Wait Strategies

Comprehensive guide to Pixashot's wait strategies for handling dynamic content and network activity.

Pixashot offers multiple wait strategies to ensure your screenshots capture the right content at the right time.

Network Wait Strategies

Network Idle

Wait for network to be completely idle:

{
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "wait_for_network": "idle",
  "format": "png"
}

Mostly Idle

More lenient network waiting, suitable for sites with continuous background activity:

{
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "wait_for_network": "mostly_idle",
  "format": "png"
}

Element Wait Strategies

Wait for specific elements to appear:

{
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "wait_for_selector": "#content",
  "format": "png"
}

Timeout Controls

Manage wait timeouts explicitly:

{
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "wait_for_timeout": 5000,  // Maximum 5 seconds
  "format": "png"
}

Combined Strategies

Use multiple wait strategies for complex scenarios:

{
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "format": "png",
  "wait_for_network": "idle",
  "wait_for_selector": "#dynamic-content",
  "interactions": [
    {
      "action": "wait_for",
      "wait_for": {
        "type": "network_idle",
        "value": 2000
      }
    }
  ]
}

Best Practices

Network Waiting
- Use "mostly_idle" for sites with analytics
- Set reasonable timeouts
- Consider connection speed
Element Waiting
- Use specific selectors
- Include timeout fallbacks
- Handle dynamic content
Performance
- Balance wait times with speed
- Use appropriate strategies
- Monitor timeout frequency