless-shell; the guide notes it does not completely match regular Chrome but can be more performant for automation that does not need the complete feature set. |
You have verified the page works with the shell and performance is the priority. |
false |
Shows a visible browser window. | You need to watch the page while debugging. |
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({ headless: 'shell' });Do not assume shell and regular headless output are identical. Test the mode against the exact browser features and rendering fidelity your workflow requires.
Reliable capture patterns
Handle navigation failures
try {
await page.goto(url, { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded', timeout: 60000 });
} catch (error) {
console.error(`Navigation failed for ${url}:`, error);
throw error;
}A timeout can still leave a partially loaded document. Capture it only if that partial state is an intentional fallback.
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Wait for lazy content
Full-page capture does not guarantee that every lazy image has loaded. Scroll or wait for an application-provided ready marker before taking the image:
await page.evaluate(async () => {
document.querySelectorAll('img[loading="lazy"]').forEach(img => img.scrollIntoView());
});
await page.waitForFunction(() =>
[...document.images].every(img => img.complete)
);
await page.screenshot({ path: 'all-images.png', fullPage: true });Prevent resource leaks
Always close the browser in finally. In a service processing many URLs, reuse a browser process carefully, create and close pages per job, and impose navigation and job timeouts so one site cannot occupy a worker indefinitely.
Make output reproducible
- Pin the Puppeteer version in your lockfile.
- Use a fixed viewport and device scale factor.
- Use the same bundled browser or explicitly record any channel choice.
- Set locale, timezone and authentication state when they affect layout.
- Wait for a semantic readiness signal rather than a guessed delay.
Common errors and fixes
“Could not find Chrome” or browser launch failure
Run the package installation again so Puppeteer’s bundled browser is present, and verify that the runtime can execute it. If you intentionally set executablePath, confirm the path and accept that non-bundled browsers are not guaranteed.
Screenshot is blank or shows a loading shell
Wait for the application’s content selector, increase the navigation timeout, and check console or page errors. A successful HTTP response can still represent a client-side failure.
Element screenshot says the element is detached
The page replaced the node between lookup and capture. Call waitForSelector again immediately before element.screenshot(), or wait for the framework’s render-complete marker.
Images are missing
Wait for image completion, scroll lazy images into view, and check that the headless browser can reach the image host. Authenticated or signed image URLs may require cookies or headers configured before navigation.
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Output size is unexpected
Check whether you requested fullPage, inspect the viewport set with setViewportSize, and distinguish CSS pixels from device-scaled output. Do not infer dimensions from the documented 800×600 screen default alone.
Headless differs from visible Chrome
Confirm the launch mode, browser version and viewport. If you selected headless: 'shell', switch to regular headless mode and compare; Puppeteer explicitly warns that shell behavior does not completely match regular Chrome.
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FAQ
Does Puppeteer require headless: true?
No. puppeteer.launch() already defaults to regular headless mode. Specify the option only when documenting intent or selecting 'shell' or false.
Can I return screenshot bytes instead of a file?
Yes. Omit path; page.screenshot() returns image bytes that your application can stream or store.
What is the safest way to capture a changing element?
Wait for the selector immediately before capture and ensure the application has finished replacing its DOM node; detached handles cannot be screenshotted.
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