Capture an Application Window with screencapture -W
screencapture -W switches to interactive mode so you click the window you want; the shot includes the window shadow unless you pass -o.
Run `screencapture -W window-shot.png` then click the window to capture just that window with its shadow.
01Command
Command
$ screencapture -W window-shot.png02What it does
The -W flag enters the same click-to-pick mode as Shift-Cmd-4 then Space in the GUI, so you don't need to look up a numeric window ID. The saved image includes the drop shadow as padding; add -o to get a tight crop of the window itself. If the capture comes out empty, make sure the Terminal app has Screen Recording permission in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
03Risk
!Warning: screencapture requires Screen Recording permission for Terminal, otherwise shots may be blank or refused.
04Undo
✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.
05Sources
- Take a screenshot on MacEvidence: Apple's official instructions for window screenshots, including holding Option while clicking to exclude the shadow.
- screencapture — create a screen snapshot (macOS man page)Evidence: Documents screencapture -W to start interaction mode and capture a window selected by clicking, with -o to omit the window shadow.
Last verified: 2026-09-17 · Category: Media