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Capture desktop, window, or region at detail levels: metadata, clickable UI elements with coordinates, OCR text, or pixel images. Handles foreground and background windows for UI automation.

Instructions

Purpose: Capture desktop, window, or region across detail levels (meta / text / image / som / ocr) and capture modes (normal / background). Details: detail='meta' (default) returns window titles+positions only (~20 tok/window, no image). detail='text' returns UIA actionable elements with clickAt coords, no image (~100-300 tok). detail='som' returns OCR-detected elements with IDs plus a Set-of-Marks annotated image delivered by-ref by default (bypasses UIA entirely). detail='ocr' returns Windows OCR words with screen-pixel clickAt coords (Phase 4: absorbs former screenshot_ocr — use when UIA is sparse and you want to force OCR unconditionally). detail='image' and detail='som' both return a cheap by-ref resource_link by default (no inline base64); pass confirmImage=true to also embed the inline image (the annotated bitmap for som). mode='background' captures hidden/minimised/occluded windows via PrintWindow (Phase 4: absorbs former screenshot_background) — pair with windowTitle/hwnd. dotByDot=true returns 1:1 pixel WebP; compute screen coords: screen_x = origin_x + image_x (or screen_x = origin_x + image_x / scale when dotByDotMaxDimension is set — scale printed in response). diffMode=true returns only changed windows after the first call (~160 tok). region={x,y,width,height} captures a sub-rectangle (Phase 4: absorbs former scope_element when paired with windowTitle/hwnd — discover element bounds via desktop_discover, then pass region here). Data reduction: grayscale=true (−50%), dotByDotMaxDimension=1280 (caps longest edge), windowTitle+region (sub-crop to exclude browser chrome — e.g. region={x:0, y:120, width:1920, height:900}). Prefer: Use meta to orient, text before clicking, dotByDot only when precise pixel coords are needed. Use detail='som' for native apps or games that do not expose UIA elements (UIA-Blind). Use detail='ocr' for OCR-only (skip UIA entirely). Use mode='background' when the target window must stay hidden or cannot be brought to foreground. Prefer browser_* tools for Chrome. Use diffMode after actions to confirm state changed. Only use image+confirmImage when text returned 0 actionable elements and visual inspection is genuinely required. Caveats: Default mode scales to maxDimension=768 — image pixels ≠ screen pixels; apply the scale formula before passing to mouse_click. Foreground detail='image' returns a by-ref resource_link by default; pass confirmImage=true to also receive inline pixels. diffMode requires a prior full-capture baseline (non-diff call or workspace_snapshot) — calling diffMode cold returns a full frame, not a diff. mode='background' requires windowTitle or hwnd, and only composes with detail in {'image','meta'} — detail='text'/'som'/'ocr' run only against foreground capture (the dispatcher rejects the conflicting combination). Passing mode='background' is itself the acknowledgement that image pixels are wanted, so confirmImage is NOT required for it (matches the former screenshot_background contract). fullContent=false enables legacy mode (faster but GPU windows may be black). detail='ocr' requires windowTitle or hwnd; first call may take ~1s (WinRT cold-start) and the matching OCR language pack must be installed. Examples: screenshot() → meta orientation of all windows screenshot({detail:'text', windowTitle:'Notepad'}) → clickable elements with coords screenshot({detail:'ocr', windowTitle:'PDF', ocrLanguage:'ja'}) → OCR words with screen-pixel coords screenshot({mode:'background', windowTitle:'Chrome', dotByDot:true, dotByDotMaxDimension:1280, grayscale:true}) → background-capture pixel-accurate Chrome screenshot({windowTitle:'Notepad', region:{x:0,y:120,width:600,height:400}}) → cropped sub-region (zoom into element after desktop_discover)

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
hwndNoDirect window handle ID (takes precedence over windowTitle). Obtain from desktop_discover (windows[].hwnd). String type to avoid 64-bit precision issues.
modeNoCapture mode. 'normal' — default. Window-targeted captures (windowTitle / hwnd) use Win32 PrintWindow with automatic BitBlt fallback when PrintWindow returns no data or an all-black frame; the route used is reported in hints.captureSource. Fullscreen / displayId captures use BitBlt. 'background' — explicit Win32 PrintWindow capture, retained for back-compat and explicit selection. Requires windowTitle (or hwnd). Pair with fullContent for GPU-rendered apps.normal
detailNoResponse detail level (omit to let the server pick a smart default): omitted — auto: 'image' when dotByDot/region/displayId is specified, else 'meta' 'meta' — window title + screen region only (~20 tok/window, cheapest) 'text' — UIA element tree as JSON with text values (~100-300 tok/window, no image) 'image' — actual screenshot pixels. Returns a cheap by-ref resource_link by default (no inline base64); pass confirmImage=true to ALSO embed the inline image. 'som' — Set-of-Marks elements + annotated image (bypasses UIA entirely). Returns the OCR elements[] plus a cheap by-ref resource_link by default (no inline base64); pass confirmImage=true to ALSO embed the annotated bitmap. 'ocr' — Windows OCR words with screen-pixel clickAt coords (Phase 4: absorbs former screenshot_ocr). Use when UIA returns no actionable elements (WinUI3 custom-drawn UIs, game overlays, PDF viewers). Note: detail='text' auto-falls back to OCR via ocrFallback='auto'; choose detail='ocr' only when forcing OCR unconditionally.
regionNoCapture only this sub-region. Without windowTitle: virtual screen coordinates. With windowTitle: window-local coordinates — useful to exclude browser chrome (tabs/address bar). Example: windowTitle='Chrome', region={x:0, y:120, width:1920, height:900} skips the 120px browser chrome.
includeNoOptional response-shape opt-in. `['envelope']` returns the self-documenting envelope (`_version` / `data` / `as_of` / `confidence`). `['raw']` forces raw shape (overrides DESKTOP_TOUCH_ENVELOPE=1 server default). Default behaviour is raw shape (compat with existing clients).
diffModeNoLayer diff mode — compares each window against the buffered previous frame. First call = full I-frame (all windows). Subsequent calls = only changed windows (P-frame). Implicitly enables dotByDot. Best used with windowTitle=undefined to snapshot all windows.
dotByDotNo1:1 pixel mode — no scaling, WebP compression. Window captures include 'origin: (x,y)' so you can compute screen position: screen_x = origin_x + image_x. When dotByDotMaxDimension is also set, scale factor is included: screen_x = origin_x + image_x / scale.
displayIdNoCapture a specific monitor (0 = primary). Use desktop_state({includeScreen:true}) to list displays.
grayscaleNoConvert to grayscale before encoding. Reduces file size ~50% for text-heavy content (e.g. AWS console, code editors). Avoid when color is meaningful (charts, status indicators).
fullContentNoWhen mode='background', use PW_RENDERFULLCONTENT to capture GPU-rendered windows (Chrome, Electron, WinUI3). Default true. Set false for legacy mode (faster but GPU windows may appear black). Ignored unless mode='background'.
ocrFallbackNoOCR fallback behaviour when detail='text'. 'auto' (default): fire Windows OCR if UIA returns 0 actionable elements OR hints.uiaSparse=true (UIA returned <5 elements, typical for Chrome). 'always': always augment actionable[] with OCR words. 'never': disable OCR entirely.auto
ocrLanguageNoBCP-47 language tag for the OCR engine (e.g. 'ja', 'en-US'). Auto-detects from system locale when omitted. Used when detail='text' (OCR fallback) or detail='ocr' (direct OCR).
webpQualityNoWebP quality when dotByDot=true or diffMode=true. 40=layout only, 60=general (default), 80=fine text.
windowTitleNoCapture only the window whose title contains this string. Use '@active' for the current foreground window. Prefer over full-screen when target window is known.
confirmImageNoEmbed inline image pixels in the response. detail='image' now returns a cheap by-ref resource_link WITHOUT this flag (it is no longer blocked); confirmImage=true ADDITIONALLY embeds the inline image for immediate vision. detail='som' likewise returns its elements[] + a by-ref resource_link by default; confirmImage=true ADDITIONALLY inlines the annotated SoM bitmap. Prefer detail='text' / diffMode=true / dotByDot=true first — set confirmImage=true only when inline visual inspection is genuinely required.
maxDimensionNoMax width or height in pixels (default 768). Use 1280 to read small text, code, or fine UI details. Ignored when dotByDot=true.
preprocessPolicyNoOCR preprocessing scale policy for detail='som' and OCR fallback paths. 'auto' (default): clamp scale to 1 on OOM (>8MP) or high-DPI (≥150%). 'aggressive': relaxes DPI clamp to 175%, preserving upscale on 150%-DPI monitors (e.g. Outlook PWA). Also auto-enables adaptive binarization. 'minimal': always scale=1 regardless of DPI/resolution.auto
preprocessAdaptiveNoWhen true, apply Sauvola adaptive binarization after contrast stretch. Improves recognition of thin text on low-contrast or gradient backgrounds. Automatically enabled when preprocessPolicy='aggressive'. Requires Rust native engine; silently skipped otherwise.
dotByDotMaxDimensionNoCap the longest edge (pixels) when dotByDot=true. Reduces payload while preserving coordinate math. Example: 1280 on a 1920×1080 screen → scale≈0.667. Response includes scale factor: screen_x = origin_x + image_x / scale. Recommended for Chrome: dotByDot=true, dotByDotMaxDimension=1280, grayscale=true.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections. Dates show when Glama detected each change.

  1. Changed2 schema fields changedv1.12.0
    • changedInput schema / properties / confirmImage / description
      Previous value: -"Must be true to receive image pixels when detail='image'. Without this flag, detail='image' is blocked and a guidance message is returned instead. Prefer detail='text' / diffMode=true / dotByDot=true first — only set confirmImage=true when visual inspection is genuinely required."New value: +"Embed inline image pixels in the response. detail='image' now returns a cheap by-ref resource_link WITHOUT this flag (it is no longer blocked); confirmImage=true ADDITIONALLY embeds the inline image for immediate vision. detail='som' likewise returns its elements[] + a by-ref resource_link by default; confirmImage=true ADDITIONALLY inlines the annotated SoM bitmap. Prefer detail='text' / diffMode=true / dotByDot=true first — set confirmImage=true only when inline visual inspection is genuinely required."
    • changedInput schema / properties / detail / description
      Previous value: -"Response detail level (omit to let the server pick a smart default):\n  omitted — auto: 'image' when dotByDot/region/displayId is specified, else 'meta'\n  'meta'  — window title + screen region only (~20 tok/window, cheapest)\n  'text'  — UIA element tree as JSON with text values (~100-300 tok/window, no image)\n  'image' — actual screenshot pixels. BLOCKED unless confirmImage=true is also passed.\n  'som'   — Set-of-Marks image + OCR elements (bypasses UIA entirely). BLOCKED unless confirmImage=true is also passed.\n  'ocr'   — Windows OCR words with screen-pixel clickAt coords (Phase 4: absorbs former screenshot_ocr). Use when UIA returns no actionable elements (WinUI3 custom-drawn UIs, game overlays, PDF viewers). Note: detail='text' auto-falls back to OCR via ocrFallback='auto'; choose detail='ocr' only when forcing OCR unconditionally."New value: +"Response detail level (omit to let the server pick a smart default):\n  omitted — auto: 'image' when dotByDot/region/displayId is specified, else 'meta'\n  'meta'  — window title + screen region only (~20 tok/window, cheapest)\n  'text'  — UIA element tree as JSON with text values (~100-300 tok/window, no image)\n  'image' — actual screenshot pixels. Returns a cheap by-ref resource_link by default (no inline base64); pass confirmImage=true to ALSO embed the inline image.\n  'som'   — Set-of-Marks elements + annotated image (bypasses UIA entirely). Returns the OCR elements[] plus a cheap by-ref resource_link by default (no inline base64); pass confirmImage=true to ALSO embed the annotated bitmap.\n  'ocr'   — Windows OCR words with screen-pixel clickAt coords (Phase 4: absorbs former screenshot_ocr). Use when UIA returns no actionable elements (WinUI3 custom-drawn UIs, game overlays, PDF viewers). Note: detail='text' auto-falls back to OCR via ocrFallback='auto'; choose detail='ocr' only when forcing OCR unconditionally."
  2. Changed2 schema fields changedv1.10.3
    • removedInput schema / properties / ocrLanguage / default
      Removed value: -"ja"
    • changedInput schema / properties / ocrLanguage / description
      Previous value: -"BCP-47 language tag for the OCR engine (e.g. 'ja', 'en-US'). Used when detail='text' (OCR fallback) or detail='ocr' (direct OCR)."New value: +"BCP-47 language tag for the OCR engine (e.g. 'ja', 'en-US'). Auto-detects from system locale when omitted. Used when detail='text' (OCR fallback) or detail='ocr' (direct OCR)."
  3. Addedv1.9.2
  4. Removedv1.8.0
  5. Addedv1.6.0
  6. Removedv1.5.1
  7. Addedv1.5.0
  8. Removedv1.4.3
  9. Addedv1.4.2
  10. Removedv1.4.0
  11. Changed1 schema field changedv1.2.1
    • addedInput schema / properties / include
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Optional response-shape opt-in. `['envelope']` returns the self-documenting envelope (`_version` / `data` / `as_of` / `confidence`). `['raw']` forces raw shape (overrides DESKTOP_TOUCH_ENVELOPE=1 server default). Default behaviour is raw shape (compat with existing clients).",
      +  "items": {
      +    "type": "string"
      +  },
      +  "type": "array"
      +}
  12. Addedv1.1.1
  13. Removedv1.1.0
  14. Addedv1.0.3
  15. Removedv0.15.7
  16. Changed2 schema fields changedv0.15.4
    • addedInput schema / properties / hwnd
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Direct window handle ID (takes precedence over windowTitle). Obtain from get_windows (hwnd field). String type to avoid 64-bit precision issues.",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
    • changedInput schema / properties / windowTitle / description
      Previous value: -"Capture only the window whose title contains this string. Prefer over full-screen when target window is known."New value: +"Capture only the window whose title contains this string. Use '@active' for the current foreground window. Prefer over full-screen when target window is known."
  17. Changed16 schema fields changedv0.10.0
    • removedInput schema / $schema
      Removed value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
    • addedInput schema / additionalProperties
      Added value: +false
    • removedInput schema / properties / _stub
      Removed value: -{
      -  "description": "Stub tool — arguments ignored."
      -}
    • addedInput schema / properties / confirmImage
      Added value: +{
      +  "default": false,
      +  "description": "Must be true to receive image pixels when detail='image'. Without this flag, detail='image' is blocked and a guidance message is returned instead. Prefer detail='text' / diffMode=true / dotByDot=true first — only set confirmImage=true when visual inspection is genuinely required.",
      +  "type": "boolean"
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / detail
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Response detail level (omit to let the server pick a smart default):\n  omitted — auto: 'image' when dotByDot/region/displayId is specified, else 'meta'\n  'meta'  — window title + screen region only (~20 tok/window, cheapest)\n  'text'  — UIA element tree as JSON with text values (~100-300 tok/window, no image)\n  'image' — actual screenshot pixels. BLOCKED unless confirmImage=true is also passed.",
      +  "enum": [
      +    "meta",
      +    "text",
      +    "image"
      +  ],
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / diffMode
      Added value: +{
      +  "default": false,
      +  "description": "Layer diff mode — compares each window against the buffered previous frame. First call = full I-frame (all windows). Subsequent calls = only changed windows (P-frame). Implicitly enables dotByDot. Best used with windowTitle=undefined to snapshot all windows.",
      +  "type": "boolean"
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / displayId
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Capture a specific monitor (0 = primary). Use get_screen_info to list displays.",
      +  "minimum": 0,
      +  "type": "integer"
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / dotByDot
      Added value: +{
      +  "default": false,
      +  "description": "1:1 pixel mode — no scaling, WebP compression. Window captures include 'origin: (x,y)' so you can compute screen position: screen_x = origin_x + image_x. When dotByDotMaxDimension is also set, scale factor is included: screen_x = origin_x + image_x / scale.",
      +  "type": "boolean"
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / dotByDotMaxDimension
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Cap the longest edge (pixels) when dotByDot=true. Reduces payload while preserving coordinate math. Example: 1280 on a 1920×1080 screen → scale≈0.667. Response includes scale factor: screen_x = origin_x + image_x / scale. Recommended for Chrome: dotByDot=true, dotByDotMaxDimension=1280, grayscale=true.",
      +  "type": "integer"
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / grayscale
      Added value: +{
      +  "default": false,
      +  "description": "Convert to grayscale before encoding. Reduces file size ~50% for text-heavy content (e.g. AWS console, code editors). Avoid when color is meaningful (charts, status indicators).",
      +  "type": "boolean"
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / maxDimension
      Added value: +{
      +  "default": 768,
      +  "description": "Max width or height in pixels (default 768). Use 1280 to read small text, code, or fine UI details. Ignored when dotByDot=true.",
      +  "type": "integer"
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / ocrFallback
      Added value: +{
      +  "default": "auto",
      +  "description": "OCR fallback behaviour when detail='text'. 'auto' (default): fire Windows OCR if UIA returns 0 actionable elements OR hints.uiaSparse=true (UIA returned <5 elements, typical for Chrome). 'always': always augment actionable[] with OCR words. 'never': disable OCR entirely.",
      +  "enum": [
      +    "auto",
      +    "always",
      +    "never"
      +  ],
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / ocrLanguage
      Added value: +{
      +  "default": "ja",
      +  "description": "BCP-47 language tag for the OCR engine (e.g. 'ja', 'en-US'). Only used when detail='text'.",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / region
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Capture only this sub-region. Without windowTitle: virtual screen coordinates. With windowTitle: window-local coordinates — useful to exclude browser chrome (tabs/address bar). Example: windowTitle='Chrome', region={x:0, y:120, width:1920, height:900} skips the 120px browser chrome.",
      +  "type": "object"
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / webpQuality
      Added value: +{
      +  "default": 60,
      +  "description": "WebP quality when dotByDot=true or diffMode=true. 40=layout only, 60=general (default), 80=fine text.",
      +  "maximum": 100,
      +  "minimum": 1,
      +  "type": "integer"
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / windowTitle
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Capture only the window whose title contains this string. Prefer over full-screen when target window is known.",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
  18. First observedv0.6.2

TDQS

A4.8/5.0
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Despite no annotations, the description thoroughly discloses behavioral traits: default scaling, diffMode cold-start behavior, background capture constraints, OCR fallback logic, and coordinate computation. No contradictions.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Long but well-structured with sections for purpose, details, prefer, caveats, and examples. Front-loaded with key info. Could be slightly more concise, but justified by tool complexity.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

No output schema, but description covers return types (resource_link, inline image, elements) and important notes like the need for a baseline for diffMode. Addresses all key aspects for a complex tool.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so baseline is 3. The description adds value with examples, inter-parameter dependencies (e.g., region with windowTitle), and business logic (e.g., confirmImage behavior).

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description explicitly states the tool captures desktop, window, or region with multiple detail levels and capture modes. It distinguishes from sibling tools like browser_* and screenshot_gc, and provides clear usage boundaries.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Extensive guidance on when to use each detail level, mode, and combination. Includes a 'Prefer' section with explicit recommendations and a 'Caveats' section detailing restrictions and prerequisites.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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