To create a website thumbnail with ScreenshotMachine, send an HTTP GET request containing your API key, the page URL, and the thumbnail dimensions. You can embed the returned image URL in your blog or download the image and upload it to your media library. For a typical preview, Screenshot Machine documents 320 × 240 pixels as an example thumbnail size; choose dimensions that fit your blog’s actual image slot.
1. Choose the page and thumbnail framing
Decide which page you want to show and how it should appear in the blog. Screenshot Machine’s API requires a target url; its documentation recommends percent-encoding that URL in the request. The documented device choices are desktop, phone, and tablet, so select the framing that matches the preview you want readers to see.
For a compact card or article preview, start with the documented 320 × 240 example. Width may be set from 100 to 1920 pixels, and height from 100 to 9999 pixels. Set height to full when you need a full-page capture rather than a thumbnail. Check the result in the intended blog slot: theme cropping and small text can make a technically correct capture hard to read.
2. Create an account and protect the API credentials
Register with Screenshot Machine and retrieve the customer key from your user profile, as described in its official Python example. The key is needed to authenticate API requests. Do not put an unprotected customer key in public page source. For requests originating from a publicly available website, Screenshot Machine recommends using a secret phrase and a URL-derived hash; configure the request according to the current API documentation. When a secret phrase is configured, requests without the correct hash are ignored.
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The endpoint is https://api.screenshotmachine.com/, and the API uses HTTP GET requests. Supply your key and the encoded target URL, then add the output settings you need. Here is a browser-address-bar example for a 320 × 240 desktop JPEG; replace the example values with your own key and page URL:
https://api.screenshotmachine.com/?key=YOUR_CUSTOMER_KEY&url=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com&dimension=320x240&device=desktop&format=jpg
Use the API documentation for the exact current parameter syntax and security-hash implementation. The endpoint and options below are documented by Screenshot Machine; the vendor’s examples also show that a generated image URL can be embedded or the image can be saved as a file.
Choose format and wait time
The documented image formats are JPG, PNG, and GIF. JPG is a practical choice for many photographic previews; use another format if it better suits the image you need. The delay option controls how long the service waits before capture, with documented choices from immediate capture through 10 seconds. Use a short wait for a simple static page; allow more time when images, dynamic content, or animations need to settle. A wait cannot guarantee that every page’s interactive content has finished loading.
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cacheLimit accepts values from 0 to 14 days, including fractional-day intervals. Set cacheLimit=0 when you need a fresh render. Otherwise, the default cache limit is 14 days, so a repeated request may return a cached screenshot. The pricing FAQ says cached repeats are not billed as fresh screenshots. The zoom option is documented from 10 to 400; Screenshot Machine notes that zoom is ignored for screenshots smaller than typical device dimensions.
4. Embed the result or save it for your blog
Screenshot Machine’s Python example demonstrates both using the generated screenshot URL in an HTML image element and saving the returned image as a file. If your blog can reliably load the API image URL, embedding avoids a separate download-and-upload step. If you want control over your own media library, save the response and upload it through your blog’s normal media workflow.
For public pages, protect credentials as described above rather than publishing a raw customer key in an <img> URL. Confirm the generated image loads successfully before publishing and check its crop at the size your theme actually displays.
5. Account for usage and published pricing
The figures below are Screenshot Machine’s published plan values observed on October 3, 2026; they are vendor-listed prices and allowances, not independent measurements, and may change. Verify the live pricing page before choosing a plan.
| Plan | Published price and fresh screenshots | Published extra screenshot rate |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | Free; 100 fresh screenshots monthly | Not stated |
| Basic | €9 per month; 2,500 fresh screenshots | €0.004 |
| Pro | €59 per month; 20,000 fresh screenshots | €0.003 |
| Enterprise | €99 per month; 50,000 fresh screenshots | €0.002 |
Screenshot Machine says additional screenshots are billed in groups of 1,000 rounded down, so 999 or fewer additional screenshots do not add a group charge. It also says cached repeats are not billed and its screenshots are cached for 14 days. Estimate how many distinct fresh captures you need, rather than counting every request as a new screenshot. The homepage advertises a free trial without a credit card; check the live terms for availability.
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6. India-specific considerations
The reviewed API documentation does not describe a special India-only capture mode or India-specific thumbnail dimensions. Use the dimensions and crop required by your blog theme, then inspect the result at the display size your Indian audience will see. The pricing page mentions EU VAT rules but does not explain India-specific taxes or payment treatment, so confirm any applicable billing details with the provider before purchase.
7. Troubleshoot failed or unexpected captures
- Invalid or missing URL: Confirm the target page is present in the
urlparameter and percent-encoded as recommended by the documentation. - Invalid key or no credits: Check the customer key in your profile and verify that your account has available credits under its current plan.
- Error image instead of a thumbnail: Inspect the
X-Screenshotmachine-Responseresponse header as well as the returned error image. The documentation lists errors including invalid key, invalid URL, missing URL, no credits, and invalid selectors. - Page appears incomplete: Increase the documented delay when images, dynamic content, or animations need more time. If the issue remains, check whether the page itself loads normally and whether your selected dimensions and device framing suit it.
- Unexpectedly old screenshot: A cached capture may be returned under the default 14-day cache limit. Request a fresh render with
cacheLimit=0when freshness matters. - Public request is ignored: If you configured a secret phrase, verify that the request includes the correct URL-derived
hash; the documentation says requests lacking a correct hash are ignored.
8. Check rights before republishing a page image
Screenshot Machine’s terms say its screenshots may be viewed, downloaded, and modified for personal and commercial purposes, subject to restrictions on harmful or unlawful use and certain automated data collection activities. Those terms do not establish that you have rights to republish every third-party page, photograph, logo, or other material visible in a screenshot. The terms page states it was last updated July 22, 2020, so review the current terms and obtain any permissions your use requires.
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ScreenshotNeo can return a screenshot from one GET request. Its capture workflow removes cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before the shot; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed. It also provides an MCP server for AI agents, and includes 1,000 screenshots a month free with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000.
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cURL
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webp
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Python
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://example.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)
Node.js
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://example.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options, then sign up free to get 1,000 screenshots a month with no card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Screenshot Machine offer a full-page capture?
Yes. Set the height to full for a full-page capture, rather than a fixed thumbnail height.
Can I use a Screenshot Machine thumbnail commercially?
Its terms allow personal and commercial use of screenshots subject to their restrictions, but they do not grant rights to third-party material shown in the capture. Review current terms and obtain any permissions needed for the underlying content.
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