How to Capture a Scrolling Screenshot in Windows

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Windows offers many ways to capture a screenshot, but all these methods only allow you to capture content that is within the dimensions of the display’s viewing area. What if you want to capture a screenshot of a scrolling window of a webpage, document, or any other content that’s beyond the viewable area?

This tutorial shows the best tools to capture a scrolling screenshot in Windows.

Content

Capture Scrolling Screenshots in Browsers

To grab a scrolling screenshot on any Windows browser, you’d either need options specific to that browser or a supported web store extension.

1. Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge has an integrated feature that lets you capture a whole web page in the form of a scrolling screenshot.

Click the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of Edge, then click Screenshot. Alternatively, enter Ctrl + Shift + S. You’ll see a transparent overlay on the website with a couple of screenshot options.

Press the Capture full page option. This will generate a scrolling screenshot of the current web page.

There are many options on an Edge scrolling screenshot. For instance, you can Draw or Erase on the screenshot. If you click Share, it will generate sharing options via Nearby Share, Teams, Outlook, Phone Link, and Snipping Tool.

Once you click the Save icon, the scrolling screenshot JPEG file will save itself to your Downloads folder.

Also read: trying to view large files on your Windows device but experiencing lag? Eliminate it with these programs for viewing large files smoothly.

2. Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox also has an integrated method of capturing a scrolling screenshot within the browser.

Click the three-lined hamburger menu icon at the top right, then More tools -> Customize toolbar. Here you will find many items including Screenshot. Drag it to the Overflow Menu to the right. Click Done after that.

You can now use the Screenshot button in the toolbar to grab any screen in a Firefox browser window. Navigate to the page and click the new screenshot icon in your toolbar, then click Save full page. Depending on how your browser appears, you may have to tap the More Tools icon to reveal Screenshot.

After this, the scrolling screenshot will pop up, which you can save to your PC by clicking Download.

Alternatively, you can right-click on any area of a webpage and select “Take Screenshot” option.

Related: learn to capture a screenshot of the Windows login screen.

Using Firefox Extensions

Firefox’s built-in Screenshot tool is sufficient for most purposes. If you need more advanced options, download and install an extension called FireShot. After adding it, pin it to the toolbar.

Whenever you need to capture a scrolling screenshot on a Firefox web browser, click the FireShot icon. It gives you more choices on how to save the image. You can either save it as JPEG, a PDF file or take a printout of the full web page.

Other Firefox extensions that help you save an entire web page as a scrolling screenshot are:

Tip: Snipping Tool not working for you? Try these fixes and get your issue resolved quickly.

3. Google Chrome

While Google Chrome doesn’t have any screenshot integrations, there is another built-in method to capture a scrolling page screenshot.

Click the three-dot menu followed by More tools -> Developer tools. Inside the console, click the three dots next to the Settings (gear) icon, then select Run command in the drop-down list.

Type “screenshot” next to the Run command to show a list of screenshot commands in the browser.

To capture a full-size screenshot of the entire browser window, select Capture full size screenshot. It will prompt you to save the entire web page window as a JPEG/PNG image.

Using Chrome Extensions

Google Chrome also has extensions to capture a full-page screenshot, as mentioned in the example below.

Install GoFullPage and pin it to the Chrome toolbar. For that, click the puzzle piece icon, then select GoFullPage from the extensions list.

When you want to capture the scrolling in a browser window, click the GoFullPage icon on the toolbar. It will scan the entire web page you’re on, displaying a Screen capture in progress status. Once the scrolling screenshot is created, you can edit, annotate, and download it, either as a PDF or PNG file.

Other Google Chrome extensions that help you save an entire web page as a scrolling screenshot are:

Good to know: are you stuck with Chrome extensions that won’t uninstall? There are ways to remove them easily.

Capture Scrolling Screenshots in Apps/Games

The above browser-based methods can only capture scrolling screenshots in a browser window. What if you wish to capture them in apps or games? In such cases, you’ll need to make use of external apps.

The following are some of the best app-based methods to capture scrolling screenshots in Windows.

Tip: check out these interesting Discord servers and learn where you can find more.

1. ShareX

Available to buy on its own website and the Steam gaming platform (where it has “Overwhelmingly Positive” reviews), as well as having its own well-populated Discord channel, the free screen capture app ShareX is validated by its broad popularity in the discerning game-streaming community.

The open-source app is widely used by gamers for its robust screen-capture options. Among those features – which include video capture, GIFs, region-select, and workflows, as well as a huge number of filters and effects to add to your captures – is the “scrolling screenshot” option you’re looking for.

Download the “.setup.exe” file to install ShareX After installation, launch the application, then select Capture -> Scrolling capture.

Go to the application/game window which you want to capture and keep scrolling down. The ShareX app captures as much or little that you want of the scrolling window.

ShareX is free without caveats and maintained as is by a diligent community of open-source developers. Beyond just scrolling, it also functions as an all-in-one screen capture suite, which is pretty impressive given its small file size.

Tip: make sure you’re getting your free Windows software from a safe source.

2. Other Scrolling Capture Apps for Windows

There are other tools that we’ve found works good enough to capture scrolling screenshots in Windows. Here are our top examples:

  • PicPick: PicPick is screen-capture and image-editing software developed and owned by NGWIN. To capture a scrolling screenshot using this, just open the application and select Scrolling Window. You will see a tiny toolbar with several screenshot options. Select the scrolling window option again. Press and hold Ctrl + Alt together, then press PRTSC. A rectangular box. highlighted in red will appear. Press and hold the left mouse button. Release the mouse click, and an auto-scroll will happen slowly.
  • Apowersoft Screen Capture Pro: Apowersoft Screen Capture Pro is an innovative and highly customizable screenshot-capture and image-editing tool. You can easily download and install the software Pro on your PC. Once you launch the program, select the Scroll window option to proceed. A screen grab handle is activated at the top left to select as much of the screen window as you want.
  • FastStone Capture: FastStone Capture is an older software with many screen-grabbing options, including a scrolling screenshot. The solution is compatible with older Windows versions, such as Windows 7, but works quite well with Windows 11, too. Download and install FastStone Capture on your device. It is trialware with a trial period of 30 days (no credit card needed.) When the small toolbar is launched, choose the Capture Scrolling Window option.
  • Screenpresso: Screenpresso is a very advanced screen capture tool for Windows. The lightweight tool makes scrolling screenshots in a jiffy and is free to use for non-enterprise users. Download and install Screenpresso from its official link. You need to have .NET 4.8 installed on your Windows PC. After launching the program, navigate to the menu icon named Screenshot region and click on it. Choose the screenshot using auto scroll option.

Tip: Protect yourself online by getting up to speed with how to determine whether a website is safe.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I record a scrolling screenshot?

Are you trying to record your mouse scrolling action? Screen capture software, such as ShareX and PicPick, have a dedicated screen-recording feature to record scrolling screenshots.

The best way, though, is to use a software that supports screen recording in MP4, AVI, and other video formats. In Windows 10 and above, Xbox Game Bar does this task easily. It can be launched using shortcut keys Win +G. XSplit or OBS can achieve similar objectives.

Can I take scrolling screenshots in Incognito mode?

Yes. Some of the scrolling screenshot extensions covered in this guide, such as GoFullPage and FireShot, support Incognito Mode in Chrome and Firefox.

Can the Snipping Tool in Windows Take a Scrolling Screenshot?

While the Snipping Tool in Windows doesn’t have a strict scrolling capture capability, it can do something similar using a video recording feature. Instead of an image, you need to select the video mode when capturing a web page or any application that involves strolling. The screenshot would be captured in the form of a video.

Can I take scrolling screenshots in Android?

Yes, there are many ways to take a scrolling screenshot on an Android phone.

Image credit: Christina via Unsplash. All screenshots by Sayak Boral.

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Sayak Boral –
Staff Writer

Sayak Boral is a technology writer with over eleven years of experience working in different industries including semiconductors, IoT, enterprise IT, telecommunications OSS/BSS, and network security. He has been writing for MakeTechEasier on a wide range of technical topics including Windows, Android, Internet, Hardware Guides, Browsers, Software Tools, and Product Reviews.

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