Install MSS with python -m pip install -U --user mss, then use its MSS class to capture a monitor or screen region. Call grab() to get pixels for processing, or save the capture as a PNG with mss.tools.to_png(), Pillow, or MSS’s convenience methods. The examples below use the current MSS class rather than the deprecated mss.mss() spelling.
Install MSS and make your first screenshot
MSS is a cross-platform Python package for capturing screenshots from monitors and screen regions. Its project name stands for “Multiple ScreenShots.” The package page lists Python 3.9 or later as a requirement. Install it from a terminal with pip:
python -m pip install -U --user mssOn a system where you manage Python packages through Conda, the official usage guide also documents a Conda installation route; follow the current instructions in the MSS usage documentation. If you use multiple Python installations or virtual environments, run the install command with the same Python interpreter that will run your script.
This minimal script captures the display MSS identifies as the primary monitor and saves a PNG:
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from mss import MSS
with MSS() as sct:
filename = sct.shot()
print(f"Saved screenshot to {filename}")The with block manages the capture session. shot() is a convenience method that captures the first monitor and writes a PNG by default. For an explicit target, pixel processing, or a different save path, use grab() and save the returned image as described below.
Choose a monitor or a screen region
MSS exposes monitors through sct.monitors. Index 0 represents the combined virtual desktop across all attached monitors; indices starting at 1 refer to individual displays. sct.primary_monitor selects the display MSS identifies as primary. If the system does not mark a primary display, or the platform cannot report one, the API says MSS falls back to the first individual monitor.
Capture the primary display
from mss import MSS
with MSS() as sct:
image = sct.grab(sct.primary_monitor)
print(image.size)grab() returns an MSS ScreenShot object. Its size gives the captured image dimensions; the object also exposes pixel data for saving or conversion.
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Capture one monitor or the combined desktop
from mss import MSS
with MSS() as sct:
# Individual monitor: use 1 for the first display, 2 for the second, and so on.
first_display = sct.grab(sct.monitors[1])
# All displays combined into the virtual desktop bounds.
whole_desktop = sct.grab(sct.monitors[0])Monitor numbering and geometry come from the system’s display setup. Inspect sct.monitors if you need to confirm the available bounds before selecting a display.
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Capture a rectangle
Use an MSS Region to state a rectangle as its left and top coordinates plus width and height:
from mss import MSS
from mss.models import Region
with MSS() as sct:
area = Region(left=100, top=80, width=640, height=480)
image = sct.grab(area)The same bounds can be passed as a dictionary with left, top, width, and height. A PIL-style tuple is also supported: (left, top, right, bottom). Check the API reference for the supported region forms and platform-specific details. Coordinates must describe an area that exists on the desktop; for multi-monitor layouts, monitor positions may include negative coordinates or be offset from the primary display.
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Save the capture as a PNG
To save the exact pixels returned by a single grab() call, pass its RGB data and dimensions to mss.tools.to_png(). This avoids taking a second screenshot just to write a file.
import mss.tools
from mss import MSS
with MSS() as sct:
image = sct.grab(sct.primary_monitor)
mss.tools.to_png(image.rgb, image.size, output="screenshot.png")The official MSS examples also show sct.save() for saving monitor images and sct.shot() as a concise helper for the first monitor. Use those when their built-in capture-and-save behavior suits your task; use grab() followed by an explicit save when you need to process or inspect the same capture.
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Convert pixels for Pillow or OpenCV
If you need image operations rather than a file alone, convert the ScreenShot object into the format expected by your library.
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Save with Pillow
from mss import MSS
with MSS() as sct:
image = sct.grab(sct.primary_monitor)
pil_image = image.to_pil("RGB")
pil_image.save("screenshot.png")Use RGB when the image is destined for ordinary Pillow workflows or libraries that expect RGB channel order.
Pass pixels to OpenCV
from mss import MSS
with MSS() as sct:
image = sct.grab(sct.primary_monitor)
frame = image.to_numpy(channels="BGR")The MSS examples recommend BGR for OpenCV. The documented default RGB ordering is appropriate for scikit-image and many other image-processing frameworks. Do not assume the alpha channel represents meaningful transparency on every platform or capture backend.
Capture repeatedly without reopening the session
For repeated captures, create one MSS instance and reuse it rather than constructing a new one each time. The usage documentation presents this as the more memory-efficient pattern. A simple loop that captures and writes successive PNGs looks like this:
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import time
import mss.tools
from mss import MSS
with MSS() as sct:
monitor = sct.primary_monitor
for index in range(5):
image = sct.grab(monitor)
mss.tools.to_png(image.rgb, image.size, output=f"capture-{index}.png")
time.sleep(1)MSS documents thread-safety, but calls to grab() on a shared instance are serialized automatically. A shared instance therefore does not make simultaneous capture calls run in parallel. The documented direct-buffer optimization is limited to GNU/Linux with Python 3.12 or later. MSS’s official material does not establish one generally applicable frames-per-second figure, so actual throughput depends on operating system, display setup, backend, capture area, and workload.
Platform details that affect capture
- GNU/Linux: The default display is obtained from
DISPLAY. MSS normally uses thexshmgetimagebackend and can fall back toxgetimagewhen MIT-SHM is unavailable, including some remote SSH display configurations. This documented fallback does not guarantee that a headless machine or remote session has a usable display configured. - Windows and macOS: MSS documents platform-specific backend details in its usage guide and API reference. Capture availability and behavior still depend on the local display/session setup.
- CLI use: MSS also provides a command-line interface with options for monitor selection, coordinates, cursor inclusion, and backend choice. Consult the current usage documentation for the exact installed-version syntax rather than assuming the CLI options match a different release.
The latest documentation describes additions in version 11.0 and marks mss.mss() deprecated since 10.2. Because the “latest” documentation can change as the project evolves, check the installed version’s documentation if code will be maintained across upgrades.
Troubleshooting common MSS problems
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'mss': Install MSS with the interpreter that runs the script:python -m pip install -U --user mss. In a virtual environment, activate it first; for a different interpreter, invoke that interpreter’s-m pip.- The screenshot is from the wrong display: Print or inspect
sct.monitors, then pass the intended individual monitor tograb(). Remember that index0means all monitors together, not the first physical display. - The region is misplaced or empty: Verify
left,top,width, andheightagainst the desktop layout. For a tuple, MSS expects(left, top, right, bottom), not position plus width and height. - Capture fails in a Linux or SSH session: Check whether the process has access to the intended X display and whether
DISPLAYis set. Remote or headless setups may lack a capture-capable display; the documented backend fallback is not a substitute for configuring one. - The saved colors look wrong in a processing library: Confirm channel order. Use
to_numpy(channels="BGR")for OpenCV; use RGB for Pillow and libraries expecting RGB. - A loop behaves slower than expected: Keep one
MSSobject open and avoid assuming that concurrent calls on that shared object will capture in parallel. MSS provides no universal speed guarantee; test with the actual OS, display, region, and downstream work.
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MSS captures pixels from a desktop display. If your goal is a screenshot of a public website rather than your local screen, a screenshot API avoids installing or managing a browser. ScreenshotNeo provides a website screenshot API and MCP server for developers. One GET request returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF; this example saves a WebP response:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for authentication and request options. It accepts cookie or consent banners before capture and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be turned off. Bot checks/CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and responses identify the page verdict and billing status in headers. An MCP server offers take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can MSS capture a website URL directly?
No. MSS captures a monitor or screen region. To capture a website without opening it on your desktop, use a browser-based capture workflow or a website screenshot API.
Does MSS save JPEG or WebP by default?
The documented convenience method saves PNG by default. For other output formats, convert or encode the captured pixels with an appropriate image library.
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