How to Take Screenshots with cURL: Command-Line Screenshot API

Capture website screenshots from the command line using cURL and ScreenshotAPI. One-liner examples for scripting, CI/CD, and automation.

Last updated: 2026-03-25

Try ScreenshotAPI free

5 free credits. No credit card required.

Start for free

cURL is the fastest way to test and use a screenshot API. It is pre-installed on macOS, Linux, and Windows (via WSL or Git Bash), making it ideal for quick captures, shell scripts, and CI/CD pipelines. This guide shows how to capture website screenshots from the command line using cURL and ScreenshotAPI.

Basic Screenshot

Capture a website as a PNG with a single command:


bash
curl -G "https://screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot" \
  -d "url=https://example.com" \
  -d "width=1440" \
  -d "height=900" \
  -d "type=png" \
  -H "x-api-key: sk_live_your_api_key" \
  --output screenshot.png

The -G flag sends the -d parameters as query strings instead of POST body data.

Full-Page Screenshot

Capture the entire scrollable page:


bash
curl -G "https://screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot" \
  -d "url=https://example.com" \
  -d "width=1440" \
  -d "fullPage=true" \
  -d "type=png" \
  -H "x-api-key: sk_live_your_api_key" \
  --output full_page.png

Dark Mode

Force the page to render in dark mode:


bash
curl -G "https://screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot" \
  -d "url=https://example.com" \
  -d "width=1440" \
  -d "height=900" \
  -d "colorScheme=dark" \
  -d "type=png" \
  -H "x-api-key: sk_live_your_api_key" \
  --output dark_mode.png

WebP with Quality Setting

Use WebP for smaller file sizes:


bash
curl -G "https://screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot" \
  -d "url=https://example.com" \
  -d "width=1440" \
  -d "height=900" \
  -d "type=webp" \
  -d "quality=85" \
  -H "x-api-key: sk_live_your_api_key" \
  --output screenshot.webp

Wait for JavaScript Content

Wait for a specific element before capturing:


bash
curl -G "https://screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot" \
  -d "url=https://example.com" \
  -d "waitUntil=networkidle" \
  -d "waitForSelector=#main-content" \
  -d "type=png" \
  -H "x-api-key: sk_live_your_api_key" \
  --output screenshot.png

Add a delay if the page has animations:


bash
curl -G "https://screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot" \
  -d "url=https://example.com" \
  -d "delay=2000" \
  -d "type=png" \
  -H "x-api-key: sk_live_your_api_key" \
  --output screenshot.png

Mobile Screenshot

Capture at mobile viewport dimensions:


bash
curl -G "https://screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot" \
  -d "url=https://example.com" \
  -d "width=375" \
  -d "height=812" \
  -d "type=png" \
  -H "x-api-key: sk_live_your_api_key" \
  --output mobile.png

Batch Capture with a Shell Script

Capture multiple URLs in a loop:


bash
#!/bin/bash
API_KEY="sk_live_your_api_key"
URLS=(
  "https://github.com"
  "https://stripe.com"
  "https://linear.app"
  "https://vercel.com"
)

for url in "${URLS[@]}"; do
  domain=$(echo "$url" | sed 's|https://||' | sed 's|/|_|g')
  echo "Capturing $url..."

  curl -s -G "https://screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot" \
    -d "url=$url" \
    -d "width=1440" \
    -d "height=900" \
    -d "type=png" \
    -H "x-api-key: $API_KEY" \
    --output "${domain}.png"

  echo "Saved ${domain}.png"
done

Parallel Capture with xargs

Capture URLs concurrently using xargs:


bash
cat urls.txt | xargs -P 4 -I {} bash -c '
  domain=$(echo "{}" | sed "s|https://||" | sed "s|/|_|g")
  curl -s -G "https://screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot" \
    -d "url={}" \
    -d "width=1440" \
    -d "height=900" \
    -d "type=png" \
    -H "x-api-key: sk_live_your_api_key" \
    --output "${domain}.png"
'

CI/CD Integration

GitHub Actions


yaml
- name: Capture screenshot
  run: |
    curl -G "https://screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot" \
      -d "url=${{ env.DEPLOY_URL }}" \
      -d "width=1440" \
      -d "height=900" \
      -d "type=png" \
      -H "x-api-key: ${{ secrets.SCREENSHOT_API_KEY }}" \
      --output screenshot.png

- name: Upload artifact
  uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
  with:
    name: deployment-screenshot
    path: screenshot.png

GitLab CI


yaml
screenshot:
  stage: test
  script:
    - curl -G "https://screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot"
        -d "url=$DEPLOY_URL"
        -d "width=1440"
        -d "height=900"
        -d "type=png"
        -H "x-api-key: $SCREENSHOT_API_KEY"
        --output screenshot.png
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - screenshot.png

Compare Both Sides: Light and Dark

Capture both color schemes for comparison:


bash
#!/bin/bash
API_KEY="sk_live_your_api_key"
URL="https://example.com"

for scheme in light dark; do
  curl -s -G "https://screenshotapi.to/api/v1/screenshot" \
    -d "url=$URL" \
    -d "width=1440" \
    -d "height=900" \
    -d "colorScheme=$scheme" \
    -d "type=png" \
    -H "x-api-key: $API_KEY" \
    --output "${scheme}.png"
done

echo "Saved light.png and dark.png"

Available Parameters

Parameter	Description	Example
`url`	Target URL to capture	`https://example.com`
`width`	Viewport width in pixels	`1440`
`height`	Viewport height in pixels	`900`
`fullPage`	Capture entire scrollable page	`true`
`type`	Output format	`png`, `jpeg`, `webp`
`quality`	Image quality (JPEG/WebP)	`85`
`colorScheme`	Force color scheme	`light`, `dark`
`waitUntil`	Page load strategy	`networkidle`, `load`
`waitForSelector`	Wait for CSS selector	`#content`
`delay`	Additional delay in ms	`2000`

Next Steps

Read the full API documentation for advanced parameters
Learn about automating website screenshots at scale
See the JavaScript or Python guides for SDK-based approaches
Check pricing for credit-based plans starting at $20 for 500 screenshots

Frequently asked questions

Can I take website screenshots from the command line?

Yes. Using cURL with a screenshot API, you can capture any website as a PNG, JPEG, or WebP image with a single command. No browser installation required.

How do I use a screenshot API with cURL?

Send a GET request to the API endpoint with your URL and parameters as query strings, include your API key in the x-api-key header, and pipe the output to a file with --output.

Can I use cURL screenshots in CI/CD pipelines?

Yes. cURL is pre-installed on virtually every CI/CD environment (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, CircleCI). You can capture screenshots as build artifacts without installing any dependencies.

What image formats does the cURL screenshot API support?

ScreenshotAPI supports PNG, JPEG, and WebP output formats. Specify the format using the type query parameter.

Start capturing screenshots today

Create a free account and get 5 credits to try the API. No credit card required. Pay only for what you use.

Create free account View pricing