How to Use Web Capture in Microsoft Edge for Scrolling Screenshots

Taking a screenshot of a webpage is a common task, but standard operating system tools (like Snipping Tool on Windows or Command+Shift+4 on Mac) have a major limitation: they can only capture what is currently visible on your screen. If you want to screenshot a long article, a recipe, or an extensive receipt, you usually have to take multiple screenshots and stitch them together.

Microsoft Edge solves this problem natively with a built-in tool called Web Capture. This tool allows you to easily capture a specific section of a webpage or scroll down to capture the entire page as a single, continuous image, regardless of how long it is.

How to Access Web Capture in Edge

There are several ways to open the Web Capture tool in Microsoft Edge:

• Keyboard Shortcut: Press Ctrl + Shift + S (Windows) or Command + Shift + S (Mac) while on the webpage you want to capture.
• Right-Click Menu: Right-click anywhere on the webpage (not on an image or link) and select Web capture from the context menu.
• Toolbar Icon: If the Web Capture icon (a camera with a selection box) is visible in your toolbar next to the address bar, simply click it.
• Settings Menu: Click the three-dot menu (…) in the top-right corner of the browser and select Web capture.

Taking a Scrolling Screenshot (Capture Full Page)

If you want to save an entire webpage from top to bottom as one long image:

1. Launch the Web Capture tool using any of the methods above.
2. A small toolbar will appear at the top of the browser window with two options: Capture area and Capture full page.
3. Click Capture full page.
4. Edge will instantly generate a preview of the entire webpage. You can use the scrollbar on the right side of the preview window to verify that the whole page was captured correctly.

Capturing a Specific Area

If you only need a specific section of a webpage, such as a chart or a specific paragraph:

1. Launch the Web Capture tool.
2. Select Capture area from the top menu.
3. Your cursor will turn into a crosshair, and the screen will slightly dim.
4. Click and drag the cursor to draw a box around the content you want to capture. Tip: If the content you want is slightly further down the page, keep dragging your cursor towards the bottom edge of the window, and the page will automatically scroll down while expanding your selection box.
5. Once you release the mouse button, a small menu will appear next to your selection with two options: Copy and Markup capture.

How to Annotate and Save Your Capture

Whether you captured the full page or a specific area, you have several options for what to do with the image next.

Copying to Clipboard

If you just want to paste the image into an email, a Word document, or a messaging app like Teams or Slack, simply click the Copy button. The image is saved to your clipboard, and you can close the Web Capture tool.

Using the Markup Tool

If you need to highlight information, draw arrows, or make notes on the screenshot before saving or sharing it, click Markup capture.

This opens a basic image editor window with the following tools located at the top:

• Draw: A pen tool for freehand drawing. Click the arrow next to the pen to change the ink colour and thickness.
• Highlight: A highlighter tool to draw attention to specific text or areas without covering them up.
• Erase: Removes any annotations you have made.

Saving the Image

Once you are satisfied with your capture (and any annotations), look at the options in the top-right corner of the Markup window:

• Save (Floppy Disk Icon): Downloads the capture as a JPEG file to your computer’s default Downloads folder.
• Copy: Copies the annotated version to your clipboard.
• Share: Opens the native operating system share menu, allowing you to send the image directly via email or AirDrop/Nearby Share.

Microsoft Edge’s Web Capture eliminates the need for third-party browser extensions or complex stitching software, making it incredibly simple to save and share web content exactly as it appears.