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To add a delay to a Screenshot Machine screenshot request made with Bash and curl, pass the API’s delay parameter in milliseconds. For example, delay=2000 asks the capture to wait two seconds before taking the screenshot. Screenshot Machine documents this as a curl/API parameter, not as a separate CLI command or flag.

Add the delay parameter to your curl request

In the documented Bash workflow, add --data-urlencode "delay=$DELAY" to the curl arguments. Keep the required customer key and target URL in the same argument array.

DELAY="2000"
ARGS+=(--data-urlencode "delay=$DELAY")
curl -Gs "https://api.screenshotmachine.com" "${ARGS[@]}" > output.png

This assumes ARGS already contains the other required request parameters, including your customer key and the URL to capture. Screenshot Machine’s documentation shows the same Bash/curl approach. Screenshot Machine API documentation.

Choose a delay value in milliseconds

Screenshot Machine documents a default delay of 200 ms and lists supported values from 0 to 10,000 ms. Use 0 to capture immediately; 2000 is a two-second wait. The documented values are 0, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, and 2000 through 10000 in 1000 ms increments.

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For a full-length page with many images or animations, Screenshot Machine suggests considering 2000 ms or more. This is a timed wait before capture, not a guarantee that every image, animation, or other page activity has finished. Screenshot Machine’s API documentation.

Run and adjust the request

  1. Start with the required Screenshot Machine Bash/curl request, including your customer key and the target page URL.

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  2. Set DELAY to a documented millisecond value, such as 2000 for two seconds.

  3. Append --data-urlencode "delay=$DELAY" to ARGS with the rest of the request arguments.

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  4. Run curl and redirect the response to your desired output file, such as output.png.

  5. If the capture is still too early, increase the delay and try again. A longer wait can help, but does not make the capture dependent on page readiness.

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Common problems

  • The delay seems far too long: The API parameter is in milliseconds. A value of 2000 means two seconds, not 2,000 seconds.

  • The screenshot still misses content: A delay only waits for a fixed time; it does not wait for a particular selector or guarantee that all network activity has ended. Increase the delay if appropriate, while accounting for the longer request.

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  • The request fails after adding the parameter: Check that the argument is included in the curl argument array, that the variable is set, and that the customer key and URL are still present. URL-encoding the value as shown avoids issues transmitting query parameters.

  • You found documentation describing seconds: Follow Screenshot Machine’s own API documentation, which specifies milliseconds and gives millisecond examples. A Splunk SOAR connector page describes the parameter in seconds, so it conflicts with the API publisher’s stated units.

  • You are looking for a dedicated CLI flag: The documented method is a Bash/curl API request using the delay parameter. The cited documentation does not establish a distinct ScreenshotMachine CLI executable or dedicated delay flag.

Or skip the browser setup

ScreenshotNeo can return a screenshot through one GET request, without setting up a local browser. Its API removes cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed. It also offers an MCP server so AI agents can take screenshots. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation.

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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp

ScreenshotNeo supports PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF output and has options including timed waits, full-page capture, selector waits, and custom viewport settings. Sign up for ScreenshotNeo and get 1,000 screenshots a month free with no card.

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