Screenshot Annotator

Screenshot Annotator Skill

This skill provides visual annotation capabilities for screenshots taken during user testing. Annotations help highlight issues, confusion points, and notable elements in test screenshots.

Purpose

Add visual markers (boxes, highlights, callouts) to screenshots before capturing them. This makes test reports more actionable by clearly showing where issues occurred.

Annotation Types

Box

A rectangular border around an element.

Highlight

A semi-transparent overlay on an element.

Callout

A numbered circle positioned near an element, used for referencing multiple issues.

Color Palette

error/confusion: #dc2626 (red-600)
warning:         #f59e0b (amber-500)
success:         #16a34a (green-600)
info:            #2563eb (blue-600)
highlight:       #fbbf24 (amber-400)

How to Add Annotations

Use browser_evaluate to inject annotation elements before taking a screenshot. All DOM manipulation must use safe methods (createElement, appendChild, setAttribute).

Step 1: Get Element Position

First, find the target element and get its bounding box:

// Via browser_evaluate
const element = document.querySelector('[data-testid="submit-btn"]');
const rect = element.getBoundingClientRect();
const position = {
  x: rect.left + window.scrollX,
  y: rect.top + window.scrollY,
  width: rect.width,
  height: rect.height
};
return position;

Step 2: Create Annotation Overlay

Create a container div for annotations:

// Via browser_evaluate
(function() {
  // Remove existing overlay if present
  const existing = document.getElementById('uta-overlay');
  if (existing) existing.remove();

  // Create overlay container
  const overlay = document.createElement('div');
  overlay.id = 'uta-overlay';
  overlay.style.cssText = 'position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;pointer-events:none;z-index:99999;';
  document.body.appendChild(overlay);
  return true;
})();

Step 3: Add Box Annotation

// Via browser_evaluate with parameters
(function(x, y, width, height, type, label) {
  const overlay = document.getElementById('uta-overlay');
  if (!overlay) return false;

  const colors = {
    error: '#dc2626',
    confusion: '#dc2626',
    warning: '#f59e0b',
    success: '#16a34a',
    info: '#2563eb'
  };

  const borderStyle = type === 'confusion' ? 'dashed' : 'solid';
  const color = colors[type] || colors.info;

  // Create box
  const box = document.createElement('div');
  box.className = 'uta-box';
  box.style.cssText = [
    'position:absolute',
    'left:' + x + 'px',
    'top:' + y + 'px',
    'width:' + width + 'px',
    'height:' + height + 'px',
    'border:3px ' + borderStyle + ' ' + color,
    'border-radius:4px',
    'box-sizing:border-box'
  ].join(';');

  // Create label if provided
  if (label) {
    const labelEl = document.createElement('div');
    labelEl.className = 'uta-label';
    labelEl.style.cssText = [
      'position:absolute',
      'top:-26px',
      'left:-3px',
      'background:' + color,
      'color:white',
      'padding:4px 8px',
      'font-size:12px',
      'font-family:system-ui,sans-serif',
      'font-weight:500',
      'border-radius:4px 4px 0 0',
      'white-space:nowrap'
    ].join(';');
    labelEl.textContent = label;
    box.appendChild(labelEl);
  }

  overlay.appendChild(box);
  return true;
})(x, y, width, height, type, label);

Step 4: Add Highlight Annotation

// Via browser_evaluate with parameters
(function(x, y, width, height, color) {
  const overlay = document.getElementById('uta-overlay');
  if (!overlay) return false;

  const colors = {
    yellow: 'rgba(251, 191, 36, 0.4)',
    orange: 'rgba(245, 158, 11, 0.3)',
    red: 'rgba(220, 38, 38, 0.25)'
  };

  const highlight = document.createElement('div');
  highlight.className = 'uta-highlight';
  highlight.style.cssText = [
    'position:absolute',
    'left:' + x + 'px',
    'top:' + y + 'px',
    'width:' + width + 'px',
    'height:' + height + 'px',
    'background:' + (colors[color] || colors.yellow),
    'border-radius:2px'
  ].join(';');

  overlay.appendChild(highlight);
  return true;
})(x, y, width, height, color);

Step 5: Add Callout Annotation

// Via browser_evaluate with parameters
(function(x, y, number, color) {
  const overlay = document.getElementById('uta-overlay');
  if (!overlay) return false;

  const colors = {
    red: '#dc2626',
    orange: '#f59e0b',
    green: '#16a34a',
    blue: '#2563eb'
  };

  const callout = document.createElement('div');
  callout.className = 'uta-callout';
  callout.style.cssText = [
    'position:absolute',
    'left:' + (x - 12) + 'px',
    'top:' + (y - 12) + 'px',
    'width:24px',
    'height:24px',
    'background:' + (colors[color] || colors.red),
    'color:white',
    'border-radius:50%',
    'display:flex',
    'align-items:center',
    'justify-content:center',
    'font-size:14px',
    'font-weight:bold',
    'font-family:system-ui,sans-serif',
    'box-shadow:0 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.2)'
  ].join(';');
  callout.textContent = String(number);

  overlay.appendChild(callout);
  return true;
})(x, y, number, color);

Step 6: Take Screenshot

After adding annotations, use browser_take_screenshot to capture the annotated page.

Step 7: Clean Up

Remove the overlay after taking the screenshot:

// Via browser_evaluate
(function() {
  const overlay = document.getElementById('uta-overlay');
  if (overlay) overlay.remove();
  return true;
})();

Annotation Workflow

For Manual Annotations (/annotate command)

1. Parse user's element description
2. Use browser_snapshot to find the element
3. Get element position via browser_evaluate
4. Create overlay and add annotation
5. Take screenshot with browser_take_screenshot
6. Clean up overlay
7. Return screenshot path and description

For Automatic Annotations (during testing)

When the testing agent detects an annotation trigger:

1. Confusion detected:

   • Note the element being examined
   • Add dashed red box with label "Confusing"

2. Error encountered:

   • Find the error message or invalid field
   • Add solid red box with label "Error"

3. Frustration trigger matched:

   • Identify the triggering element
   • Add orange highlight or warning box

4. Task completed:

   • Mark the final action element
   • Add green box with label "Complete"

Best Practices

1. Label Clarity: Use short, descriptive labels (2-4 words)
2. Color Consistency: Use the standard color palette
3. Positioning: Ensure labels don't overlap with important content
4. Multiple Annotations: Use callouts with numbers when annotating multiple elements
5. Clean Up: Always remove the overlay after screenshots

Example: Annotating a Confusing Form Field

1. User: "I'm confused about this field"

2. Get position:
   browser_evaluate: Get bounding box of the confusing element

3. Create overlay:
   browser_evaluate: Create annotation container

4. Add annotation:
   browser_evaluate: Add dashed red box at position with label "Confusing"

5. Capture:
   browser_take_screenshot: Save as "confusion-form-field.png"

6. Clean up:
   browser_evaluate: Remove overlay

7. Report:
   "Screenshot saved: confusion-form-field.png - User found this field confusing"

Integration with User Testing Reports

Annotated screenshots should be referenced in the testing report:

## Usability Issues Found

### Critical: Form Submit Button Hard to Find

![Annotated screenshot](screenshots/confusion-submit-btn.png)

The submit button (annotated in red) was difficult to locate due to
its placement below the fold and low contrast with the background.