Screenshots for Product Managers: Specs, Feedback and Release Notes
September 24, 2026
A product manager’s week is full of screenshots: a competitor’s flow in a spec, the current state in a feedback thread, the new state in release notes. They are made in a hurry and they are read by engineers, designers, and eventually customers, who all notice when they are unclear.
In specs: annotate the difference
A spec screenshot usually says "this, but different". Capture the current screen, box the region that changes, label it with the change in three words, and put the full description below. If you are showing another product’s approach, capture just the relevant control and say what to take from it. Demorta’s screenshot tool does the capture, box and label in one place. Try the free screenshot tool.
In feedback threads: blur before you post
Screenshots of customer accounts go into Slack, tickets and documents that outlive the conversation. Pixelate the customer’s name and data before posting, every time, even internally. The cost is five seconds; the cost of not doing it is a screenshot of a customer’s finances in a channel with two hundred people in it.
In release notes: show the after state
Release note screenshots age instantly, so capture them at a fixed browser width, in the light theme, with demo data, and crop to the feature. When the feature is a flow rather than a screen, embed a recorded walkthrough instead of a column of images; it is easier to follow and takes one re-record when the flow changes again.
Keep them consistent
- One width for every capture.
- One annotation colour, agreed with design.
- Demo data, so nothing ever needs blurring twice.
- Named files, by feature and state, so the spec still makes sense in six months.
Frequently asked questions
- How should product managers annotate screenshots in specs?
- Box the region that changes, label the change in a few words on the image, and write the full description in the document. Keep marks to one colour.
- Should I blur customer data in internal screenshots?
- Yes. Internal channels and documents outlive the conversation and are seen by far more people than intended. Pixelate names and data before posting.
- Screenshots or a demo in release notes?
- Screenshots for a changed screen; an embedded interactive walkthrough for a changed flow. The walkthrough is easier to follow and easier to update.
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