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If a Playwright “full-page” screenshot is cropped, blank, missing content, or times out, first verify what you are capturing. page.screenshot({ fullPage: true }) captures the page’s full scrollable document; locator.screenshot() captures an element’s bounding area and, for a scrollable element, only the portion currently in view. After that, check clipping and scale, wait for the application state that actually renders the needed content, and determine whether the enclosing Playwright Test timeout—not the screenshot operation—is ending the run.

What Playwright means by “full page”

Playwright’s Page API defines fullPage: true as taking a screenshot of the full scrollable page instead of the currently visible viewport. It is a document-level capture, not a promise that every client-side, lazy-loaded, or virtualized region has rendered.

Use the page object when the target is the document:

import { test } from '@playwright/test';

test('capture the whole document', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('https://example.com');
  await page.screenshot({
    path: 'artifacts/full-page.png',
    fullPage: true
  });
});

A normal page.screenshot() without fullPage captures the current viewport. A full-page image can therefore be much taller than the browser window, while a viewport image is limited to what is visible at the time of capture.

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Page screenshots and locator screenshots are different

Capture the document

Use page.screenshot({ fullPage: true }) for a report page, article, dashboard document, or any other content whose scrollable extent belongs to the page itself.

Capture one component

Use a locator when the requirement is a specific card, chart, panel, or component:

const panel = page.locator('[data-testid="results-panel"]');
await panel.screenshot({ path: 'artifacts/results-panel.png' });

The Locator API documents that when the element is a scrollable container, only its currently scrolled content is visible in the screenshot. A selector such as .content can therefore produce a perfectly valid image that is not a complete capture of the container’s internal scroll area. That is an API-target mismatch, not necessarily a browser defect.

Choose the target deliberately

Need Call What is captured
Entire document page.screenshot({ fullPage: true }) Full scrollable page
Current browser view page.screenshot() Visible viewport
One element locator.screenshot() Element bounding area
Scrollable element’s visible portion locator.screenshot() Currently scrolled content inside that element

Check clipping and image scale before changing waits

Remove an accidental clip rectangle

The clip option restricts the output to a rectangle. If a helper, fixture, or shared screenshot function supplies a small x, y, width, or height, the resulting file will be cropped even when fullPage is true. Log or temporarily remove clip and compare the requested capture area with the saved image.

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await page.screenshot({
  path: 'artifacts/page.png',
  fullPage: true,
  // Do not set clip unless a deliberate rectangle is required.
});

Understand CSS pixels versus device pixels

The scale option controls output resolution. scale: 'css' produces one image pixel per CSS pixel; scale: 'device' follows the device pixel ratio and can create a substantially larger file. A dimension mismatch is often a scale expectation rather than missing content.

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await page.screenshot({
  path: 'artifacts/css-sized.png',
  fullPage: true,
  scale: 'css'
});

Inspect the image dimensions and the options assembled by your test code before changing browser viewport settings or adding arbitrary delays.

Wait for the application, not merely the network

Full-page capture does not force a single-page application to finish rendering every region. Lazy images may load only after they approach the viewport; virtualized lists may create DOM nodes only for visible rows; client-side data may arrive after the initial navigation. Network idle can occur while the application is still deciding what to render.

Wait for a meaningful locator

await page.goto('https://example.com/reports');
await page.locator('[data-testid="report-ready"]').waitFor({ state: 'visible' });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'artifacts/report.png', fullPage: true });

Use the condition that represents readiness for your application: a heading, table row, chart canvas, status label, or test-specific “ready” marker. Avoid a fixed sleep when a deterministic condition is available.

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Account for lazy and virtualized content

If the page intentionally renders content only as it is scrolled, a document-level screenshot may not include all logical records. Make the application render a non-virtualized test mode, scroll the relevant container according to the component’s contract, or capture the component in sections. Do not claim that fullPage automatically loads every lazy image or expands every virtual list; the screenshot option controls capture scope, not application rendering policy.

Make animations and changing elements repeatable

Playwright supports a screenshot stylesheet through the style option. Screenshot assertions also support stylePath. Animation controls can disable animations during capture. Apply these only when changing the visual state is appropriate for the test.

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await page.screenshot({
  path: 'artifacts/stable.png',
  fullPage: true,
  animations: 'disabled',
  style: `
    .clock, [data-dynamic] { visibility: hidden !important; }
  `
});

Hiding a timestamp can improve repeatability, but it also changes the image. Keep such rules in a clearly named test stylesheet and use the same policy for baseline and comparison captures.

Find which timeout is actually failing

The Page screenshot API documents a timeout option whose default is 0. In Playwright Test, the documented default timeout for each test is 30,000 ms. Consequently, a screenshot call can be interrupted by the enclosing test even when the screenshot method has no independent deadline.

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Read the error boundary

  • If the message identifies the test deadline, increase or restructure the test timeout after fixing slow readiness conditions.
  • If it identifies a locator wait, fix the selector or application state instead of granting the screenshot more time.
  • If it identifies the screenshot operation, set a deliberate screenshot timeout and investigate page size, rendering, and resources.
test('large report', async ({ page }) => {
  test.setTimeout(60_000);
  await page.goto('https://example.com/report');
  await page.locator('[data-testid="report-ready"]').waitFor();
  await page.screenshot({
    path: 'artifacts/report.png',
    fullPage: true,
    timeout: 30_000
  });
});

Increasing both values blindly can hide a selector bug or an application that never reaches readiness. First identify the layer that expired, then change only that layer.

Screenshot assertions have their own rules

expect(page).toHaveScreenshot() and related screenshot assertions are Playwright Test runner features, not generic browser-page methods. Review the assertion’s options when a visual test fails: fullPage, animation behavior, and stylesheet settings can all affect the captured image. A successful capture can still produce a difference because a clock, ad slot, randomized data, font, or animation changed between baseline and comparison.

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

test('report remains stable', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('https://example.com/report');
  await page.locator('[data-testid="report-ready"]').waitFor();
  await expect(page).toHaveScreenshot('report.png', {
    fullPage: true,
    animations: 'disabled'
  });
});

Keep the browser version, viewport, device scale, fonts, data, and dynamic-element policy consistent between baseline generation and verification.

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A practical diagnostic sequence

  1. Confirm the target. Replace an unintended locator.screenshot() with page.screenshot({ fullPage: true }) when the requirement is the document.
  2. Inspect options. Remove accidental clip; verify scale, image format, and output path.
  3. Check the saved file. Determine whether it is cropped, the expected height with missing content, blank, or absent because the call never completed.
  4. Wait on application state. Use a meaningful locator or app-specific readiness signal, not only network idle.
  5. Investigate lazy and virtualized UI. Ensure the test mode renders all required content or capture scrollable components by design.
  6. Stabilize visuals. Disable animations or hide known dynamic elements with a screenshot stylesheet when that matches the test’s purpose.
  7. Separate deadlines. Compare the screenshot timeout with the enclosing Playwright Test timeout; change the one that actually expires.
  8. For assertions, verify runner usage and keep baseline conditions deterministic.

Common symptoms, causes, and fixes

Symptom Likely cause Fix
Image is only the viewport fullPage omitted or false Use a page screenshot with fullPage: true.
Scrollable panel is cut off Locator screenshot captures only currently scrolled content Capture the page, change the component’s test mode, or implement sectioned component capture.
Top or side is cropped Non-empty clip Remove or correct the rectangle.
File dimensions seem unexpectedly large or small scale differs from the expected CSS/device-pixel model Set and document scale: 'css' or the required device scale.
Lower content is blank Lazy loading, virtualization, or data rendering has not completed Wait for a meaningful state and adapt the application/test mode.
Visual diff changes between runs Animation or dynamic content Use screenshot styling and animation controls where appropriate.
Run ends near 30 seconds Playwright Test’s documented per-test default timeout Inspect the error and adjust the test or screenshot timeout deliberately.

Performance and reliability considerations

A full-page image contains more pixels than a viewport image. Large documents, high device scale, complex shadows, embedded canvases, and numerous images increase rendering, encoding, and storage work. Capture only the scope needed by the test; use CSS-pixel scale when device-pixel output is unnecessary; and avoid making every visual test a full-document comparison.

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For reliable CI, keep viewport and browser settings fixed, wait for application state, control animations and volatile data, and retain the failed image and trace so you can distinguish a rendering change from a timeout. Verify option availability against the Playwright version installed in your project because API defaults and supported options can change by release.

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For a direct request, see the ScreenshotNeo API documentation:

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp

Python

import requests

r = requests.get(
    "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
    params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"},
    timeout=90,
)
r.raise_for_status()
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)

Node.js

const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${res.status}`);
const fs = await import('node:fs/promises');
await fs.writeFile('shot.webp', Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer()));

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FAQ

Does fullPage: true scroll the page visibly?

It requests a full scrollable-page capture; it does not change the meaning of a locator screenshot or guarantee that virtualized application content exists in the DOM.

Should I always use network idle?

No. Network idle may occur before the application has rendered the state your image needs. A meaningful locator or app-specific readiness condition is usually a stronger signal.

Why does a screenshot assertion fail when the file was created?

Capture success and visual equality are separate outcomes. Dynamic content, animation, fonts, data, viewport, scale, or stylesheet differences can change the comparison image.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does fullPage: true scroll the page visibly?

It requests a full scrollable-page capture; it does not change the meaning of a locator screenshot or guarantee that virtualized application content exists in the DOM.

Should I always use network idle?

No. Network idle may occur before the application has rendered the state your image needs. A meaningful locator or app-specific readiness condition is usually a stronger signal.

Why does a screenshot assertion fail when the file was created?

Capture success and visual equality are separate outcomes. Dynamic content, animation, fonts, data, viewport, scale, or stylesheet differences can change the comparison image.

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