PR Screenshots

Capture before/after screenshots to document visual changes in pull requests.

Helper Scripts Available:

• scripts/capture_screenshots.py - Capture screenshots with Playwright
• scripts/compare_branches.sh - Automate branch switching and capture
• scripts/generate_report.py - Generate markdown comparison report

Always run scripts with --help first to see usage.

Decision Tree: Choosing Your Approach

Task → Need quick single screenshot?
    ├─ Yes → Use agent-browser CLI (fast, simple)
    │         agent-browser open <url>
    │         agent-browser screenshot <path>
    │
    └─ No → Need batch/automated capture?
        ├─ Multiple pages → Use scripts/capture_screenshots.py
        │
        └─ Full PR workflow → Use scripts/compare_branches.sh
            1. Captures "before" on base branch
            2. Captures "after" on feature branch
            3. Generates comparison report
            4. Optionally attaches to PR

Quick Start: agent-browser CLI

For simple, interactive screenshot capture:

# Setup
mkdir -p .pr-screenshots/{before,after}

# Capture screenshots
agent-browser open http://localhost:3000
agent-browser wait --load networkidle
agent-browser screenshot --full-page .pr-screenshots/before/home.png

# Multiple viewports
agent-browser viewport 375 812  # Mobile
agent-browser screenshot .pr-screenshots/before/home-mobile.png

Automated Capture: Playwright Script

For batch capture with more control:

python scripts/capture_screenshots.py --help
python scripts/capture_screenshots.py \
  --url http://localhost:3000 \
  --pages "/" "/login" "/dashboard" \
  --output .pr-screenshots/before \
  --viewports desktop mobile tablet

Full PR Workflow

# Run the complete workflow
bash scripts/compare_branches.sh --help
bash scripts/compare_branches.sh \
  --base main \
  --feature feature/new-ui \
  --url http://localhost:3000 \
  --pages "/" "/about" \
  --start-cmd "npm run dev"

This will:

1. Stash current changes
2. Checkout base branch, start server, capture "before"
3. Checkout feature branch, capture "after"
4. Generate VISUAL_CHANGES.md comparison report
5. Optionally post to PR with --post-to-pr <PR_NUMBER>

Example: Manual Workflow

Step 1: Capture BEFORE (base branch)

FEATURE_BRANCH=$(git branch --show-current)
git stash --include-untracked
git checkout main

# Start your dev server (in another terminal or background)
# npm run dev &

mkdir -p .pr-screenshots/before
agent-browser open http://localhost:3000
agent-browser wait --load networkidle
agent-browser screenshot --full-page .pr-screenshots/before/home.png

Step 2: Capture AFTER (feature branch)

git checkout $FEATURE_BRANCH
git stash pop

mkdir -p .pr-screenshots/after
agent-browser open http://localhost:3000
agent-browser wait --load networkidle
agent-browser screenshot --full-page .pr-screenshots/after/home.png

Step 3: Generate Report

python scripts/generate_report.py \
  --before .pr-screenshots/before \
  --after .pr-screenshots/after \
  --output .pr-screenshots/VISUAL_CHANGES.md

Step 4: Attach to PR

# Option A: Commit screenshots
git add .pr-screenshots/
git commit -m "Add visual comparison screenshots"
git push

# Option B: Post as PR comment
gh pr comment <PR_NUMBER> --body-file .pr-screenshots/VISUAL_CHANGES.md

Reconnaissance Pattern (from webapp-testing)

When working with dynamic apps, use the reconnaissance-then-action pattern:

from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright

with sync_playwright() as p:
    browser = p.chromium.launch(headless=True)
    page = browser.new_page()
    page.goto('http://localhost:3000')
    page.wait_for_load_state('networkidle')  # CRITICAL: Wait for JS

    # Capture for inspection
    page.screenshot(path='/tmp/inspect.png', full_page=True)

    # Discover elements
    buttons = page.locator('button').all()
    print(f"Found {len(buttons)} buttons")

    browser.close()

agent-browser Commands Reference

Viewport Presets

Best Practices

1. Always wait for networkidle before capturing dynamic content
2. Use --full-page for scrollable pages
3. Capture multiple viewports for responsive designs
4. Add delays for animations: agent-browser wait --time 1000
5. Include interactive states (hover, focus, filled forms)
6. Name files descriptively: home-desktop.png, login-mobile-filled.png

Cleanup

rm -rf .pr-screenshots/
# Or add to .gitignore
echo ".pr-screenshots/" >> .gitignore

Reference Files

• scripts/ - Automation scripts:
  • capture_screenshots.py - Batch screenshot capture with Playwright
  • compare_branches.sh - Full branch comparison workflow
  • generate_report.py - Markdown report generator
• examples/ - Usage examples:
  • basic_capture.py - Simple screenshot capture
  • responsive_capture.py - Multi-viewport capture
  • interactive_capture.py - Capture with interactions
• templates/ - Report templates:
  • comparison_report.md - PR comment template