How to Capture Website Screenshots with Node.js in 2026

Taking screenshots of websites programmatically is a common need for developers. Whether you're building link previews, generating thumbnails, or creating visual testing tools, you need a reliable way to capture web pages.

Method 1: Puppeteer (Self-hosted)

const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');

async function takeScreenshot(url) {
  const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
  const page = await browser.newPage();
  await page.goto(url);
  await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png' });
  await browser.close();
}

Cons: Chrome updates break code, memory issues, requires infrastructure.

Method 2: Screenshot API (Recommended)

curl "https://api.snapapi.pics/v1/screenshot?url=example.com" \
  -H "X-API-Key: your_key" \
  --output screenshot.png

Pros: No infrastructure, automatic scaling, built-in features, free tier available.

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