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Screenshot Guide

We Need Your Help!

The WOWDB screenshot library is just as important as the items, NPCs, quests and spells that we keep track of. Our screenshot library provides a visual point of reference for the many subjects of interest in the World of Warcraft, and gives you the direct ability to help make our content the most interesting and accurate in the community.

The process of submitting a screenshot to WOWDB actually begins in game. While you're playing, be sure to catalogue anything you might find interesting. It's as simple as pressing the "Print Screen" key on your keyboard. Once you've finished a game session, browse through your screenshots directory (which is located under your World of Warcraft installation directory), and pick any screenshots you would like to submit.

Now it's time to find the related subject in WOWDB. This is as simple as entering a search term and pressing your enter key. Once you submit a screenshot, it will take roughly 24 hours for our staff to approve it. Each approved screenshot that you submit will earn you 5 WOWDB user points!

General Tips

Here are some general tips from Blizzard, for taking the very best screenshots.
  • Use the "Print Screen" button on your keyboard to take a screenshot in-game. Your screenshot will appear in your World of Warcraft directory in the /Screenshots/ subdirectory.
  • Unless the interface some how directly ties to what you're trying to show off in your screenshot, turn it off before snapping the shot. To do this press Alt-Z.
  • Make sure there is no profanity or otherwise questionable chat content onscreen before taking your shot. Screenshots that contain any questionable chat content will not be selected for display.
  • When taking screenshots of large groups, for clarity, turn off player names. To do this, open up the console by pressing "~" and type unitnamerendermode 0.
  • Try turning up your graphics setting's before taking the screenshot. Increase your resolution and maximize the detail settings to assure that your shot is the best it can be! Even if your computer cannot support continuous play at these settings, you can always revert to your previous settings after you take your shot.
  • Go into first person mode to get a better angle for your screenshot. A screenshot from the default third person camera angle can be okay, but try going into first person mode to find a more interesting angle for your shot.
  • Remove the mouse cursor before snapping your screenshot. To do this, simply hold down the right mouse button or move the cursor offscreen.
  • Make certain your screenshot is in either the JPEG or PNG format.
  • Don't submit your entire screenshot folder. Choose your best shots and submit those!
  • Funny shots are good, but make sure the content is appropriate for the audience of the site.
  • Screenshots that are heavily edited using a graphics program will not be accepted.
  • Please check your screenshot caption for spelling and grammatical errors. We don't have the resources to edit each caption, so your screenshot may be rejected or the caption may be removed if it doesn't meet our quality standards.