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For an image generated from an APITemplate.io template, send an authenticated JSON POST request from PHP to the v2 create-image endpoint. Include the template ID in the query string and provide the template’s element changes in an overrides array. A successful response contains a download URL.
One distinction matters: the current APITemplate.io documentation describes generating images from templates and PDFs from a URL; it does not establish an endpoint for capturing an arbitrary webpage as a screenshot image. The PHP example below is for template-based image generation, not webpage screenshotting.
Generate a template image with PHP cURL
Create and save an image template in APITemplate.io first. Each override must refer to an element name and property that exists in that template. Then set the template ID and API key as server-side environment variables and run this PHP example. It requires PHP with the cURL extension.
<?php
$templateId = getenv('APITEMPLATE_TEMPLATE_ID');
$apiKey = getenv('APITEMPLATE_API_KEY');
if (!$templateId || !$apiKey) {
throw new RuntimeException('Set APITEMPLATE_TEMPLATE_ID and APITEMPLATE_API_KEY.');
}
$url = 'https://rest.apitemplate.io/v2/create-image?' . http_build_query([
'template_id' => $templateId,
]);
$payload = [
'overrides' => [
['name' => 'title', 'text' => 'Hello from PHP'],
],
];
$ch = curl_init($url);
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
CURLOPT_POST => true,
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
'X-API-KEY: ' . $apiKey,
'Content-Type: application/json',
'Accept: application/json',
],
CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode($payload, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR),
]);
$responseBody = curl_exec($ch);
if ($responseBody === false) {
$error = curl_error($ch);
curl_close($ch);
throw new RuntimeException('APITemplate.io request failed: ' . $error);
}
$statusCode = curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
curl_close($ch);
$response = json_decode($responseBody, true, 512, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
if ($statusCode < 200 || $statusCode >= 300 || ($response['status'] ?? null) !== 'success') {
throw new RuntimeException('APITemplate.io returned an unsuccessful response.');
}
$downloadUrl = $response['download_url'] ?? null;
if (!$downloadUrl) {
throw new RuntimeException('The response did not include a download_url.');
}
echo $downloadUrl;
The example follows the documented v2 endpoint, headers, template ID, overrides, and download response. See the APITemplate.io REST API reference and its PHP image-generation walkthrough for endpoint and template details.
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Keep the API key private
Retrieve the key from the account’s API Integration page and send it in the X-API-KEY header. Store it in server-side configuration or an environment variable, not in browser code or a committed source file. APITemplate.io explicitly describes the key as secret in its Get Your API Key documentation.
What the example checks
- It stops early if either environment variable is missing.
- It catches cURL transport failures and reports the transport error.
- It decodes the response as JSON, checks for a 2xx HTTP status and API status of
success, and verifies that adownload_urlwas returned.
The code throws a general exception for an unsuccessful API response rather than printing response contents, which may contain sensitive information. For production diagnostics, log a suitably sanitized status and response detail on the server.
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Choose the integration that fits the project
| Approach | Use it when | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Direct REST with cURL | You need a small PHP integration or want direct control over the HTTP request. | The image route is POST /create-image?template_id=... on the documented v2 host https://rest.apitemplate.io/v2/. |
| Official PHP client | You prefer a PHP library abstraction over assembling HTTP requests yourself. | The official APITemplate-io/apitemplateio-php repository describes a PHP client for API v2 and a createImage operation. Check its current installation instructions and generated-client requirements before adding it. |
| Direct URL feature | Your template use case fits a GET URL workflow, for example producing an image source for HTML, email, or Open Graph metadata. | It uses a template ID, configured auth code, and query values such as headline.text=...; the vendor says results are cached. See the Direct URL documentation. |
For REST calls, generation is synchronous by default. The REST documentation also describes asynchronous generation for larger or batch work: it returns a transaction reference and supports webhook completion. Use the current reference to confirm the precise request and response options for that workflow.
The REST documentation also describes regional endpoints and says requests and generated files are processed and stored in the selected region. If data residency or regional performance matters, verify the appropriate endpoint host in the current reference before deployment.
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- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Match the task to the right kind of API
APITemplate.io’s documented image workflow renders an image template with supplied data; it is not established by the reviewed documentation as a service for taking a screenshot of any public webpage. Its documentation also describes PDF generation from HTML or a URL, which is a different output and workflow.
If your actual requirement is to capture a webpage as an image, use a service that explicitly documents webpage screenshot capture. ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server for developers; it returns PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF from a URL. Learn more at ScreenshotNeo.
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Or skip the browser setup
For a webpage screenshot, a single GET request can return the capture. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for parameters and response details.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp
ScreenshotNeo accepts cookie and consent banners before capture and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each step can be turned off. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for AI agents. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots.
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- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
Troubleshooting the PHP request
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| The script reports a missing environment variable. | The PHP process cannot see APITEMPLATE_TEMPLATE_ID or APITEMPLATE_API_KEY. |
Set both variables in the runtime environment used by PHP; verify them without printing the API key to logs or responses. |
cURL returns false. |
A transport problem prevented a response, such as a network or TLS issue. | Use the captured curl_error() message to diagnose connectivity or certificate configuration. This differs from an API-level HTTP error, for which an HTTP response exists. |
The HTTP status is unsuccessful or API status is not success. |
The request was rejected or generation did not complete successfully. | Confirm the v2 endpoint, template ID, API key, JSON content type, and request body. Inspect the API response safely on the server when diagnosing the specific failure. |
| The response succeeds but has no download URL. | The returned payload does not match the expected successful image response. | Do not treat the request as complete until the response includes download_url; check the response shape against the current API reference. |
| The image content does not reflect an override. | The override name or property does not match a named element in the saved template. | Check the template’s element names and supported properties, and align the overrides entries with them. |
| A larger or batch workflow does not finish in the request. | It may be better suited to the documented asynchronous flow. | Use the REST reference’s transaction-reference and webhook process rather than assuming synchronous completion. |
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