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Set the browser viewport in a Thumbalizr Embed API request with bwidth and bheight, in pixels. The width parameter is different: it sets the generated thumbnail’s output width. Whether you can customize the viewport depends on your account tier.

Set the viewport with bwidth and bheight

Thumbalizr’s Embed API documentation identifies bwidth and bheight as the browser viewport dimensions. Add both parameters to the request, using the dimensions you need and staying within your tier’s limits.

For example, this URL illustrates a 1440 × 900 viewport and a 600-pixel-wide output thumbnail:

https://www.thumbalizr.com/api/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com&bwidth=1440&bheight=900&width=600

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Use the API endpoint and authentication or signing details required by your account. The documentation says url is the only required parameter; other parameters may use defaults configured in the account profile. Its signing examples use a query string and an MD5 token derived from that string and the account secret. Keep the secret private: the documentation warns against exposing the API key in a public page and recommends the current Embed API for embedding.

Check which viewport dimensions your tier allows

Thumbalizr tier Browser viewport width Browser viewport height Capture extent
Free Fixed at 1280 px Fixed at 1024 px Screen only
Silver Fixed at 1280 px Fixed at 1024 px Screen or full page
Gold 1–1600 px 1–1600 px Screen or full page
Platinum 1–2000 px 1–2000 px Screen or full page

These limits and capture options are listed in Thumbalizr’s API documentation; its features page and demo page also describe the fixed Free and Silver viewport and larger dimensions on higher tiers. The demo summarizes Gold and Platinum as allowing dimensions up to 2000 pixels, while the API parameter table specifies Gold’s limit as 1600 pixels. For a precise Gold request, follow the API table and check the current account documentation, since plan details can change.

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Keep viewport size, output width, and page length separate

  • bwidth and bheight set the browser viewport—the dimensions of the browser area used to render the page.
  • width sets the thumbnail image’s output width. Changing it does not set the browser viewport.
  • size=screen captures the visible screen area; size=page requests a full-page capture, where the tier supports it.

For instance, a wide viewport can be paired with a smaller output width: a page is rendered at the requested browser dimensions, then returned as a thumbnail whose width is set separately. If you need a tall, full-page image rather than a view of the visible screen, use size=page and confirm that your tier includes full-page capture.

Build and verify the request

  1. Choose the desired viewport width and height in pixels. Confirm that both fit your account tier.
  2. Add bwidth and bheight to the Embed API request. Set width only if you also need to control the thumbnail’s output width.
  3. Select size=screen or size=page according to whether you need the visible viewport or the full page.
  4. URL-encode the target page URL and request options. Thumbalizr’s sample clients encode parameters before constructing the request; encoding avoids query-string characters in the target URL being mistaken for API parameters.
  5. Check the response’s X-Thumbalizr-Status header. Documented values include QUEUED, OK, and FAILED. The response may also include generation-time and error headers.

Troubleshoot viewport and capture problems

  • The screenshot stays at 1280 × 1024: Free and Silver use that fixed browser size in Thumbalizr’s documentation. Custom dimensions are listed for Gold and Platinum, subject to their respective limits.
  • The image is narrower than the requested viewport: Check width. It controls thumbnail output width; use bwidth to set browser width.
  • The result stops at the visible screen: Check whether the request uses size=screen. Full-page capture requires size=page and a tier that supports it; Free is documented as screen-only.
  • The request fails or remains in progress: Inspect X-Thumbalizr-Status and any error headers. A QUEUED status is distinct from OK or FAILED; consult the API documentation for request and response details.
  • The target URL breaks the request: Encode the target URL as a query parameter, especially when it contains its own query string or special characters.

How the ScreenshotCenter announcement affects this setting

Thumbalizr’s blog announced a transition to ScreenshotCenter and described more detailed device emulation, including precise viewport dimensions and user-agent emulation, as planned for the coming months. That announcement does not establish that those capabilities are currently available in every Thumbalizr interface. For the documented Embed API controls covered here, use bwidth and bheight and verify current tier limits in the API documentation.

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Or skip the browser setup

If you need a screenshot endpoint rather than configuring Thumbalizr, ScreenshotNeo accepts a URL in one GET request and can return PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. Here is the cURL form; replace the example URL with your target. See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for request options.

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

  • Cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets are removed before capture; each cleanup step can be turned off.
  • Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed; response headers report the page verdict and billing status.
  • An MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for AI agents and MCP clients.
  • The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card required; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots.

Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan to get 1,000 screenshots a month with no card.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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