Pre-Post Screenshot Skill
Package: pre-post Visual diff tool for PRs — fastest path from code change to visual documentation.Agent Behavior Rules
DO NOT:
- Switch git branches, stash changes, start dev servers, or assume what "before" is
- Use
--fullunless user explicitly asks for full page / full scroll capture - Post screenshots to PR without user approval
DO:
- Use
--markdownwhen user wants PR integration or markdown output - Use
--responsiveto capture both desktop and mobile viewports - Use
--mobile/--tabletif user mentions phone, mobile, tablet, responsive - Assume current state is After (localhost = after, production = before)
- Show screenshots to user before posting to PR
- If user provides only one URL, ASK: "What URL should I use for the 'before' state? (production URL, preview deployment, or another local port)"
Execution Order
1. Pre-flight Checks
# Detect running dev server
lsof -i :3000 2>/dev/null || lsof -i :3001 2>/dev/null || lsof -i :5173 2>/dev/null || lsof -i :8080 2>/dev/nullIf no dev server is running, tell the user to start one.
# Check production URL is accessible
curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" "<production-url>"- 200 → proceed
- 401/403 → warn user: "Production URL requires authentication. Options: (1) provide a public URL, (2) skip 'before' and capture after-only, (3) provide auth cookies"
- No production URL → "after-only" mode: screenshot localhost only, label as current state
2. Route Detection + Refinement
# Detect affected routes from git diff
npx pre-post detectThis outputs JSON with detected routes, confidence levels, and source files.
Claude's role: Review the JSON output using conversation context:
- Add routes you know are affected from the work done in this session
- Remove false positives (e.g., API-only changes)
- For dynamic routes (e.g.,
/blog/[slug]), ask user for a sample value - Present to user: "I'll screenshot these routes:
/dashboard,/settings. Want to add or change any?"
3. Screenshot Capture
Option A: CLI (preferred — deterministic)
# Single route, desktop only
npx pre-post compare \
--before-base https://prod.com \
--after-base http://localhost:3000 \
--routes /dashboard \
--output /tmp/pre-post
# Multiple routes, responsive (desktop + mobile)
npx pre-post compare \
--before-base https://prod.com \
--after-base http://localhost:3000 \
--routes /dashboard,/settings,/ \
--responsive \
--output /tmp/pre-postOption B: Playwright MCP (for more control)
Use when you need custom waits, interactions, or complex page states:
browser_resize(1280, 800)
browser_navigate("https://prod.com/dashboard")
browser_wait_for(time: 3)
browser_take_screenshot(filename: "/tmp/pre-post/dashboard-desktop-before.png")
browser_navigate("http://localhost:3000/dashboard")
browser_wait_for(time: 3)
browser_take_screenshot(filename: "/tmp/pre-post/dashboard-desktop-after.png")
# Mobile
browser_resize(375, 812)
browser_navigate("https://prod.com/dashboard")
browser_wait_for(time: 3)
browser_take_screenshot(filename: "/tmp/pre-post/dashboard-mobile-before.png")
browser_navigate("http://localhost:3000/dashboard")
browser_wait_for(time: 3)
browser_take_screenshot(filename: "/tmp/pre-post/dashboard-mobile-after.png")4. User Approval
Show screenshots in conversation. Ask: "Here are the before/after screenshots. Should I post to PR, retake any, or add more pages?"
5. Upload + PR Markdown
# Upload and generate markdown
mkdir -p /tmp/pre-post
./scripts/upload-and-copy.sh /tmp/pre-post/before.png /tmp/pre-post/after.png --markdownOr use the CLI's built-in upload:
npx pre-post <before.png> <after.png> --markdownFor multi-route PRs, generate this format:
## Visual Changes
### `/dashboard`
<details open>
<summary>Desktop (1280x800)</summary>
| Pre | Post |
|:---:|:----:|
|  |  |
</details>
<details>
<summary>Mobile (375x812)</summary>
| Pre | Post |
|:---:|:----:|
|  |  |
</details>
---
*Captured by [pre-post](https://github.com/juangadm/pre-post)*6. PR Integration
# Get current PR
gh pr view --json number,body
# Append screenshots to PR body
gh pr edit <number> --body "<existing-body>
<generated-markdown>"If no gh CLI: output markdown and tell user to paste manually.
Quick Reference
# Basic usage (two URLs)
pre-post site.com localhost:3000
# Detect routes from git diff
pre-post detect
pre-post detect --framework nextjs-app
# Compare with auto-detected routes
pre-post run --before-base https://prod.com --after-base http://localhost:3000
# Compare specific routes
pre-post compare --before-base URL --after-base URL --routes /dashboard,/settings
# Responsive (desktop + mobile)
pre-post compare --before-base URL --after-base URL --responsive
# From existing images
pre-post before.png after.png --markdown
# Via npx
npx pre-post detect
npx pre-post compare --before-base URL --after-base URL| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
-m, --mobile | Mobile viewport (375x812) |
-t, --tablet | Tablet viewport (768x1024) |
--size <WxH> | Custom viewport |
-f, --full | Full scrollable page |
-s, --selector | CSS selector to capture |
-r, --responsive | Desktop + mobile capture |
--routes <paths> | Explicit route list (comma-separated) |
--max-routes <n> | Max detected routes (default: 5) |
--framework <name> | Force framework detection |
--before-base <url> | Production URL |
--after-base <url> | Localhost URL |
-o, --output | Output directory (default: ~/Downloads) |
--markdown | Upload images & output markdown |
--upload-url <url> | Upload endpoint (overrides git-native default) |
Image Upload
Screenshots are committed to .pre-post/ on the current PR branch and served via GitHub blob URLs pinned to the commit SHA. This works for both public and private repos — blob URLs are same-origin on GitHub, so the markdown renderer resolves them with the viewer's authentication.
# Default (git-native — commits to PR branch, works on any repo)
./scripts/upload-and-copy.sh before.png after.png --markdown
# Explicit override for external storage:
IMAGE_ADAPTER=0x0st ./scripts/upload-and-copy.sh before.png after.png --markdownError Reference
| Error | Fix |
|---|---|
command not found | npm install -g @juangadm/pre-post |
browserType.launch: Executable doesn't exist | npx playwright install chromium |
| 401/403 on production URL | See pre-flight section above |
| Element not found | Verify selector exists on page |
| No changed files detected | Specify routes manually with --routes |
| Could not determine commit SHA | Ensure git push succeeded and HEAD is valid |