shot-scraper 1.12 adds WebP support

Summary

Simon Willison released shot-scraper version 1.12. He added WebP output support to the command-line screenshot and site scraping tool. Users can utilize an optional --quality flag, which defaults to lossless compression. Willison notes that WebP files are typically much smaller than their JPEG or PNG counterparts.

Why it matters

This feature directly benefits developers automating visual regression tests, documentation screenshots, or demo recordings. Since file sizes are reduced without perceptible quality loss, CI pipelines speed up and repositories become lighter. Additionally, it eliminates the manual conversion step in workflows that combine Playwright-based capture into a single command. Although a small feature, it aligns with the trend of tools quietly adopting modern and efficient formats.

Highlights

• WebP output with a simple flag: shot-scraper <url> -o shot.webp --quality 80
• Default setting is lossless WebP; --quality controls the compression level
• Willison supports the claim of 'almost always much smaller' file sizes compared to JPEG/PNG with PR examples

Critical take

This is a one-line feature added to a niche personal tool. The claim of being 'fundamentally smaller' relies on Willison's own anecdote without comparative data in the post. For most readers outside Willison's direct ecosystem, the practical impact is negligible. It's worth a bookmark, not a news alert.