Start with the right question
Screenshots are easy to share and easy to misunderstand. A page may depend on a logged-in account, location, or expanded section. Record those conditions so another person can assess the image without assuming it represents what every visitor would have seen.
Work through the checks
Record the location
Save the full page URL and the specific item identifier where available. Note whether the content was public or required access. Avoid publishing URLs that contain private tokens or account identifiers.
Keep visual context
Capture enough surrounding content to show the relationship between the statement and the page. If you make a close-up, retain the wider image and label the close-up as an excerpt.
Document capture conditions
Record the date, time zone, device, and any relevant interaction such as opening a menu or expanding terms. Distinguish the capture date from the date the page claims the content was published.
Preserve the original
Keep an untouched capture and make annotations only on a separate copy. Explain any masking or cropping. A later reviewer should be able to tell which parts were present on the screen and which were added.
A record you can use
- URL or item identifier
- Capture date and time zone
- Access and display conditions
- Original image filename
- Edits made to working copy
Keep this record locally. Use document references rather than publishing account numbers or other people's personal details. An empty field means the information is still missing; it should not be filled with an AI guess.
Worked example
A fictional buyer captures an advertised price after selecting a product size. The record includes the selected option and the checkout page showing a different amount. It does not claim the lower price applied to every size, and the annotated comparison links back to the unedited captures.
This example is fictional and illustrates the method, not a real case result.
Limits and next steps
A screenshot alone does not prove who controlled a page or whether its statements were true. Do not bypass access controls or collect unrelated personal data to make the image appear more complete.
Pair important screenshots with the corresponding order, message, or document when available. Ask the relevant reviewer which additional records are needed before relying on the image in a formal dispute.