Screenshot API and website screenshots

From being used only once in a while to becoming an unavoidable part of our everyday life, website screenshots and screenshot APIs have covered a long way and received a huge boost in their importance and functionality.

Whether it’s memes, conversations, reminders, or any other situation, having those fingers ready to snap a screenshot has become a routine, and whether we are ready to admit it or not, we became dependent on this beautiful feature.

And why shouldn’t we? They drastically speed up the conversion process, minimize the time spent on typing and deliver so much information with one simple procedure.

It has a multitude of purposes when it comes to regular users and simple moments that you want to capture, but its importance in the business world is perhaps even more significant.

Design and aesthetics play a huge role in success. If something looks catchy and appealing, there is a much higher chance that you will click on it and spend your time analyzing the product. On the other hand, if the product doesn’t have a memorable look, it’s a fat chance that you will click away and seek something that will catch your eye.

Example of screenshot API request

Example of screenshot API request within WhoAPI Console

In application development, for example, it’s crucial for the in-app screenshots to be edgy, alluring and give you significant information that will attract you to give it a swift download and try it out at first hand. Of course, the rating and the reviews of the app play a huge role, but don’t let that deceive you.

Users want something to provoke their imagination, and there is no better way to do it than by presenting something that speaks louder than words – images.

Studies confirmed that 65 percent of people are visual learners, and when they are provided with images to remember, they will do significantly better opposing to step-by-step instructions.

Imagine the possibilities in the technical documentation field, courses, tutorials, statistics, websites and so many more. By using screenshots effectively and strategically, you can achieve top-notch results with even less work than you would’ve invested in typing. But a conservative screenshot sometimes isn’t exactly what you need, or isn’t the most practical solution to your demands.

You might’ve found a website with amazing content, it has everything you need and you want to feature the author of course. How much time would it take to screenshot the entire website, all of the corners and edges, retake the shots because your mouse slipped, you missed a sentence or a photo…minutes? Hours? Let’s make a different approach and cut that down to seconds. Meet the ultimate screenshot capturing tool made with an idea of simple using, functionality, performance and to flawlessly fulfill its purpose; WhoAPI Screenshots.

This software allows you to make a screenshot of an entire page in only a few seconds (give or take, depending on the size of the website you want to capture). Let’s take a look under the hood and investigate the features this software offers:

Full page and thumbnail

First and foremost, the thing that Screenshot API does flawlessly. The moment you access the website by clicking here, you will be presented with a box intended for pasting the link of the website you want to capture. You paste, wait for a short period of time and viola, the entire site is a screenshot.

The screenshot will be conjoint in a file with a size reciprocal to the page’s length and the amount of content displayed. Want a page thumbnail? Done easily and timely, without any difficulties.

The default thumbnail size is 133 pixels (width) by 100 pixels (height). You can also choose your preferred thumbnail size, with the width and height being fully customizable. By default, the API waits for all of the JavaScripts, images, styles, designs, widgets and all other resources to load completely. The overall timeout for the load is 30 seconds, and if the resources fail to load within that time, you will be presented with an error.

Of course, you can use the „asap=true“ option as a quick fix for the overloaded websites that may cause any trouble. Their bulky servers will keep the files safe and sound, but taking into consideration the number of requests from other users, they will withstand the weight of the files for 31 days, which is more than enough time for you to download it as many times as you want.

Screenshot delay

You want to screenshot a large page with a lot of details, text, images, logos, buttons, etc., and your configuration can’t carry it out with enough speed to capture the website entirely and needs a bit more time to load?

That’s why this feature is at your disposal to eradicate the issue and provide you with up to 5 seconds of additional time to let all of that sweet content load properly without any blank spots.

This can be really handy if you want to add or remove some info from the website, pinpoint a specific service in the given time, or basically make any change within the specified time interval.

With a screenshot delay, you can estimate how much time it will take to make the changes, prolong it to milliseconds (1000 milliseconds equals 1 second), and take the entire shot with full accuracy.

Don’t wait screenshot

On the opposite of the previously mentioned feature, your goal might be to grab a shot, but the website is too overloaded with graphics, and it takes more time than you can afford to load it all up. That’s where the „don’t wait screenshot“ option kicks in.

With the ASAP API parameter, you can take the screenshot right after the HTML loads, which can save you time and give you that touch of manipulation that you crave in a software. You might need to make a quick snap, and although the flashy add-ons and design touches look appealing and stylish, you don’t need them included in your screenshot at this instance.

Instead, you can bypass the loading and cut to the chase through using this privilege. Give that ASAP parameter a run and find the exact moment you want to capture. By combining these two features, you are the true screenshot master, with the ability to snap at any moment you like, rather than having it incomplete or too time-consuming.

Geolocated website screenshot

A content delivery network serves as a system of distributed servers to provide a user with web content based on its geographic location. That clever service allows website owners to adjust their layout to their will and display exactly what they want, but it doesn’t have to necessarily work in your favor.

The fonts may be different, the design adjusted, suggestions personalized, products reordered, and any other factors that will give users from a certain location an experience that will suit them best (from an estimate, of course).

 

Taking websites screenshots with an API from different locations around the world

Taking websites screenshots with an API from different locations around the world

On the other hand, there might be some limitations and restrictions blocking you from viewing the whole picture which is even more annoying. This occurrence may present an obstacle because you want/need the resources to be in the exact order that belongs to a respective country, but your layout has been changed because of the location.

Luckily, the geolocated website screenshot option’s got your back and provides you with the ability to screenshot a website from the desired location, which has the layout you prefer.

It’s pretty much your personal VPN with a purpose it fulfills beautifully and without additional software that you need to download to fix this problem. With this cheeky feature, forget about crowding your storage with unnecessary programs or using any hacking gimmicks. Give it a click and capture from any corner of the world.

With these ingredients, you get the full shooting package any screenshot hunter would envy. Now that we’ve covered the features let’s get through the default and function parameters to get the full insights on what to expect while using this API, and all of the functions to get your using experience sharpened to the full capacity.

Defaults are easy-peasy. The „r“ for the type of the request; screenshot and apikey which serves as your private, unique apikey. When it comes to function parameters, let’s get them listed for a better preview:
Domain – domain is required when there is no fullurl set.

Fullurl – fullurl is required when there is no domain set, so they function complementarily. If the set domain parameter is ignored, the API will screenshot the exact website page.

Process – Process is required and branches down to:
a) thumb, which makes a first viewport screenshot and a thumbnail
b) fullpage, which captures the entire page and all of the scrolling, without the thumbnail
c) thumbfullpage, which captures the entire page and all of the scrolling, including the thumbnail.

Resolution – this parameter is optional, and with it, you can customize the screen resolution to your needs. If you don’t specify a resolution, the default set is 1366×768, but you can use any of the supported formats, including: 1920×1080, 1280×1024, 1280×800 and 1024×768

Delay – as mentioned before, delay servers as a postpone for a screenshot calculated in milliseconds. You can set the maximum delay at 5 seconds, but keep in mind that the longer the delay the longer it will take for the screenshot to process, so finding a sweet spot is recommended for the optimal performance.

 

Delay the website screenshot with API request

Delay the website screenshot with API request

Thumbwidth and thumbheight – these parameters are also optional, where you can manipulate the dimensions of the thumbnails, with the default dimensions being 133×100 pixels.

ASAP – The default mode for screenshot API is to wait for images, JavaScripts, styles, etc. to load up and then take a screenshot. If you don’t want to wait for all of the recourses to load, you can send the „asap=true“ parameter in your request, which will result in the API taking a screenshot as soon as the HTML loads.

Take the website screenshot immediately, without waiting

Screenshot API takes a website screenshot without the website loading 100%

Node_geo – you can select the specific country you want to use the layout from for the screenshot. If you don’t select a distinct one, a random country will be used.

The possibilities with this API are countless. The conventional screenshot method would include: opening a website on your browser → hitting the PrtScn button → pasting it into a software and then cutting it, filtering and freshening it up manually…it’s a great method to waste your time, but if you want the procedure to be clean, fast and easy then it definitely won’t be your cup of tea.

Not to mention how much time and energy you would waste by repeating it for multiple screenshots of multiple websites. With WhoAPI Screenshots, that procedure fits within only a few clicks, and regardless of the number of captures you want to take, you will never get bored by the complicated steps because there are none.

Simply choose your preferences, adjust the parameters and you are good to go. Let’s get through a few variations where a screenshot API is an absolute must-have:

For listicles

Listicles are a form of creating content, such as writing, presented in whole or in part in the form of a list as a thematic structure. If your topic includes featuring some websites, reviewing the products, or doing any type of analysis, it’s obvious that you’ll want to include some images to give your users a visual representation.

At that point, it’s obligatory to take the screenshot of every respective site mentioned which can be a real pain in your rear side; if you don’t use the proper software of course. A few simple clicks, a few copy and paste, and the whole hours-long process is compressed into only a few minutes.

For portfolios

You’ve been working as a content creator, you’ve been mentioned on multiple websites, you’ve created the websites, and you want to bring all of your work together in a portfolio, CV or something similar?
Then you might want to have a special little software by your side to help you execute those screenshots and saves in a timely manner!

The capturing scheme itself can last for hours, not to mention the reviewing and corrections of any unclean, imprecise captures, or only a few minutes with the right helper to do most of the work for you.

For reports and reliability

Any type of reports, monitoring and results require credible proof of its legitimacy. And what better way to do it than by taking a website screenshot? If you want to react to a certain occurrence on a website as soon as possible, you take a quick shot and focus on the topic immediately.

Regardless if you are an SEO expert, online marketer, website owner, or administrator, you will always be able to find a use for software this versatile and applicable to any given situation.

Pricing

You probably think that Screenshot API pricing will cost you a fortune to use and maintain, but you can get your hands on it, starting at only $9 per month! There are five different packages available, and all of them include:

  • Full-size website screenshot
  • Thumbnail website screenshot
  • Money-back guarantee
  • Console
  • Delay and ASAP
  • GEO screenshots
  • Alternative resolutions
  • Support

The smallest package, starting at $9 per month, has a request limit of 6,000 screenshots per month, with the forum as a support solution. The next package in size has a request limit of 18,000 screenshots per month, with a price of $23 per month. Next one → 54,000/month → $56/month → Email, 48 hours. Next one → 162,000/month → $141/month → Priority. Next one → 486,000/month → $352/month → Priority.

The three biggest packages have the available option of purchasing additional 50, 000 requests, with the price ascending, starting from the biggest: $15 → $20 → $25

If none of these suit your needs ideally, or you are looking for a package with a price range and request limit somewhere in between, feel free to contact the support, where you will be able to strike a deal on the one that will be tailored to your needs exactly (if possible of course).

Conclusion

APIs exist to make your life easier, simpler, faster, and much more practical, and that’s exactly why Screenshot API has to become a part of your daily routine. It serves as a perfect time and click-saver, with your effort and time invested in making dozens or hundreds (or even thousands – why not?) screenshots reduced to a minimum.

Your hands are completely untied when it comes to customizations and preferences, where you can choose how, when and where from to take a screenshot, with the entire website converted into an image effortlessly.

Most of the work is already done by the API, and the only thing left for you to do is to give it instructions on how exactly do you want the final product to turn out, and even that step doesn’t have to be conducted, considering that the default configuration is optimized to work in most scenarios.

With the prices being affordable and including all of the features with multiple packages that will undoubtedly meet your preferences, what are you waiting for?

Visit the website, explore the options, find the package that fits you best and start shooting!

GoranDuskic

Goran Duskic has been the Founder and CEO of WhoAPI Inc. since 2011, a company that specializes in developing APIs, including the well-known Whois API. He started his career in internet entrepreneurship in 2006 and has co-founded several online businesses, including a web hosting company that he later sold. Goran's work primarily involves creating practical API solutions to meet technological needs.

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