Record agent demos from YAML storyboards with shot-scraper video

shot-scraper has always been useful for automated screenshots, but version 1.10 makes it more valuable for agent-heavy development work: the new shot-scraper video command records a browser routine from a YAML storyboard.

What it does

shot-scraper video takes a storyboard.yml file, launches a browser through Playwright, runs setup and interaction steps, and records the result as WebM. If ffmpeg is available, the same run can also produce MP4 with --mp4.

Storyboards can define a server process, viewport, cursor display, startup waits, JavaScript setup, and scenes made from actions such as click, type, fill, press, scroll, pause, wait, open, screenshot, shell, Python, and JavaScript steps.

Practical workflow

Where it helps most

• Pull requests where reviewers need to see a UI flow without running the branch.
• Changelogs that need compact product clips.
• Regression demos for browser automation work.
• Agentic coding workflows where the operator wants proof of behavior, not just a generated explanation.
• Documentation examples that should be rerunnable from source.

Caveats

This is strongest for deterministic web flows. You still need stable selectors, realistic waits, and careful handling of authentication cookies or secrets. MP4 export depends on ffmpeg, and browser automation can still flake if the target app has timing issues.

Source links

• Release notes: https://github.com/simonw/shot-scraper/releases/tag/1.10
• Official video docs: https://shot-scraper.datasette.io/en/stable/video.html
• Project repository: https://github.com/simonw/shot-scraper
• Author announcement and example: https://simonwillison.net/2026/Jun/30/shot-scraper-video/