Is ScreenshotAPI.net free to try?

Yes. You can capture a screenshot from the Playground without creating an account. Signing up unlocks a free trial with additional credits and features like scrolling screenshots and bulk processing.

What image formats are supported?

PNG, JPG, and WebP for image output, plus PDF for document-style captures. You can also request a JSON response instead of a binary image.

What's the difference between IMAGE and JSON output?

IMAGE returns the raw screenshot file directly. JSON returns a response object containing a URL to the stored screenshot plus metadata such as status and file type, which is easier to work with in automated pipelines.

Does the API support full-page and scrolling screenshots?

Yes. Full Page captures the entire page height beyond the visible viewport. Scrolling Screenshot captures a sequence of frames as the page scrolls, useful for pages with scroll-triggered animations or lazy-loaded content.

Can I block cookie banners and ads before capturing?

Yes. The Block Cookies Banner and Block Ads options remove common cookie-consent overlays and ad placements before the screenshot is taken, so captures reflect the page's actual content.

What happens to the URLs and screenshots I submit?

Screenshots are generated on request and stored so you can retrieve them by URL; they are not shared publicly. See the Privacy Policy for full retention and data-handling details.

Playground | ScreenshotAPI.net

Same request, in code

This matches the settings you just tried above. Swap in your API key and drop it straight into your project.

curl "https://shot.screenshotapi.net/v3/screenshot?token=YOUR_API_KEY&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&file_type=png&output=image" --output screenshot.png

What each setting does

A quick reference for every option in the Playground above, so you know exactly which parameter to change in your own API calls.

Parameter	Values	What it does
Viewport	Mobile / Tablet / Desktop / 4K	Sets the browser window size used to render the page before capture. Mobile and Tablet are useful for checking responsive layouts; 4K is useful for high-resolution marketing or print assets.
File Type	PNG / JPG / WEBP / PDF	PNG preserves transparency and sharp UI edges. JPG produces smaller files for photo-heavy pages. WebP balances quality and file size. PDF captures the page as a paginated document.
Output	IMAGE / JSON	IMAGE returns the screenshot file directly in the response body. JSON returns a response object with a hosted URL and metadata, which is easier to store and reference in automated workflows.
Full Page	True / False	Captures the entire scrollable height of the page instead of only the visible viewport. Use this for long landing pages, articles, or documentation.
Scrolling Screenshot	True / False	Captures a sequence of frames as the page scrolls, so scroll-triggered animations and lazy-loaded sections render correctly instead of appearing blank.
Block Cookies Banner	True / False	Automatically detects and removes common cookie-consent overlays before the screenshot is taken, so the banner doesn't cover page content.
Block Ads	True / False	Removes common ad placements before rendering, producing a cleaner capture of the underlying page content.

Which format and output should you use?

A quick guide to picking a file format and response type based on what you're building.

File type: PNG vs JPG vs WebP vs PDF

Choose based on what the screenshot will be used for.

PNG
Best for: UI screenshots, text-heavy pages, anything needing transparency
Trade-off: Larger file size than JPG or WebP for photo-heavy pages
JPG
Best for: Photo-heavy pages where file size matters more than sharp edges
Trade-off: Lossy compression can blur small text and UI edges
WebP
Best for: A balance of quality and file size for most general use cases
Trade-off: Slightly less universal support in older tooling than PNG/JPG
PDF
Best for: Archiving, reports, and pages you want to treat as a document
Trade-off: Not ideal for embedding as a web image

Output: IMAGE vs JSON

Choose based on how the result fits into your workflow.

IMAGE
Best for: Direct display, downloads, or embedding the file itself
Trade-off: No metadata — you only get the raw file back
JSON
Best for: Automated pipelines that need a hosted URL plus status metadata
Trade-off: Requires an extra step to fetch the image from the returned URL

How the screenshot API works

A single API call runs a full render pipeline behind the scenes. Here's what happens between your request and the screenshot you get back.

You send a request
Call the API with a target URL and the parameters you want. Viewport, file type, output mode, and any advanced options like full page or ad blocking.
A headless browser renders the page
The target page is loaded in a real browser environment at the requested viewport size, so the capture reflects what a visitor would actually see, including JavaScript-rendered content.
Optional cleanup is applied
If enabled, cookie banners and ad placements are removed and the page is scrolled through before capture, so scroll-triggered content and lazy-loaded images render correctly.
You get the result back
The response is returned as either the image/PDF file directly, or as JSON containing a hosted URL and metadata. Ready to store, display, or pass into another step of your pipeline.

Built for real developer workflows

The same parameters you just tried above power these common use cases.

Visual regression testing in CI/CD

Capture screenshots of key pages on every deploy across Mobile, Tablet, and Desktop viewports, then diff them against a baseline to catch unintended layout changes before they reach production.

Competitor and market monitoring

Take scheduled screenshots of competitor pricing pages or landing pages to track changes over time without manually checking each site.

Social preview and thumbnail generation

Generate Open Graph images or blog thumbnails automatically from a live URL instead of maintaining static preview images by hand.

SEO and content reporting

Attach full-page screenshots to SEO audits or client reports so stakeholders can see exactly what was reviewed, alongside the data.

Archiving and compliance records

Capture a dated, full-page record of a page's state, useful for legal, compliance, or documentation purposes where you need proof of what a page looked like on a given date.

QA across breakpoints

Check how a page renders at Mobile, Tablet, Desktop, and 4K viewports in one pass instead of manually resizing a browser window for each breakpoint.

Frequently asked questions

Answers to common questions about using the screenshot API, straight from the parameters you just tried above.

Is ScreenshotAPI.net free to try?: Yes. You can capture a screenshot from the Playground without creating an account. Signing up unlocks a free trial with additional credits and features like scrolling screenshots and bulk processing.
What image formats are supported?: PNG, JPG, and WebP for image output, plus PDF for document-style captures. You can also request a JSON response instead of a binary image.
What's the difference between IMAGE and JSON output?: IMAGE returns the raw screenshot file directly. JSON returns a response object containing a URL to the stored screenshot plus metadata such as status and file type, which is easier to work with in automated pipelines.
Does the API support full-page and scrolling screenshots?: Yes. Full Page captures the entire page height beyond the visible viewport. Scrolling Screenshot captures a sequence of frames as the page scrolls, useful for pages with scroll-triggered animations or lazy-loaded content.
Can I block cookie banners and ads before capturing?: Yes. The Block Cookies Banner and Block Ads options remove common cookie-consent overlays and ad placements before the screenshot is taken, so captures reflect the page's actual content.
What happens to the URLs and screenshots I submit?: Screenshots are generated on request and stored so you can retrieve them by URL; they are not shared publicly. See the Privacy Policy for full retention and data-handling details.

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