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To capture a webpage in WordPress with GrabzIt, choose between its shortcode-based plugin and a custom PHP integration. The plugin is the simpler route for inserting a capture into a post; PHP is for workflows that need custom processing or file handling. Both require a GrabzIt account and credentials, and the plugin also requires authorization for your site’s domain.
Choose the WordPress plugin or a PHP integration
| Route | Best for | What you need to manage |
|---|---|---|
| GrabzIt WordPress plugin | Adding a capture to a post or page with a shortcode and without writing custom PHP. | Account credentials, plugin settings, domain authorization, and shortcode options. |
| GrabzIt PHP library | A custom capture workflow, such as saving a result on your server or processing it after an asynchronous callback. | PHP code, credentials, capture status, and either synchronous saving or a reachable callback handler. |
GrabzIt’s hosted Web Capture API can capture URLs or HTML and produce screenshots and other conversions. See the GrabzIt API overview for the service and credential basics. This guide keeps the plugin and PHP approaches separate: the shortcode is not a substitute for the PHP library.
Set up a GrabzIt account and protect its credentials
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Create or sign in to a GrabzIt account and obtain the application key and secret. The API requires credentials; consult the API overview for current account and key instructions.
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Keep the secret on the server side. Do not put it in a public post, screenshot, theme template sent to visitors, or public code repository. GrabzIt advises users to keep the key and secret safe.
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Authorize the domain used by your WordPress site when configuring the plugin. Check that the authorized hostname matches the live site, including whether it uses a
wwwsubdomain. GrabzIt documents domain and IP restrictions; only authorize the domains or IPs your integration needs.
Add a GrabzIt shortcode to a WordPress post
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In the WordPress dashboard, install the GrabzIt Web Capture plugin from the WordPress plugin directory. Plugin installation and settings labels can change; follow the current plugin instructions if the menu differs.
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Open the plugin’s settings and enter the application key as instructed. Complete the required domain authorization before testing a capture.
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Edit the post or page and add a shortcode where the capture should appear. The WordPress.org listing gives these vendor examples:
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[grabzit]https://www.google.com[/grabzit]captures a URL.[grabzit]<h1>Hello there</h1>[/grabzit]supplies HTML.[grabzit format="pdf" download="1"]https://www.google.com[/grabzit]requests a PDF with the listed download attribute.
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Preview the page and confirm the result behaves as you expect before publishing. The examples are vendor-provided, not independently tested here. Check the current WordPress.org plugin listing and GrabzIt WordPress plugin page for supported attributes, output formats, and updated setup instructions.
For a different output, the listing shows format attributes such as format="pdf" and format="png". Do not assume every API parameter is a supported shortcode attribute; confirm the current plugin documentation first.
Use the GrabzIt PHP library for a custom capture
The PHP route is appropriate when a shortcode cannot provide the workflow you need—for example, when your application must save a result to a particular directory or process a capture after it finishes. GrabzIt’s PHP documentation and official repository show the general sequence: initialize a client with the application key and secret, request a URL-to-image capture, then save it or handle it asynchronously. Exact method signatures and library setup can change, so use the current GrabzIt PHP API documentation and official PHP repository when implementing.
Typical PHP flow
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Install or download the GrabzIt PHP library using the current vendor instructions. Keep credentials in server-side configuration, not in code that is exposed publicly.
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Create the GrabzIt client with the application key and secret.
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Call the library’s URL-to-image capture method with the page URL you want to capture.
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Choose synchronous saving if the operation and application flow support it, or provide a callback handler for asynchronous processing. The repository example uses
URLToImageandSavewith a handler URL; follow the current documentation for method arguments. -
For a callback, make the handler publicly reachable by GrabzIt and retrieve the result using the capture ID as shown in the repository example. Save the returned bytes only to a directory your PHP process can write to.
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Check capture status and handle processing, cached, and expired states rather than assuming every request is immediately ready. The advanced PHP documentation describes status checking and output handling.
The official repository example requires read/write access to its results directory and a publicly accessible remote handler. Avoid granting broad filesystem permissions: use a dedicated output directory with only the access the application needs. GrabzIt’s advanced PHP guidance recommends downloading the capture to your web server before displaying it; it also documents direct response output with the appropriate MIME type.
Compatibility and current plugin metadata
As checked on 2026-10-03, the WordPress.org listing displayed plugin version 1.0.9, a last-updated interval of eight months, WordPress 4.5.0 or later, testing through WordPress 6.9.0, and PHP 7.2.24 or later. These are listing values at that check date, not a guarantee of compatibility with every installation or a current recommendation for a new server. Recheck the plugin listing before installing or updating.
Packagist listed grabzit/grabzit version 3.5.8 dated 2026-06-18 and a package PHP requirement of >=5.3.2. That package metadata is not, by itself, a recommendation to run an old PHP version. Verify current vendor support and your hosting provider’s supported PHP versions before choosing a runtime; see the Packagist record.
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Troubleshoot a GrabzIt WordPress plugin or PHP capture
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The shortcode is not producing a capture: confirm the plugin is installed and configured, the application key is correct, and the site’s exact domain is authorized. Check the current plugin documentation for shortcode syntax and supported attributes.
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A capture request is rejected: recheck the key and secret in the server-side configuration and confirm any domain or IP restriction allows the actual request source. Do not expose the secret while debugging.
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A PHP callback never completes: verify that the callback URL is reachable from outside your network and that the handler processes the capture ID as in the official repository example. A local-only URL cannot serve as a remote callback.
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The callback runs but the file is missing: check that the destination directory exists and the PHP process has the required read/write access. Prefer a dedicated results directory over loosening permissions across the site.
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The result is not ready or has expired: inspect the capture status and implement handling for processing, cached, and expired states, as described in the advanced PHP documentation.
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Compatibility is uncertain after a WordPress or PHP update: compare your versions with the live plugin listing and vendor documentation. The dated listing metadata above should not be treated as a permanent compatibility promise.
Or skip the browser setup
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ScreenshotNeo API documentation
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpReplace YOUR_API_KEY with your key and change the target URL as needed. The response can be a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. ScreenshotNeo also offers an MCP server with take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots. See ScreenshotNeo for service details, or sign up free for 1,000 screenshots a month, with no card required.
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