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Use BrowserCat with Playwright to open a URL in a managed browser, set a capture viewport, wait for the page content you need, and save a screenshot. The image is a rendering of the page—not a guarantee that a social network will accept it or display it as intended. Check the target platform’s current image requirements separately.
What you need
- A BrowserCat API key. Keep it in an environment variable; do not put it in browser-delivered code or commit it to a repository.
- Node.js and the Playwright package. BrowserCat recommends Playwright as the starting library; its documentation also describes Puppeteer and CDP-based clients. These are vendor-stated capabilities, not an independent compatibility test. See BrowserCat’s quick start and BrowserCat’s site.
- A public or otherwise browser-accessible page URL, and a decision about whether the output should show the viewport, a full page, or one element.
BrowserCat’s documented WebSocket endpoint is wss://api.browsercat.com/connect. The quick start authenticates by sending the API key in an Api-Key header.
Generate a preview image with Playwright
Install Playwright in your project with npm install playwright. Save this as preview.mjs:
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const targetUrl = process.argv[2];
if (!targetUrl) {
throw new Error('Usage: node preview.mjs https://example.com');
}
if (!process.env.BROWSERCAT_API_KEY) {
throw new Error('Set BROWSERCAT_API_KEY before running this script.');
}
const browser = await chromium.connect('wss://api.browsercat.com/connect', {
headers: { 'Api-Key': process.env.BROWSERCAT_API_KEY },
});
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
// Illustrative composition only. Verify the current requirements of your target platform.
await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1200, height: 630 });
await page.goto(targetUrl, { waitUntil: 'load' });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'preview.png' });
} finally {
await browser.close();
}- Set the API key in your shell environment. For example, on macOS or Linux:
export BROWSERCAT_API_KEY='your-key'. Use your operating system’s secret-management method in deployed applications. - Run
node preview.mjs https://example.com, replacing the URL with the page to capture. - Open
preview.pngand check the crop, text legibility, and loaded assets. Test the image with the platform’s current preview or debugging workflow before relying on it.
The 1200 × 630 viewport in the example is an illustrative code choice, not a BrowserCat recommendation or a claim about any social network’s current specification. The endpoint, authentication pattern, navigation, and screenshot flow follow BrowserCat’s quick start; viewport and screenshot controls are covered in its Playwright cheatsheet.
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Wait for the content that belongs in the image
waitUntil: 'load' waits for the page load event, but a page can render important content later through client-side JavaScript, delayed requests, or lazy loading. If the title or hero image is missing, wait for the specific element that matters before capturing rather than relying on a fixed delay alone:
await page.goto(targetUrl, { waitUntil: 'load' });
await page.locator('h1').waitFor({ state: 'visible' });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'preview.png' });Replace h1 with a selector that identifies the content you need. If an image is essential, wait for that image to be visible and, where appropriate, verify it has finished loading. A selector timeout usually means the selector is wrong, the page did not render that element, or the page took longer than the wait limit; inspect the URL and selector, then choose a suitable timeout for your page. BrowserCat’s docs establish the browser and screenshot mechanics, not a guarantee that every site’s dynamic content will be ready automatically.
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- INCREDIBLE CONTRAST: The VA panel produces brighter whites and deeper blacks. You get true-to-life images and more gradients with 16.7 million colors
- THE PERFECT VIEW: The 178/178 degree extra wide viewing angle prevents the shifting of colors when viewed from an offset angle, so you always get consistent colors
Choose the capture shape and image format
| Choice | Use it when | Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Viewport screenshot | You want a fixed, landscape or portrait composition sized to the visible browser area. | Set the viewport before navigation or capture and inspect the resulting crop. Platform dimensions and file limits are not established here; confirm them with the target platform. |
| Full-page screenshot | You need the entire vertically scrolling page. | Playwright supports fullPage: true. A tall page capture is usually a different deliverable from a compact social preview. |
| Element screenshot | The page has a composed card or hero region that should be isolated. | Use a locator screenshot, for example await page.locator('.hero').screenshot({ path: 'hero.png' }). The selector must match a visible element. |
| PNG | You want the standard lossless screenshot output shown in the basic example. | Useful when crisp text or sharp edges matter; the best format depends on the destination and image content. |
| JPEG | You prefer a compressed photographic image. | Playwright supports JPEG and a quality setting, for example await page.screenshot({ path: 'preview.jpg', type: 'jpeg', quality: 85 }). Check the downstream platform’s accepted formats and limits. |
The BrowserCat cheatsheet also documents clipping, masks, and custom screenshot styles. Clipping changes the captured area; a mask can obscure selected regions, but do not treat it as a security control for sensitive page content. Injected styles alter the rendered appearance and do not change the page’s social metadata. See the Playwright screenshot options.
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The basic capture needs only the documented connection endpoint and API-key header. BrowserCat’s configuration overview says settings may be passed as query parameters or in the BrowserCat-Opts header, and that header keys take precedence when both are supplied. It gives browser choice and proxy configuration as examples. Those settings are unnecessary for a straightforward screenshot; check the current configuration guide before depending on configuration details, which may change.
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- Wide viewing angle: Get consistent views across a wide 178° /178° viewing angle.
- In-Plane Switching (IPS): See excellent color accuracy and consistency across wide viewing angles with In-plane Switching (IPS) technology.
- Ultra-thin bezels: Maximize your viewing experience with thin bezels.
Troubleshooting
- Connection fails: Confirm that the endpoint is exactly
wss://api.browsercat.com/connect, the API key is valid, and the key is sent as theApi-Keyheader. Keep the key out of source control and client-side code. - The output is blank or missing the main content: Check that the URL loads in a browser and that the selector you wait for matches the page. Client-rendered content may appear after the load event; wait for the relevant visible element.
- The image has the wrong crop: Set the viewport deliberately and use a viewport screenshot for a fixed composition. For a precomposed area, capture its locator; use full-page capture only when a tall page is intended.
- The saved image is not in the expected format: Match the extension to the selected screenshot type. The examples save PNG by default and explicitly select JPEG when requested.
- The preview looks wrong on a social network: A successful browser capture does not establish platform compliance. Verify that platform’s current dimensions, file-size and format rules, then test the result with its current preview or debugging tool.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. Its one-call API can return a screenshot or PDF without setting up a remote Playwright browser. Its documented API options include viewport and device presets, full-page and element capture, output format, custom CSS and JavaScript, and waits; see the ScreenshotNeo API documentation.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo removes known cookie-consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture, and each 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. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf for AI agents. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month without a card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.
Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s 1,000 free screenshots a month—no card required.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does a BrowserCat screenshot set a page’s social preview metadata?
No. It captures the rendered page; it does not establish or modify the page’s Open Graph or other social metadata.
Can I use Puppeteer or a CDP client instead of Playwright?
BrowserCat describes support for Puppeteer and CDP-based clients, but its quick start recommends Playwright as the starting point. Check BrowserCat’s current documentation for the client you plan to use.
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