Quick answer: most problems come from how modern pages load and position content. Let the page load fully, close pop-ups, keep lazy-image loading and fixed-element hiding turned on, keep the tab visible during capture, and raise the maximum height for long feeds. For web apps, capture the scrolling panel with element mode.
1. Blank areas where images should be
Why: many sites load images only when they scroll into view (“lazy loading”). A tool that renders the page all at once may capture empty placeholders.
Fix: DownloadFullPage scrolls through the page first and waits for visible images during each step. Keep Settings › Load lazy images first on. On slow connections, scroll to the bottom yourself once before capturing.
2. The header repeats down the image
Why: fixed headers stay at the top of the screen, so a naive scroll-and-stitch captures them on every screen.
Fix: keep Hide fixed elements after first screen on. The header appears once at the top. Sticky menus are shown once in their natural position.
3. A cookie banner or chat bubble in the middle
Why: bars pinned to the bottom of the screen end up in the middle of a stitched image.
Fix: DownloadFullPage hides elements pinned to the bottom half of the screen before capture. Dismissing the banner first is still the cleanest option.
4. Only the top of a web app is captured
Why: in many apps (mail, dashboards, docs tools) the page itself doesn’t scroll — an inner panel does.
Fix: DownloadFullPage detects the largest scrolling panel and captures it. If the app has several panels, use element capture on the one you want.
5. The capture never ends (or stops early) on a feed
Why: infinite feeds load more content as you scroll, so the page keeps getting longer.
Fix: DownloadFullPage follows new content up to a maximum height (40,000 CSS pixels by default) and marks the result as truncated. Adjust Settings › Maximum page height to the length you need.
6. The page is cut off or the image won’t open
Why: browsers and image viewers have size limits for single images.
Fix: very tall captures are saved in parts automatically. Export as PDF to get one document.
7. Animations and moving content look odd
Why: carousels, videos and scroll-triggered animations change between screens.
Fix: pause carousels or videos, wait until animations finish, and capture again. Content that reacts to scrolling position may not be perfect in any stitched screenshot.
8. “Capture stopped because you switched tabs”
Why: Chrome only lets extensions capture the tab currently in front.
Fix: keep the tab visible until the progress reaches 100%.
Pre-capture checklist
- Page fully loaded, pop-ups and banners closed
- Carousels paused, videos stopped
- Settings: lazy images and fixed-element hiding on
- Maximum height set for feeds
- Tab stays in front until done
Background on how stitching works: scrolling screenshots.
Written by the team behind DownloadFullPage, a free full page screenshot extension for Chrome developed by Digital Suvidha Pvt. Ltd.. Instructions were checked against DownloadFullPage 1.0.0 and current desktop Chrome.