Browser Screenshot

Overview

Capture screenshots of web pages using Playwright with support for full-page capture, custom viewport sizes, responsive testing across multiple devices, and element-specific screenshots.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when users request:

• Screenshots of web pages or URLs
• Visual testing across different screen sizes (mobile, tablet, desktop)
• Full-page captures including content below the fold
• Screenshots of specific page elements
• Documentation requiring webpage visuals
• Automated screenshot generation for reporting or testing

Prerequisites

Before using this skill, ensure Playwright is installed:

pip install playwright
playwright install chromium

For other browsers (optional):

playwright install firefox
playwright install webkit

Core Capabilities

1. Basic Screenshot

To capture a standard screenshot of a webpage:

python scripts/screenshot.py <URL> <output-path>

Example:

python scripts/screenshot.py https://example.com screenshot.png

This captures a viewport screenshot at the default size (1920x1080) with network idle waiting enabled.

2. Full-Page Screenshot

To capture the entire scrollable page content:

python scripts/screenshot.py <URL> <output-path> --full-page

Example:

python scripts/screenshot.py https://example.com/blog/post full-page.png --full-page

This is particularly useful for:

• Long articles or blog posts
• Landing pages with multiple sections
• Documentation pages
• Any page where content extends beyond the initial viewport

3. Custom Viewport Size

To capture screenshots at specific dimensions:

python scripts/screenshot.py <URL> <output-path> --width <WIDTH> --height <HEIGHT>

Example:

python scripts/screenshot.py https://example.com mobile-view.png --width 375 --height 667

Use custom viewports for:

• Testing specific device dimensions
• Matching design mockup sizes
• Custom resolution requirements

4. Responsive Screenshots (Multiple Viewports)

To capture the same page across multiple viewport sizes in a single command:

python scripts/screenshot.py <URL> <output-directory> --responsive <viewport1> <viewport2> ...

Available viewport presets:

• mobile - 375x667 (iPhone SE)
• mobile-large - 414x896 (iPhone 11)
• tablet - 768x1024 (iPad)
• desktop-small - 1366x768 (720p)
• desktop - 1920x1080 (1080p)

Example:

python scripts/screenshot.py https://example.com screenshots/ --responsive mobile tablet desktop

This creates three files in the screenshots/ directory:

• mobile.png
• tablet.png
• desktop.png

Custom viewports can also be used with the WIDTHxHEIGHT format:

python scripts/screenshot.py https://example.com screenshots/ --responsive 1024x768 1440x900 mobile

5. Element-Specific Screenshot

To capture only a specific element on the page:

python scripts/screenshot.py <URL> <output-path> --element "<CSS-selector>"

Example:

python scripts/screenshot.py https://example.com header.png --element "header.main-header"
python scripts/screenshot.py https://example.com chart.png --element "#sales-chart"

Use element screenshots for:

• Isolating specific UI components
• Capturing charts or graphs
• Documenting individual page sections

6. Wait Conditions

Control when the screenshot is captured using various wait conditions:

Wait for Network Idle (default):

python scripts/screenshot.py https://example.com output.png

Disable network idle waiting (faster, but may miss dynamic content):

python scripts/screenshot.py https://example.com output.png --no-wait-network-idle

Wait for a specific element to appear:

python scripts/screenshot.py https://example.com output.png --wait-for-selector ".content-loaded"

Add a custom delay:

python scripts/screenshot.py https://example.com output.png --delay 2000

These options can be combined:

python scripts/screenshot.py https://example.com output.png --wait-for-selector ".main-content" --delay 1000

7. Browser Selection

By default, Chromium is used. To use a different browser:

python scripts/screenshot.py <URL> <output-path> --browser firefox
python scripts/screenshot.py <URL> <output-path> --browser webkit

Common Usage Patterns

Visual Regression Testing

Capture screenshots across multiple viewports for comparison:

python scripts/screenshot.py https://staging.example.com screenshots/staging/ --responsive mobile tablet desktop --full-page
python scripts/screenshot.py https://prod.example.com screenshots/prod/ --responsive mobile tablet desktop --full-page

Documentation Generation

Capture specific UI components for documentation:

python scripts/screenshot.py https://app.example.com login-form.png --element "form.login"
python scripts/screenshot.py https://app.example.com dashboard.png --element "#dashboard-container"

Design Review

Capture full pages with wait conditions for dynamic content:

python scripts/screenshot.py https://example.com design-review.png --full-page --wait-for-selector ".hero-animation-complete" --delay 500

Responsive Design Testing

Test a new landing page across all common devices:

python scripts/screenshot.py https://example.com/new-landing responsive-test/ --responsive mobile mobile-large tablet desktop-small desktop --full-page

Quick Reference

Command structure:

python scripts/screenshot.py <URL> <output> [options]

Common options:

• -f, --full-page - Capture entire scrollable page
• -w, --width - Viewport width in pixels
• -h, --height - Viewport height in pixels
• -r, --responsive - Multiple viewport captures
• -e, --element - Screenshot specific element
• --wait-for-selector - Wait for CSS selector
• -d, --delay - Delay in milliseconds
• -b, --browser - Browser choice (chromium/firefox/webkit)
• --no-wait-network-idle - Skip network idle wait

Get full help:

python scripts/screenshot.py --help

Implementation Approach

When users request screenshots:

1. Determine the screenshot type needed (viewport, full-page, responsive, or element-specific)
2. Identify any wait conditions required (network idle, specific selectors, delays)
3. Select appropriate viewport size(s) or use responsive mode for multiple sizes
4. Construct the command with appropriate options
5. Execute the script using the Bash tool
6. Verify the output file(s) were created successfully
7. Inform the user of the screenshot location(s)

For complex scenarios involving multiple pages or repeated screenshots, consider creating a wrapper script that calls screenshot.py multiple times with different parameters.

Troubleshooting

Common issues:

• "Playwright not found": Run pip install playwright && playwright install chromium
• Element not found: Verify the CSS selector is correct; use --wait-for-selector if the element loads dynamically
• Blank screenshots: Increase --delay or ensure --wait-for-network-idle (default) is enabled
• Timeout errors: The page may be taking too long to load; try --no-wait-network-idle or increase timeout in the script if needed
• Browser not found: Run playwright install <browser-name> for the desired browser

Resources

scripts/screenshot.py

The main screenshot tool that handles all screenshot operations using Playwright. The script can be executed directly without loading into context, though reading it may be helpful for understanding capabilities or making environment-specific adjustments.