Use Case Guide · Updated February 2026

Web Archiving API: Capture & Archive Web Pages

Web content disappears. Pages get updated, redesigned, or taken down entirely. For compliance teams, legal departments, and researchers, having a reliable web archiving solution is critical. You need timestamped proof of what a page looked like at a specific moment — not just the HTML, but the actual visual rendering.

SnapAPI provides the building blocks for automated web archiving: screenshots for visual records, PDFs for document-quality archives, and data extraction for structured content preservation. Combine all three for comprehensive archival.

Multi-Format Web Archiving

A robust web archive captures pages in multiple formats. Here's how to create comprehensive archives with SnapAPI:

curl — Complete Page Archive

# Visual screenshot
curl "https://api.snapapi.pics/v1/screenshot?url=https://example.com/page&fullPage=true&format=png" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -o archive-2026-02-12-screenshot.png

# PDF document
curl "https://api.snapapi.pics/v1/pdf?url=https://example.com/page&printBackground=true" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -o archive-2026-02-12.pdf

# Extracted content
curl "https://api.snapapi.pics/v1/extract?url=https://example.com/page" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -o archive-2026-02-12-content.json

Node.js — Automated Archiving Pipeline

async function archivePage(url) {
  const timestamp = new Date().toISOString();
  const slug = new URL(url).hostname.replace(/\./g, '-');
  const headers = { 'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' };

  const [screenshot, pdf, content] = await Promise.all([
    fetch(`https://api.snapapi.pics/v1/screenshot?url=${encodeURIComponent(url)}&fullPage=true&format=png`, { headers }),
    fetch(`https://api.snapapi.pics/v1/pdf?url=${encodeURIComponent(url)}&printBackground=true`, { headers }),
    fetch(`https://api.snapapi.pics/v1/extract?url=${encodeURIComponent(url)}`, { headers }).then(r => r.json())
  ]);

  const archive = {
    url,
    timestamp,
    content,
    screenshotPath: `archives/${slug}-${timestamp}.png`,
    pdfPath: `archives/${slug}-${timestamp}.pdf`
  };

  await fs.promises.writeFile(archive.screenshotPath, Buffer.from(await screenshot.arrayBuffer()));
  await fs.promises.writeFile(archive.pdfPath, Buffer.from(await pdf.arrayBuffer()));
  await fs.promises.writeFile(`archives/${slug}-${timestamp}.json`, JSON.stringify(archive, null, 2));

  return archive;
}

Python — Scheduled Archiving

import requests
from datetime import datetime

def archive_page(url):
    headers = {'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'}
    timestamp = datetime.now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M')
    slug = url.replace('https://', '').replace('/', '_')

    # Capture screenshot
    screenshot = requests.get(
        'https://api.snapapi.pics/v1/screenshot',
        params={'url': url, 'fullPage': True, 'format': 'png'},
        headers=headers
    )
    with open(f'archives/{slug}-{timestamp}.png', 'wb') as f:
        f.write(screenshot.content)

    # Capture PDF
    pdf = requests.get(
        'https://api.snapapi.pics/v1/pdf',
        params={'url': url, 'printBackground': True},
        headers=headers
    )
    with open(f'archives/{slug}-{timestamp}.pdf', 'wb') as f:
        f.write(pdf.content)

    # Extract content
    content = requests.get(
        'https://api.snapapi.pics/v1/extract',
        params={'url': url},
        headers=headers
    ).json()

    return {'url': url, 'timestamp': timestamp, 'content': content}

# Archive important pages daily
urls_to_archive = [
    'https://competitor.com/pricing',
    'https://regulator.gov/guidelines',
    'https://partner.com/terms',
]
for url in urls_to_archive:
    archive_page(url)

Web Archiving: API vs DIY

Aspect	DIY (wget / HTTrack / Puppeteer)	SnapAPI
Visual fidelity	wget/HTTrack miss JS-rendered content	Real browser rendering
JavaScript pages	wget can't render JS; Puppeteer can	Full JS execution
Multiple formats	Need separate tools	Screenshot + PDF + Extract in one API
Cookie popups	Manual dismissal	Auto-blocked
Server maintenance	Your responsibility	Fully managed
Full-page capture	Complex scroll-stitch logic	Built-in fullPage

Archiving Use Cases

Archiving Best Practices

• Capture in multiple formats — screenshot (visual proof), PDF (printable document), and extracted text (searchable content)
• Use full-page screenshots — fullPage=true captures everything, not just the viewport
• Timestamp everything — include ISO timestamps in filenames and metadata
• Store securely — use immutable storage (S3 Object Lock, WORM) for legal evidence
• Hash for integrity — compute SHA-256 hashes of archived files to prove they haven't been tampered with
• Block cookie banners — use blockCookieBanners=true for clean archives without consent overlays

FAQ

Can I archive JavaScript-heavy pages?

Yes. SnapAPI uses a real Chromium browser that fully executes JavaScript. Single-page apps, dynamic content, and interactive elements all render correctly.

How do I prove an archive is authentic?

Compute SHA-256 hashes of your archived files immediately after capture. Store hashes separately (e.g., in a database or blockchain). This proves the file hasn't been modified since capture.

Can I archive pages behind login?

SnapAPI supports cookie injection for authenticated sessions. Pass cookies as parameters to capture pages that require login.

What's the maximum page size for full-page screenshots?

SnapAPI can capture pages up to 16,384 pixels tall. For extremely long pages, consider using PDF format instead, which handles pagination automatically.

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