To take a screenshot from Elixir, make an HTTP GET request to a screenshot API, pass the page URL and your API key, then save the returned image bytes. You do not need a dedicated Elixir SDK: an HTTP client such as Req can make the request. The exact endpoint, parameters, authentication, and response format depend on the provider; do not mix settings from similarly named services.
What you need before making the request
- An Elixir project and a configured HTTP client. The example below uses Req.
- An API key from the screenshot provider you intend to call.
- A target page URL that the provider can access.
The ScreenshotDEV example uses Req with the dependency constraint {:req, "~> 0.5"}. That is the constraint in that vendor’s example, not a recommendation that it is the newest Req release or compatible with every project. Check the current Req documentation and your project’s dependency constraints before selecting a version. The example endpoint and request fields below are also specific to ScreenshotDEV; verify its live documentation before relying on them as a current API contract.
Minimal Elixir screenshot example with Req
Add Req to your project’s dependencies in mix.exs if it is not already present:
defp deps do
[
{:req, "~> 0.5"}
]
endFetch dependencies with mix deps.get. This minimal example follows the ScreenshotDEV vendor example: it sends a GET request with the target URL and access key as query parameters, then writes the response body to a PNG file.
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access_key = System.fetch_env!("SCREENSHOTDEV_ACCESS_KEY")
{:ok, response} = Req.get(
"https://api.screenshotdev.com/v1/screenshot",
params: [url: "https://example.com", access_key: access_key]
)
File.write!("screenshot.png", response.body)Set SCREENSHOTDEV_ACCESS_KEY in the environment before running your script. For example, in a Unix-like shell:
export SCREENSHOTDEV_ACCESS_KEY="your-key"
mix run screenshot.exsThis sample demonstrates the request shape shown in the provider’s example; it does not establish that every response is a PNG, that the endpoint remains unchanged, or that every successful HTTP response contains image bytes. Confirm those details with the exact provider documentation. If the provider returns a different format or an error payload, use the corresponding file extension and handle the response accordingly.
Handle HTTP failures and request errors
A production integration should distinguish an HTTP response with a successful status from an HTTP response with a non-success status and from a failure to make the request at all. Do not blindly save an error page or JSON error body as an image.
defmodule Screenshot do
def capture(url, path) do
access_key = System.fetch_env!("SCREENSHOTDEV_ACCESS_KEY")
case Req.get(
"https://api.screenshotdev.com/v1/screenshot",
params: [url: url, access_key: access_key]
) do
{:ok, %{status: status, body: body}} when status in 200..299 ->
case File.write(path, body) do
:ok -> {:ok, path}
{:error, reason} -> {:error, {:file_write, reason}}
end
{:ok, %{status: status, body: body}} ->
{:error, {:http_status, status, body}}
{:error, exception} ->
{:error, {:request_failed, exception}}
end
end
end
case Screenshot.capture("https://example.com", "screenshot.png") do
{:ok, path} -> IO.puts("Saved #{path}")
{:error, reason} -> IO.inspect(reason, label: "Screenshot failed")
endThis pattern assumes the selected Req version returns the response and error shapes shown; check the installed version’s documentation if you adapt it. For stricter validation, inspect the response’s content type if the provider documents one, and confirm that the body matches the requested image format before saving. The available ScreenshotDEV example does not establish its content-type behavior.
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Capture options: confirm the provider’s parameter names
The ScreenshotDEV example excerpt describes optional settings for format, width, full-page capture, and dark mode. It gives WebP, width 1280, full-page disabled, and dark mode disabled as defaults. Because the live page was not available for verification, treat these as details of that example rather than guaranteed current behavior. Confirm accepted values, limits, parameter spelling, defaults, and output type in the documentation for your chosen API.
- Format: Select only a format the specific endpoint supports. Match the filename extension to the returned image format.
- Width: A viewport width can change layout and output dimensions. Confirm whether the service treats it as CSS pixels or another unit, and whether it also accepts a height.
- Full-page capture: This may capture content beyond the initial viewport. Check how the provider handles long pages and content that loads while scrolling.
- Dark mode: This setting may affect page rendering only if the provider supports it. Test pages with their own theme controls rather than assuming the API can override every site.
Capture options are API-specific. Do not copy a parameter name or default from another screenshot vendor simply because the products have similar names.
Choosing an HTTP client and output approach
Req or another Elixir HTTP client
Req is the client used in the ScreenshotDEV example, but a dedicated vendor SDK is not inherently required for a REST API. Another Elixir HTTP client can work if it supports the request method, query parameters or other authentication mechanism required by your provider, and gives you access to the status and response body.
GET parameters and credential handling
The ScreenshotDEV example places both the page URL and access key in GET parameters. Follow the provider’s documented authentication method rather than assuming that another method is available. Query-string credentials can be exposed in application, proxy, or server logs; avoid logging complete request URLs, keep keys out of source control, and store credentials in runtime configuration or environment variables. If a provider documents header-based authentication or a POST request, use that provider’s instructions instead.
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Saving, returning, or storing bytes
Writing the response body to a file suits a script or batch task. An application may instead return the bytes to its caller or pass them to its own storage layer. The ScreenshotDEV excerpt establishes a file-writing example, not streaming support or a particular content-type contract. Check the selected provider’s documentation before designing around streaming or a specific response header.
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ScreenshotNeo provides a screenshot API and MCP server for developers. Its one-call HTTP endpoint can return a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. From Elixir, you can call it with Req and write the returned bytes just as you would with another HTTP service. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request details.
access_key = System.fetch_env!("SCREENSHOTNEO_ACCESS_KEY")
{:ok, response} = Req.get(
"https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
params: [access_key: access_key, url: "https://example.com"],
receive_timeout: 90_000
)
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Troubleshooting common problems
The request fails before an HTTP response arrives
This is a transport or client-side failure rather than an HTTP status returned by the API. Check network access, DNS, TLS configuration, proxy settings, and the timeout behavior of your installed Req version. Verify that the endpoint is reachable from the environment running the application.
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The API responds with a non-success status
Keep the status and response body available for diagnosis, but redact credentials and sensitive target URLs in logs. Check the provider’s documentation for authentication requirements, valid parameters, and status-specific error meanings. Do not assume that an error response body is an image.
The saved file is not an image
Inspect the HTTP status and, when documented, the content type and error payload before writing the file. A successful request at the HTTP layer does not by itself prove that the body is an image. Confirm the requested format, parameter names, and response contract with the same provider whose endpoint you called.
The screenshot shows the wrong layout or misses content
Check viewport and full-page settings, and determine whether the page requires time to load data or images. If the provider offers wait conditions or other rendering controls, use only options documented for that provider. The ScreenshotDEV excerpt does not establish additional wait controls.
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The screenshot API works locally but not in deployment
Confirm that the deployed process receives the API key through its runtime environment, can make outbound HTTPS requests, and can write to the destination path. Avoid relying on a developer machine’s shell environment or filesystem permissions in production.
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Performance, reliability, and cost decisions
A screenshot call depends on both your HTTP request and the provider’s ability to load and render the target page. Set a timeout that fits the application’s job and user experience, and decide whether a slow capture should be retried, queued, or reported as a failure. For batch work, account for the time and storage needed to process each response rather than assuming one request always completes immediately.
Before choosing a provider for a production workflow, verify its current response contract, supported options, request limits, retry guidance, and pricing directly. The ScreenshotDEV excerpt advertises 100 free API calls per month, but the date and current terms are not established here; do not budget on that allowance without checking the provider’s live plan details. Keep service-specific prices, endpoints, credentials, and behavior tied to the service that documents them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an Elixir screenshot SDK?
No. A screenshot API that accepts HTTP requests can be called from Elixir with a general-purpose HTTP client such as Req.
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