For Browserless’s current REST Screenshot API, send a POST request to /screenshot with the page URL and a waitForSelector condition in the JSON body. Browserless waits for the CSS selector before producing the screenshot; set visible: true if the element must be displayed, and handle a non-200 response if the selector times out.
Wait for a selector with Browserless REST
Use the current REST endpoint and shared request configuration. The example waits up to five seconds for an h1, then requests a full-page PNG:
curl -X POST "https://production-sfo.browserless.io/screenshot?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN"
-H "Content-Type: application/json"
-d '{
"url": "https://example.com/",
"waitForSelector": {
"selector": "h1",
"timeout": 5000
},
"options": {
"fullPage": true,
"type": "png"
}
}'
--output screenshot.pngReplace YOUR_API_TOKEN with your Browserless token and change the URL and selector to match the target page. Browserless documents the current endpoint as POST /screenshot and the selector wait as part of its request configuration. Check the response status before treating the output as an image: a selector timeout produces a non-200 response with an error message.
Wait for presence or visibility
The selector must be valid CSS. By default, the condition can be satisfied by finding the element in the DOM. If the page can insert the element while it remains hidden, require visibility explicitly:
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"waitForSelector": {
"selector": ".results-ready",
"visible": true,
"timeout": 10000
}The timeout is in milliseconds. Choose a limit appropriate to the page, and make sure your client handles the failure path rather than assuming every response contains a screenshot.
Wait for readiness versus capture one element
waitForSelector is a readiness gate; it does not crop the screenshot to the matched node. If you want the output to show only one element, use the screenshot API’s top-level selector option instead. Browserless waits for that element and captures its bounding box. Use the shared wait condition when a marker means the page is ready but you still want the full page.
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Choose a wait condition that matches the page
- Selector condition: Use when a known element indicates that the content you need has appeared. It ties capture to page state rather than an arbitrary pause.
- Visibility condition: Add
visible: truewhen DOM presence is insufficient and the element needs to be displayed. - Fixed delay: Use
waitForTimeoutonly when the behavior is genuinely time-based and there is no reliable readiness marker. A delay does not confirm that a particular element loaded. - Custom page condition: Browserless also documents
waitForFunctionfor waiting on a condition evaluated in the page context.
These are current REST configuration fields. Their exact behavior and availability can change; consult the linked Browserless documentation for the endpoint you use.
Do not mix current REST and legacy BaaS v1 syntax
Browserless’s current REST configuration uses waitForSelector. Its legacy BaaS v1 screenshot page documents a different waitFor property, which can be a CSS selector string, a millisecond number, or a page-context function. These payloads are not interchangeable. Confirm which endpoint generation your account and application call, then use that generation’s documented request shape; the available documentation does not establish which endpoint generations are enabled for a particular account.
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The legacy syntax is documented on Browserless’s BaaS v1 /screenshot API. Do not copy its waitFor example into a current REST request without checking the endpoint.
When you control Puppeteer or Playwright directly
A Browserless REST request is configured through JSON; it is not the same as running local page-control code. With a connected Puppeteer page, explicitly await the selector before taking the screenshot:
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await page.goto('https://example.com/');
await page.waitForSelector('h1', { timeout: 5000, visible: true });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png', fullPage: true });Puppeteer documents that waitForSelector returns immediately if the selector already exists and throws if it does not appear within the timeout. Its documented default is 30 seconds; set a shorter or longer explicit timeout when that better fits your task. See the Puppeteer waitForSelector API and Puppeteer screenshots guide.
Playwright also supports Page.waitForSelector, but its current documentation marks that method as discouraged and recommends locator-based waits or web-first assertions for many cases. That advice concerns code controlling a Playwright page directly, not the Browserless REST payload. See Playwright Page documentation.
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Troubleshoot missing or failed screenshots
- Selector timeout: Confirm the selector is valid CSS and matches the rendered page, not just the initial HTML. Increase the millisecond timeout only if the page legitimately needs longer; handle the documented non-200 response when the condition is not met.
- Element exists but is hidden: Decide whether visibility is part of readiness and set
visible: truewhen it is. - Screenshot is cropped unexpectedly—or not at all: A wait condition does not select the output region. Use the screenshot-specific top-level
selectorwhen the desired result is an element-only capture. - Lazy-loaded content is absent: Browserless’s screenshot documentation suggests
scrollPage: true, optionally withoptions.fullPage: true, to trigger loading by scrolling. - Blank page, CAPTCHA, access-denied screen, or missing content: Bot detection may be involved. Browserless points to
/unblockfor bypassing some bot checks, but does not guarantee it will resolve every site’s blocking. - Request fails despite a plausible payload: Check that you are calling the intended API generation and using its matching field names. Current REST uses
waitForSelector; legacy BaaS v1 useswaitFor.
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. One thousand screenshots a month are free with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for free and get 1,000 screenshots a month with no card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Browserless wait for an element to be visible by default?
Not necessarily. Add visible: true when the element must be displayed rather than merely present in the DOM.
Does waitForSelector crop the screenshot to that element?
No. It gates when capture proceeds. Use the screenshot-specific selector option to capture an element’s bounding box.
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What happens when the selector never appears?
Browserless documents a non-200 response with an error message. Check the status and handle that failure instead of treating the response as an image.
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