Using screenshots is a great way to explain a specific topic with ease because visuals are more digestible than text.
However, if you’ve ever gone on a screenshot spree where you visit the webpages, take the screenshot and edit them to make it look appealing, you know the task isn’t the easiest. It’s kind of a struggle to do it all manually.
In those cases, using screenshot APIs is the best way to go. Instead of wasting 5 minutes on preparing a single screenshot, you can generate a bunch of screenshots in that time and with ease.
In this article, you’ll first discover the tools from which you can take screenshots manually and then the APIs, which automate the process. Keep in mind, just “taking” a screenshot isn’t enough. These tools and APIs also help you select the desired size and beautify it.
Importance of “beautifying” your screenshots
We all know screenshots doesn’t need any retouching or filtering, but most of the in-built screenshot tools in our system capture the entire screen, including the toolbar and status bar, which is not required.
You’d want to remove those and beautifully present them because appealing screenshots can:
- Enhance your brand
- Draw more attention
- Gain customers’ trust
However, editing the screenshots manually will consume a ton of time, which is why you need to utilize the solutions mentioned in this article.
Benefits of using API to build your screenshot tool
If you’re looking to build a screenshot tool in a bid to make things easier, then here are some of the many benefits of using API:
Saves time
APIs are meant to do everything quick and better. Using it to build your application means dramatically cutting the time into half, which would take so many hours if you build everything from scratch. Most of the APIs can get up and running under a week.
Reduces labor
Integrating an API to build software is like plug-and-play. Most of the work is already done for you. All you do is put the API into action using their documentation and tutorials, and you’re ready to start using it. No more assembling things from the start.
Less expensive
Most of the APIs are very budget-friendly and also come with freemium plans to loosen the burden further. On the other hand, a full-blown application from scratch might possibly cost you an arm and a leg.
On-demand screenshot tools
Screely
A wonderful tool to turn your boring screenshots into a mockup, Screely is 100% free to use. It is used by over 145,000 people, including employees of Amazon, Shopify, and Google. You can get started by uploading your screenshot, after which you can:
- Choose between different mockup windows
- Change and customize the background
- Download the screenshot in PNG, SVG or JPG formats
They’re constantly rolling out new and exciting features, so it’s totally worth using them. They even have extensions for Google Chrome and Sketch to make things even simpler.
Geekflare Screenshot Checker
If you’re targeting multiple or worldwide audiences, one thing that you need to pay attention to is whether your website loads properly in all locations. There can be a lot of instances where your website loads fine in one country but have issues in another, so it’s wise to make sure everything’s proper.
With the use of the Geekflare Screenshot Checker, you can easily check if your website is showing properly in every region. All you do is paste the URL and let the tool return results from various regions.
After that, you can either download the screenshots or even identify if there is any loading problem in a specific region.
Thum.io
Take screenshots in under a second with Thum.io. It is a super-fast and reliable screenshot tool that can process screenshots in a simple and as well as advanced way. What I mean with “advanced” is, it lets you select the width and pixels as per your preference.
You can get started for free.
Geo Screenshot
With the ability to test your website from over 200 locations, Geo Screenshot is another brilliant option that has some happy customers in the names of Samsung, WebMD, and Microsoft. You can literally say goodbye to the use of proxies and VPNs because this tool allows you to be everywhere from anywhere.
You enter your URL once and BOOM, you now know how your website shows up in different locations.
Screenshot Machine
With Screenshot Machine, you can instantly generate screenshots and even turn your webpage into a PDF document. Before you enter the URL, you get the option to select different devices like tablets, phone, or desktop, which is a brilliant feature because everybody has different preferences.
Besides, you can also choose to generate a long, full-page screenshot. Other than that, you can generate a snapshot of your website as well. You can use this tool free for 100 screenshots per month.
GeoPeeker
As the name already hints, GeoPeeker lets you “peek” into how your website appears in different locations. The free version allows you to peek into 6 different locations, while the premium version adds 6.
With some advanced options, you can also:
- Check if your website is down
- Identify ping timings from different locations
- Customize render delay, resolutions and user-agent settings
Premium plans start from just $9/month.
Screenshot APIs
Restpack
Trusted by Samsung, AdColony, and Autodesk, Restpack is an amazing API that can capture screenshots with just a single call. It is based on the super simple and fast RestFUL HTTP URL and has code samples for various languages like PHP, Java, Node.js, and Python.
The rendering engine is completed based on the browser and is GDPR compliant. Pricing plans start from just $9.95/month, and you can also take the 7-day free trial.
URLBox
Their definition of SaaS is “Screenshot as a Service,” which is quite impressive. URLBox can automate the entire task of generating screenshots with their simple and easy-to-integrate API. You can:
- Take full-page screenshots
- Responsive screenshots that fit all devices
- Flawlessly generate screenshots from pages that are media-rich
Their rendering is super quick, which lets you generate various thumbnails in different dimensions under a few seconds. You’re guaranteed to get the same results you see on your browser, nothing less than that. It can handle a crazy amount of HTML, no matter how complex it is.
You can get started with a free trial and take it forward from there.
API Flash
Based on Google Chrome and AWS Lambda, API Flash’s website screenshot API promises a stable and scalable infrastructure. The endpoints are HTTPS for all plans, which is known for its security and privacy protection.
The API is very well documented and can generate a full page, as well as mobile responsive screenshots pretty easily. The free plan allows you to generate up to 100 screenshots, but you can pick one of their paid plans starting at $7/month for more.
Screenshot API
Screenshot API is based on REST API and is highly customizable to a point where you can even turn off Javascript to disallow popups. You can generate a full-page and as well as custom dimension screenshots that are of your desired pixels.
An impressive feature of this API is that you can choose whether you want Google Chrome as the browser or Firebox. The API will then generate screenshots from the selected browser. You can sign up and get your first 1,000 API calls for free.
Browserless
A very power-packed API that is a lot different than the others mentioned in this list. Browserless is browser automation that is built for developers and businesses. You can turn it on and automate most of the tasks you do on a browser, one of them is screenshots.
You can instantly generate screenshots of a webpage and save them in PNG or JPG formats. You don’t have to touch a single line of code, thanks to their REST APIs that come premade for your convenience.
You can either sign up for their “pay as you go” payment method or pick one of their fixed plans starting at $50/month.
Screenshotlayer
With Screenshotlayer, you can capture highly customizable screenshots. You can set your desired thumbnail and viewport, add your dash of CSS, set a specific delay time, and a lot more. The result comes in PNG, JPEG, or GIF formats.
Screenshotlayer is free for up to 100 requests, after which you can pick their paid plan starting at $19.99/month.
Conclusion
Using a mix of the above screenshot tools and APIs can prove to be very beneficial for your business and day-to-day tasks.
