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Pyppeteer can automate a headless Chromium browser and save a screenshot with a short Python script. It is an unofficial Python port of Puppeteer, and its project README currently describes it as unmaintained and recommends Playwright Python instead. This tutorial is for developers who specifically need Pyppeteer or are maintaining an existing workflow—not a blanket recommendation for new projects.
Install Pyppeteer and capture a page
The basic sequence is launch the browser, open a page, navigate to a URL, take the screenshot, and close the browser. The example below follows the Python API shown in the Pyppeteer project README.
1. Install the package
Use the Python environment in which you intend to run the script:
python -m pip install pyppeteer
The project README reports Python 3.8 or later as its documented baseline. Because the project is unmaintained, treat that as a project-stated requirement, not a guarantee that every current Python and Chromium combination will work.
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2. Save and run the script
Save this as take_screenshot.py:
import asyncio
from pyppeteer import launch
async def main():
browser = await launch()
try:
page = await browser.newPage()
await page.goto('https://example.com', {'waitUntil': 'networkidle2'})
await page.screenshot({'path': 'example.png', 'fullPage': True})
finally:
await browser.close()
asyncio.get_event_loop().run_until_complete(main())Run it with:
python take_screenshot.py
On success, the script writes example.png in the current working directory. The README uses asyncio.get_event_loop().run_until_complete(main()) as its example runner; Python applications with an existing event loop may need a runner appropriate to their context rather than calling this form from inside that loop.
The try/finally ensures the browser is closed even if navigation or capture raises an exception. fullPage=True captures the full page rather than only the visible viewport; remove it for a viewport-sized image.
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How navigation and screenshot options work
Choose when navigation is considered complete
The example waits for networkidle2 before capture. This can help when a page needs time to load its resources, but sites with continuing network activity may not reach a network-idle state promptly. If that happens, try the default navigation behavior or a page-specific wait condition, then explicitly wait for the content you need before taking the screenshot.
Capture the viewport or full page
Pyppeteer accepts screenshot options as a Python dictionary. Set 'path' to the output filename; 'fullPage': True requests a full-page capture. The general launch, navigation, screenshot, and close workflow is also shown in the Puppeteer screenshot guide, whose examples use JavaScript Puppeteer syntax rather than Pyppeteer’s Python syntax.
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Capture a particular element
The Puppeteer guide also documents element screenshots. In Pyppeteer, the corresponding workflow is to find an element handle and call its screenshot method:
element = await page.querySelector('.hero')
if element is None:
raise RuntimeError('Could not find .hero')
await element.screenshot({'path': 'hero.png'})Replace .hero with a selector present on the target page. Waiting for the element before capture can avoid a missing-element error on pages that render content asynchronously.
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Chromium installation and deployment
Pyppeteer’s README says it downloads Chromium on first use if it cannot find a local browser. To provision the browser before running the script, the project documents this command:
pyppeteer-install
That can make browser setup an explicit installation step in a development or deployment workflow. A download may also fail because of network restrictions, permissions, or the runtime environment; resolve those constraints before relying on the script in production.
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Do not assume that current Puppeteer browser-version information applies to Pyppeteer. The official Puppeteer browser support documentation describes Puppeteer’s releases and Chrome for Testing; it is not a Pyppeteer compatibility matrix. The reviewed project materials do not establish that every current Chromium version works with Pyppeteer.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common errors and fixes
- Chromium fails to launch on the first run: Pyppeteer may be trying to download a browser. Check that the environment can reach the download source and write to the required locations; try
pyppeteer-installas a separate provisioning step. - The script reports that a selector or element is missing: The page may not have rendered it yet, or the selector may not match. Verify the selector and wait for the relevant page content before querying or capturing the element.
- Navigation waits indefinitely or times out: A page with persistent network activity may not become idle. Use a less restrictive navigation wait strategy and wait specifically for the content required for the screenshot.
- Browser cleanup is skipped after an exception: Keep
await browser.close()in afinallyblock so failures during navigation or capture do not leave the browser running. - The script is called from an application that already runs asyncio: The README’s event-loop example is for a standalone script. Integrate
main()with the application’s existing async execution flow instead of trying to start a second event loop.
Should you keep using Pyppeteer?
If a working automation depends on Pyppeteer, this workflow is useful for maintaining it, but the project’s own README calls the repository unmaintained and names Playwright Python as an alternative. The official Playwright Python documentation describes browser launch and screenshot workflows. Evaluate the change against your target runtime, browser provisioning needs, and the API changes required by your existing script; the cited documentation does not establish a comparative benchmark or reliability advantage.
Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is simply to request an image or PDF of a URL, ScreenshotNeo offers a screenshot API and MCP server. Its API accepts a URL in one GET request; the parameter names used by other screenshot APIs also work, which can ease a switch from an existing integration. See the ScreenshotNeo site and API documentation.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo removes supported cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each cleanup step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers report the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for AI agents and MCP clients. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots.
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