API Reference

Complete API reference for the Screenshothis screenshot service

Generate high-quality website screenshots with a simple REST interface. You get fast, reliable screenshot generation with extensive customization options and built-in security features designed for production use.

OpenAPI Specification

View the complete OpenAPI 3.1 specification for automatic client generation

Getting started quickly

Base URL

Make all API requests to our production server:

https://api.screenshothis.com

Authentication

Authenticate using API keys passed as query parameters. You’ll create your API key in the dashboard.

API key security

Your API keys use domain whitelisting for security—you can safely commit them to version control. Keys only work on domains you’ve whitelisted in your dashboard.

Authentication examples

Add your API key as a query parameter in every request:

JavaScript (SDK)

import { Screenshothis } from '@screenshothis/sdk';

const apiKey = 'your_api_key_here';
const url = 'https://example.com';

const screenshothis = new Screenshothis();

const screenshot = await screenshothis.screenshots.take({
  apiKey,
  url,
});

Domain whitelisting: Configure allowed domains in your dashboard to control where your API key can be used. This security model makes it safe to use API keys client-side and commit them to version control.

Usage limits and rate limiting

We enforce fair usage limits to ensure optimal performance for everyone:

Plan	Requests per minute	Screenshots per month
Free	10	100
Pro	60	1,000+
Enterprise	Custom	Custom

Monitor your usage

Check your current usage with these response headers:

X-RateLimit-Limit: 10
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 9
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1640995200

Monitor these headers to implement proper retry logic and avoid hitting rate limits

Error handling

We use standard HTTP status codes and return structured JSON error responses to help you diagnose issues quickly.

Error response structure

When an error occurs, you receive JSON with detailed information:

{
  "error": "Invalid API key provided",
  "requestId": "req_1234567890abcdef"
}

HTTP status codes

Status Code	Meaning	When it happens
200	Success	Screenshot captured successfully
400	Bad Request	Invalid parameters or malformed URL
403	Forbidden	Invalid API key or quota exceeded
429	Too Many Requests	Rate limit exceeded
500	Internal Server Error	Server-side error occurred

Common error examples

Invalid API Key

{
  "error": "Invalid API key provided",
  "requestId": "req_1234567890abcdef"
}

Always include error handling in your applications. Save the requestId from error responses—our support team uses this to help troubleshoot issues faster

Response formats

Image responses

You receive screenshot images directly as binary data:

cURL

curl "https://api.screenshothis.com/v1/screenshots/take?api_key=your_api_key&url=https://example.com" \
  -o screenshot.jpeg

Response

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: image/jpeg
Content-Length: 245760
Cache-Control: public, max-age=3600

[Binary image data]

The Content-Type header matches your requested format:

• image/jpeg for JPEG format
• image/png for PNG format
• image/webp for WebP format

Request limits

We enforce these limits for security and performance:

Limit Type	Maximum	Purpose
Headers	8KB	Total size of custom HTTP headers
Cookies	4KB	Total size of custom cookies
URL length	2048 characters	Standard browser compatibility
Request timeout	30 seconds	Maximum screenshot generation time

These limits support the vast majority of legitimate use cases while preventing abuse

Development tools

JavaScript SDK

Official TypeScript SDK with full type safety, error handling, and tree-shaking support

GitHub Repository

View source code, report issues, or contribute to the JavaScript SDK

Quick start steps

Ready to capture your first screenshot? Follow these steps:

1. Sign up for an account

   Create your free account at screenshothis.com to get 100 free screenshots per month.

2. Create an API key

   Generate your API key at screenshothis.com/keys in your dashboard.

3. Make your first request

   Use the examples in this documentation to capture your first screenshot.

   Your first screenshot will be ready in under 2 seconds

4. Explore advanced features

   Learn about content blocking, device simulation, and custom selectors to enhance your screenshots.

Start with our Quickstart Guide for a complete step-by-step tutorial, then return here for detailed API reference information