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To show PagePeeker screenshots in Google Sheets, put each page URL in a cell, build a PagePeeker V2 thumbnail URL with the page URL encoded, then display that image URL in a cell or insert it with Apps Script. PagePeeker creates the screenshot; Sheets displays the returned image—it does not capture the webpage itself.

Build a PagePeeker thumbnail URL

PagePeeker identifies V2 as its current recommended API. Its thumbnail URL pattern is http://{entrypoint}.pagepeeker.com/v2/thumbs.php?size={size}&url={url}. The no-signup branded free endpoint is http://free.pagepeeker.com/v2/thumbs.php. The URL of the page being captured must be URL-encoded when included as a query parameter. See PagePeeker’s V2 API documentation.

  1. Enter the page URL in cell A2, for example https://example.com.
  2. Choose a thumbnail size: t (90 × 68), s (120 × 90), m (200 × 150), l (400 × 300), or x (480 × 360).
  3. Encode the value in A2 before adding it to the url parameter. The resulting URL has this shape: http://free.pagepeeker.com/v2/thumbs.php?size=m&url=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com. The example URL illustrates the format; it is not a claim that the page was captured.

For a sheet with many rows, keep source URLs and generated thumbnail URLs in separate columns. That makes it easier to spot malformed URLs or encoding mistakes before displaying images. The exact image-in-cell formula syntax or mode was not established by the Google Apps Script references cited below; check the current Sheets editor for the supported formula behavior.

Display thumbnails in the sheet

There are two Apps Script approaches, depending on whether the screenshot should sit over the grid or be a value within a cell.

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Insert an image over the grid

Google documents Sheet.insertImage(url, column, row) for inserting an image from a publicly accessible URL. For example, once a thumbnail URL is in B2, a script can read it and insert it at column 2, row 2:

function insertThumbnail() {
  const sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
  const thumbnailUrl = sheet.getRange("B2").getValue();
  sheet.insertImage(thumbnailUrl, 2, 2);
}

This places the image over the sheet grid rather than making it a cell value. Google’s Sheet reference documents this insertion method and notes a 2 MB maximum for blob-based image insertion; that limit specifically concerns blob insertion.

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Build an image value for a cell

Google’s Spreadsheet service also documents creating a cell-image value from a source URL:

function setThumbnailInCell() {
  const sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
  const thumbnailUrl = sheet.getRange("B2").getValue();
  const image = SpreadsheetApp.newCellImage()
    .setSourceUrl(thumbnailUrl)
    .build();
  sheet.getRange("C2").setValue(image);
}

This places the image as a cell value, unlike the floating image inserted over the grid. See the Google Spreadsheet service reference.

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Understand PagePeeker tiers and API-call use

PagePeeker’s free options and paid tiers differ in branding or link-back requirements, quota, caching, typical rendering time, and available API options. The figures below are provider-published terms accessed on October 3, 2026, not independent measurements; check the linked pages for current availability and terms.

Option Published allowance or price Cache and typical render time Other considerations
Free branded No signup; monthly call quota not stated on the cited free-tier summary. 20-day cache; typical 30–60 seconds. Uses PagePeeker branding.
Free unbranded 100,000 calls per month. 20-day cache; typical 10–20 seconds. Requires a link back.
Basic paid $5.99 per month; 100,000 API calls per month. 7-day cache; typical 10–20 seconds. See the provider’s current pricing page for tier terms.
Advanced paid $39.99 per month; 1,000,000 API calls per month. 5-day cache; typical 5–15 seconds. See the provider’s current pricing page for tier terms.

PagePeeker counts thumbnail displays, thumbnail creation, readiness checks, and other API calls toward its API-call count; a render is the creation of a screenshot, while an API call is a request to the service. Repeatedly refreshing cells or polling readiness can therefore use quota even when a new screenshot is not created. Consult the PagePeeker FAQ before scaling a sheet to many URLs.

Handle refreshes and captures that are not ready

For a newly requested capture that has not finished, PagePeeker documents a readiness endpoint that returns JSON with Error and IsReady. The API documentation also lists optional premium refresh and wait parameters; wait can wait for a generated thumbnail up to a specified number of seconds. These options are useful when freshness or asynchronous completion matters, but avoid frequent status checks across a large list because checks count as API calls.

Know which sites may not be capturable

PagePeeker says its robot attempts to capture a page in response to a client request and documents this robots.txt block:

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User-agent: PagePeeker
Disallow: /

A site that blocks PagePeeker’s robot may not be available for capture, so this workflow cannot guarantee a screenshot for every URL. PagePeeker’s robot guidance describes the restriction.

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Troubleshoot common problems

  • The image URL does not work or points to the wrong page: Check that the value in the url parameter is encoded, and that the source cell contains a complete page URL, including its scheme such as https://.
  • The thumbnail is not ready: A render can take time. PagePeeker’s published typical times vary by tier; use its readiness endpoint only if you need to check asynchronous status, and limit repeated polling.
  • The capture is missing or unavailable: The target may block PagePeeker’s robot, or the page may not be accessible to the service. The robots rule is a documented reason a page may not be capturable.
  • Script insertion fails: Confirm that the thumbnail URL is publicly accessible and that you selected the intended placement method: over-grid insertion or a cell-image value. Google documents both methods in its Sheet reference and Spreadsheet service reference.
  • Usage rises faster than expected: Displays, generation requests, readiness checks, and other API calls count toward PagePeeker usage. Reduce refreshes and avoid polling rows that do not need an updated status.

Or skip the browser setup

ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server for developers. A single GET request returns an image or PDF; it can accept cookie banners and remove more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture. Bot checks, 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 screenshot tools for AI agents, including Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.

For a quick API example, use this cURL request (replace the example target URL as needed). See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for setup and options:

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

ScreenshotNeo’s free plan includes 1,000 shots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month—no card required.

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