To screenshot a website from a URL with a REST API, send the absolute page URL and capture options to a screenshot service, authenticate as its documentation requires, then save the response in the format the service actually returns. The details differ by provider: some return image bytes, while others return JSON or redirect to a file. This guide shows a documented Cloudflare request and explains how to choose settings, handle responses, and diagnose failures.
How a REST screenshot request works
A screenshot API runs a browser render on the service side. Your application sends a target URL and options such as viewport dimensions, image format, or full-page mode. The service then returns image bytes, metadata, or a redirect, depending on its contract. There is no universal endpoint, field naming scheme, authentication method, or response format.
- Choose a provider and confirm its endpoint, authentication, request fields, and response format in its current documentation.
- Keep the API credential on a server you control. Use the provider’s documented authorization header where supported rather than placing a production key in client-side code or a URL.
- Send an absolute target URL and only the capture settings you need.
- Check the HTTP status and response type before saving or parsing the result.
For example, Cloudflare documents POST /accounts/{account_id}/browser-rendering/screenshot, using an API token with at least the Browser Rendering Write permission. Its endpoint accepts a URL or HTML and includes browser navigation and capture controls. These details apply to Cloudflare, not REST screenshot APIs generally. See the Cloudflare screenshot API reference.
Make a screenshot request with Cloudflare
Replace the account ID and token with your own, and adjust the request body to the endpoint’s current schema. This example asks for a full-page PNG and writes the response to a file. Confirm the response contract for your account and implementation before treating the body as raw image bytes.
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curl --fail-with-body -X POST 'https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/accounts/YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID/browser-rendering/screenshot'
-H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN'
-H 'Content-Type: application/json'
-d '{"url":"https://example.com","format":"png","fullPage":true}'
--output screenshot.pngThe endpoint supports controls such as viewport, full-page capture, clipping, navigation waits, selector waits, cookies, and cache TTL. Consult the API reference for valid field names and constraints. Its documented cache TTL default is 5 seconds, with a range of 0–86,400 seconds; that is a Cloudflare-specific setting, not a general REST standard.
Choose capture settings deliberately
Viewport or full-page
A viewport screenshot shows the browser’s visible area at the specified width and height. A full-page capture aims to include the scrollable document, but provider limits can constrain the resulting dimensions. Start with a viewport capture when validating a layout, then enable full-page mode if you need the complete document.
Dimensions and pixel scale
Viewport width and height describe the emulated browser window. Device scale or retina scale affects pixel density where supported; it is not a substitute for increasing viewport dimensions. Check whether a provider expresses viewport measurements in CSS pixels and what output limits apply.
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Format and quality
Use a format supported by the selected API and your downstream workflow. PNG is lossless in Screenshot API (screenshot-api.net)’s documentation; JPEG and WebP are lossy formats whose quality settings may trade file size for image fidelity. The supported formats and parameter names vary across services.
Wait for the page to render
Initial document load does not guarantee that client-rendered content, images, or other delayed elements are ready. Where available, prefer a selector wait for a specific element, a navigation wait condition, or a bounded delay. A delay alone cannot guarantee that every dynamic component has settled.
Page state and other options
Depending on the provider, you may be able to supply cookies or headers, set dark mode, change timezone or geolocation, inject CSS or JavaScript, crop to a selector, or generate a PDF. These controls can affect what the page displays and may require careful handling of credentials. Verify support and restrictions in that provider’s documentation before relying on them.
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Timeouts and caching
A longer timeout can give slow pages more time to render, but it may also increase latency. Caching can reduce repeated work while making a screenshot less fresh. For context, Screenshot API (screenshot-api.org) documents a 30,000 ms default timeoutMs; this is a setting for that service, not a universal default.
Handle the response correctly
Do not assume that an HTTP success means the response body is an image. Screenshot API (screenshot-api.net) documents a direct image-byte response with a matching Content-Type. Screenshot API (screenshot-api.org), by contrast, documents JSON by default for GET and an option to redirect to the resulting image or PDF; its Python example reads a screenshotUrl from JSON. Check the selected service’s current contract before writing code that saves the response.
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- JSON: parse the documented response fields, then download the returned file URL if the API provides one.
- Redirect: follow it only as the provider documents, and make sure the client saves the final response rather than an intermediate page.
For a GET request, URL-encode the target URL so its query parameters are not mistaken for API parameters. Some services also accept POST, which is often more convenient for structured options. For example, Screenshot API (screenshot-api.org) documents GET and POST at /api/v1/screenshot and a separate batch endpoint at /api/v1/screenshot/batch; Screenshot API (screenshot-api.net) documents GET at /v1/screenshot. Their distinct contracts illustrate why one provider’s request cannot be assumed to work with another. See Screenshot API documentation and Screenshot API documentation.
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Diagnose common failures
- Invalid URL: send a complete absolute URL with an accepted scheme, typically
https://, and URL-encode it when passing it in a query string. - 401 or 403 from the screenshot API: verify the credential, endpoint, method, and required permission scope. For Cloudflare’s documented endpoint, the token needs at least Browser Rendering Write.
- The saved file is not an image: inspect the status, content type, and response body. You may have received JSON, an error document, or a redirect rather than image bytes.
- The screenshot shows a login or error page: inspect the target page’s final status as well as the screenshot service’s status. Screenshot API (screenshot-api.net) documents an
X-Page-Statusheader; its documentation notes that a 401 or 403 can indicate the rendered page is a login or error page. See its documentation. - Content is missing: first confirm whether the page renders late, then use a supported selector wait or navigation condition. Add a bounded delay only when needed and verify the result.
- Timeout or quota error: read the provider’s error response and limits, then adjust the timeout or usage plan only if that resolves the identified cause. Limits and error formats are provider-specific.
- Unexpected crop or resolution: check full-page mode, viewport dimensions, scale, clipping, and any maximum image dimensions documented by the provider.
Keep credentials and target access secure
Store production API keys as server-side secrets. Avoid query-string keys where possible because URLs can appear in logs, browser history, and source; Screenshot API (screenshot-api.net) specifically warns that query credentials can be exposed to people who can read page source or server logs. Treat credentials sent to the screenshot service separately from cookies or authorization headers forwarded to the target page. Capture only pages you are authorized to access; a screenshot API does not establish permission to view restricted content or bypass the target site’s access controls.
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ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. Its GET endpoint returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF, and its documented capture options include viewport and full-page settings, waits, selector capture, custom headers and cookies, and more. Example cURL request:
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does every screenshot REST API return image bytes?
No. Some return image bytes, while others return JSON or redirect to a file. Check the provider’s documented response contract before saving or parsing a response.
Can a screenshot API capture a page behind a login?
Only if you are authorized and the provider supports the needed session or authentication options. Do not assume the service bypasses access controls.
Is full-page capture always the whole page?
Not necessarily. Providers may impose output-dimension limits, so check the selected service’s documented maximums.
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