How to Take a Full Page Screenshot in Chrome

Why full page screenshots are useful

A visible area screenshot captures only what is currently on screen. For many purposes this is enough. But when you need to document an entire webpage, share a complete design for review, report a bug that spans multiple sections of a page, or archive content for reference, a full page screenshot that captures everything from top to bottom is far more useful than a series of partial screenshots stitched together manually.

Full page screenshots are used regularly by web designers reviewing layouts, developers documenting issues, content teams archiving pages, marketers capturing campaign pages, and support teams sharing context with colleagues. Having a reliable way to capture an entire page in one action saves significant time compared to scrolling and capturing in sections.

Method 1: Chrome DevTools built-in screenshot

Chrome has a built-in full page screenshot feature hidden inside its developer tools. It does not require any extensions and works on any page. Here is how to use it.

Step 1: Open DevTools

Press F12 on Windows or Command and Option and I on Mac to open Chrome DevTools. Alternatively, right-click anywhere on the page and select Inspect from the context menu.

Step 2: Open the Command Menu

Press Control and Shift and P on Windows, or Command and Shift and P on Mac, to open the Command Menu. This is a search interface for all DevTools commands.

Step 3: Search for the screenshot command

Type the word screenshot into the Command Menu search box. You will see several options appear, including Capture screenshot, Capture full size screenshot, Capture node screenshot, and Capture area screenshot. Select Capture full size screenshot.

Step 4: Save the file

Chrome automatically downloads the full page screenshot as a PNG file to your default downloads folder. The file name will include the page title and a timestamp.

This method works well for straightforward cases but has a few limitations. It captures the page at the current viewport width, so the screenshot dimensions depend on how wide your browser window is when you take it. It does not provide any annotation tools, so if you need to mark up the screenshot before sharing it, you will need to open it in a separate image editor. It also does not provide a shareable link, so distributing the screenshot requires downloading and attaching the file.

Method 2: Using Ekly Capture for full page screenshots

Ekly Capture is a free Chrome extension that captures full page screenshots in one click, with built-in annotation tools and the ability to share screenshots instantly via a link. It is designed for people who take screenshots regularly and need more than the basic DevTools method offers.

Step 1: Install Ekly Capture

Go to the Ekly Capture page on the Chrome Web Store and click Add to Chrome. The extension installs in seconds and appears as an icon in your Chrome toolbar. No restart is required.

Step 2: Navigate to the page you want to capture

Open the webpage you want to screenshot. The extension works on any webpage including those that require login, internal tools, and locally hosted pages.

Step 3: Click the Ekly Capture icon

Click the Ekly Capture icon in your Chrome toolbar to open the capture menu. You will see options for visible area screenshot, full page screenshot, region select, screen recording, and delayed capture.

Step 4: Select Full Page

Click the Full Page button. Ekly Capture automatically scrolls through the entire page, captures each section, and stitches the frames together into a single tall PNG image. A progress indicator appears on the page while this is happening. For most pages the process completes in a few seconds.

Step 5: Annotate your screenshot

Once the full page capture is complete, the image opens in the Ekly annotation editor. From here you can add arrows, boxes, text labels, and highlights to draw attention to specific areas. You can also use the blur tool to redact sensitive information such as personal details, financial data, or confidential content before sharing.

Step 6: Save or share

Click Save to device to download the annotated screenshot as a PNG file. Click Save to cloud to upload it and receive a shareable link that anyone can open in a browser without needing to install anything. The link can be copied and pasted into a message, email, or ticket in seconds.

Visible area screenshots versus full page screenshots

A visible area screenshot captures exactly what is currently displayed on screen. This is the right choice when you want to show something specific that is currently visible, when the page is short enough to fit in a single screen, or when you want to capture the page at a particular scroll position.

A full page screenshot captures everything from the top of the page to the bottom, regardless of how long the page is. This is the right choice when you need to document an entire page, share a complete view of a design or layout, or archive content for reference.

Ekly Capture supports both. The toolbar gives you a one-click option for each, so you can choose the appropriate type for each situation without changing any settings.

Region select screenshots

Sometimes you need to capture a specific part of a page rather than the whole thing. The region select tool in Ekly Capture lets you draw a rectangle over any area of the page and capture only that area. This is useful for capturing a specific chart, a particular section of a form, a component in a design, or any other bounded area without capturing surrounding content.

To use region select, click the Ekly Capture icon and select Region Select. Your cursor changes to a crosshair. Click and drag to draw the capture area, then release to capture it. The selected region opens in the annotation editor.

Screen recording in Chrome

In addition to screenshots, Ekly Capture includes a screen recorder that captures video of your screen directly from Chrome. This is useful for recording bug reproductions, creating tutorial videos, demonstrating a workflow, or providing visual feedback on a design or prototype.

To start a recording, click the Ekly Capture icon and select Record Screen. Chrome will ask you to choose what to share, either your entire screen, a specific application window, or a specific browser tab. Select your preferred option and recording begins. When you are done, click the stop button in the Ekly Capture popup. The recording is processed and saved as an MP4 file, which you can download or upload to cloud storage for sharing via link.

The camera overlay option lets you record your screen with a picture-in-picture view of your webcam in the corner. This is commonly used for tutorial recordings, product walkthroughs, and any recording where having a visible presenter adds context or engagement.

Blurring sensitive information in screenshots

Before sharing a screenshot, you may need to remove or obscure sensitive information such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, financial figures, or confidential business data. The blur tool in Ekly Capture lets you draw a rectangle over any area of the screenshot and apply a blur effect that makes the content unreadable without distorting the rest of the image.

To blur an area, open your screenshot in the Ekly annotation editor, select the blur tool from the toolbar, and draw over the area you want to redact. You can apply the blur tool multiple times to cover multiple areas in a single screenshot. The blurred version is what gets downloaded or shared, so the original sensitive information is never transmitted.

Sharing screenshots without file attachments

Attaching image files to emails and messages works, but it has friction. Recipients have to download the file, open it in an image viewer, and manage the attachment in their inbox. For large screenshots or when sharing with multiple people, this gets cumbersome quickly.

Ekly Capture lets you upload a screenshot to cloud storage and receive a shareable link instead. Anyone with the link can view the screenshot in their browser instantly without downloading anything or installing any software. The link can be shared in a message, an email, a ticket, a Slack channel, or anywhere else text can be pasted.

This workflow is particularly useful in team environments where screenshots are shared for feedback, review, or documentation. A link is faster to share, easier to track, and does not clog up inboxes with large image files.

Delayed capture for capturing hover states and menus

Some content only appears when you interact with a page, such as dropdown menus, tooltips, hover states, and modal dialogs. Capturing these with a standard screenshot is difficult because clicking the capture button often dismisses the element you are trying to capture.

Ekly Capture includes a delayed capture option that lets you set a timer before the capture fires. You activate the capture, then have a few seconds to trigger the hover state or open the menu before the screenshot is taken. This makes it straightforward to capture interactive states that would otherwise be difficult to screenshot.

Get started

Taking a full page screenshot in Chrome is free and takes seconds with the right tool. Install Ekly Capture from the Chrome Web Store for one-click full page screenshots, annotation tools, blur and redact, screen recording, and instant shareable links. All features are free with no watermarks on any plan.

To save your screenshots to cloud storage and access them from your dashboard, create a free Ekly account. You get 500MB of cloud storage on the free plan with no credit card required.