diff --git a/browse/src/snapshot.ts b/browse/src/snapshot.ts
index 94f961c03..3ff2ab56e 100644
--- a/browse/src/snapshot.ts
+++ b/browse/src/snapshot.ts
@@ -168,8 +168,6 @@ export async function handleSnapshot(
     // Compact filter: skip elements with no name and no inline content that aren't interactive
     if (opts.compact && !isInteractive && !node.name && !node.children) continue;
 
-    // Assign ref
-    const ref = `e${refCounter++}`;
     const indent = '  '.repeat(depth);
 
     // Build Playwright locator
@@ -207,6 +205,7 @@ export async function handleSnapshot(
     }
     if (!handle) continue;
 
+    const ref = `e${refCounter++}`;
     refMap.set(ref, handle);
 
     // Format output line
diff --git a/browse/test/snapshot.test.ts b/browse/test/snapshot.test.ts
index 1868e4bff..72afe6564 100644
--- a/browse/test/snapshot.test.ts
+++ b/browse/test/snapshot.test.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,14 @@ function extractRef(snapshot: string, predicate: (line: string) => boolean): str
   return `@${refMatch![1]}`;
 }
 
+function extractRefNumbers(snapshot: string): number[] {
+  return snapshot
+    .split('\n')
+    .map((line) => line.match(/@e(\d+)/))
+    .filter((match): match is RegExpMatchArray => Boolean(match))
+    .map((match) => Number(match[1]));
+}
+
 beforeAll(async () => {
   testServer = startTestServer(0);
   baseUrl = testServer.url;
@@ -113,6 +121,15 @@ describe('Snapshot', () => {
     expect(result).toContain('[button]');
     expect(result).toContain('Say "Hello"');
   });
+
+  test('snapshot emits contiguous refs when skipped nodes are not materialized', async () => {
+    await handleWriteCommand('goto', [baseUrl + '/snapshot.html'], bm);
+    const result = await handleMetaCommand('snapshot', [], bm, shutdown);
+    const refs = extractRefNumbers(result);
+
+    expect(refs.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect(refs).toEqual(Array.from({ length: refs.length }, (_, index) => index + 1));
+  });
 });
 
 // ─── Ref-Based Interaction ──────────────────────────────────────