How to take a scrolling screenshot on a Mac
The screenshot shortcuts you already know save only the part of the screen you can see. Anything below the edge is left out. Here are three ways to capture a long page or list, from the two browser methods to one capture that joins the screen as you scroll.
First, the limit. ⇧⌘3, ⇧⌘4 and ⇧⌘5 capture a rectangle of the screen, and nothing more. None of them has a scrolling capture. What you get is one screen, so a long page has to be captured another way.
Option 1: Safari, export the page as a PDF
- Open the page in Safari.
- Choose File > Export as PDF.
- Pick a name and a place, then click Save.
Safari writes the whole page into one file, however long it is. This is free and already on your Mac, and it keeps the text selectable.
Two limits. The result is a PDF, not an image, so it does not paste into a chat as a picture. And it works only on web pages in Safari. A long chat, a document in a native app or a terminal cannot be exported this way.
Option 2: Chrome, capture the full size screenshot
- Open the page in Chrome.
- Press ⌥⌘I to open DevTools.
- Press ⇧⌘P to open the command menu.
- Type screenshot and choose Capture full size screenshot.
Chrome saves a PNG of the entire page, not just the visible part, to your Downloads folder. It is a real image, so it pastes anywhere.
This works only for web pages in Chrome. The page has to be a page Chrome can lay out in full, and it does nothing for an app window.
Option 3: scrolling capture with Lightcap
- Press ⌃⌘` to open the capture bar.
- Press 9 for Scrolling capture.
- Drag over the area that scrolls: the message list, the document, the log.
- Scroll down at a normal pace.
Lightcap joins what passes through that area into one tall PNG. A fixed header or footer is kept once instead of reappearing at every step. If you jump too far and it loses the thread, it asks you to scroll back a little and continues from there.
The result is copied to the clipboard and saved like any screenshot. You can give scrolling capture its own shortcut in Settings if you use it often.
- It works where a browser export does not: a long chat, a document in a native app, a settings list, terminal output.
- The app is 3.3 MB. Free for 7 days with every feature, no account or card. Then $10 for 1 Mac or $25 for 3 Macs at the launch price through December 31, 2026, and $15 or $35 after.
- Text recognition runs on the Mac. Nothing is uploaded.
Which one to use
- A web page you want to keep, read or print: Export as PDF in Safari. It is one command and the text stays selectable.
- A web page you need as an image, and you are already in Chrome: Capture full size screenshot. Free, one PNG, no extra app.
- A chat, a document, a settings list, a terminal, or anything outside a browser: scrolling capture in Lightcap.
- The same keystroke every time: set a shortcut for scrolling capture in Lightcap and stop thinking about which app you are in.
Questions
How do I take a scrolling screenshot on Mac?
The built-in shortcuts save only the visible screen. For a web page, use Export as PDF in Safari or Capture full size screenshot in Chrome. For anything else, use Lightcap: press Control-Command-backtick, press 9, drag over the area and scroll.
Does the built-in Mac screenshot tool have a scrolling capture?
No. Shift-Command-3, Shift-Command-4 and Shift-Command-5 capture only what is on screen at that moment. There is no option in the built-in tool to join a longer page into one image.
Why does Lightcap ask me to scroll back during a scrolling capture?
It means the page moved faster than Lightcap could read it. Scroll back a little and it continues from the last part it already joined.
More
- How to copy text from anything on your Mac screen
- How to record your Mac screen with zoom
- How to translate text on your Mac screen
- How to hide sensitive information in a screenshot on a Mac
Download Lightcap for Mac and try every feature free for 7 days. No account or card needed. It runs on macOS 15 or later.